Beautiful women come a dime a dozen and Instagram is certain proof of that, but what a treasure it is to find a woman with the total package.
La La Anthony is beauty, booty and brains. Yeah, we said it. Best known for her role as LaKeisha on Power, Anthony has been able to successfully transition from TV host to A-List actress, all while mothering a son with NBA star Carmelo Anthony.
The lovely bawse that started her career as a radio DJ sat down with InStyle to give us an inside look at what’s important to her.
“Kiyan is the best thing that ever happened to me,” Anthony said. “He’s what I’m most proud of. Having him is the most badass thing I’ve ever done, so I definitely feel most powerful when I’m in mom mode.”
Being a mother has enabled Anthony to reflect on the many sacrifices her mother made to care for her family.
“My mom always made it work with whatever she had to keep our family together, even when she was a single parent,” she said. “That’s why my goal in life was always to not be broke. It wasn’t about having a career —- I didn’t even know I wanted to do. But I knew what being broke felt like and I never wanted to have that feeling again.”
Her rise to fame and excellence is no accident. She worked hard and believed in herself, even when people doubted her abilities.
“I remind myself where I started, where I’m at now, and what I’ve created through hard work and perseverance,” Anthony reflects. “I’m in a business where you’re constantly being told no, and if you don’t have a backbone, that shit will break you….There will always be people who are better at something than me. But I can guarantee you there’s only a small percentage of the population that could ever outwork me.”
Anthony’s career is evidence of her commitment to evolution and growth. For years, she was the face of MTV’s Total Request Live interviewing some of the most famous music artists and entertainers.
She would then pursue her passion in acting, but the transition did not come easy.
“For so long, people tried to put me in a box,” she said. “I was told, ‘You’re an MTV VJ, you’re a radio host, you’re a reality TV person — you can’t do anything else.’ I was adamant in proving to people that I could.”
“It took time to get to a place where outside validation wasn’t important,” she continued. “Plus, I’m a people pleaser, and I wanted everyone to like me and be my friend. I used to let people run all over me because I didn’t want to ruffle an feathers, but I learned that in order to do what’s best for yourself, sometime that’s necessary.”
Her fierce attitude and never-say-die mentality led her to one of her most epic roles on TV in 50 Cent’s Power. Rumored to be a guest star at one point of the show, Keisha (Anthony’s character) was so intriguing that she would become reoccurring on the show for six seasons. Now she is stepping into the realms of executive producing.
“You have more control when you create your own content, because you’re not waiting for someone to give you a chance.”
