Ali Skovbye is a young actress whose beauty comes from inside out because this Canadian artist is not only a talented person but a gorgeous human being with a kind heart full of acceptance, love, and a lovely message to all.
Currently, we can see her, alongside Katherine Heigl and Sarah Chalke, as the young Tully in the hit drama Firefly Lane streaming on Netflix.
In this exclusive interview for Vanity Teen, Ali Skovbye, while pondering her life, asked the question: “why have I never started before?” as a reflection of the good things she has been discovering lately. So, read on to know more about her, her work, and her heartfelt advice.
Respectful and kind to everyone
VT: You started your career at a young age, but do you recall a moment in which you thought something like: “yes, this is what I want to do for a living”?
AS: Honestly, I don’t think there was a specific moment. I just always knew this was something I would do for a while because of how much I loved it.
VT: Who are some of your biggest inspirations in life?
AS: My biggest inspirations are the people closest to me: my family, my friends. I have really incredible people in my life who support me, push me to be better and also understand the kind of lifestyle I live.
I admire the people in my life so much that watching their passion, handwork, and successes inspires me the most. My sister is my biggest inspiration, always has been and always will be.
VT: Which of your family values have helped you in your career?
AS: My parents raised us to be respectful and kind to everyone we meet no matter what. Carrying that through into my work is something really important to me. To treat respectfully everybody, regardless of their position, whether they’re a day player or a PA, we should treat all with the same respect we would treat the director or lead actor.
It is also important to do this in your daily life as well. You never know what someone is going through, and the world has enough hatred already. So, be nice and respectful to everyone you meet.
The best part of what I do
VT: What do you like the most about being part of Firefly Lane?
AS: Roan Curtis. I think it’s rare that you get to work with people that you not only like but love. As our characters, Kate and Tully were meeting, and getting to know each so; were we, and now I have the privilege of knowing one of the greatest people, working with her every day, and calling her one of my best friends.
Our entire cast is amazing, and we all feel like family. That’s pretty incredible! I also very much love that we talk about difficult issues, don’t shy away from bringing up controversial conversations, and have made a show that hopefully a lot of different people can relate to.
VT: Most of your projects, especially Firefly Lane, have portrayed some difficult issues many young people have experienced or are currently dealing with in life. So, how do you feel knowing your work can start conversations that young people might not talk about in other ways?
AS: That is undoubtedly the best part of what I do. As challenging as it can be to take on a harder subject matter, it’s really important that we continue to do that so people don’t feel as alone.
Seeing a character that you like or relate to going through something you may have gone through yourself can help people to see they aren’t the only ones going through this, especially if you aren’t comfortable talking about it yet.
I know for myself, the thing I always heard people say was “talk about it” people always said that it gets easier if you talk about it. I wasn’t the kind of person that could talk about things that were affecting me very easily.
And when you sit with something long enough, you really do start to feel like no one is going through what you are. But that couldn’t be more untrue! Watching people go through something similar on TV can be comforting and a way of giving you more confidence to eventually talk about it.
Why I never started sooner?
VT: What plans do you have for the future?
AS: Questions about the future scare me because I honestly have no idea. I try not to think about it too much and freak myself out, but I know I want to travel a lot.
I hope to explore and fall in love with new parts of the world. Hopefully, I’m still working on projects I really love and still have the same relationships I do today.
VT: In which ways do you push yourself, and why?
AS: I push myself physically by working out as much as I can to stay healthy.
I push myself mentally by going to therapy and trying to be more open with people.
I push myself professionally by always trying to improve my work and making sure I am always prepared.
I push myself by doing things out of my comfort zone. I can be a pretty shy person, but I push myself to be social and go out, which I never regret.
VT: How do you take care of your mental health?
AS: I try to put myself first as much as possible. Actually, the last couple of months, I’ve struggled with my mental health more than I ever have.
The things I’ve found that have really helped me are keeping a routine, working out a lot, writing, seeing my friends as much as possible, and talking about it. I recently started therapy, and I ask myself every day why I never started sooner?
Sometimes you just need to talk through all the jumbled up messy thoughts in your head to make sense of them and feel a little bit better. And put yourself first. Cancel plans if you need to, don’t answer texts right away, stay in bed all day, eat yummy foods, take a bath, just make sure to give yourself the love, care, and attention you need.
VT: Which words would you like to share with those who might be having difficult times nowadays?
AS: Some days are just hard. Sometimes everything in your life is going well and making sense, you’ve been taking care of yourself, and you still wake up feeling like crap. But that’s okay; not every feeling needs an explanation.
You’re not alone, and you will get through it. I promise it gets better. I know everyone says that but what you’re feeling, really, is just temporary, and it will pass.
I actually got the word ‘temporary’ tattooed on my arm this year so that I can always remind myself of that. So don’t be too hard on yourself, breathe, and let yourself feel everything you’re feeling; it’s better than feeling nothing at all.
VT: Anything else you would like to tell the readers of Vanity Teen?
AS: Get ready for season 2!
Team:
Photographer: Jenna Berman @jennabermanphoto
Make-Up: Min-Jee Mowat @minjee.mowat
Hair: Erin Klassen @erinklassenhair
Before we go
Ali Skovbye invites us to speak up and do our best to find our comfort because she has been there and has been working in her solace, in her mental health, while acting, loving others, and staying focused on what truly suits her.
This young actress, as well as we do, also loves to portray stories that we can feel related to and open up to let know others we are not alone, and it is possible to get better.
We all can keep posted on her following her on social media @ali.skovbye and stay tuned because she has more projects coming up, and the second season of Firefly Lane will be out soon.
Finally, just like her, let us never forget to be kind.