Today we’d like to introduce you to Arij Fatyma.
Hi Arij, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I was born in North Carolina and used to go back and forth to my grandparent’s house in Pakistan. Before starting college, I decided to do an internship with a photographer. By fate, the model for a billboard campaign ran away. The photographer turned to me to model. I wanted to get Facebook pictures out of this. However, that changed my life. Immediately after, I was hunted down by agencies. One commercial after another led to lead roles on TV. I worked there until I met my husband, who was there from Canada. We moved back to the US, and he started his medical residency in Toledo. I put on the roles of lifestyle influencer and mother, along with my actual professional job as an account executive at a Fortune 500 company.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
While there are benefits to being famous, it has sometimes been challenging. I was very young to be in the entertainment industry. I had to learn to remain humble, invest wisely, and wait to trust people. It was also challenging to make friends outside the entertainment industry. I still struggle to make close friends. Most people only talk to me to get the latest industry gossip.
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
By profession, I work as an account executive for a Fortune 500 cybersecurity company. My acting abilities and ability to connect with people have been highly beneficial in my professional life.
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
It took me a minute to think about this; coming from a Pakistani background, it was difficult for my family to accept me as an actress. However, they never stopped me and always trusted me. I want to thank my husband, who has always supported whatever I’ve wanted to do. I want also to appreciate myself. My camera personality is entirely different from my real self. I learned how to model and act all by myself and even won the best actress award of the year in my first year.
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