Insights into the model trip of Maya Samaha, the native Spokane and Amazon’s new advertising star

After hearing “no” for years, one final visit to an open model call in Los Angeles changed the life of Spokane-born Maya Samaha forever.

“I knew I had what I had and what I was capable of, so I didn’t give up,” she said.

When her agent at Nous Management pointed directly at her and said “yes” at first sight, she was shocked. But not quite.

“I started making art at a young age, pretty much as long as I can remember,” says Samaha, now 27. “I grew up in a dance studio. My grandma was a painter, my mom is musically, creatively and physically very gifted. … I got a lot of what I am today from this upbringing. “

Her latest breakthrough is being cast as Cleopatra in a new Amazon Prime ad campaign.

Samaha attended a local Catholic school and then graduated from Mead High School.

With the natural body awareness of a competitive athlete and dancer, modeling was a matter of course for Samaha.

“I knew from an early age that I was an artist and a performer,” she said. “I enjoy telling a story with my body, my face, the clothes I wear and representing other people like me.”

Growing up in Spokane taking dance and art classes, Samaha said she realized early on that she would never find the kind of fulfillment needed from a traditional office job in her hometown.

“I knew I wasn’t going to college; School was never my thing, ”she said. “I wanted to be creative to make a living.”

Striving for a more creative career has never been easy. It would mean leaving the house and going on your own.

“That sounds scary and difficult. And it is. But to make a living you have to be in an environment where there is opportunity, ”she said.

She knew that if she had any hope of realizing her dreams and finding the living space she so desperately wanted, she had to try.

And those dreams didn’t include staying in Spokane. Samaha identifies with the queer community and uses she / she pronouns.

“I found it difficult to grow up there for many different reasons,” she said, explaining that in middle and high school she never felt completely safe or free to be herself. “It was very confusing for me to grow up there. … I was constantly struggling with my identity. “

So, at 18, with Los Angeles in his sights, Samaha left her home for Seattle and – hardly anyone who doubts – has not regretted it.

“I’ve been in LA for three years now … but Seattle was a great stepping stone to get here,” said Samaha.

Getting used to living alone wasn’t easy. But her studies in cosmetology school gave her the ability to express herself and earn a stable income, while her personal drive along with the support of friends and family continued to drive her to greater success.

“She’s a fighter,” said Samaha’s mother and longtime dance teacher Rachel Samaha. “She pushes, she has visions and doesn’t just listen to her agents … she goes out and gets what she wants.”

In the past few years, all of the fighting and pushing has been worth it. Even and especially during the corona pandemic.

“It’s been exponential since then,” said Maya Samaha. She has worked on campaigns and collaborations with Nike, Target, Gap and H&M. In August, she starred in the Amazon Prime ad.

“I do the most, but at the end of the day I do everything I love, so I am very grateful and happy to be here.”

At a point where she can actively pursue all of her creative goals – photography, modeling, acting, visual arts and, most recently, music video directing – she has to guard against burnout and take time for herself.

In her spare time, she enjoys boogie boarding, roller skating, sleeping, eating, cooking, and hanging out with friends. But if she needs an extra reset, traveling alone is her first choice.

Samaha views modeling as an art form in itself, as well as a receptacle for her other creative endeavors, and draws constant inspiration from a variety of sources.

“What inspires me to create? Other people, women, the pain I experience, all of that, ”she said. “I get inspired when I go through and overcome difficulties or when I take time to enjoy my life. To be there and watch others do great things is always the best source of inspiration for me. “