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Cover Story: Anais & Mirabelle
S ly Love &Anais Mirabelle Lee with
Writen by: Sandra Sherard Photography: Antwon Maxwell (@antwonmaxwellphotography)
Anais and Mirabelle Lee are 16-year-old identical twins, as well as models, actresses, dancers, and fashionistas from the City of Brotherly Love, also known as Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This dynamic duo currently resides in California and has been making waves, not only in the world of modeling, but also in the world of entertainment, acting in some of your favorite television shows and movies. In fact, both girls are currently cast in Emmy-nominated T.V. shows, with one recently winning the award! The success Anais and Mirabelle have achieved on and off screen demonstrates the power of togetherness and how great of an impact unity can have, especially with a bond as strong as theirs.
These young moguls-in-the-making began their careers as print models, booking advertisement campaigns for some of the top retailers in the country. This expanded into runway modeling for shows as big as New York Fashion Week. While Anais and Mirabelle continue to work in commercial modeling, their television roles have pivoted their careers in unimaginable ways. Anais currently plays Jessi Ramsey on Netflix’s The Baby-Sitters Club, which is a role she has come to love tremendously because of her character’s qualities. “We’re both goal oriented. It’s one of my favorite traits of hers because it’s one I relate to. I work hard to reach my goals and Jessi does the same,” says Anais. Mirabelle currently plays three characters, including Becky, Young Sara, and Ellen, on Apple TV Plus’ animated series El Deafo, which was inspired by the graphic novel written by CeCe Bell. The mini-series expands on the childhood experiences of a young girl that loses her hearing. This opportunity is one Mirabelle was incredibly thankful for because she was able to bring these characters to life during the pandemic. “I remember recording this show during the height of the pandemic when we were all closed in, and it gave me so much joy to voice these characters” she shares.
As mentioned, both shows are Emmy-nominated, with El Deafo also being nominated for Outstanding Special Class Animated Program, and The Baby-Sitter’s Club winning the Emmy, following eight nominations for the second season of the series. Needless to say, Anais and Mirabelle we’re ecstatic about the nominations and win! Mirabelle recalls learning of the Emmy nomination of El Deafo and the joy it brought about. “I was so happy when I read the show had been nominated for an Emmy!” she exclaims. Anais was equally overfilled with joy after learning of the Emmy win and states:
“It was a feeling of indescribable joy! When we all walked onto the stage to accept the Emmy, I was so super happy and just couldn’t believe the show achieved this amazing honor. Five years ago, if you had told me I would have achieved an Emmy in an award-winning show, I wouldn’t believe you! I love my cast members so much, we’re like sisters.” Having the opportunity to experience successes like this together and support one another throughout the journey makes moments as such even more special. Anais and Mirabelle definitely have a very close connection and already know everything about each other, so being able to work together on projects only strengthens their bond and has helped them realize the importance of sticking together, especially in the entertainment industry. “Being in this industry, we have met and learned from so many people and it has allowed us to appreciate so many different types of people. Our differences can bring us together in a way. We can learn from each other and show each other different perspectives of this world,” they state. While joining people together can be difficult in what seems to be such divisive times, taking the opportunity to find common ground and listen to one another can make the world of a difference. “We believe the arts, whether it’s music, film, photography, or paintings, can always join people together in unity,” the girls explain. Anais and Mirabelle believe that coming together is the only way this world can successfully progress, and change can be made. The division we often see and hear about saddens them because of their belief that everyone deserves to have their voice heard, not suppressed by others.
This is one of many reasons the girls work so hard to be supportive of not only one another, but fans, as well. They love interacting with and responding to the direct messages they get from fans, hoping to serve as a safe space. “We hope you can find a bit of happiness and light in the things we do, because we believe that is our ultimate purpose in life; to bring joy to others,” they share. Having a safe space, whether a person, place, or both, is incredibly important, as is finding joy in the things that matter to you most.
Their safe space and what brings them joy is spending time with one another, baking, going for walks, and having late-night talks. “We love to bake and listen to music together, especially music by Ella Fitzgerald, The Flamingos, or Billie Holiday. We end up having the best conversations when we go on walks or at midnight,” Anais and Mirabelle state. Both girls are also avid readers. Their room is lined with books, and if you see them in public, 98 % of the time they will either have a book in their hands or in their tote bag.
Attending movie premieres has become another source of joy for Anais and Mirabelle. “We LOVE attending movie premieres because of the glam!” they exclaim. They always start with the hairstyle, which can take hours, especially for braided, and craft their outfits from there. Their hairstylist, @doll.religion, has been collaborating with them to create hairstyles since they were 10 years old. In fact, their stylist actually moved from New York City to Los Angeles to continue to work with them. For red-carpet outfit choices, they love beautiful timeless dresses and edgy/interesting looks that go with braided styles for more casual premieres. The one thing that takes the least time is makeup because they like to keep it simple.
The twins are as busy as ever these days with television roles, movies, and modeling jobs. There are two upcoming projects fans can be on the lookout for. Mirabelle has a new Disney show that is expected to come out in a few months and Anais will appear as Steph Greene in Season 2 of The Upshaws. They have a few other projects in development, as well, and can’t wait until more information gets released about them! Be sure to follow the girls on Instagram and TikTok @anaismirabelle to learn more and get updates.
Emmy's Photographer: Marc Bryan-Brown
