star power [NYOTA Magazine ]
starring
Saniyya Sidney Volume 12
from the editor
HELLO THERE, READER! In this Star Power issue, Saniyya Sidney graces the cover. Although Saniyya is only 12 years old she has already been in two Oscar nominated films ("Fences" & "Hidden Figures') and is the lead in FOX's "The Passage". Saniyya truly is a star on the rise and I can't wait to see how her career unfolds. I also have a quick chat with Siena Agudong who can be seen on Netflix's new show "No Good Nick". As always I hope you enjoy reading the issue and are inspired to go after your dreams!
YOURS TRULY, Carol Wright EDITOR IN CHIEF, NYOTA MAGAZINE @_CAROL_WRIGHT
photo by Amanda Molloy
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contents
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Get to Know Saniyya
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Saniyya's Playlist
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Star Power: Saniyya Sidney
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Saniyya's Top Picks
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Quick Chat: Siena Agudong
#StarPower
GET TO KNOW SANIYYA I s th
e re
any
I have two wonderful dogs. A beagle named Leo and a morkie named Biscuit.
I lo
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s bo r n th e da it is y one o f m b e fo re H y fa a llo w vo ri ee te h o lid a n a n d y s.
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t h in c h e g b e tte e se r th ?! an
ob ve b
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I’m obsessed with teen dramas and old movies like “Vampire Diaries” and “Teen Wolf” as well as “The Breakfast Club” and “Sixteen Candles”....#saveferris!!
#StarPower
#NyotaMusic
Saniyya's Playlist Earth, Wind and Fire//Reasons Syd//Body A-Ha//Take On Me Aminé//Dr. Whoever New Edition//Can You Stand The Rain Robin Thicke//Everything I Can’t Have Drake//Righthand H.E.R//Could’ve Been Soul For Real//Candy Rain
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#StarPower
Saniyya Sidney
#StarPower
Interview by Carol Wright | Photos by Jeff Vespa | Hair by Renee Hume | Makeup by Alexa Hernandez Styling by Lia McNairy and Sherah Jones | Clothing provided by Cynthia Rowley
When did you realize you wanted acting to be your career? I’ve always known that I wanted to act. I started really asking my parents to be in the business when I was about 4 years old. It took me a whole year to convince them that I was serious. I started acting from there and the rest was history.
What drew you to “The Passage”? Amy’s strength and will. I was also really impressed with the relationship that Amy and the Agent had. It was just a special bond that I thought would be fun to portray for the audience.
You and your character Amy don’t come from similar backgrounds. In terms of getting into character, where do you pull from? I ask myself; how would I feel in her position? Plus, part of my research was getting to know the author Justin Cronin. He gave me great insights into Amy. That was a big key in helping me figure out exactly who she was
You’ve done a lot of film work. What excited you the most about having a lead role on a TV show?
Did you read Justin Cronin's trilogy prior to filming?
I was excited that this character was going to be able to show my range as an actress. I was happy to experience and to be apart of telling such a great story.
No, but my father had read them once he heard about the trilogy, and he read all of them before we filmed the pilot and gave me the scoop. He’s a big fan of the series.
Do you use different acting muscles when you work on TV versus film? No, I prepare for all my roles the same way every time. I want to bring 100% to the table no matter what it is.
What do you like most about playing Amy? That she puts loyalty before fear.
Have you learned a lot through working closely with Mark-Paul Gosselaar? Mark Paul has been wonderful. He has given me a lot of advice through this whole process being that he used to be a child actor as well. He’s pretty protective and has given me some good warning signs to look out for in the business as well as making sure that I enjoy my childhood and just be a kid.
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#StarPower
Can you share any of your upcoming projects with our readers?
What advice do you have for aspiring actors?
I have a movie coming out on April 19th called “Fast Color”. It also stars GuGu Mbatha Raw and Lorraine Toussaint. It’s about 3 generations of special women with extraordinary powers and having to deal with hiding their gifts from society in a coming of age story of discovery and survival.
Find a good acting studio for starters and learn to master your craft. Remember to bring your heart to work every day and be ready to give 100% every single take. That is what will separate you from everyone else.
"I want to bring 100% to the table no matter what it is." 9
Saniyya's Top Picks
#StarPower
Book I am a comic book fan, so I really dig the Suicide Squad series
TV Show Riverdale
Movie Beetlejuice
Fashion Trend Converse all day every day
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#QuickChat
Quick Chat with Siena Agudong
Photos by Nathan Johnson
#QuickChat
Did a certain movie or TV show inspire you to act? I was inspired to act by my older sister, Sydney, who I still look up to for a lot of things. She started doing plays and I was like, "Hey I want to copy her" lol! So, I did, and I ended up loving it so much!
What about “No Good Nick” interested you? There are so many things that I was excited about when I auditioned for No Good Nick! I was super excited to be able to play such a different and layered character! I loved the drama and comedy aspects of it!! And of course, the crazy cons I get to do!!
Can you tell us a bit about the show? Netflix's No Good Nick is about a teenage con artist named Nick, who is (hence the title) No Good lol! She comes into an unsuspecting family seeking revenge! Throughout the series, there are laughs, cries, and "OH MY GOSH’s!” It always reminds you that everything is not always what it seems!
How has it been working with Melissa Joan Hart and Sean Astin, do they give you acting advice on set? Working with acting role models, Melissa Joan Hart and Sean Astin has been beyond words. To even have the opportunity to watch them do what they do every day is so inspiring, let alone work with them! They are the kindest souls you will ever meet, and they feel like my second parents, but at the same time, they talk and treat us like we are working actors as well! It is the best balance! Sean helps me a lot with dramatic scenes and Melissa helps me a lot for comedy. They always tell me to go for it and take control of the scene. In addition to this, they have given us many tips in life and for being safe and great in the industry.
What advice do you have for aspiring actors? If there was anything that I could tell any aspiring actor, I would say that believing in yourself goes such a long way. I know it is cliché, but seriously haha! This doesn't just apply to "if you believe, it will happen!” but also into auditions. Casting directors want to book you, so they are on your side. Also, there are some sacrifices you may have to make on the way. Acting takes a lot of patience, but with the right audition, the right timing, and a lot of hard work, just the right thing may come along!
Nicole is quite the character. How do you prep to play her? There were a lot of things I had to work on when first getting used to playing Nicole, aka Nick. She is so complex and though we are similar in some ways, we are also so different. I researched tactics con artists use and applied them in the script wherever I had the chance to play some! I tend to write lots of notes on my script every day before and during rehearsals and before filming.
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A quarterly series discussing serious topics over brunch In August, NYOTA Magazine partnered with The House of Flair to launch a brunch series that bridged the gap between generations with topics such as business, mental health, networking and so much more. If you would like to be a part of our series, follow @nyotamagazine on all platforms to stay up to date.
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NYOTA Magazine STAR POWER TEAM EDITOR IN CHIEF GRAPHIC DESIGNER
CAROL WRIGHT
PUBLISHING WWW.ISSUU.COM/NYOTAMAGAZINE
ISSUU
CAROL WRIGHT
PRINT COVER ACTRESS
Saniyya Sidney
CONTRIBUTORS PHOTOGRAPHER
Jeff Vespa
MAKEUP ARTIST
Alexandra Hernandez
HAIR STYLING
Renee Hume Lia McNairy and Sherah Jones
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