At the age of just 21, Sienna Leone became one of the most sought-after entertainment correspondents in Hollywood. From the Grammys to the Golden Globes, the young Latina host has interviewed celeb favorites: George Clooney, Michael B Jordan, Julia Roberts, Adam Sandler, Jennifer Cooldige, Sydney Sweeney, and more.
Sienna has also recently launched her own YouTube channel and social media video series, ‘Styled Moments’ which stars Brooke Schofield in the first episode. We spoke to Sienna to find out more about the series, her dream guests, her experiences on the red carpet, and much more.
Hi Sienna, welcome to Close-Up Culture. You became one of the most sought-after correspondents in Hollywood at a very young age. How do you reflect on breaking into the industry and finding your feet?
Hi! Thank you guys for having me and for the kind words. Like you said, I broke into the industry at a crazy young age, I was fresh out of University at the age of 21. I am the type of person who puts their mind to something, I need to achieve that goal, and that is exactly what I did with my career. I knew right after I graduated from the Journalism School for Broadcast Journalism at the University of Arizona, I wanted to be on camera, it was always my dream from the age of 10 years old.
Anytime anyone ever reaches out to me for advice for breaking into the industry, I always say the same thing, PERSISTENCE. It is not easy, now more than ever, it is extremely hard to break into the industry. I literally wouldn’t take no for an answer. I would look up where my favorite correspondents started their careers, and I would email and email and email, until one day, it finally worked and I got a response. My confidence on camera came more and more as I did more interviews with celebrities, red carpets, and award shows. When I look at some of my recent interviews and how I am now, I cringe!! But, that is the beauty of the process.
I imagine it’s daunting heading to a red carpet knowing how many famous names will be there and how many eyes will be on you. How did you prepare for these situations?
People always ask me this! Yes, it can be crazy, and sometimes I get butterflies. After almost five years at it, I’ve learned to see them as people like us. That mindset helps, though it’s sometimes easier said than done. I try to take the “fame” aspect out of it and think, “Pretend you’re just talking to one of your friends.” Usually, I know ahead of time which talent will be there, so I can get those nervous butterflies out beforehand. I have a lot of fun with it, and it translates better on camera when you take the “fame” aspect out. Of course, there are still pinch-me moments when you have great interviews with some of the biggest names in Hollywood. I am very grateful!
You’ve got to be good at improv for a job like that. Can you tell us about any occasions where, as a correspondent, you were put in a particularly challenging situation where you had to think on your feet?
Oh my goodness!!! As a correspondent, you are always challenged with being thrown curve balls!! Like I said above, you usually know what talent is on carpets, but you NEVER know the additional talent coming or who is going to stop for you in the press line. You are always in situations where you are on your toes, I kind of love the adrenaline rush it gives me! On every single red carpet or award show, I usually come way over-prepared. I have universal questions that I could ask any piece of talent, then I usually have the more tailored questions for specific talent ready to go. I would rather be over-prepared than under-prepared. Although sometimes you are in situations where you need to know your pop culture right off the bat, it is almost inevitable you’ll be in a situation where you have to act fast and on the spot.
What has been your favorite celeb interaction?
I get this question a lot, and I am really lucky to say every single celeb I have interacted with, for the most part, has been so incredibly lovely. Although, one that sticks out to me in my career is an interaction I had with Jason Mamoa during our interview on the carpet for his movie, “Slumberland”. He was so amazing and embraced me with this huge hug, and we just had the best interview. You can see the interaction on my Instagram. We were also matching so it was a funny moment. It was for sure an interaction that has stuck with me as one of my top favorite celeb interactions. I also had great moments and memories from my interactions with George Clooney, Jack Black, and Snoop Dog!
You recently launched your own series, called Styled Moments. Can you tell us about it and what inspired it?
Styled Moments is my baby!! For a while now, I wanted to start something that was fully mine, and that could show a little bit of who I am, my background, and what I am passionate about. It was a project where I could combine my love for fashion and my love for Journalism. I come from a fashion family, so fashion has always been in my blood from the moment I was born. I had the idea of Styled Moments, and I have been developing it for the past 6 months. It was an idea that I had not seen out on the market before, and it is truly a passion project. I have so many amazing friends in the space who love fashion as much as me and are respected in the space.
I recently launched just a few weeks ago, have put out a few episodes, and have been actively shooting episodes with amazing creators, who happen to be friends of mine. I am super excited for what’s to come with Styled Moments. I have been getting incredible feedback from people who are enjoying it. It’s always nerve-racking putting yourself out there online, especially launching a new project, but I took the risk and I am proud of myself for that. I am so happy people are loving it as much as I am loving it.
Who would be your dream guest on the show?
Oh, man! This is a great question. I love what Madelaine White is doing in the fashion space right now, Zoi Fish is so cool and I love her outfits. I also love the content of Kensington Tillo, Jourdan Sloane, Meredith Duxbury, Sophie Suchan, Emma Leger & Madelaine Rose’s content. I also am obsessed with Audrina Patridge and Tish Cyrus, so I would DIE to have them on. All these women are so fabulous and such amazing people, I would be so lucky and honored to have them on Styled Moments!!!
What’s next for you?
That is the million-dollar question! I am in a very transformative period of my life right now. I am constantly working hard and manifesting for the next chapter in my career. I plan to work for a dream network of mine, hopefully one day on the horizon. I love what I do, and I don’t plan on stopping. I plan to continue Styled Moments, we are just getting started!! I also post weekly Vlogs on my YouTube channel which I just started two months ago, and it has been really fun to show my life and my personality. Just make sure to be following me on social media and my YouTube channel, there is a lot to come. You will be seeing my face more and more 😉