Natalia Bryant is motivated by her father, the late Kobe Bryant.

Natalia Bryant with Kobe and her family

Natalia Bryant with Kobe and her family

The 18-year-old model is keen to pursue a career in the film industry one day because she and the basketball legend - who died in a helicopter crash along with his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and others last year - shared a love of movies.

Asked who motivates her by her mom. Vanessa Bryant, in an interview for Natalia's modelling agency, IMG, the teenager said: "My dad."

And discussing her movie ambitions, she said: "My dad and I would always watch as many movies as we can and we'd go on, like, movie marathons.

"And then we'd always analyse as many movies as we can and we'd talk about it for months, anywhere we'd go we'd just keep talking about different films and how it, like, reminds us of where we are. Like, oh my gosh, that architecture reminds me of, like, this piece from this film.

"So, it's just things like that, it just really inspired me and I was like, 'I want to do this, forever.'"

The USC student also praised Kobe for encouraging her to do the most daring thing she's ever done - swimming with sharks.

She said: "My dad convinced me. But it was like, when I was really little, so I asked him, 'Are they nice sharks?' and he's like, 'Yeah, that one's really nice.'"

Kobe's 'Dear Basketball' won an Oscar for Best Animated Short Film in 2018 and Natalia hopes to follow in his footsteps one day.

She said: "I'm not sure for what, or for what Oscar category, but that's on my list.

"And I want to make a film where I can incorporate fashion and those fashion aspects, and I think combining my two passions, like, that's just amazing. I want to be able to do that."


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