Elissa Sursara
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| Elissa Sursara | |
|---|---|
| Born | Elissa Sursara 14 February 1988 Avalon Beach, Sydney, Australia |
| Nationality |  Australia |
| Alma mater | Australian National University (ANU) |
| Occupation | Conservationist, Documentary Filmmaker, Environmental writer, Actress |
| Years active | 1994 - present |
| Known for | Marine, wildlife and habitat conservation and attempts to mediate extinction, pollution and cruelty to animals. |
| Influenced by | David Attenborough, Stephen Fry, Jane Goodall |
| Website | |
| www.elissasursara.org | |
Elissa Sursara (born 14 February 1988)[1][2][3] is an Australian conservationist, naturalist, environmental commentator, research diver, documentary film maker, public figure, and occasional actress.[1][4] She is perhaps best known for her global conservation efforts relating to marine, wildlife and habitat conservation, mediation of extinction, pollution and cruelty to animals.[3]
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[edit] Early life, family and education
Elissa Sursara[5] was born in Avalon Beach,[1][4] on Sydney's northern coast. She has two brothers. After completing partial studies in biomedical engineering, Sursara studied environmental biology at the Australian National University, ranked one of the top universities in the world.
[edit] Career
Sursara is a conservationist, documentary filmmaker and contributor, environmental writer and occasional actress. She developed a cult following in 2005 when her photos and information, presumably made popular by her work as a conservationist, were used in social identity cloning. Sursara, both independently and collaboratively, works to promote improved standards of animal welfare for wildlife, marine life and domestic animals and to protect habitats and natural resources. Her work is supported by several organisations who often feature her writing and projects. Her celebrity has seen her personal life loosely documented by international media.[6]
[edit] Actress
At the age of four, Sursara found representation as a child model and was featured in a number of children's clothing campaigns before transitioning as a commercial print and surf model. Her first televised role was at age 11, in a Pepsi commercial filmed on location Australia's outback. At age fourteen, Sursara was hired to host an educational morning show for children, Para Crianças on BC56, a Brazilian television station on a free-to-air network.[citation needed] Her subsequent television credits include guest spots on Touched by an Angel (1994), American Gothic (1996), Boston Public (2001), Marion Bridge (2002),[7] Touch & Go (2003), Going for Broke (2004) and The Screening (2007).[1]
[edit] Conservation
Sursara is a conservationist, animal rights activist and a vegan. In an interview with the Animal Liberation Front, Sursara stated, "it's a truly halcyon feeling knowing that my actions, consumptions and recreational activities do not inflict suffering any longer", and likened the struggle for animal liberation to that of the liberation of women in the feminist movement. She also supported direct action activism, saying, "Some of the world's greatest revolutionaries used direct-action to end social injustice ... and not unlike these revolutionaries' rhetoric, direct-action for animals never intended to always fall within the idea of pacifism, but does not seek to endanger human life - this was true of the plight to abolish slavery and it's true of animal liberation. Direct-action has always sought to liberate those exploited by a society that refuses to negotiate and confront the issue. It's a mischaracterization, a fallacy sponsored by industries that profit from exploitation, to claim that direct-action on behalf of animals is violent terrorism."[8]
Sursara is widely considered an expert voice regarding environmental conservation. She has contributed to the Editorial and Features of several publications and organisations, including WWF's Earth Hour.[9] Sursara acts as a field representative and advisor to the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. In addition to her own conservation efforts, she uses her name and connections to add gravitas and fund-raising capacity to other non-profit organizations.[citation needed]
Sursara is affiliated with and/or supports charities including "Save Japan Dolphins", "The Australian Orangutan Project", Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, Wildlife Warriors WorldWide, and the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA).[10]
According to both the Animal Liberation Front and Ecorazzi.com websites, Sursara is in negotiations for a reality TV series about her conservation efforts.[11] It is also thought Sursara is working on a book.
[edit] Personal life
When not travelling, Sursara resides on the Gold Coast, in Queensland, Australia.
Sursara became vegan at age fifteen when a co-volunteer at an animal shelter introduced her to "unsettling footage of cows at a factory farm".[8]
She also identifies herself as a feminist and an atheist.[8]
Sursara is in a relationship with dolphin activist Lincoln O'Barry (September 2011 - present) and is suggested to have dated Skate4Cancer founder Rob Dyer.[citation needed]
[edit] Public image
[edit] Presence and popularity
Though popular as an environmental commentator, Sursara's opinions are often sought on other topics including religion, media, feminism and politics.[citation needed]
An outline of Sursara's popularity and career as an actress and conservationist is featured in the book "Brazilian Film Actors: In Detail", made available for purchase on Amazon in 2010.[12]
Sursara interacts with fans on Twitter, Facebook and on official website to promote her environmental agenda. Her popular Flickr page has received more than 3,000,000 views since creation in August of 2009.[13]
[edit] Cloning
From 2005 to 2008, Sursara was a victim of social identity cloning, a phenomenon in which anonymous internet users, called "posers" (a label given to people who use somebody else’s photos and information through social networking sites) create believable stories involving the real person they are imitating in order to obtain online friends on networking sites like MySpace and Facebook. Television programs, including A Current Affair and the Australian national news committed coverage to identity cloning in a series of investigative reports, featuring Sursara, in 2009.
[edit] Filmography
| Year | Film | Role | Language | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Hector | Reno | English | Film |
| 2002 | Marion Bridge | Sam | English | Film |
| The Wet Season | Taylor | English | Film | |
| 2003 | Touch & Go | Krissa | English | Film |
| Going For Broke | Annabelle | English | Film | |
| 2004 | Days Like These | Alicia | English | Film |
| 2005 | Johnny Benson's Adventures | Camilla | English | Film |
| 2006 | Live Free or Die | Christy | English | Film |
| 2007 | The Screening | Ava | English | Film |
| Equal Opportunity | Bena Brazilian | English | Film | |
| Pain Within | Brittany | English | Film |
[edit] Television
| Year | Title | Role | Language | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Para Crancias | Co-Host/Host | Portuguese | Season 1 |
| Touched by an Angel | Natalie | English | "The Heart of the Matter" | |
| 1996 | American Gothic | Alex | English | "Requiem" |
| 2001 | Boston Public | Rea | English | "Chapter Seventeen" |
| 2002 | Taken | Lena | English | "Dropping the Dishes" |
| 2007 | Brothers & Sisters | Jessica | English | "Domestic Issues" |
[edit] Awards and nominations
- Brazilian Choice Awards Choice Actress (1994)
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d "Elissa Sursara". IMDb.com. 2008-02-14. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2884315/. Retrieved 2008-02-14.
- ^ Various. "The world of celebrity giving: Elissa Sursara". Looktothestars.com. http://www.looktothestars.org/celebrity/947-elissa-sursara. Retrieved 2008-02-28.
- ^ a b "Elissa Sursara feature: ELLE Magazine Online". ELLE Magazine. 2008-01-30. http://celebrity.elle.com/search-elissa%20sursara. Retrieved 2008-07-10.
- ^ a b "Elissa Sursara Pictures, News and Clips". Flixster.com. http://www.flixster.com/actor/elissa-sursara. Retrieved 2008-07-10.
- ^ "Celebrity Profile: Elissa Sursara". Fundromeda.com. 2008-07-01. http://www.fundromeda.com/index.php?option=com_fun_celebrities&task=show_celebrity&celebrityMark=elissa_sursara. Retrieved 2008-07-10.
- ^ "Celeb conservationist Sursara hospitalised" (Reprint from Animal Liberation Front). AnimalLiberationFront.com. 2011-07-27. http://www.animalliberationfront.com/Saints/Actors/ElissaSursaraHospitalised.htm. Retrieved 2011-09-24.
- ^ "Filmography, Associated Cast and Overview: Elissa Sursara". ArtistsDirect.com. http://login.artistdirect.com/nad/store/movies/principal/0,,4558675,00.html. Retrieved 2008-07-10.
- ^ a b c "Error: no
|title=specified when using {{Cite web}}". AnimalLiberationFront.com. http://www.animalliberationfront.com/Saints/Actors/ElssaSursaraInterview.htm. Retrieved 2011-04-12. - ^ Sursara, Elissa (2011-09-24). "Elissa Sursara: Saving the Orangutans, the story of Max." (Reprint from Earth hour). EarthHour.org. http://earthhour.org/blog/saving-orangutans. Retrieved 2011-09-24.
- ^ Sana, Elena (2008-07-04). "Lucas and Sursara Fight the Fur, do PETA with Portman" (Reprint from Ecorazzi). Ecorazzi.com. http://www.ecorazzi.com/2008/07/03/elissa-sursara-and-isabel-lucas-expose-the-truth-on-fur/. Retrieved 2008-07-10.
- ^ "Animal Liberation Front: Environmentalist Elissa Sursara to get TV series". AnimalLiberationFront.com'. http://www.animalliberationfront.com/Saints/Media/Elissa-TVshow.htm. Retrieved 2011-07-26.
- ^ "Amazon.com". Amazon.com. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1155328507/gemotrack11-20/ref=nosimVarious. Retrieved 7 April 2011.
- ^ "Error: no
|title=specified when using {{Cite web}}". Flickr.com. http://www.flickr.com/elissa-sursara. Retrieved 2011-04-07.
[edit] External links
- ElissaSurara.org | Elissa Sursara Conservation Fund
- Elissa Sursara on Earth Hour
- Elissa Sursara at the Internet Movie Database
