[ windspeaker confidential ] - Larissa Tobacco

Twenty-two-year-old actor and student Larissa Tobacco is probably best known for her work as host of the APTN program Upload, and her time spent as a contestant in MuchMusic's 2006 VJ Search. In the New Year she'll be adding another entry to her resume, when she takes on the hosting duties for the 15th annual National Aboriginal Achievement Awards gala, to be held in Toronto on March 7. The gala event, which will see awards presented to 14 exceptional Aboriginal achievers, will air nationally on APTN and Global Television at a later date.

Windspeaker: What one quality do you most value in a friend?
Larrissa Tobacco: I value above anything, honesty. I can count my true friends on one hand and what they all have in common is honesty.

W: What is it that really makes you mad?
L.T.: Ignorance really irks me, but hey, can't win 'em all, right?

W: When are you at your happiest?
L.T.: The very moment I walk out of an exam that I've just spent the last two weeks studying for and know that I've done well. Ah, redemption!

W: What one word best describes you when you are at your worst?
L.T.: Well you'd have to ask my mom ... probably miserable.

W: What one person do you most admire and why?
L.T.: My mom, 'cause she puts up with me! ... I hope that I am only privileged enough in my lifetime to be as graceful, intelligent, independent, strong and loving as she is.

W: What is the most difficult thing you've ever had to do?
L.T.: Burying my daughter. After I did that, I thought to myself ... life can give me whatever it can 'cause nothing could ever be as bad as that moment and that I could live life knowing that I've weathered the storm.

W: What is your greatest accomplishment?
L.T.: Honestly I think to date if the National Aboriginal Achievement Awards go off well-fingers crossed-then that will it be it.

W: What one goal remains out of reach?
L.T.: No goal is out of reach. Some goals I haven't yet accomplished, but nothing is out of reach if you just believe in yourself and never give up.

W: If you couldn't do what you're doing today, what would you be doing?
L.T.: Honestly, I am very blessed to be doing everything I wanted to do in life. I promised myself a long time ago that I'd never look back on my life while on my death bed and think to myself, "I wonder what would've happened if I had done something else." Instead I'll look back and say, "Well, at least I tried, and damn, was it fun!"

W: What is the best piece of advice you've every received?
L.T.: One day when I was younger and being a brat-'cause I really was! - I came home to find all my dirty clothes cleaned with a note on top written by my mom saying, "Larissa, I've done this for you not because of how you've been treating people, but because I want to show you how to treat people. Love Mom."

W: Did you take it?
L.T.: I'll never forget that advice and still to this day, when someone is mean to me, I try to be extra nice to them. You'd be surprised how people react to that.

W: How do you hope to be remembered?
L.T.: As someone with the biggest heart in the world.