Natalia Bryant Talks Bonding Over Movies With Dad Kobe in Rare Interview

Natalia Bryant said that she wants to win an Oscar like her late dad, Kobe Bryant, in the next 10 years — read more

Movie memories! Nearly two years after Kobe Bryant’s death, Natalia Bryant is opening up about how her late father inspired her interest in film.

“My dad and I would always watch as many movies as we can and we’d go on, like, movie marathons,” the University of Southern California student, 18, said in a Thursday, September 2, YouTube video for IMG Models. “And then we’d always analyze 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 just really inspired me, and I was like, ‘I want to do this, forever.’”

Natalia Bryant Reflects on Bonding Over Movies With Dad Kobe Bryant in Rare Interview 4 — Natalia Bryant IMG MODELS/YouTube

The teenager went on to call the late Los Angeles Lakers player her biggest motivation.

The Pennsylvania native died in January 2020 in a helicopter crash, along with 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven other victims.

Natalia Bryant Reflects on Bonding Over Movies With Dad Kobe Bryant in Rare Interview 3 Vanessa Bryant Gianna Bryant — Kobe Bryant, Vanessa Bryant, Gianna Bryant and Natalia Bryant attend the premiere of ‘A Wrinkle in Time’ on February 26, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. Matt Baron/Shutterstock

Natalia has honored her dad via social media multiple times since the tragedy, from Father’s Day tributes to birthday posts. On Thursday, the teen revealed that she plans to follow in the late athlete’s Oscar-winning footsteps. (Kobe won an award in the Best Animated Short Film category in 2018 for Dear Basketball.)

“I’m not sure for what, or for what Oscar category, but that’s on my list,” Natalia said of her 10-year goals. “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.”

Natalia Bryant Reflects on Bonding Over Movies With Dad Kobe Bryant in Rare Interview 2 — Kobe Bryant attends the AFI Life Achievement Award: A Tribute to John Williams on June 9, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. Broadimage/Shutterstock

After calling her mom, Vanessa Bryant, her style inspiration, Natalia explained why she is so interested in fashion.

“I love how fashion inspires different people from different cultures and different parts of the country,” Natalia said. “You can gain inspiration from everywhere and anyone, and I think that’s the most beautiful part about fashion is that you can find inspiration anywhere.”

In April, she and Vanessa, 39, described their close mother-daughter relationship to Vogue. “My mom, she’s really the strongest person I’ve ever known,” Natalia gushed at the time. “You’re always there. I would say that you’re like the sun. You’re always shining this beautiful smile. And you’ll always find the sun somewhere. Even if you can’t see it, it’s shining somewhere.”