Run. Live. Love.

If Carla Dunareanu sets out to do something, you can count on her never doing things by halves. Including eating pizza.

- Clara How

It’s a moment of serendipity. Just when we ask Carla Dunareanu what her diet is like, our art director interrupts to ask if pizza (and not some fancy gluten-free version, but regular Pizza Hut) is okay for lunch. Carla lets out a whoop: “As long as there’s no pineapples on it!”

Never mind we’re at a fitness-themed shoot. Never mind that after lunch, she’ll be shooting in crop tops and skin-tight leggings, demonstrating workout steps. Carla is down for the pizza, because “I’m led by my stomach.” She caveats that she doesn’t typically have unhealthy cravings, and because she’s always full of energy and constantly moving, that makes for some pretty speedy metabolism. Yes, we’re jealous.

The term energiser bunny was made for Carla. The 30-year-old envelops you in a hug as if you’re a long lost friend, even if she’s never seen you before (which was our case). She bounds around the studio between takes, stealthily popping sweets. When Kendrick Lamar starts pounding from the speakers, she flicks her hair and get down to the serious business of striking poses.

DO WHAT YOU DON’T LIKE

It’s just as well that Carla has as much energy as she does, because her schedule doesn’t leave much wiggle room (at one point, we feared that this interview might not happen). Her role as career woman Ananya on Channel 5’s family drama Kin means her day starts at 5am. She starts filming at 7.30am, hopefully squeezing in a quick workout (push ups, squats, lunges) in her dressing room if there’s a long enough lunch break. Shooting wraps at 5pm, before she heads home for dinner and a run. She plays with her cats, and sleeps between midnight and 1am. And it all begins again at 5am.