Salacious siren AnnaLynne McCord crusades against the carnal crimes of human trafficking

By Kristi Francis

Photography Matthew Mitchell

Behind those Hollywood blonde locks, sun-kissed, bronze brawn, and bewitching bedroom eyes are the brains of a born leader. It’s easy to be dumbstruck by her beauty and even more so when you realize that beauty is soul deep. Luckily, if you ever find yourself frozen in her presence, you’ll soon be thawed by the warm, southern hospitality of a Georgia peach with a vivacious personality. AnnaLynne McCord is the perfect catch, if only she had the time to stop for bait. At the tender age of 22, she’s young and driven to make a difference. “That’s okay,” she says of her single status, “I’ve got a few years.” Right now, for AnnaLynne it’s all about sending a message, saving the world, and, having already finished her next film, Amexica, starting back to work on the new season of 90210.

She is every bit as gorgeous as she comes across on screen, but otherwise AnnaLynne is utterly unlike the privileged, cavalier characters she often portrays; such as Naomi on the new 90210 or Gwyneth in her last film, Fired Up, recently released on DVD. In all fairness, Naomi, her character on 90210, has progressed throughout the season to reveal multiple layers beneath the bitchy façade. With only a few days left of hiatus before the next season begins, there’s no rest for the wicked. AnnaLynne explains, “I’m presenting at the Much Music Video awards in Toronto this weekend. Then, Invisible Children is an organization that deals with fighting the Lord’s Resistance Army in Uganda. It is another form of child trafficking; child soldiers. So I’ll be doing that in Washington D.C.” She returns just in time for her first day back on the set of 90210.

Garnering a reputation for her charity work, AnnaLynne has been deemed “one of the strongest young female philanthropists.” Confirming this reputation, she received the 2009 Hollywood Life Young Hollywood Superstar of Tomorrow Award. On her plight against human trafficking, she says, “It’s a billion dollar industry that no one knows about. In 2007, the sex trade made more money than Google, Starbucks, and Nike combined.” She continues passionately, “I don’t want this generation to just sweep this under the rug. This has been going on for too long. It’s slavery and it needs to stop.” It’s an issue that literally hits close to home for AnnaLynne as her hometown, Atlanta, exists as the number one city for trafficking in the United States. Her fervor for this issue is the reason her latest film was done pro-bono. Amexica is the story of an orphaned boy whose innocence and freedom are stolen by people who kidnap and use him for their own devices.

“Being in young Hollywood, I think it’s important just to be a role model,” Annalynne reasons. By age 15, she had already received her high school diploma and began a lucrative career, starting with modeling and leading into acting. With a distinct air of responsibility, AnnaLynne achieved success early, which positioned her as the leader of her family. Her younger sister Rachel, already following in her footsteps, has recently landed a role in an independent movie entitled Getting the Girl.

What are most important to AnnaLynne are her sisters and the charity organizations she dedicates herself to. The love in her voice is almost palpable when she gushes about her siblings: Rachel, 20 and Angel, 24. “They’ve supported me and I wouldn’t be who I am today without them.” In fact, earlier this year, after a short vacation in Miami with the girls and their boyfriends, AnnaLynne moved her two sisters from Atlanta to Los Angeles so that they’d be able to help her with her most prominent focus, The Blind Project. They’ve also started their own business together, creating a clothing line named “The Sisters 3.” AnnaLynne explains, “We’ve always wanted to have a clothing line. We’ll be designing clothing to donate to The Blind Project. Anything that I’m a part of, my sisters are a part of. And anything I do is with The Blind Project in mind. It gives me a reason to wake up every morning.”

The Blind Project is a charity organization that builds factories in third world countries in an effort to educate and employ victims of human trafficking. Instead of throwing money at a situation, this charity gives the victims a chance to stand on their own and free themselves of the financial shackles that put them on the red-lit black market in the first place. The funds the factories raise by selling their clothing in the United States is put towards building more factories, allowing them to attack the problem on a global scale. “It’s definitely opening people’s eyes, so that’s why it’s called The Blind Project.” AnnaLynne aims to make an impact by using all the resources at her disposal; be they her   performances, her reputation, or simply her ability to turn heads. AnnaLynne says that at the moment, “The Blind Project is partnering with an organization on the Burmese border called, ‘The Garden of Hope.’ The people working on the border aren’t paid enough to care. So this organization tries to let people, out of the goodness of their hearts and philanthropy, fight it because they care.”

“It’s slavery and it needs to be stopped.”

She’s a busy girl, but incredibly optimistic. With so much going on, one naturally wonders if she ever has any free time. “No,” she cheerily replies, “but that’s okay. I’ll sleep when I’m dead.” She possesses the ability to light up a room with solar intensity and a social life that is, for a young starlet, uncommonly devoid of DUI’s and debauchery. For those who thrive on creating controversy or finding flaws, AnnaLynne is no easy target. She’s establishing herself as an abolitionist, doing whatever she can to bring down the billion-dollar industry of modern day slavery. With her involvement in charity organizations like The Blind Project, Invisible Children, and The Garden of Hope, she acts as the magnifying glass that aims the intense heat of a pressing problem directly at your heart with the intention of setting it on fire.

Dress Nicole Miller