Interviewing actress Malina Kinalopoulou

1. Can you tell us a little about yourself and how you started your acting career?

I’m a Greek actress, born in Alexandroupolis and based in Athens.

Looking back, I think I was creating characters long before I knew what acting was.

I remember turning two little steps in our living room into my own stage. I would spend hours dancing in front of a mirror, making imaginary music videos with a microphone, and creating costumes out of random fabrics. Whenever I was alone, I would paint.

I guess art was always my way of expressing myself.

Dance came first. Before I learned to express myself through words, I was already doing it through movement. Acting felt like discovering another language I had been speaking all along.

I later studied acting in Athens and continued my training in New York at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, Steps on Broadway and Broadway Dance Center.

2. What inspired you to become an actress?

The funny thing is, I didn’t really plan it.

Art had always been part of my life, but everything happened surprisingly fast. My brother was actually the one who submitted my application to drama school.

What started almost by accident became something much more personal. I discovered how much I loved understanding people, exploring their emotions and bringing stories to life.

Sometimes inspiration doesn’t arrive as a big revelation. Sometimes it comes disguised as someone else’s belief in you.

3. Which role has been the most challenging for you so far, and why?

Blanche DuBois from Tennessee Williams’ A Streetcar Named Desire will always have a special place in my heart.

She was the character I chose for my very first audition monologue when applying to drama school.

Blanche is beautifully complicated. Fragile but proud, romantic but self-destructive. A woman who creates her own version of reality because the truth is sometimes too painful.

I connected with her before I even understood what acting really meant.

For the first time, I felt that words could become something alive. That I could take someone else’s pain, dreams and memories and turn them into something real.

Blanche was the first character who made me think, “Maybe I can actually do this.”

I’ve worked in theatre, television and commercials, but I still feel like I’m at the beginning of something much bigger.

One lifetime has never felt like enough for me. Maybe that’s why I became an actress.

4. How do you prepare for a new character?

I start creating the character in my head, sometimes before I’ve even finished reading the script.

I imagine their clothes, their hair, the words they use, the way they walk, the music they listen to, even their zodiac sign.

Not because I believe astrology can define a person, but because these little patterns help me imagine different personalities.

Then I go deeper. What are they afraid of? What do they want? What are they hiding?

My background in dance helps me a lot, too. I pay attention to the body, the smallest gestures, even the way someone stays silent.

The body often confesses what the mouth is trying to hide.

And that’s usually where I find my character.

5. Is there a particular performance that you are especially proud of?

Definitely Elevator.

It’s a very personal project because the play was written by my brother, and I produced its first staging myself.

We started in a tiny theatre with just 50 seats and later moved to a bigger venue with a more established producer.

I was honestly terrified in the beginning. I had to believe in myself not only as an actress, but also as someone responsible for making the whole thing happen.

Watching something so personal grow was incredibly emotional.

It taught me that talent is beautiful, but courage and discipline are what turn dreams into reality.

I’m proud of what we created.

But I still want my best performance to be the one I haven’t given yet.

6. What have been some of the biggest challenges you have faced in the entertainment industry?

One of the biggest challenges I’ve faced in the Greek entertainment industry is being seen beyond my appearance.

Sometimes people form an opinion about you from a photograph before they’ve even heard you speak or watched you act.

I’ve been approached for very specific types of roles, often based on a certain image or an expectation of sensuality.

And don’t get me wrong. I love complex, sensual, even provocative characters. They can be fascinating.

But being sensual is one thing. Being reduced to it is another.

This industry loves labels. I don’t.

I don’t want to spend my career trying to fit into someone else’s imagination.

I’d rather surprise them.

7. How do you balance your personal life with your professional career?

I believe in balance. But more than anything, I believe in living.

I love planning and discipline, but I also want to work hard, fall in love, travel, dance for hours, stay up until sunrise talking about cosmic webs, and still wake up with another dream to chase.

I’ve learned that when you really want something, you find a way. And if things don’t go as planned? Try again. Failure is part of success, not the opposite of it.

Don’t forget to create. Create opportunities, memories, art, a life you love. Don’t wait for the perfect moment. Make something happen today.

Because what’s the point of finding your balance if you never dare to step outside the line?

After all, that perfect little white line we’re trying so hard to walk on… it’s only drawn in chalk.

And maybe that’s the magic of life. You can always draw a new one.

But as my sweet Blanche DuBois would say, “I don’t want realism. I want magic!”

And so do I.

I’m greedy. I want both.

8. Have you ever learned a valuable lesson from a character you portrayed?

Absolutely. Every character teaches me something about myself.

Cassandra, from Greek tragedy, is one of my favorite characters I’ve ever explored.

She taught me that being right doesn’t always mean being believed. And sometimes the greatest courage is standing by your truth, even when nobody wants to hear it.

I believe there’s a small part of ourselves in every character, even the darkest ones. You don’t have to agree with someone’s actions to understand their feelings.

Acting has taught me to judge less and understand more.

Because truth doesn’t need an audience to remain true.

9. Who are some actors or actresses that have inspired you throughout your career?

My inspirations change as I grow, but two names have always stayed with me: Angelina Jolie and Gary Oldman.

What I love about Angelina is her mix of strength, vulnerability and femininity. She has this magnetic presence without seeming to ask for attention.

And Gary Oldman… I love how he completely disappears into his characters. Sometimes you almost forget who’s playing the role.

I admire actors who aren’t afraid to look imperfect, strange or even unlikeable when the story needs it.

To me, the most beautiful thing an actor can be is real.

10. What do you enjoy most about working in film and television?

The intimacy of the camera.

In theatre, your emotions have to reach the last row. In front of a camera, sometimes one look can tell an entire story.

I find that beautiful.

I also love the teamwork. So many different people bringing their ideas, energy and talent together to create one world.

And there’s something almost addictive about those few seconds between “Action” and “Cut.”

For a moment, you’re living someone else’s life.

And honestly, I love that feeling.

11. How has the industry changed since you began your career?

I graduated from drama school a few years ago, but I took a break before deciding to pursue acting seriously again.

And I learned something: when you leave something behind, it doesn’t always wait for you.

Coming back, I was surprised by how little certain things had changed in the Greek industry.

There are more productions and platforms now, but that doesn’t always mean more opportunities for new talent. It can still feel like a very closed circle.

Training in New York and talking with friends who work abroad gave me a different perspective. The differences can be huge.

But I’m optimistic. I don’t want to spend my time complaining about how things work.

I’d rather be part of changing them, even in a small way.

I want young artists to feel free to be themselves, to take risks and to stop being so afraid of rejection.

Failure isn’t the opposite of success. Sometimes it’s the beginning of it.

12. What advice would you give to young people who dream of becoming actors?

First, remember that there will always be someone better than you at something.

So become the best version of yourself. You owe yourself that. Do it for you, not to prove anything to anyone else.

Read books. Watch films. Study art, history and psychology. Travel, meet people, stay curious.

But above all, be a good human being.

Respect yourself, respect others, and never confuse confidence with arrogance.

Don’t fall in love only with the idea of being famous. Fall in love with the work.

And please, don’t be afraid to fail. You will. We all do.

Be brave enough to be a beginner, humble enough to keep learning, and ambitious enough to never stop.

13. Are there any upcoming projects that you are excited to share with your fans?

Actually, quite a few things are taking shape right now.

I’m currently developing my own short film, hoping to bring it to international film festivals in Europe and the United States.

I’m also in discussions about possible roles in upcoming Greek television series, and I’m thinking about producing another theatre project of my own, perhaps in a small theatre in the heart of Athens.

Some things are still ideas, others are slowly becoming plans.

But there’s something I strongly believe in.

If you want something, don’t just sit around waiting for someone to give you the opportunity. Create it yourself.

You don’t always need the perfect conditions. Sometimes you just need the courage to begin.

And who knows? Maybe the most exciting thing I’ll do is something I haven’t even imagined yet.

14. What would you like your legacy to be as an actress?

I’d love to create a career that allows me to open doors for other artists, support people who haven’t been given a fair chance, and one day use my work and influence to help causes that truly matter to me.

I think success means so much more when you can share it.

And I believe beauty is much more than what we see in the mirror.

Physical beauty will eventually turn into wrinkles. That’s life. And I actually find something beautiful in that, too.

But kindness, intelligence, courage and the love we give to others can stay with us and grow.

I want to keep growing as an actress, but most importantly, as a person.

Beauty may fade into wrinkles, but what you give to the world can outlive you.