A Dream Called Cinema and Theater

1. Can you tell us a little about yourself and how you started your acting career? My name is Marjo Nina Ikonen. I am a Finnish actress based in Madrid. Since I was a child, I loved inventing stories, living in imaginary worlds, and finding theatres and cinemas magical places. I admired actresses and showgirls, and somehow I always knew that this was my world. I studied theatre and dance at several schools in Finland and eventually received a one-year scholarship at RESAD (Real Escuela Superior de Arte Dramático) in Madrid. There I met my future husband, the Spanish director José Herrero, and I decided to stay in Spain. Together, we founded our own theatre company, Ilmatar, and produced several plays combining Finnish and Spanish culture. I have also continued my training in film and acting, including at the Marjorie Ballentine Studio in Los Angeles. For me, Marjorie is one of the best acting teachers in the world and has been one of my greatest inspirations and mentors. I ...

1. When did you first discover that singing was your true passion, and what inspired you to pursue a career as a soprano? In this aspect I was precocious; it was my grandfather, who was an organist, who noticed this gift of mine. He was my first teacher. I used to sing in church and realized that what I was doing evoked emotions in the audience; it was then that I decided to dedicate my life to music. My grandfather was my first source of inspiration.  2. Do you remember the first time you performed in front of an audience? What emotions did you experience? It was a mix of conflicting emotions: doubts, curiosity, insecurity, and fear. To some extent, this still happens today. If I didn't feel these emotions, I wouldn't be able to convey anything to the audience. But then you step onto the stage, and everything calms down. Stepping onto the stage is like passing into another dimension, onto a metaphysical plane where reality is different, shaped by us as artists. The...

1. Can you tell us a little about yourself and how you started your acting career? I’m a Portuguese actor, now working between Portugal, Mexico and the U.S. I started in amateur theatre in Lisbon when I was 15. Then I did the sensible thing and got my Law degree… before realizing I was apparently determined to make my life much less sensible. So I went back to acting, studied performing arts, trained in Madrid, and never really stopped. 2. What inspired you to become an actress? People. I’ve always been fascinated by why we love, lie, hurt each other, forgive each other, repeat the same mistakes. Acting became my way of exploring all of that — of making the invisible parts of being human somehow visible. 3. Which role has been the most challenging for you so far, and why? May in Loco Amor (Fool For Love), by Sam Shepard, in Mexico City. It was my first professional stage role entirely in Spanish, in a new country, with a new theatre culture. Terrifying — which is usually a ...

1.-Can you tell us a little about yourself and how you started your acting career?  I am a multi-disciplinary performer, writer and aspiring director with 16+ years of experience across stage and screen. My passions include physical theatre, immersive performance and I have recently become an Aerialist. I started at age nine in my first performance at Groundlings theatre in Portsmouth as the role of Mole in Wind in the Willows, from that moment onward I fell in love with the theatre and performance world and knew it's what I wanted to do. 2.-What inspired you to become an actress? Growing up I was lucky enough to attend a lot of theatre performances and I was always in awe of those gracing the stage. I had a strong urge to get up on the stage and join them! The thought of being able to capture the audience's emotions with a performance always had me excited.  3.-Which role has been the most challenging for you so far, and why? I was involved in a production perform...

1. What first inspired you to become a filmmaker, and when did you realize that cinema was your true passion?  As a kid, I always said I wanted to be a “movie director” because they were the people that made movies. I told stories but I had no idea what directing entailed. It wasn’t until I was in 7th grade, when I watched Goodfellas by Martin Scorsese for the first time. Spoiler alert, but the moment Joe Pesci’s character was killed, I knew I was going to make movies. I decided to turn those stories into scripts.    2. How would you describe your personal vision and style as a filmmaker? In terms of vision, I love movies that bring audiences back down to earth. I want to make people connect with themselves on the screen. For me, in order to get that connection, I just tell stories from my life. When it comes to style, I like to think I’m a run-and-gun Director. I love making something magical happen with not a lot of recourses. I don’t need 100 people on set,...

1. Can you tell us a little about yourself and how you started your acting career? I’m Mia Moncler, a Canadian actress, performance artist, and digital creator. Performing has always been a huge part of who I am, and my transition into acting happened naturally as I began taking on more creative opportunities in front of the camera. Some of my earliest memories of performing are taking on small roles in plays as a child and later again in high school. I was never particularly drawn to team sports, but I always knew I loved performing. I explored things like gymnastics and singing, which gave me an outlet to express myself, but they were primarily individual pursuits. Deep down, I really loved the idea of being part of something bigger—working alongside other creative people to bring a shared vision or story to life. 2. What inspired you to become an actress? I’ve always been drawn to performing and expressing different sides of myself. I love the idea that acting allows you...

1.-Can you tell us a little about yourself and how you started your acting career? I guess you could say I technically started my acting career at the end of 2019. I had just moved to Nashville and had began searching agencies near me. Within a couple weeks, I walked into an agency that had an open call in Franklin, auditioned, and received a contract. I had the mentality of even though I really don’t know exactly what I’m doing, I guess this is where you fake it to make it. And I guess that’s what acting is all about. I had nothing to lose, so I just went for it. 2.-What inspired you to become an actress? That’s a great question. I don’t know exactly why, but I remember at the age of around five, wanting to be an actress “when I grew up” 3.-Which role has been the most challenging for you so far, and why? I would probably have to say the more dramatic roles. I’m naturally a sensitive person, but keeping that consistent level of depth within my character has been growing fo...

1. ¿Podrías contarnos un poco sobre ti y cómo comenzaste tu carrera como actriz? Soy argentina y vengo de una familia de cuatro hermanos. Mi padre era arquitecto y publicista, y mi madre trabajaba en marketing. Aunque ninguno venía del mundo artístico, si miro hacia atrás, creo que los dos tenían una veta creativa muy marcada. Mi carrera como actriz comenzó hace 30 años… en mi segundo casting quedé seleccionada para una serie de televisión llamada 90-60-90 modelos.  Fue un gran éxito y, a partir de ahí, mi trayectoria ha sido un no parar. 2. ¿Qué te inspiró a convertirte en actriz?  Lo tuve muy claro desde pequeña. Mi padre me decía que querer ser actriz era una locura porque se trata de una profesión muy complicada. Sin embargo, yo estaba tan convencida de lo que quería que decidí seguir a mi corazón.  3. ¿Cuál ha sido el papel más desafiante para ti hasta ahora y por qué? Todos los papeles son un desafío, pero sin duda mi primer coprotagónico haciendo de la ...