From Theatre to Film

An Interview with Elektra Anastasi

By Rainer Von Helin on Nov 3, 2014

Elektra Anastasi is an Italo-Maltese actress. She started her career in theatre from a young age with Masquerade Theatre Arts School. Elektra’s sights have gradually moved into film, having already made appearances in films like The Devil’s Double and The Maltese Fighter, a new short film directed by Arev Manoukian. During an acting workshop in Prague, Elektra befriended world-renowned, Emmy-nominated casting director Nancy Bishop, with whom she organised an acting master class in Malta last September.

So, Elektra, what’s your story?

I was born and raised in Malta, daughter to an Italian mother and Maltese father. I also regard Rome as my second home. I caught the acting bug after being in a school play where I worked on a Shakespeare piece. From then on I began my training at a local theatre school and have been in several theatre productions ever since. Through the years I developed a love for film. I have two dogs which keep me sane, named Toffee and Shakespeare also known as ‘Gremx’, don’t ask me how I managed to bastardise his name to that degree, it just happened. I love chocolate, I have an intolerance for false people, get bored very easily and spend most of my life daydreaming about other parallel universes.

How is theatre acting different to acting for film?

Theatre acting is often more exaggerated, and raw because you have no second takes to save yourself from any missed cues and have to reach the person sitting at the very last row of an audience, so projection and articulation is key. Facial expressions also need to be relatively more noticeable for that reason. Film acting needs to be more subdued and taken down a few notches. Otherwise it will look like an actor is over acting. Some actors find it hard to divide the two and it shows in performances. The camera does most of the work for you with film acting because close ups help pick up the expressions that are often lost on a stage performances due to the distance between the actor and the audience members. They are both very different, and beautiful in their own unique ways.

A MaltaFilm Production

What was your last Theatre role?

I played the role of Helene in a very dark and intense Masquerade Theatre production called FESTEN-The celebration. It was a theatre

adaption based on an award winning Danish film under the direction of Stephen Oliver.

What do you worry about as an actor, and why?

Being an actor means always trying your best to keep a positive attitude, especially if you don’t get the job after an audition. It can get a little exhausting at times, self doubt is definitely your worst enemy. I think it is only human to feel a little fragile every now and again in this field so at times I worry that I may give into that self doubt.

What 3 films should everyone watch?

Tough one, there are so many! The Secret Garden, Seven Years in Tibet, The Little Buddha, Twelve Monkeys, American Beauty, The Signal, Drive...I can go on forever.

Who inspired you to be an actress?

I wasn’t inspired by anyone really, it was always there in my system. I remember putting together shows for my family members at my grandmother’s house when I was a child. I would borrow all her clothes which were obviously ten sizes too big and dress up my cousins and myself with them, creating these very colourful characters. I remember being very proud of my first character creation who was called ‘Marrona’ Pronounced ‘Marrrrona’ to extenuate the ‘R’, she was a Spanish house maid to a very rich woman who spoke with a hilarious accent.

What’s the one thing every actor/actress needs to know?

That rejection very often is going to be a large part of your life, the word ‘No’ must not scare you, therefore the term ‘perseverance’ must

become your Bible. You can’t please everyone. Be prepared for negative comments as well as positive ones, learn to take constructive criticism and know that you are not going to be right for every role you audition for. Sometimes getting your hair cut or dyed according to how you reckon would suit the character just isn’t going to be enough to get the job. Networking, networking, and more networking!

What’s the best and worst part of acting?

Like everything else acting has its pro’s and cons. Be it in theatre or film, breathing life into a script and watching a character form and unfold is in my opinion the best part of acting. The end result and how a performance is received by an audience is always rewarding. Actors are a strange kind of ‘species’, allowing themselves to be exposed in many ways both mentally and physically, this at times has repercussions. By choosing to morph into different characters, and different worlds actors tap into diverse emotions, and are sometimes asked to go to the darker places in their lives in order to extract those feelings that may drive a character forward. The darker roles always require more effort because I think the characters tend to have more layers to them and they are in fact the ones I am mostly drawn to. I really think acting is a craft that is not for the faint of heart. More so for the ones who reach the top fast. We see those casualties on the press every day. I think the expression ‘the higher you climb the harder you fall’ pretty much sums up the industry for the ones who lose their integrity and sense of reality along the way. Another part of acting that is a crude reality is dealing with rejection. If you can’t deal with that then it’s not for you.

From a personal stance, I have always had a very strong character and thick skin but at times it isn’t enough to remain detached when your patience is tested. However, rejection and differences have never stopped me from pursuing my goals in this field because I have understood that it comes with the territory. My Dad always said to me ‘whenever people cross that line with you just imagine them naked and laugh’. It helps.

What archetype are you usually cast as?

I generally get cast for the dark roles or sarcastic comedy. Archetypes I have played are for instance the ‘Femme Fatal’ and ‘The other woman’. Mainly strong characters. Then again, I have played a fourteen year old child in a movie so it does vary.

When have you been most satisfied in your life?

When I was a child.

What do you think about when you’re alone in your car?

I generally tend to observe people, especially when stuck in traffic. I am a serious daydreamer, so being in my car is the best place to drift. Thoughts obviously depend a lot on my mood and what music I would be listening to. Generally though, I think about how stupid us humans are, spending so much of our lives racing against time in a hurry to get to our destinations day in and day out when we all end up in the same place in the end, just at different times.

Name a song that best describes you?

That is a hard question. I think it would be remix between Tori Amos - Cornflake Girl, Shawn Mullins - Lullaby, and Pulp Fictions' song Urge Overkill - Girl You’ll be a Woman Soon.

How did you meet Nancy Bishop and decide to organize a workshop together?

I was always on the lookout for a course of this nature, unfortunately there was never one available on the Island so I looked elsewhere. I have known about Nancy for a few years and always wanted to attend one of her casting workshops. One morning I decided to get it done, I got everything planned out and took her Prague class. I realised that everything I was learning could be very beneficial to actors back at home. I set up a meeting with her together with Maltafilm, a local production company and made it happen. We also brought a guest speaker from Los Angeles called Dufflyn Lammers from Act Now LA who also gave some very good advice to the local actors, the outcome of the master class was a success.

Tell us about your workshop experience?

I met some wonderful talented actors from all over the world with great spirits and big hearts. I learnt a lot of helpful industry tips and hope to put it into action on any future auditions or projects I may be lucky enough to be cast in.

Will there be more Nancy Bishop/Maltafilm collaborations in the future?

The intension is to have collaborations in the near future due to the success of the Malta course. The Master Class seems to have been

received very well by the local actors who attended. Nancy was also very pleased with the actors she met here on the Island. We are therefore hopeful that this won’t be the last.