Cliché: When did you decide to become an
actress?
Melissa Bolona: Since I was born!! I was
always putting on shows for my parents with my
sisters. Then when I was around six years old
my mom would take me to auditions, and then
eventually in High School I enrolled in drama
class. After fulfilling my college obligations, I
then moved out to Los Angeles and pursued acting
full time.
You've studied acting in both Paris and the
US. What's the motivation behind this choice?
Would you say that studying internationally has
allowed you to better perfect your craft?
My motivations in Paris were that I was eager
to be in the industry, and it was my second to last
semester of school and I was studying international
marketing abroad. Knowing graduation was about
8 months away I was eager to learn everything
about my future career/craft so I enrolled in acting
classes in Paris. Studying acting in Paris definitely
broadened my style and perspective on acting
because they teach and express themselves in a
very different way than we do here. Paris is the
city of romantic expression!
You've had FIVE different films come
out over the past several months! Do you ever
sleep? How do you stay energized and positive
with such a hectic schedule?
It’s a funny old industry! Sometimes I am
extremely busy all at once, other times I get some
R + R. But, I am constantly working hard at my
career and keeping myself busy and having these
different film projects come out certainly helps
to keep very busy! I am very sleep and food
dependent so with those two items I stay very
positive and keep on trucking.
What is it that attracts you the
horror/thriller genre specifically?
What do you find compelling about
those roles? love them so much and they are so
innocent and don’t have a voice
of their own (at least in the human
language).
Gainful employment. HAHA!
Kidding. I really love the horror
genre. My sister and I growing up
would watch every last horror film,
we lived for it, and lived for being
‘fake’ scared. I am really grateful I
now get to act in the films I so loved
growing up. Fashion blogging is another
passion of yours! Which trends are
you most excited for this season?
Are there any trends you just don't
get?
You're a very active
philanthropist. Why is giving back
so important to you? Which of
your causes are currently closest to
your heart? If you weren't acting, what do
you think your career would be?
I feel like the 60’s look is
making a comeback which I
absolutely love,
it’s such a chic
Do you
"Studying acting in Paris
cool look, the
see yourself
definitely broadened my style
round handbags
working on
and perspective on acting
and boots. I don’t
more thrillers
because they teach and express get the super
in the future?
themselves in a very different
sheer/chain-mail
way than we do here"
look. It’s great
for editorials but
for actual street
Absolutely!!! Working on
fashion it’s a bit too risky for me.
thrillers is well, thrilling!
I strongly feel in life you have
to give back. Everything comes
full-circle and there is always going
to be someone in a difficult situation
or who could really benefit from a
helping hand. Causes close to my
heart typically involve animals. I
I used to want to be an FBI or
CIA agent. Now THAT would be a
cool job.
What's the best piece of life
advice you've ever received?
NEVER GIVE UP. Life is filled
with people who will try and get in
your way and tell you that you can’t,
but guess what; YOU CAN!
Working with so many big names, do you
ever get star struck?
I would be lying if I said I didn’t initially get
star-struck. Then you work with these big names
and you talk with them and you realize they are
just another person working on their career and
focused on the job at hand. It’s nice to see such big
names be completely normal/ nice human beings.
What was the experience like working on
your most recent film, The Hurricane Heist?
It was epic!!! Since it’s a big action movie
there was a lot of very big scenes that would take
days to make. A lot of technicality and safety
would have to go into it. In one scene they only
had two chances to get it because they were
releasing two big water towers to create flooding, it
was like nothing I have ever seen before!!
You seem to gravitate towards horror films!
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