M i c h e l e M e l e g a
What made you act?
I was always fascinated by acting and began with roles in high school theatre. I was determined to go on to the National Academy of Dramatic Arts in Rome but many people apply every year and only a few can actually get there. I tried to get in three times before I was finally successful with my fourth application. After finishing I started in the theatre followed by some small
How do you manage to cry in front of the camera? When you study acting, they teach you how to use your voice properly and techniques how to cry, laugh and live with the emotions of people. Techniques are not enough though, there must be natural talent and you must study body language, how people respond to different emotions. Acting is like a game but it must look natural to pull the audience in. When you cry in a movie, you really cry. You need to think of the saddest moment of your life and use it for that particular scene. So you are going through two realities, that of acting and your own. You are using your own life which is creating the groundwork. Stanislavsky was a famous actor responsible for the Stanislavsky method which is emotional recall. I use this too. It’ s like you have a drawer with memories, connected to emotions, and once you need to be happy or sad you pick one memory and use it. You think of your most painful or most happy moments and use them.
STARS l o v e G h a n a
M i c h e l e M e l e g a
If someone said that the quiet Italian sitting beside you in a Takoradi bar was a movie star, would you believe it? Well, it’ s true! While many people in Takoradi would reconize Michele Melaga as a familar face around town almost noone knows that millions of people all over the world have seen him on the big screen. He’ s played a range of characters in films and television dramas with his most recent role being that of a chemist in the 2009 film“ Duplicity” starring Julia Roberts. roles in t e l e v i s i o n series then eventually a role in my first movie which was“ A Man in Love” made in 1987.
Which countries have you worked in and how do you cope with the different languages required? A nice part of the job is you do loads of travelling. I’ ve been to Canada, Spain, Zimbabwe, Tunisia, Morocco. You’ re paid to do something which is fun! In films you are in a team. You start a project together, you meet lots of interesting people and you make friends. I studied Arabic in Egypt, and lived there for three years. I even acted in Arabic in a theatre which taught me a lot. Sometimes in acting you might prefer to change a word to make a speech suit you more and to be more natural. However, if its not your language you can’ t change anything. I speak six languages: Arabic, English, Italian, French, Danish, and German. Often actors from different countries are acting together. The movie will then be done in the most common language and dubbed for other countries.
Lots of people know you in Takoradi but they don’ t know you’ re an actor. Why not? Not all actors are funny, crazy, extrovert people, some can be shy. When I speak in public I am still shy but acting is different, you take on the mask of the character which protects you.
What about movie scenes in which you are killed, how are they done? There is a saying that if you die in the movie, it will bring you luck as an actor- I have died in a couple of movies! You have a pill in your mouth which you bite if you are shot in the head. It releases fruity red liquid so it looks as if blood comes out of your mouth.
Do you think it’ s true that we tend only to like movies in which we can see ourselves? We all want to recognize the feelings in the movie that we feel ourselves. If you don’ t have empathy with the character, then you won’ t find it interesting. If you have a feeling that the movie is trying to fool you you won’ t accept it. Last century movies were more theatrical and exaggerated. Now acting is as natural as possible.
Would you like to act in a Ghanaian movie? I would LOVE to act in a Ghanaian movie, I would love to. I have lived in Ghana for a couple of years but haven’ t met any movie makers or producers yet. I think I have limited options in Ghanaian movies, as I’ m European. Maybe, if there was a cross cultural movie I could be in that.
What brought you to Ghana? I married my Ghanaian wife when I was studying Arabic in Egypt. Our son was born and three years later, in 2008, we moved to Ghana. Since then we haven’ t left again. Occasionally I would travel, if an opportunity for a small role arose, but my family is here so I would not leave them for long time alone. We lived in Takoradi and I really came to like the city. Now that we live in Accra I miss it. In Takoradi it is easy to make friends.
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