Today we’d like to introduce you to Ioanna Meli.
Hi Ioanna, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Sure! I was born and raised in Athens, Greece, and that is where I call my home. I have the fondest memories from childhood. My parents’ artistic outlets were part of our everyday life growing up. We played music and sang, my mom painted fairytale lands on white walls and my dad encouraged conversations about plays we’d see at the theater every month. They fueled my love for the arts and nurtured my creativity. I also traveled around Europe a lot; with my family, with the school choir and European exchange programs. I enjoyed experiencing other cultures and environments, so I decided to go to college outside of Greece. I got my BA in Drama & Theatre Arts at Goldsmiths College University of London. In my second year in college, I was cast as the lead in a Greek independent movie which was what sparked my love for acting for camera. After graduating, I spent a year in Athens studying Filmmaking and then decided to travel to LA and pursue an MFA in Acting for Film. The original plan was to be out here for a couple of years but after school, I started working and building a foundation for my career; two years became three, then four and now over a decade!
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
I haven’t had to overcome something extraordinary but there’s always new challenges to address, especially when pursuing an artistic career. It’s taken a lot of hard work as well as evaluating my goals and wishes every step of the way. I’ve spent all of my adult life away from home but still, being this far from my family in Greece is always a challenge. It hasn’t kept me back thanks entirely to my parents who have always encouraged and supported my brother and I in the choices we made. Pursuing an acting career is incredibly challenging as well. It’s a journey that has no set rules and no straightforward path to success. It requires dedication, loving the craft and understanding the business, and all of this takes time to figure out. To add to it, pursuing a work authorization as a non US citizen is a significant amount of work. Overall, I have come to understand the importance of building a fulfilling life alongside the pursuit of my career, staying connected to the craft of acting when I’m not actively working on a project and celebrating every moment of success along the way!
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’m an actor and I primarily work in Film and TV. I have also written and directed three of my own projects: two short films and a miniseries. My series is the first project where I’ve had the chance to highlight elements of my cultural background and I am so excited to share it! It’s called Home-19 and can be found on YouTube. It’s a slice-of-life type comedy following a young woman who is forced to quarantine with her parents in Greece during the Covid-19 pandemic. It offers a glimpse into the quirks of Greek parenting and I hope that audiences of all backgrounds will see a bit of themselves in the characters and situations depicted.
Acting requires observing human behavior to portray it; it’s a craft directly connected to our humanity and that’s fascinating to me. I believe that what sets actors apart from one another is that our instrument is ourselves and the source of our work is our own experiences. So in the same way that two humans cannot be the same, two actors cannot be the same if they are producing work that is true to themselves. I aim to be honest in my work and I believe it takes training and regular practice. So far I’ve had the opportunity to work on projects such as Steven Spielberg’s “Auschwitz”, Dwayne Johnson’s “Ascendance”, Bishal Dutta’s “Life in Color”, Brandt Andersen’s “The Strangers’ Case” and more. It’s not an easy field to be in but I find great joy in it! I am proud of myself for persisting and I’m grateful to have incredible family and friends to share this journey with.
Do you have any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
So many! The two that come to mind immediately is playing music and singing on the balcony with my parents, brother, and grandmother on the weekends. And a game we created with my brother and dad: on Sundays, my dad would take us to our school’s running track. He played soccer and we had a blast cheering and playing on the side. On the way home, we’d always stop to get ice cream at the corner kiosk. We each bought one ice cream and a couple of bites in, my dad would ask us “can I try your ice cream”? If he liked it, he asked if he could keep it and let us buy a new one. From then on, my brother and I started offering our ice cream to my dad after a couple of bites hoping he’d keep it so we could get ourselves a whole new one! Of course, he always did.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.ioannameli.com
- Instagram: @ioanna_meli
- Youtube: www.youtube.com/@ioannameli
Image Credits
1 – by Stephanie Girard.jpg 2 – by Samantha Kunz.jpeg 3 – competing at Cannes Film Festival 2018.jpeg 4 – on set with Bishal Dutta.jpeg 5 – best Actress Award at New York City International Film Festival.jpeg 6 – by Stephanie Girard.jpeg 7 – still from Life in Color.jpeg 8 – dancing in Athens.jpeg 9- Leah Huebner Headshots
