Today we’d like to introduce you to Alexandra Bokova.
Alexandra, before we jump into specific questions about your work, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I’m originally from Stavropol, the Northern Caucuses region of Russia. My grandmother, Alla Bokova, was a very talented and successful actor in Russia. Growing up I was always involved in Theater and hosted a TV show.
As a teen, my family and I immigrated to the US and as soon as I graduated from San Francisco State University I moved to LA to pursue acting. A month later I was cast as the lead in the newly released feature film Mermaid Down, a film directed by Jeffrey Grellman and based on an award-winning script co-written with Kelly Lauren Baker. I play The Mermaid who’s ripped from the pacific, her tail gets chopped off, and she’s thrown into a mental home where no one believes she is a mermaid. The movie is currently playing in select theaters, streaming on platforms worldwide, and coming to DVD soon.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Pursuing a career in acting isn’t easy but I am grateful to have the privilege to do what I love. Everything I have in my life I’ve had to work hard for and this is no different. The challenge is being able to find the right projects, given I don’t fall into any specific typecast category. A lot of times, particularly when you’re starting out, you come across a lot of cliches and repetitive concepts where people want to box you in and label you. I did not become an actor to be bound, quite the contrary. Being cast in Mermaid Down was a great way to start my career because they weren’t looking for a cliche mermaid of a specific race, look, etc. but someone able to justly bring an animalistic mythical character to life.
We’d love to hear more about your work.
There are many ways to be «known» in Los Angeles but my priority isn’t to be a celebrity, it is to reach a specific level of success in acting. To me, success is the ability and the freedom to choose projects and work with the filmmakers I admire and look up to.
I think what is recognized in me by the people I work with is my dedication and commitment to the project. I genuinely enjoy what I do, constantly train in acting studios and workshops. I am very curious and easily intrigued by any and every challenge. I am not afraid to make a mistake, be wild, or look silly.
What were you like growing up?
On the one hand, I always liked to challenge myself and as a result, had really good grades. I wasn’t one of those kids whose parents made them take extracurricular activities because I was the one always asking permission to get signed up for theater, swimming, arts and crafts, martial arts, etc. It might sound like I was an ideal child but not really because at the same time I was the mastermind behind all mischief in school and in my neighborhood. I was actually cast to host a TV show while I was outside playing football with the boys and bossing them around. The casting director came up to me with a business card and told me to give it to my mom. The rest was history.
Moving to the States is when I became a little shutdown, at times painfully shy and in many ways detached from my peers and environment. Like most teens, I didn’t quite fit in but also had to adjust to a new country. Sometimes I pretended to be someone else just to get by and eventually went dark and antisocial. It’s only around the time that I enrolled into SFSU when I came full circle and became myself again. It was one of the best experiences of my life. I admired all of my professors, learning and connecting to people and the magical city of San Francisco. I now know that there is a strength in being open, genuine, and vulnerable. Being brave or «cool» isn’t about being tough or hardened but being confident in who you are, kind and receptive towards every experience.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/
alexandrabokova_ - Other: www.imdb.me/AlexandraBokova
Image Credit:
Alexandra Bokova
Alexandra Bokova (Mermaid Down film 2019)
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