Today we’d like to introduce you to Bianca Rusu.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I am a Romanian born, Toronto-raised, New York educated, Los Angeles actor and writer. My story is that of perseverance, hard work, and an exceptional amount of faith and belief in myself and my art. I draw inspiration from my vast life experiences, through the adversity that has come and gone, and through the strength, I see in my family and my environment. There is nothing more poignant to my own story than the stories that have surrounded me.
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?
No road is a smooth road. Some may appear that way, but behind all appearances and projections is difficulty, struggle and a life-affirming passion. We are taught and shown only success, but in a creative industry, there is no clear path to success. You are perpetually Sisyphus pushing the boulder up the mountain, with no knowledge or perception of how much further you have until the top, but what you do know is that if you stop pushing, the boulder will roll down the mountain and take you with it. The successes are much fewer than the setbacks and that while that is the name of the game, it’s often demoralizing and discouraging. Overnight success takes years and years of work and pushing through all of the existential moments where you have to remind yourself why you are doing what you are doing. I have watched billboards go up of roles I didn’t get, signed paperwork with life-changing numbers, and not been chosen, and heard a plethora of “that should’ve been you” but all of those moments, though it didn’t feel like it at the time, are small steps up that mountain.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am primarily an actor but have forayed into writing. At the core of both of these disciplines is storytelling. I believe story brings us the most empathetic place we can be in. We are reminded what it is to hone our humanity, to re-discover communication, to become sensitive and aware of our fellow humans, and allows us to acknowledge, and most importantly share suffering. A couple of years ago, I co-write the original script for Pioneers, and with the help of the Shift Creative Fund, we filmed over two days in the high heat of the California desert. The short made its festival rounds and ended up as a Vimeo Staff Pick, among other online publications. Beyond the various projects I have worked on, this particular one ignited my love for storytelling in a new and fascinating way, I am able to tell the stories I want to while also flexing my acting muscles.
What do you like and dislike about the city?
Los Angeles has saved me time and time again. I first came to LA during university where I spent a summer interning for various production companies. It was that summer that I decided this was the city for me. It reminded me so much of my hometown of Toronto, it’s vast, spread out but has so many incredible cultural pockets. The grandiosity and geography alone is inspiring, the city makes you feel like you can truly accomplish anything. All cities, places, carry their own inherent beauty, so when it comes to a dislike, if any, it’s the same as it would be anywhere: people. People make a place, and people break a place.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @biancarusu
- Other: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2679040/
Image Credits
Headshot: Dana Patrick Editorial: Emily Buckingham
