Daily Inspiration: Meet Polina Bakuleva

Today we’d like to introduce you to Polina Bakuleva.

Hi Polina, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Hey hey! Thank you for having me. So the journey of getting to where I am today, as an actress and as a person, has been quite a long one. I was born in Russia where I first took dance classes and felt the fun and excitement of being on stage. I always dreamt of being a singer, and when I moved to Cyprus with my family at 11 years old, I finally got a chance to take vocal lessons. Funnily enough, being a singer isn’t what sparked most interest in me, while attending said lessons. Every Saturday we’d have improv classes with games and exercises and the more I did it, the more in love I fell with the art of bringing characters and stories to life. I decided to give acting a try, and signed up for extra classes in school and started auditioning for school musicals. I remember being cast in my first show ever and the absolute joy it brought me to be a part of the cast. I was lucky enough to then star in the next school musical Chicago, which solidified my passion and undeniable need of acting to be part of my life. With my family’s support, I applied to American college and after a year of never ending submissions and self-tapes, I ended up here, in Los Angeles. There’s nothing quite the experience of moving somewhere alone, starting your new life all by yourself. I can’t say that the experience of getting my BFA in Acting has been an easy one, but it definetely was rewardful. I met great friends and artists, learned my lessons, and developed resilience and dedication to my craft through constant work, auditions and rejections. Now that I am out “in the real world”, as they say, nothing helps me move forward like relying on the people around me, but also 100% committing to my craft and myself. Since graduation, I have booked multiple roles in WebSeries, was part of a SpecAd, and created everlasting connection. I am excited to see what the next stage of my journey will bring.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I mean how smooth can a road really be, when you are shifting into your early 20s and leaving teenage life behind? I am definitely one of the lucky ones, for having the support of my family, who helped me through a lot of my worries and struggles along the way. The biggest bumps came from just figuring out life on your own and trying to find your own people. We all want to fit in at a certain point in our lives, and figuring out who are the people we want around ourselves and whether we want to conform to what is expected of us is definitely a challenging path to face. The hardest challenge for me has been finding worth in my art, despite what others say. I was taught at college that rejection is a big part of the industry, and I was already experiencing a part of that when auditioning for the college productions. And being outside of school, thinking I was ready to take on anything that comes my way, it really knocked me down, the amount of auditions you submit daily and the high percentage of them you don’t book. And what helped me through that is reminding myself, that my acting, my voice and my art is valuable and valid, no matter the number of projects I booked that month, and no matter what others might think.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I have been wearing many hats, but my primary focus is acting. There is nothing quite like taking a story, a character and getting to the bottom of what makes them the way they are, what prompts their actions and words. It is truly a beautiful art of understanding, empathizing and connecting with people, with stories and with oneself. My first productions were Musical Theatre shows, although I won’t lie, singing is not my strongest suit, and now I am more involved in the world of TV and Film. Nevertheless, I believe that nothing makes an actor shine more than theatre. There is a certain authority an actor gets over his craft in theatre. All of your choices are raw, present and influenced by the person opposite you and your audience. Nothing exhilarates more than the first performance with the audience in the house. A teacher once told us, “Theatre is an electrical circuit, and without the audience, it is simply not complete”. When it comes to Film and TV, there is so much more that comes into play to make the production captivating, interesting and smooth. Having co-produced and co-directed a short film, “Ripples”, I have experienced firsthand how much goes into creating a movie and how important it is for all the pieces to fit. With a background in photography, I also tend to focus on the cinematography of the movie. With the number of shorts that I have written and directed, I find that the image becomes the most important part for me. It is truly magical how many components our industry is made out of, and how much it enhances and helps you as a performer to try on different hats, to better understand what you can do to make things flow more smoothly.

Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
I think the most important thing to realize about networking is the fact that you have a choice. It is great to meet all sorts of people, but when you meet someone you don’t click with, ask yourself whether you’d want to work with them in the future. Not every missed opportunity is a lost one. The best way to network, in my opinion, is literally to just do your job. Show up on set, be professional, and just be you. Sometimes it can be hard to get out of your shell and approach someone with a conversation, but remember, you have something to offer. You need connections, just as much as everyone else needs an actor, a producer, an AD, etc. I’ve also started allowing myself not to force things. Sometimes you end up on a set, and you immediately click with everyone, and sometimes you just have a day where you can’t manage to approach anyone, and that’s okay. The right people will find you, and you will find them, as long as you are showing up, doing your best every day, and committing to your work.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @p.o.l.i.n.a.b.k
• Youtube: @polinabk