Today we’d like to introduce you to Theoni Bekiari.
Hi Theoni, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
If I had to give my story a title it would be, The fortunate misfortunes of Theoni Bekiari. Since I can remember myself I wanted to be an actress! I was lucky enough to have parents to support my endeavours, though, both of them being mechanical engineers, they had no idea of what I should do, where to go. My mother told me: Whatever you do, get a university diploma. I was born and raised in Athens, Greece and I was fortunate enough to have some choices in University studies in my field. Or so I thought. In Greece in your last year of school, you take some exams that will determine if you will get into University. I did! I was so happy! I got into the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki drama department. I was ready to learn how to act. Or so I thought. Turns out, after you get accepted you have to audition for the acting classes because there were not enough funds to accept all the students in it. If you failed, you could either try again and extend the five years masters degree to six, or even seven, or you could choose another major. I failed. I had never taken an acting class in my life before and with only my enthusiasm, I had no chance. Years later, I can see it. I was heartbroken. I chose the dramatology major and not to give up! Dramatology is the science of drama. I started attending University and Rontidis Private Drama School so I could study how to act! I finished my Master’s in four instead of five years and I graduated from University and the private drama school and I was ready! But for what?
Through my years in University, I had theoretically studied drama in different forms and from different places. In the Private Drama School, we did different styles of acting. Now I wanted to go out there, out in the world and see it for myself. If there is one thing about me is I never feel satisfied with what I’ve learned. I want to always know more! So I found this acting summer program that sounded really interesting. It was the summer program of the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. I applied and got accepted into it! From the moment I stepped foot in their classes, I fell in love. The studies, the teachers, the IPA (international phonetic alphabet). Like a kid in candy land!
While I was at the summer program someone told us that the auditions for the full program are free if we do them while we are here and I thought, why not? The only other real audition I have been was for acting at the University and I had failed that one. I should probably get used to them if I wanted to act. So I did. And the Academy not only accepted me, but they offered me three scholarships. I thought I was dreaming. I talked with my parents and we decided that it was a good thing for my education! I went back to Greece, made all the preparations needed and came back to the school I loved in January 2020.
Yes, I started the Academy in January 2020… You slowly see why I gave the title to my story before… The fortunate misfortunes…
The whole world changed. Covid came and it felt like it took away everything from me. My life had changed in the past five years so many times and so drastically that this was the cherry on top. I was devastated. So many people around the world felt devastated, but we also came together! I decided not to give up either. The school went online and I decided not to wait. My whole life felt like waiting. This time I was going to do, not wait. I continued with my studies online and I graduated in Summer 2021 as the first almost completely online class from the Academy! I was proud!
Online classes may seem a nightmare to some and also impossible for acting. The truth is, they are different. They give you some different things from the in person classes and some similar things. I became really good at self-taping. Self-taping is how you audition nowadays for acting roles. I worked in front of a Green Screen and I learned many more new things. I became comfortable in front of the camera.
At this time, I also taught myself how to edit! That allowed me to be able to create my own content! We created a film called The Purgatory – Only Memories that got picked up from The Lift. I also created I am here that got picked up by YonderWindowTheatreCompany, with whom and an amazing creators team we made 25Hours! I also filmed a completely online student film called #JasonBlakeIsOverParty! In all the above projects, I am acting, and in many of them I was the editor too. And finally, due to my self-taught editing, I got hired by the American Academy of Dramatic Arts as an editor.
One thing I didn’t have now was on stage experience. I had in Greece but it had been years. Fortunately, I got accepted in the third year Company of the Academy! We rehearse and present plays and with the guidance of Betty Karlen, I am getting that extra piece of the puzzle I needed.
There are many other personal and professional fortunes, misfortunes and fortunate misfortunes that bring me where I am today. My battle with panic and anxiety attacks. My identity battle and my coming to terms with being pansexual. My accent that has been a struggle and a blessing. I have been working on achieving a general American accent and a British one and others. I want to be a well-rounded Actress and a well-rounded person. My motto, love is the answer!
And here is where you find me today. In the company year, editing, breathing, acting. Some days surviving, most days living. And I am happy! And recently married… I left that for the end, I guess. At the Academy, I fell in love with the program and with my now partner for life. We made a life together and we created Blend it! A youtube channel focused on bringing different cultures together and.. well, blending them! Mainly through food and travel. Because love is the answer!
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Nothing in life is a smooth road. Only after the fact, if we succeed we remember it smooth. Even if there are no outside factors making us struggle, we make us struggle. I believe we are our biggest enemy and our biggest ally! Except everything I said before, I also stopped myself many times. I experience panic and anxiety attacks. I am still figuring out my triggers and what I should do when they happen. The biggest thing I take out of it is breathing. Breath. It literally gives us life.
My accent. A beautiful evidence of where I come from, of my history. I hated it for so long. Not for how I sound, but for what I felt it kept me from. There are not many roles here for people with a Greek accent at least. Many teachers did not understand me, the roles I was getting I felt were not served because I did not match where the characters came from. I studied, I cried, I felt helpless. People really do hate their obstacles while going through it. And it makes sense. It keeps you away from what you want.
Now, I am at peace with my accent. I have gained the ability to have an American accent (and many more) though. So it is after the fact that I am at peace with it.
As I am growing up, I always learn to love myself better and more consciously. I used to hate my body, I love my body. Battle won. I used to hate my anxiety, now I live with it and try to listen to my body and mind. I used to scream at myself for how lazy or not enough I was. That was just me being mean, tearing me apart and not letting me thrive. I got the rule of three from a friend. Do three things in a day to excel you, and that is a successful day. So I stopped burying myself under fifty things. And now, that is where I am. As I said, with some days where I am just surviving and many that I am living. Ready or not so ready for the battles to come, but ready to pick myself up and love me at the end of the day!
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am an Actress. Many people never know when that label applies. After our first role or after we get paid? After we study or after an award? People feel that if they say it without “deserving it” they are just one of many. At least that has been my experience here in LA. And I understand that. The school told us. You are actors. Be proud. I am an actress, and I am proud.
I mentioned above many of the projects we did. I am proud of them. They are a part of me.
What sets me apart? The truth would be, we are all different. We tend to cluster ourselves with others and try desperately to find a way to make us stand out. But we do. Simply because nobody else is us. If we do the work, make choices, the person that will stand out is the person that this specific group of professionals need right now. That is what they had in mind or that is what caught their eye. But we are all different. If we put the work in it, all our work will also be good and different. Similar maybe in parts, but different.
My life motto has been, love is the answer. In my process, I try to love my characters. Love and understand them and give them life and portray them fairly. And if anyone out there sees themselves in the characters I play, I want them to feel loved too. I loved them through the process of the character.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
I am not sure about risks. I have taken big risks in my life, like coming to study in America. As for Acting risks, that is another story. Life risks I believe are worth it. Worth it if your want is big enough. If you want something you should go for it. Even if you are unsure of the result, I believe it is better to try and fail than not trying at all. I don’t want to have regrets. I always had the fear of growing old and looking back thinking what ifs. I am happy to say I don’t have any so far.
Acting risks, I don’t believe in the concept. As far as acting choices go. If you are going to an audition and you want to take a character risk, that is fine. If you have worked, found the character and what you think is appropriate for them as a choice, DO IT! Go with your instinct and do it. It can never be wrong, worst case it will not be what they wanted. But it is going to look right, as a worked informed choice. They will see the character you created. As long as it is grounded in the truth of the character you created. They will know you are a good, professional actor. On the other hand, I really dislike risks that are there just for the WOW factor. If there is no reason for a “risk” a big choice to be made, then don’t. Just trust the text and your work. Serve the story. A bold move that has no reason to be there, I believe will just break the continuity of the character that you’ve created. But if it is based on the character, then it is not a risk but a choice!
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: theoni.bekiari https://www.instagram.com/theoni.bekiari/
- Youtube: blend it https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCD23I_Bj27bECu_gtb5XrHA
Image Credits
@jacks.artistic.photo @roshanmathews @bare.sofia
