Community Highlights: Meet Marjo Riikka Makela of Chekhov Studio International

Today we’d like to introduce you to Marjo Riikka Makela.

Hi Marjo Riikka, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.

Thank you! 

I love my life and the work I get to do. I feel grateful for the opportunity to work internationally as an acting teacher and peak performance and resilience coach across Europe and the United States. I collaborate with professional actors and directors on high-stakes storytelling from film shoot preparation through on-set work, teach group classes for emerging talent and professional actors, provide private coaching for A-list talent, and mentor university-level acting teachers internationally in the Michael Chekhov Acting Technique and trauma-informed pedagogy.

I grew up in a small lakeside town in Finland, where ballet and caring for animals were my first loves. Animals were my earliest teachers; through them, I learned about care, communication, trust, and, above all, how to be fully present and share genuine connection in the moment—lessons that continue to guide my life and work. My parents and grandparents also instilled in me the importance of empathy, showing me how to understand and connect with others with compassion and respect. My animal friends also taught me the value of playfulness—something we humans often forget as we grow, a natural state of being that animals carry throughout their lives, and a principle that enriches both how I live and how I teach and coach. These early lessons naturally shaped how I approached my professional journey.

My professional path has not been linear, and that has become one of its greatest strengths. I began as a horse trainer and riding instructor, then trained as a practical nurse specializing in psychology. Theatre entered my life during those years—first as a hobby, then as a profession. Even before formal acting education, I worked professionally as an actor under a salaried contract at a municipal theatre, an increasingly rare structure today. I then studied at the prestigious Russian Academy of Dramatic Arts and earned my MFA in Acting in the United States. I have also pursued ongoing study in psychophysical acting practices, resilience, and trauma healing. I am a certified Trauma Support Specialist, Resilience and Trauma Coach (Arizona Trauma Institute), and Teacher of Intimacy Coordination.

Alongside these professional chapters, I navigated significant personal trauma, which deeply shaped my understanding of resilience, well-being, and the sustaining power of the creative spirit. This lived experience showed me how imagination is essential for both creating and sustaining hope. Trauma can limit our ability to imagine, so nurturing a healthy, powerful, and hopeful embodied imagination is a key part of the healing journey. My approach, the M-R Method©, ensures that creative excellence is rooted in personal well-being—so the work flourishes, and the artist does too. With more than 35 years of embodied expertise, I help people unlock their fullest creative potential.

Looking ahead, 2026 marks an exciting expansion of my work. I will be hosting creative retreats designed for deep immersion, restoration, and artistic renewal, as well as launching an online platform to extend this work globally, offering tools, guidance, and creative resources for artists everywhere there is internet access. My purpose is simple: to help us prosper—to feel safe, fully alive, and joyful in our bodies, to be able to safely experience all emotions, to reconnect with our creativity and innate ability to flourish, and to deepen our capacity for empathy—so we can connect with others more deeply and create with confidence, authenticity, and joy.

I feel tremendous gratitude for the remarkable artists I have the honor to work with, and for the amazing collaborators who have championed my journey. A special thank-you to Elina Knihtilä, Zaida Bergroth, Selma Vilhunen, and Inkeri Meriluoto—four extraordinary artists and marvelous women! There is nothing more energizing to me than being in a room with amazing actors and directors, witnessing artistry unfold in real time. I often say I have the best job in the world—and I mean it.

Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Chekhov Studio International?

Chekhov Studio International is a creative home and a birthplace for inspiration for actors and directors. Inspired by the Michael Chekhov Technique—which places embodied inspiration at its center—our training nurtures the whole human: mind, body, and spirit. We are devoted to brave, emotionally available, physically capable, and viscerally captivating acting that leads to unforgettable performances. We train actors working on stage, film, and TV, and help performers, writers, and directors overcome creative blocks, communication barriers, dry spells, and plateaus. Chekhov Studio International offers an artistic home and creative haven for actors, directors, writers, and all artists.

We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?

For me, success isn’t about accolades or external measures. It’s about cultivating a life—and helping others cultivate theirs—where hope, ease, connection, and empathy are present. Success is feeling fully alive in our bodies, safely experiencing all emotions, staying inspired, and creating with authenticity and joy. It’s about fostering the courage to imagine, the resilience to overcome challenges, and the empathy to connect deeply with others. When these elements are present, both life and art flourish—that’s what success truly means to me.