Meet Eliana Cordova

Today we’d like to introduce you to Eliana Cordova.

Hi Eliana, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Well, I’m a Peruvian actress. I used to be a swimmer until I was 12. I used to compete and I was willing to pursuit a professional career as an athlete. But like all children, I also loved to watch TV, especially Disney Channel. And, I don’t know why I really wanted to do what these children on TV did: sing, dance, act and tell stories of our age. I really wanted to do that and I decided to quit swimming. When I was 14, I took my first theater workshop and I fell in love with acting. I finished high school and I wanted to study at NYU; but, back then, my family was dealing with economic problems so it was impossible to think about studying abroad. I applied to the best university in my country to study Performing Arts, and I got in and had a scholarship my whole career. At the same time, I started working and saving money, and in 2022, after graduating, I applied for a summer program at Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute and I got accepted. Three months turned into a year. I finished the One Year Conservatory Program. And, now I’m here based in LA with a manager trying to internationalize my acting career.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Definitely not! I arrived here by myself not knowing anyone, and I had to build a life again from zero. Sometimes dealing with ‘simple things’ can be more challenging when you are totally alone. The first thing you have to do when you arrive is find a place to live and that can take you days when you don’t know anyone and it’s stressful, while you’re crying because you feel lonely and you miss your family, friends, culture, etc. You have to adapt yourself to a new way of living and, in my case, in another language. Unexpected things happen all the time and you have to learn to be practical and figure it out by yourself to keep going. And, when you feel you want to give up, be stronger, take a deep breath and believe that everything is gonna be okay and the risk you took is gonna be worth it. I was studying acting and at the same time, working virtually to finish paying my tuition, rent, food, etc. I remember once I dog sitted my friend’s dog and he decided to pay me and with that, I finished paying my rent that month. I think people who migrate have a lot of stories like that; but, at the end of the day, I believe all the effort and struggle make sense.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’m a Peruvian actress. I’ve worked in different commercials and a couple of theater and musical theater projects in my country. I used to be part of a theater company called La Maldita Compañía, but I had to leave the group when I decided to move to LA. I also did a movie called El Plebeyo back then in 2019, and the premiere is coming next year; so I’m excited about that. However, the project I’m most proud of is my first short film called One Minute of Unconsciousness. It’s a project that I produced, wrote, directed and acted in. It is a bilingual short film shooted in Los Angeles, where the technical and artistic team is made up mainly of young Latin American immigrants. It’s a story about identity and migration that portrays the struggle of a young Peruvian woman against alienation, racism, job uncertainty and illegality, economic difficulties, and the mental and physical health consequences that migrating entails. And at the same time, it seeks to empower Latin American artists to explore and carry out audiovisual projects that make social realities visible in an authentic way and not based on clichés. Right now, we’re in the post-production stage and you can watch the first teaser on our Instagram page: @oneminuteou.film. Besides all of this, there are some acting projects coming up that I still can’t give details about, but I’m very excited that you will soon be able to hear about them through my social networks. At the same time, I want to start developing a career as a filmmaker so I’m studying and I’m writing my second short film where the main topic is mental health.

We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
I think we work because we love what we do and we are passionate about it, and at the same time to keep finding opportunities and if you’re ready when they come, well, that’s amazing. I believe in God and the universe, and I have faith that things happen when they have to happen. I feel that I met amazing people and also sh*tty people that helped me to grow as a person and as an artist. I wish I could be luckier but until that happens, I will continue working hard.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://linktr.ee/elianarcr
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elianacordova/
• Other: https://m.imdb.com/name/nm14473030/