Meet Iliyana Apostolova

Today we’d like to introduce you to Iliyana Apostolova.

Hi Iliyana, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Acting and entertaining others has been my passion since I could remember. I’ve loved to make people laugh since I was a toddler. I’m originally from Bulgaria and moved to Las Vegas with my family when I was young. Growing up, I knew what I wanted to do. I wanted to entertain. I would always make funny videos playing different characters, old and young, funny and crazy, and I loved doing different accents. I got accepted into the Las Vegas Academy of Performing Arts where I did four years of theatre but I realized I wanted to pursue film acting. Before quarantine happened, I started to pursue acting full-time. I attended Dimiter Marinov’s acting workshops in San Diego every week. The 5 hour drive was totally worth it. The classes were amazing and I highly recommend him as an acting coach.

Shortly after, I was cast in the independent feature film. Everybody Dies by The End, written by Ian Tripp. I was in the middle of filming when covid hit, and everything slowed down. I started a TikTok page and decided to reenact some of my favorite standup comedian stories and movie scenes. It was all for fun. I started with a couple of Kevin Hart voice-over videos where I act out the stories he is telling. I also did a Tacarra Williams voice-over which went viral overnight. It’s now at 24 million views. I had no idea how quickly my views and followers would grow, currently at 2.7 million. Thousands of people were encouraging me to create more content. TikTok gave me an opportunity to do what I love the most, make other people smile! My followers have been so loving, supportive and encouraging. I’m very grateful for all the positive feedback I have been receiving which pushes me to continue pursuing what I love.

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?
Acting is a tough career, but it’s rewarding if you’re passionate and pursuing it for the right reasons. You have to be able to handle rejection and not let it affect your next move. One thing that I do after submitting an audition is completely forget about it. Once I send it in, I don’t dwell on it. So if I don’t get it, it doesn’t feel like rejection – I’m just ready for the next opportunity coming my way. I know that not everything is meant for me and that’s okay. “My heart is at ease knowing that what was meant for me will never miss me and that what misses me was never meant for me.” – Al Shafi’i

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
TikTok with something I created to have some fun and make my friends and family smile during quarantine. Shortly after my videos went viral, I became known for my Kevin Hart voiceovers, my accents and crazy facial expressions and the variety of different characters I like to play. One day, a guy recognized me and told me that it was weird seeing me as a girl because he’s so used to seeing me play a boy character. I guess I’m known for that too. Although I love the recognition and support I’ve gotten for my voiceover videos, there is a lot more I strive to do. I’m focusing on film acting and I’d love to have my own comedy tv show one day.

The crisis has affected us all in different ways. How has it affected you and any important lessons or epiphanies you can share with us?
During the Covid crisis, I learned a lot. Covid wasn’t a bad time for me. It was interesting and unusual but I am so grateful for it. Not only did I spend more time than ever with my family but I was committing every single day to creating content that will make people laugh. It’s amazing when you do something you’re passionate about for the right reasons, many opportunities start to arise. One thing I’ve learned is, do what you love, stay consistent and do it without expecting something in return. The fact that you’re doing what you enjoy should be rewarding enough. That’s when all the opportunities start to come to you. If it’s meant for you, it will surely find you.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: https://www.tiktok.com/@_iliyana
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iliybby/
• Youtube: https://m.youtube.com/channel/UC6JhtZbPUIMocTW6fgx7aXg

Image Credits:
David Muller Photography