Meet Isabella Bertilsson

Today we’d like to introduce you to Isabella Bertilsson.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I grew up on a farm by the Swedish west coast. Living so free with animals and being close to deep forests and the ocean nearby, an adventure was never far away. My childhood was absolutely fantastic. My parents have always traveled a lot, and that didn’t stop when me and my sister came along, they took us everywhere.

My family would always host foreign exchange students so even when we didn’t go out into the world, the world came to us. I tried on most sports as a child, but when I discovered theatre, I knew it was something I wanted to do for the rest of my life.

When I was 16, it was my turn to become a foreign exchange student, and I spent one year in Minnesota.  I was blessed with an incredible host family who is still family, to this day. I enrolled in the drama club and performing in a different language was challenging, but so much fun. When I moved back to Sweden, I got accepted into musical theatre school, which I attended for three years.

Starting school, my mind was set to pursue musical theatre, but that began to change. I became more interested in film and acting.  When I graduated, I knew I wanted to become an actress, but I also felt restless about being in the same spot for so long. So, I started to travel again and travel, I did a lot!

There have been many travels but to highlight a few I spent a year and a half working at the Swedish embassy in Brasília, I climbed Kilimanjaro, I went scuba diving around the Galapagos islands, drove through the US, threw tomatoes at the tomato war in Spain. I even tricked a friend to Budapest!

I came home having lived on three continents, speaking three different languages and now I felt ready to begin the next chapter. I moved to LA about one year and a half ago, and for the first time in my life, I am at a place where I don’t really want to go anywhere else.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I have always sort of found my way in whatever situation life has thrown at me. I think all the traveling has taught me that because it humbles you, but you also learn to not take anything for granted. When I reflect back on my life, and when things have ended, there have also been new beginnings too, in a way, connect the dots.

There have been many ups and down along the road of course, not to mention the doubts I think many artists have “Am I really going through with this madness?” Then you just end up going for it anyway, and I would never want to die curious and think about what might have been. I didn’t choose an easy life, and I didn’t choose a safe life. But on one hand, I’ve never lived that way, and I don’t know if it would suit me to do so.

We’d love to hear more about what you do.
I am freelancing as an actor, but I enjoy doing many aspects of filmmaking. And I love spending time on sets. One of the coolest experiences so far is that I got to work on an HBO show in January. I am currently producing my first short film.

Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
One thing that I always think about is my friends and family because no matter how successful or unsuccessful I am, they are always there.

I feel very lucky about the fact that I have very supportive and loving parents no matter what crazy endeavor I get myself into, at the end of the day they are always there to support.

As an actor you want opportunities and to even be able to come out here to LA to pursue what I want to do makes me feel very lucky.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://bertilssonisabella.wixsite.com/mysite-1
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/isabellahbertilsson/

Image Credit:
Dave Garrett Sarrafian

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