Our people in Hollywood: how to get through the actress - ForumDaily
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Our people in Hollywood: how to break through the actress

Russian actress Alexandra Callas is a new name in Hollywood. Her start at the dream factory was the psychological drama “Ten Days in a Madhouse,” in which Alexandra met on the same set with the famous “highlander” Christopher Lambert. The film premiered in New York on November 11, and exactly a week later, on November 20, the film was released worldwide.

Alexandra is the daughter of the famous Russian sculptor Lev Kerbel (also read story of Inga Leps, the daughter of a famous singer, who is also conquering America). She began her career in Moscow on radio and television. Then there was the theater “At the Nikitsky Gate”, roles in the series “Club”, the films “Shadowboxing-2”, “Spellbound”, filming in the mystical drama “The Scent of Dead Flowers”, work with Korean directors. And, of course, dreams of Hollywood. Somehow, her friends sent her a link to a casting in Los Angeles. Alexandra read the ad and decided that she would definitely get this role. And I was not mistaken. The producer and director of the film said at the first meeting that only she would be cast for this role.

She got a difficult role. Contrary to popular belief, she played not a Russian girl, but a German tyrant nurse working in a psychiatric hospital. For this, Alexandra Callas had to master the German accent and learn to be a real sadist.

The film “Ten Days in a Madhouse” is based on the best-selling young journalist of the late 19 century, Nellie Bly, who worked for the famous publisher Joseph Pulitzer. In order to investigate the facts of ill-treatment of patients, she imitated insanity and ended up in a psychiatric hospital on Blackwell Island, from which almost no one left. The shocking results of her experiment formed the basis of a series of exposing articles and an autobiographical book.

Alexandra Callas fell to play a negative character, one of those who embodied a terrible and merciless system. “Forum” talked to the actress about preparing for the role, the atmosphere of Hollywood and working with the famous Christopher Lambert.

Alexandra, how did your work in Hollywood begin?

I had to learn a German accent! My heroine is a German, a woman with a contradictory character, a bright representative of the system that existed in such institutions.

The second thing that I, a person who always feels sorry for everyone, both good and bad, had to learn is cruelty. To understand my heroine, the head nurse of a mental hospital, I had to collect bits and pieces of information about her: when she came to America, how she lived in those years and, most importantly, why she acts this way and not otherwise. When a scenario calls for you to hit a person, you should understand why you are doing it.

Poster for the film “Ten Days in a Madhouse” with Alexandra Callas.

Poster for the film “Ten Days in a Madhouse” with Alexandra Callas.

It was complicated?

I had to read a lot about sadistic women, concentration camp guards, to understand at what point a wonderful girl becomes not just cruel, but a real beast. I came to Moscow, to my Russian teachers, and we puzzled over scenes that I did not understand. Eventually I found the answers. One of them, but not the only one, is that very often women were driven to extreme cruelty by the desire to conquer a man of a higher rank, that is, female sadism often has deep sexual overtones.

Did you set a goal for yourself to get to Hollywood, or was it just that fate finally decided that way?

They say you have to dream properly. I think that's true. After all, I had the opportunity to go to Hollywood for a long time, but I refused and then for a long time nothing like this seemed to be. I tried, tried, understood that I was ready to spend five to six years trying and making mistakes, but something didn’t work. I even refused to travel to America as a tourist: I decided that if I came, I would only work in Hollywood. When I decided for myself exactly that and realized that I would act in this direction, everything in life began to change: the necessary acquaintances began to appear, unexpected meetings took place. I was found by a Korean director, whom my friend recommended me, and said that I had the face he was looking for for his main character, who he had seen and even painted. I played in his film, and later, at the Canadian Film Festival, he won first place. After that, I was contacted by three directors. Then I finally understood: everything is developing correctly, I can do everything.

Alexander Callas (second from left) with colleagues in the film “Ten Days in a Madhouse”. Photos from the personal archive

Alexander Callas (second from left) with colleagues in the film “Ten Days in a Madhouse”. Photos from the personal archive

When I gave birth to a son, I had a prophetic dream. Then for some reason I decided that he was prophetic. I'm in Los Angeles. I walk along the Avenue of Stars, which I, to be honest, never even considered in the pictures. And so, I go past the shop windows and call to Moscow, relatives, to find out what to buy. After that dream, by the way, a lot in life suddenly began to change. Recently, when we were filming in Los Angeles, I had a day off. I decided to go for a walk and caught myself walking along the Avenue of Stars, just like in that dream, and there are even as many people around it, and the windows are the same. Just do not call, and write SMS to Moscow, relatives, to find out what to buy. But just like it was in that dream!

Shooting in Russia and Hollywood are very different?

Not really. Both in Russia and in Hollywood, it’s not just people who work on the set, but fanatics whose eyes sparkle. True, there are big differences outside the set. And it's not just about Hollywood budgets. Respect for work has been preserved here, which has almost been lost in Russia.

What is Hollywood from the inside?

Filming, as a rule, takes place in isolation, and you see nothing except the shooting area, and you spend most of your time in trailers for rehearsals.

As for fellow stars ... Well, at least, about Christopher Lambert, I can say that he is a man who loves his profession very much, respects those around him and is always tuned to the work process. It was pleasant to work and to communicate in breaks with him and with the beautiful Kelly LeBrock. This is what always impresses me.

Frame from the film “Ten days in a madhouse”

Frame from the film “Ten days in a madhouse”

And what is Hollywood outside the set?

I’ll reveal a little secret: I’m short-sighted, and I don’t always wear lenses. So, when I am not wearing glasses, and even in my thoughts, I simply do not notice who is standing or passing by. Surely, recently, when Brad Pitt worked in the SonyPictures studio, we took coffee in the same Starbucks.

Let me open one more secret: I don’t know many artists on the street, because everyone on the screen looks monumental. I remember how at one event I sat in a room with fashion designers Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana, and with us sat a miniature, slim woman. We communicate, laugh, and I understand during the conversation: this is Madonna!

Let's talk about your family. Surely dad-sculptor wanted his daughter to follow in his footsteps?

The decision to become an actress came in early childhood. When I was four years old, a film crew came to us to make a documentary about my father. My sister and I had to draw on the asphalt with crayons. When the camera was aimed at me, it seemed to me that I even began to breathe differently. Something turned in my mind, and I decided that I wanted to be always on the set.

As a child, I didn’t think about becoming famous, I just wanted the process to repeat itself. Fate provided an opportunity: there were small roles in groups, in episodes, there was a popular youth series “Club”, there were filming in several films by Korean directors. But every time the camera turned on, the same thing always began: breathing froze, and life passed into another dimension.

My parents, fortunately, were never against me becoming an actress. Of course, dad wanted me and my sisters to follow in his footsteps. It’s so easy, he said: there is a workshop and a name. They hired teachers for us to draw, but no one put pressure on us. Therefore, when I followed my dream, when they took me to the theater “At the Nikitsky Gate” and the first program with my name came out, I knew that my parents (who, unfortunately, did not live to see this) would be happy for me. Recently it was the anniversary of my dad’s birth, and the fact that the film is being released right now is like a gift for his birthday.

I remember one funny moment. Dad was a famous man, and one day the two of us went to the Central House of Artists. Then one of the guests of the event approaches him with the words “Oh my God, so it’s you...”. Dad was already prepared to listen to the words addressed to him, but the ending of the phrase was unexpected: “... you are Alexandra Kerbel’s dad!” And my dad was very happy at that moment!

Alexandra Callas in the film "Holy Blessed Xenia of Petersburg". Still from the film

Alexandra Callas in the film “Holy Blessed Xenia of Petersburg.” Still from the film

Was it not a pity to part with the famous surname, which speaks for itself in creative circles?

Kerbel is a very happy surname. Everyone who wore it achieved success. And I was also very lucky with her both on radio and on television, but I began to notice that she did not bring me luck in acting. Prejudice may have been to blame: if you are a radio host, you are not perceived as an actor, but only as a journalist. That’s why the idea crept in that I needed to change my last name in order to erase my entire radio and television past. When I met my future husband, by the way, I first paid attention not to him, but to his last name: he was too good! Of course, that’s not why I married him, but I immediately changed my last name. I remember when I was changing my documents, the gloomy woman at the passport office looked at me from under her brows and muttered: “What’s the point? You exchange the awl for soap,” he says. - Kerbel... Callas... What's the difference? My husband and I laughed for a long time. But from the point of view of my acting career, the difference turned out to be significant: at that very second they called me and told me that they had approved for the role! Just at that very second! And three months later there was a casting, and now I found myself in an American film.

Now that the filming of “Ten Days in a Madhouse” is over, the next stage of work begins for Alexandra: she has already been offered a new role, and has also been invited to teach future actors at the university. And all that was needed for this was to dream correctly.

Alexandra Callas. Photos from personal archives

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