Actress, contortionist, and model Marina Mazepa chatted with Digital Journal’s Markos Papadatos about being a part of “The Unholy” film.
“It was exciting, scary, and fun,” she exclaimed. “When I learned who I was going to be working with (cast, producers, director, special effects team) I felt so lucky to be a part of this project. It was my second movie, so I was interested as to how everything was going to be on set this time. During my initial conversations with director Evan Spiliotopoulos, we decided that Mary’s movements would be similar to that of a praying mantis.”
“So, I had to work a lot on studying and copying its movements. The funny thing is, I didn’t even know that I had a chance to work with and learn from the Sam Raimi, until after three days of working with him one-on-one on my character,” she said.
She continued, “As a newcomer to the film industry, I enjoyed every moment I spent on set; watching how everything works, absorbing and studying the process. I filmed many scenes with legendary actors like Jeffrey Dean Morgan, William Sadler, Cary Elwes, and others.”
“I feel extremely lucky to have gotten advice from accomplished actors like them,” she said. “Even though the pandemic caught us off guard and we had to suspend filming for several months when production resumed with safety protocols in place, we were fortunate that we were able to pick up from where we left off and complete filming. I’m so proud to be a part of this project.”
Each day, she is motivated by the constant pursuit of happiness. “I always put myself in situations where I’m forced to sink or swim, in other words, I force myself to attempt things so much bigger than my current abilities enable me to achieve,” she said.
“A good example would be my time on America’s Got Talent,” she said. “Every performance I had to become better, I had to surprise the judges and the audience. That made me to do crazy things never thought I could do. I’ve grown and learned so much during my time on America’s Got Talent. This relates to everything I do and to every movie I’ve done so far.”
“I love to feel happy and be satisfied with myself, but you have to earn those feelings,” she exclaimed. “Because having self-worth, having confidence, being satisfied, and being happy, comes from doing things that you are supposed to do. They come from hard work.”
“When you’re not challenging yourself the way you should be, you’ll feel dead inside, empty, frustrated, angry because you’re not pushing yourself as hard as you should be. I know that after every time I challenge myself and work hard, sooner or later I’ll achieve my goal and I will be happy and satisfied with myself. This is the constant cycle of evolution and personal development,” she elaborated.
Regarding her future plans, she said, “This fall, you can catch me in the upcoming Resident Evil film, Welcome to Raccoon City – I cannot wait for everyone to see it. It’s going to be soo good. I also have some exciting new acting projects in the works.”
On being an entertainer in the digital age, she said, “I am grateful to live in a time full of technology that allows easy access to information. Our life is so much easier than it was 20 years ago – we don’t need to run to the library if we need to read a book, or talk to a switchboard operator, if we want to make a call. But we have to be smart about how we use these assets.”
“As for social media, I love to follow successful people or great actors. I am inspired by them and learn from them. I also love sharing my life journey and experience, failures, and achievements on my own social media. I think I have so much to offer. I love to inspire people and get inspired by them. Posting my daily Instagram challenges makes me feel like I’m responsible for promises I made and pushes me to complete them,” she elaborated.
“If you follow me on Instagram, you’ll understand what I mean by that. I share a lot of workout tips, stretch exercises, meal routines, among other things,” she added.
On her career-defining moments, she said, “As a graduate of my dance academy, I had to build a solo act entirely on my own. I remember that I couldn’t do some moves and styles that the majority of the students could, and I didn’t have money to take additional classes, to learn from other choreographers (their style of dance and technique), so I started creating my own moves, watching dance videos on YouTube that inspired me to create something different. For my final exam, I built my first dance solo called Genesis that blew people’s minds. I auditioned with that solo for So You Think You Can Dance (SYTYCD) Ukraine and got to top 3.”
“Performing on SYTYCD was one of the moments that defined my career and changed my mindset,” she said. In that moment, I realized that people really loved and accepted my unique dance style, because they’d never seen anything like it before. I realized that being unique is actually a privilege, not a fault. It made me stronger, more confident, and people wanted to learn from me. It was exciting for me and interesting to grow and improve myself in everything I do. I also auditioned with this act for SYTYCD USA and crushed it.”
For young and aspiring entertainers, she said, “Be yourself. Find your biggest dream and every day take a small step toward your dream. Focus only on things that lead you to your dream, nothing in between. It’ll be hard and frustrating, but don’t quit, push until the breakthrough.”
On her definition of success, she responded, “Overcoming struggles without quitting. The people who succeed in life… the people who advance up the pyramid of success… are people of endurance.”
She concluded about “The Unholy,” “The director of ‘The Unholy’ decided to put me in the background in addition to my main role, just for fun. I play a girl that attends a funeral. Look for me!”
To learn more about Marina Mazepa, follow her on Instagram.
