Inspirational Women In Hollywood: How Ella Mika Is Helping To Shake Up The Entertainment Industry
Knowing that I could help anyone out there and be their source of entertainment or happiness really puts a smile on my face. I truly enjoy acting and going through the process of movie-making and filming but being able to be of service to others makes it even better. I’d like to see more diversity and inclusivity in the industry going forward. It would be so great to see more women directing and seeing more storylines about the struggles of immigrants and people of color would be a big change.
As a part of our series about Inspirational Women In Hollywood, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Ella Mika.
Ella Mika is taking over screens nationwide as she stars in TBS’ “CHAD.” The hit comedy, which was renewed for a second season, features SNL alum, Nasim Pedrad who created, wrote, and executive produced the show. Ella stars as “Niki”, ‘Chad’s’ younger, popular sister, that often bickers with her dorky brother at school and in family settings. ‘Chad’ (Nasim Pedrad) is on a mission to become popular using every trick in the book, all while the two endure their mother’s new dating life and reconcile with cultural identity. Ella also can be seen alongside Margot Robbie in BIRDS OF PREY.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Our readers would love to get to know you a bit better. Can you tell us the story of how you grew up?
Of course! I moved to Hollywood as an immigrant when I was only one year old. At the time, my family was just my mom and my dad. We had the opportunity to get to come to America because we won the lottery for a green card and on April 6 of 2007 we flew to America. Growing up, my parents didn’t know the language which made me determined to learn it myself to make things easier for us. Watching cartoons was the easiest and fastest way I could learn the language quickly so that was exactly what I did. It was difficult for us as immigrants in a foreign country but the fact that we moved to America right as the recession of 2008 made it even harder. Finding jobs was so much more difficult for my parents but, they always pushed through. We stayed in a one-bedroom apartment for a few years until my mom had my sister and we were able to afford to move to a better home in a different city. Moving cities was also a bit difficult since I had to leave all my friends and start over again in a new school with different people but I’m glad we made all the choices and decisions that we did.
Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this specific career path?
My dad used to be an actor and sometimes when I would go to work with him, I’d get to see the behind-the-scenes of movie-making. I saw how intricate the process was and it interested me a lot. I loved watching the actors and seeing how much they enjoyed their work. It really sparked some curiosity in me about how life as an actress would be. I would go home and search up the behind-the-scenes of my favorite movies or shows and just watch in awe at how wonderful it would be to have such a job. I think what really pulled me most into acting was thinking about how beautiful it would be to do something I truly enjoy and love doing as a living, while also being able to entertain others and provide a source of happiness for others.
Can you tell us the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?
One of my most interesting and memorable stories since I began my career would have to be my first experience with fake blood on the set of “Birds of Prey”. The liquid was really sticky so we could use it to resemble fake blood for one scene in the movie. It had to be splattered all over me and my clothes, so it got everywhere. My set mom and dad also had to be splattered in blood and then piled on top of me so that caused some of the blood to drip and spread. Once we were done filming the scene, the hair and makeup team and I quickly realized that there was fake blood both in my ears and all over my hair. It was like thick syrup, so it was a struggle to get it all out, but they successfully got it out of my ears. My hair though was the hardest part. They worked for at least an hour to try and get as much out of my hair as possible, and I had to go home and shower a few times before it was fully out. That experience really opened my eyes a bit to what working on some serious but fun projects could be like and made me excited for what other similar experiences I could have.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
I actually think this is the funniest and most stressful story I have. I was pretty new to acting when I got my first call back and most callback auditions use the same script as in the first audition. However, this was not the case with this particular callback! I went into an audition as usual and was feeling very confident since it was a callback and I felt like they liked me. While I was sitting next to another girl that was getting ready to audition, I noticed that her sides looked different, so I went back to my email and opened up the sides I had gotten from my manager that were attached for the callback. That’s when I realized that there were completely different sides that we had to read for the audition. This really made the panic kick in and I was freaking out on the inside. As if things couldn’t get any worse, the girl next to me was called in to audition and I was given a five-minute warning until it was my turn. Then when I thought “you know what, this is the worst that can happen”, I quickly realized that there were 3 or 4 monologues I had in the sides full of difficult words to remember. As I mentioned it was a callback, but I wasn’t about to give up, so I gathered up my nerves and started to memorize everything as quickly as possible. The funniest part to me is that right after that callback they gave me another callback. It was a good experience because it helped me get used to memorizing things on the spot which came in handy on my new show “CHAD” quite a bit. Most importantly, it taught me to always check my sides and double-check everything.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
I’m so grateful to my parents, who sacrificed so so much for me. They came to this country lost and alone just to give me a better future. I can’t imagine going through everything they’ve gone through. They’ve always believed in me and helped me in countless ways throughout my career whether it was my dad coaching me for auditions or my mom getting my hair and makeup ready for self-tapes and shoots. They’ve definitely helped so much throughout the way and I owe a lot to them.
You have been blessed with great success in a career path that can be challenging. Do you have any words of advice for others who may want to embark on this career path, but seem daunted by the prospect of failure?
I don’t believe in failure whatsoever. I think “failure” is just an opportunity to improve, learn more, and try again. You just have to remember that life is not one straight line, there are ups and downs along the way and you’re going to have to go through that. The same goes for acting. When you feel like you aren’t getting anywhere and feel like you’re at the bottom of the wave, you have to remember that you need a low point in a wave in order for there to be a high point too. So, every time you feel like you’ve failed and aren’t getting anywhere, remember that you’re at the bottom of the wave at that moment but there will be a high point you’re going to reach if you stick with your dream.
What drives you to get up every day and work in TV and Film? What change do you want to see in the industry going forward?
Knowing that I could help anyone out there and be their source of entertainment or happiness really puts a smile on my face. I truly enjoy acting and going through the process of movie-making and filming but being able to be of service to others makes it even better. I’d like to see more diversity and inclusivity in the industry going forward. It would be so great to see more women directing and seeing more storylines about the struggles of immigrants and people of color would be a big change.
You have such impressive work. What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now? Where do you see yourself heading from here?
Thank you! My most exciting project that I’m going to be working on soon is filming for “CHAD” season 2! I can’t wait to start and show you all what else is in stock. I definitely would love to continue working on “CHAD” for many more seasons but in between, I’m hoping to work on some feature films.
We are very interested in looking at diversity in the entertainment industry. Can you share three reasons with our readers why you think it’s important to have diversity represented in film and television? How can that potentially affect our culture and our youth growing up today?
I think diversity is crucial in the entertainment industry because stories are supposed to reflect real life. Entertainment has an impact on people, especially younger children. Oftentimes audiences get upset when they don’t see their culture, race, or religion, represented much and it’s totally understandable. People want to be able to relate to the characters they see on screen and when there are none they can look forward to, they stop watching. This is both bad for the entertainment industry and for the audience as the people are left with nothing they want to watch. It also affects diverse actors whose jobs and recognition depend on this. By having different characters that different people can enjoy, connect with, relate, or be represented by, we are left with both sides being happy. This is also why I love how inclusive and diverse the cast of “CHAD” is. The cast has so many diverse actors with different looks, religions, race, and ethnicities, which I think people really love.
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why? Please share a story or example for each.
1. Confidence is key. The more confident I was as I stepped into an audition, the more likely I was to not mess up and get the role. Once when I had just started, I was very nervous when I stepped into the audition and it was noticeable to the casting director and they told me to loosen up. Once I became more confident, I received a callback.
2. Don’t carve your lines into your memory. I once went into an audition with my lines memorized so deeply that when they asked me to change it up a bit, it was more difficult than it should have been.
3. Sometimes you can do everything perfectly and still not get the part. In another audition I had done, I had gotten a bit upset that I didn’t get the role as I felt they had really liked me. However, they let my manager and agents know that the reason for me not being picked is that the role for my mom had already been picked and I did not look very much like her, but another girl did.
4. Write your plan out when you get busy. I tend to get overwhelmed sometimes when I get super busy and in the past, it would have more of an effect on me. I found now that writing down everything I need to do and seeing it on paper really helped me to feel more at ease and organized.
5. You can go for a long period of time in the entertainment industry with auditioning and not getting a part. I was blessed by not having to spend too long auditioning to get a good part, but I still went through about 1 1/2 to 2 years or so of auditioning without getting a part and sometimes I would get really discouraged. Whatever is meant to happen will happen so it is completely okay to go through periods of time without getting much.
Can you share with our readers any selfcare routines, practices or treatments that you do to help your body, mind or heart to thrive? Please share a story for each one if you can.
The number one thing that helps most is meditation. It is amazing for your body and mind whether it’s a short mindfulness meditation or a longer deep meditation. I remember when I was in Oregon to film Chad for a few months, I would meditate every morning and it made such a huge difference. I would start my day off full of so much love and peace. Now I’ve been really busy but I’m hoping to get back to doing that again. Staying healthy also does so much for the mind and body so I like to take bike rides with my dad and do yoga and dance whenever possible. These past few weeks my dad and I have been riding our bikes for a few miles to a nearby park and then working out with the equipment there and I noticed how much healthier I felt. Dance is something that always lifts my mood no matter what so I love doing that. I used to do even more yoga than I do now but I’ve noticed that much like meditation, it makes my body and mind feel so calm. I remember when I would go to my yoga studio and we would learn new yoga positions each time and it kept me so interested.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
“You can’t change how people treat you or what they say about you. All you can do is change how you react to it.” This has helped me a lot in life because ultimately, you really can’t change anything people say or how they treat you. If you try to change that, you’ll be stuck trying for the rest of your life. The best thing you can do is to change your reaction. For example, if someone said something hurtful, instead of being upset, change your reaction and simply don’t let it bother you. It’s a lot easier to say than do but once you really get it, it helps so much.
You are a person of huge influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be?
Personally, I think our world needs a lot more love, peace, and kindness. Having one day of the week, possibly Sunday since it’s the end of the week, where every single person would take 15 minutes out of their day to sit in complete silence and try to control their thoughts to the point where they are not thinking at all would be amazing for the world. People don’t realize how much sitting in silence could really help not only themselves but also their community.
Is there a person in the world whom you would love to have lunch with, and why? Maybe we can tag them and see what happens!
In terms of the entertainment industry, I’d still love to speak with Johnny Depp or Margot Robbie. They’re both so talented in so many ways and I am just full of questions to ask them. In terms of spirituality, however, I would love to have a conversation with Sadhguru because I admire how wise he is and intelligent beyond belief. He just fascinates me with every lesson he has.
Are you on social media? How can our readers follow you online?
Yes, I am! They can follow me on my socials here!
Instagram: @ellamikaofficial
Snapchat: @ella_mika8
And my new Tik Tok account: @_ella_mika
This was very meaningful, thank you so much. We wish you only continued success on your great work!
