Rising Star Gia Skova On The Five Things You Need To Shine In The Entertainment Industry
An Interview With Edward Sylvan
When one door closes, it means you’re meant to go through a different one waiting for you. Always keep going.
As a part of our series about pop culture’s rising stars, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Gia Skova.
Gia has appeared on countless magazine covers around the world, adorned the runway for some of the most acclaimed fashion designers, been featured in print and commercial advertisements for internationally recognized brands and been cast in television series, films and theatrical productions.
Gia began her career at the age of 12. She quickly caught the attention of some of European’s largest retailers who began using Gia in their print ads and eventually broadcast commercials. It wasn’t long before television producers cast Gia in several television series and, by the time she was 15, Gia had become a celebrity.
During the next several years, Gia modeled throughout Europe and appeared in several theatrical productions. In 2010 she moved to the United States to continue her career as both a model and an actress. Gia just filmed, “Age of Greed: The Bailout” with Eric Roberts, Edward Furlong, and Dominic Purcell. With several other projects in pre-production. During the next few years, Gia was a supermodel in Europe and Asia and appeared in several theatrical productions. She has been a cover girl for magazines like Vogue and InStyle, with celebrity features in Vanity Fair, Esquire, GQ and Cosmopolitan.
In 2010 she moved to the United States to continue her career as both a model and an actress. She was voted as the most recognized actress of the year by “Celebrity Magazine.” Skova’s skill is boundless and her work ethic is unwavering. From a young age, Skova’s name is synonymous with elite fashion and beauty campaigns, such as L’Oreal, Stella McCartney, Miu Miu, BCBG, Armani, Dolce Gabbana, and Marc Jacobs. Her captivating beauty has also graced the covers of global magazine covers, to include: Vogue, L’Officiel, Vanity Fair, Cosmopolitan, Esquire, FHM, British Yoga Magazine, Fox Magazine, and InStyle. Notable brands engage her in endorsement campaigns, from Red Bull to J-Lo Apparel and the Dolce Vita Show, etc. As a top runway model, Skova has participated in Fashion Week around the world (New York, Los Angeles, Russia, Hong Kong, Denmark, and other European countries). Skova captures worldwide acclaim and intrigue.
GQ Magazine named Skova one of the “50 Most Beautiful Russian Models,” as an international sensation in Europe, Asia, Russia, and America.
Her acting portfolio spans international advertisements to television and film. Most recently, Skova made her directorial debut and performed her own fighting and driving stunts as the lead actress in the all-star film The Serpent.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Can you tell us the story of how you grew up? Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this specific career path?
I dreamed of doing cinema from early childhood with an appreciation for the arts and having this certain state of mind. My modeling career actually chose me, as it was a combination of circumstances and the luck of my first contract in Italy, and this was a successful start. The modeling business is also a form of art. Working as a director was a clear decision later, even though I had already been performing all the functions of the director on set.
Can you tell us the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?
Every day of my life it’s a new story. The Serpent is an action movie that has already been released and available to watch on Amazon Prime in the U.S. When I first started working on this project, I had a shoot planned, the contract signed with Wallaroo hat, and then the CEO of the company called me and politely said that we will understand if you cannot come because the film was on the news from the very beginning. I replied that I would definitely come, and then I flew to Colorado to shoot, and we shot everything. I returned home the next day and went back to work. Nothing is impossible, it’s all consideration in your mind about if you can’t do it.
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 was in my first-week casting, and I did it! I nailed it actually, but after I got questions from the casting director and producers. I didn’t understand them well because of the language barrier, and so I said yes to all the questions. That was funny because they knew that my English was not strong enough to understand. When they realized that, they couldn’t give me the part that I originally auditioned for, but they rewrote the script so that my character would be from another country, and I then got the part and was part of the tv show.
What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now?
All the projects that I am doing now are interesting, and I am in love with each of them individually. My three projects are a story about a superhero, a Cinderella story, but this is an interpretation of my view of both of these projects. While it’s aimed at a young audience, this is actually for everyone who is a child at heart. The third project is about a spy detective. All of these three projects as well as The Serpent are my ideas, script and will be done by me. Another project is the comedy The Recipe. My character Katiana is a very elegant person, but it will be interesting with humor.
You have been blessed with 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?
Everyone has their own path. I really love the story that I once heard from my friend from Tibet. When you reach some goal, it can be compared to a mountain. You climb the mountain to climb to the very top to see this view with your own eyes. You can ask someone who has already seen this view, but this will be his point of view. You can ask what obstacles were on the way, but these were his obstacles. This is your path and it is unique. Do you want this adventure? If the answer is yes, just start your journey.
We are very interested in diversity in the entertainment industry. Can you share three reasons with our readers about why you think it’s important to have diversity represented in film and television? How can that potentially affect our culture?
I think it’s very important to have different cultures and introduce them to each other with art.
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why? Please share a story or example for each.
- Nothing is impossible, it’s all part of your mindset.
- Everyone has their own path, so start your journey.
- Give up negativity, do not betray yourself with toxic thoughts or people.
- Integrity is the key to success.
- When one door closes, it means you’re meant to go through a different one waiting for you. Always keep going.
Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in your industry to help them to thrive and not “burn out”?
Give up negativity. Do not betray and sell your talent for something that can harm humanity.
You are a person of enormous 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? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)
There is such a thing as an observation, so don’t listen, just watch, and what you see is the truth.
Visibility in this world sometimes makes you make mistakes and have a false opinion about events… chasing something or buying something that you absolutely do not need. What world do you want to live in tomorrow? What kind of world do you want your children and grandchildren to live in? Look at what actions you are doing today that actually go against these goals, start doing more good things today — the simplest ones — and you will see how tomorrow will change for the better.
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?
Every person on my journey played a small or big role, and I am grateful to everyone.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
Integrity is the key to success.
Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. :-)
Jeff Bezos seems as though he’s a down-to-earth person who achieved his goals and even his childhood dream with regard to his space trip. I would like to have breakfast with him.
How can our readers follow you online?
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/giaskovareal/
Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/GiaSkovaFanPage
Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/giaskova
This was very meaningful, thank you so much! We wish you continued success!
About The Interviewer: Growing up in Canada, Edward Sylvan was an unlikely candidate to make a mark on the high-powered film industry based in Hollywood. But as CEO of Sycamore Entertainment Group Inc, (SEGI) Sylvan is among a select group of less than ten Black executives who have founded, own and control a publicly traded company. Now, deeply involved in the movie business, he is providing opportunities for people of color.
In 2020, he was appointed president of the Monaco International Film Festival, and was encouraged to take the festival in a new digital direction.
Raised in Toronto, he attended York University where he studied Economics and Political Science, then went to work in finance on Bay Street, (the city’s equivalent of Wall Street). After years of handling equities trading, film tax credits, options trading and mergers and acquisitions for the film, mining and technology industries, in 2008 he decided to reorient his career fully towards the entertainment business.
With the aim of helping Los Angeles filmmakers of color who were struggling to understand how to raise capital, Sylvan wanted to provide them with ways to finance their creative endeavors.
