Rising Star Lucia Oskerova: “Why I’d like to inspire a movement to end child poverty and homelessness”
If I could inspire a movement, it would be to end child poverty and homelessness. I volunteer with a few different organizations like Camp Harmony. It offers needy children a break from the tension of their daily lives–a place to play freely. It also affords them the opportunity to grow new talents while learning to trust and to try. Children enjoy a five-night camping experience in the summer and mini two-night camping experience in the winter. The goal is to build relationships and self-esteem, to emphasize the beauty of nature and to offer activities in art, sports, personal health, and personal challenge. If we all contribute just a little more time and/or resources, I truly believe we could resolve this heartbreaking issue.
As a part of my series about pop culture’s rising stars, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Lucia Oskerova, Slovak-Canadian international actress and model. Lucia studied, lived and worked all over the world, from Slovakia and Germany in Europe to Canada and the US in North America. She speaks four languages, loves traveling and enjoys experiencing the life, language, and culture of everyone she meets.
At the age of 15, Lucia was spotted by a modeling scout and her career in fashion took off. She became a Fashion Week star, walking for Dolce & Gabbana, Prada, Dior, Chanel, Fashion Rocks, Leone, Boboli, and Vetrina. John Casablanca, one of Canada’s biggest agencies, took note of young Lucia’s quick rise to fame in the industry and signed her on the spot.
Lucia blossomed creatively in Canada. She enjoyed continued success as a model and before long, ventured into the entertainment industry. She was cast in several outstanding network TV series including Smallville, Battlestar Galactica, The Guard, Painkiller Jane, Very Bad Men, 911 on Fox as well as in the feature films National Lampoon and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. She also booked many national commercials and was chosen as a spokeswoman for The Olympic games and several beauty product lines.
Not surprisingly, Lucia found yet another outlet to her creativity: Design. Upon graduating from the British Columbia Institute of Technology with a degree in Interior Design & Architecture, Lucia realized that acting was her true passion and headed to Hollywood, committed to developing her acting skills. She began her journey in Los Angeles by enrolling with Ivana Chubbuck Studio fully immersing herself in learning the ins-and-outs of the entertainment industry. She then worked on fine-tuning her skills with famous acting coaches such as Larry Moss and Eric Morris.
Lucia now lives in Los Angeles where she continues her work as a model and actress. The success of her shoot with Chopard Jewelry landed her in the September issue of VOGUE. As for acting, Lucia is thrilled to be part of the feature comedy VHYes, playing the character “STARDUST”. The movie is currently playing in theaters nationwide.
Lucia looks forward to further collaborating with different artists for creative, innovative and bold projects that reflect her versatility and innate sense of adventure.
Thank you so much for doing this with us Lucia! Can you tell us the story of how you grew up?
My thanks to Authority Magazine for inviting me to do this piece. I grew up in Slovakia, a small country in Central Europe. As an only child, I spent a lot of time with my beloved grandmother who was living with us. She was the most influential and important person in my developing years. My favorite time was when she would tell me bedtime stories. It was at this point when I fell in love with storytelling and the power of imagination. From a very young age, I was interested in other cultures, destinations, and languages. I decided early on that I wanted to explore the world as much as I could. My dreams came true because I have enjoyed living and working in Canada, Germany, Istanbul and now in Los Angeles.
Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this specific career path?
I was working as a model in Canada and my agency had an acting and commercial division. They noticed that I had a European accent; so, they started to submit me for Russian, German and Swedish roles. I even did a national beer commercial for Coors Light which required a French accent. It was a really comical and challenging experience. After booking some smaller parts, I started to take acting seriously. I enrolled to study different acting techniques with some excellent teachers including Larry Moss and Ivana Chubbuck. I was bitten by the acting bug, and there was no turning back.
Can you tell us the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?
One of my favorite moments was working with Quentin Tarantino on “Once upon a time in Hollywood.” We were doing long night shoots, and to keep our spirits up and motivated, Quentin had this mantra and he would say: “OK that take was great but let’s do it again.” And then he would ask: “Why are we doing this?” And all of us would answer in unison: “Because we love making movies!!!”
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?
The funniest mistake was at my first acting audition. I came from the modeling background where you usually look straight into the camera lens. Not knowing the audition process, I kept looking straight into the camera instead of making a connection with the reader. Needless to say, I didn’t book the part. I learned NOT to look directly into the camera during auditions!
What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now?
I recently worked on a comedy called VHYES directed by Jack Henry Robbins. This bizarre retro comedy shot entirely on VHS and Beta follows 12-year-old Ralph as he accidentally records home videos and his favorite late-night shows over his parents’ wedding tape. The cast also includes Tim Robbins, Susan Sarandon, Kerri Kenney, and Thomas Lennon. Without revealing too much, I play a Swedish Alien. It’s currently playing in movie theaters nationwide so please check it out and have a good laugh.
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 diversity represented in film and TV. Same as it is in real life. Diversity makes life and experiences richer and more enjoyable by sharing different cultural habits, languages, accents, music, recipes, and stories. It’s beautiful, and it should be reflected in all art forms. Diversity in film and television is also a very important tool to inspire, educate and enlighten people, which can lead to greater respect within our culture and society.
There has been big progress in recent years when it comes to industry diversity, but we still have much work to do. Not every character with a Russian or Arabic accent is a terrorist or a spy :) My doctor, dentist, and accountant are all immigrants with foreign accents, and it would be nice to see that reality portrayed more in film and TV.
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. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and ask for help.
2. Don’t get too comfortable and always challenge yourself. Facing your fears will help you grow as a person and as an artist.
3. Keep in touch with people in your industry. Networking, consistency and following up goes a long way.
4. Don’t beat yourself up and don’t compare your progress with anyone else. You are on your own journey.
5. Always be prepared, know your lines, be on time and have fun!
Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in your industry to help them to thrive and not “burn out”?
Actors can sometimes become so consumed with their careers that they forget to actually live their life fully. So, my advice is, spend more time with your family and friends, and take that vacation you have been dreaming about, get that puppy or have a baby :) Don’t pass on life to always be available for auditions. Living your life fully can help you not only avoid burnout, but it can also provide a solid foundation and inspiration in your creative process.
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. :-)
If I could inspire a movement, it would be to end child poverty and homelessness. I volunteer with a few different organizations like Camp Harmony. It offers needy children a break from the tension of their daily lives–a place to play freely. It also affords them the opportunity to grow new talents while learning to trust and to try. Children enjoy a five-night camping experience in the summer and mini two-night camping experience in the winter. The goal is to build relationships and self-esteem, to emphasize the beauty of nature and to offer activities in art, sports, personal health, and personal challenge. If we all contribute just a little more time and/or resources, I truly believe we could resolve this heartbreaking issue.
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?
“It takes a team to build a dream” I’m grateful to all my mentors, teachers, managers, and agents, previous and current. They all contributed to my growth as an actress and as a person. But I’m most thankful to my love Michael who is always standing by my side. He is my best friend, my greatest support, my biggest comfort and my strongest motivation.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
“Life is not a race.” You don’t start in the same position and everyone isn’t going in the same direction. You have your own space, your own pace and your own place you want to get to. Love your own journey and the people who are part of it.
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. :-)
I would love to meet Meryl Streep for lunch. Growing up, I would always watch her movies with my mom on repeat. I really admire her approach to acting and commitment to her art. She is one of the best actresses, and I would love to get to know her personally. I did meet her briefly at the pre-Oscars party, she was really lovely and gave me a hug. I just hope some of her talents have rubbed off on me at least a little :)
How can our readers follow you on social media?
They can follow me on Instagram — @luciaoskerova; https://www.instagram.com/luciaoskerova/;
Facebook https://m.facebook.com/LuciaOskerova/
This was very meaningful, thank you so much!
Thank you!
