Rising Star Maria Bata On The Five Things You Need To Shine In The Entertainment Industry

An Interview With Elana Cohen

Networking is key: In addition to talent and hard work, networking is a crucial part of building a successful acting career. Attending industry events, building relationships with casting directors, agents, and other professionals, and maintaining a positive reputation can help you land more opportunities. I am still struggling a little bit with this because I am introverted and sometimes “too self-aware” and don’t want to “bother” people, so I need to “force” myself to put myself out there.

As a part of our series about pop culture’s rising stars, we had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Maria Bata.

Maria Bata is a talented Romanian actress, soul-tripping in LA. Born and raised in a town in mystical Transylvania, Maria discovered her passion for acting at an early age and pursued it with unwavering determination. A fearless adventurer with an exceptionally unique personality, stunning looks range and natural charisma, she has captured the hearts of audiences around the world and has a bright future ahead of her.

Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Can you tell us the story of how you grew up?

Hi everyone and thank you so much for your interest in my story. I was born and raised in Transylvania in a small family of vampires. Half joking, Transylvania actually exists. It’s a real place, a beautiful region in Romania. I really recommend visiting it!

Despite being a city girl, I spent the majority of my childhood with my grandparents in an idyllic Transylvanian village in the countryside, where it was quiet -maybe even too quiet for a child full of wild imagination. Since I didn’t have many toys there, I had to invent games to keep myself entertained. I would often pretend to be my neighbor up the hill who always accused us of stealing cherries or sunflowers from her garden; or I would be a “vendor” selling cigarette packs (empty tho) to her imaginary customers; or even a Romanian representative for different sports like gymnastic or tennis who was rigorously bringing our country into the top 3 in these competitions. Although we were just small actors in childhood games, my experiences in my grandparents’ village might have unknowingly influenced my career path.

I was a track and field runner for five years, which helped to develop my ambition, discipline, and professional conscience. After finishing high school in the Mathematics-Informatics department, I considered attending an acting university, but I ultimately chose to pursue a more pragmatic path and enrolled in the Management Faculty at the Bucharest Academy of Economic Studies, as it had more career opportunities and sounded, back then, very “cool”. However, my desire to explore my artistic side never waned. I began signing up for modeling and casting agencies in Bucharest to earn some extra money and participate in commercials and advertising photo campaigns during my free time between classes. As I received encouragement from the people I collaborated with, I decided to pursue my dream of attending an acting school after finishing university. I started auditioning for film projects, such as a movie directed by Bobby Păunescu that was selected for the prestigious Sundance Film Festival and a movie with Steven Seagal. In 2015, I traveled to America for the world premiere of the film “Pioneers’ Palace,” where I played the lead role. This experience only strengthened my desire to start a career in the United States. In 2017, my artist visa was approved, and I moved to Los Angeles to follow my acting dream.

Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this specific career path?

In my childhood, the idea of becoming an actress had crossed my mind, but it wasn’t really a burning thing that would constantly obsess me. Nevertheless, I enjoyed reciting poetry, dancing, and performing in front of audiences during festive events in kindergarten and primary school. It wasn’t until I was 15 years old and saw Roberto Benigni’s movie “Life is Beautiful”. The film stuck with me for several days and moved me deeply, evoking a range of emotions, from laughter to tears, and I aspired to have a similar impact on people through portraying various human emotions and experiences. This moment marked a clear decision for me to pursue a career in acting.

Can you tell us the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?

One of the first projects that I booked in the United States was a national TV commercial for Wells Fargo, for which the casting director told me there were thousands of actresses submitted. The biggest surprise was that I had the chance to collaborate with the talented director of photography, Linus Sandgren, who won the Oscar for “Best Cinematography” for “LaLa Land” and shared with me some wonderful insights into his work with the amazing and humble actor, Ryan Gosling.

And of course, working alongside very well-known actors like Laurence Fishburne, Eddie Murphy, and Sandra Oh was an exciting experience for me. I was able to closely observe their approach to their roles and their interactions with other members of the team. I was impressed by their professionalism, relaxed demeanor, sense of humor, and lack of superiority.

It has been said that mistakes can be our greatest teachers. 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 doing a play, and in the scene I was supposed to get drunk with the other character. It was started by me offering a drink that was in a bottle in the cabinet. But there was no bottle in the cabinet when I got there. So I had the make up some other pretense for us to hang out. I don’t remember exactly what I concocted, I just know the other actor was very confused. Somehow we made it through the scene and said the things that needed to move the story along. But don’t ask me how.” The lessons in this are preparedness and training to think on your feet. Also not to simply trust others when it comes to the things you need as an actor to do your scene properly.

What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now?

I am working on a personal project, where I will be the host of a show about wine and wine culture. Our goal is to educate people about wine and entertain them with various adventures from California’s vineyards. Additionally, I have a few projects in the discussion or pre-production stage, about which I cannot offer specific details at the moment. I can only say that one of these is an action film directed by Keoni Waxman, in which I have a leading role and might be streaming on Netflix.

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?

My suggestion would be to pursue your passion relentlessly and not allow anyone to discourage you. Treat yourself like an athlete and remain “trained” by attending acting classes when you’re not on set. If you’re aspiring to be an actor in the US, it’s essential to either perfect your accent or embrace it as a part of your distinct character. Additionally, having a solid “action” plan is crucial. This includes researching and addressing your immigration status (obtaining an artist visa is a complicated process), ensuring that you have enough financial resources for at least six months, and building a support network of individuals who live in LA or have connections there. Finally, managing disappointment is a vital skill in this industry. Actors face numerous rejections and “no’s,” but learning to handle these setbacks effectively can help you become more resilient and ultimately succeed in your chosen profession.

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?

1. Representation: One of the most important reasons for diversity in film and television is representation. People from different ethnicities, races, genders, sexual orientations, and abilities should be able to see themselves reflected on screen. When diverse groups are represented on screen, it helps to break down stereotypes and can create a sense of belonging and validation for underrepresented groups. It also helps to create a more inclusive society, where everyone is accepted and valued.
2. Education and Empathy: Film and television have the power to educate and create empathy. When we see diverse characters on screen, we can learn about different cultures, perspectives, and experiences. This can help to break down barriers and create a greater understanding and acceptance of others. It can also help to challenge prejudices and discrimination and promote a more tolerant society.
3. Creative Expression: Diversity in film and television can also lead to more creative expression. When we have different voices, experiences, and perspectives represented, it can lead to more innovative and authentic storytelling. This can result in more interesting and engaging content for audiences and can help to create a more dynamic and exciting entertainment industry.

Overall, having diversity represented in film and television can potentially affect American culture by promoting a more inclusive, empathetic, and creative society. It can help to break down barriers and promote acceptance, while also providing a more interesting and engaging entertainment landscape.

What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why? Please share a story or example for each.

I wish someone told me when I first started that:

1. Acting is a marathon, not a sprint: Acting is a highly competitive industry, and it can take years of hard work, dedication, and persistence to build a successful career. It’s important to have realistic expectations and not give up on your dreams too soon. I didn’t but I need to recognize that I had many moments of doubts and wondering if I should continue this path.
2. Rejection is part of the process: In the acting industry, rejection is a fact of life. You will not get every role you audition for, and it’s important to learn how to handle rejection and keep moving forward. In the beginning, I was getting quite frustrated and overthinking what could be the possible reasons that I didn’t get the audition and beating up myself. Now, after years I am trying to be more compassionate and let it go easier.
3. Networking is key: In addition to talent and hard work, networking is a crucial part of building a successful acting career. Attending industry events, building relationships with casting directors, agents, and other professionals, and maintaining a positive reputation can help you land more opportunities. I am still struggling a little bit with this because I am introverted and sometimes “too self-aware” and don’t want to “bother” people, so I need to “force” myself to put myself out there.
4. Ask for support: I am a pretty independent woman and stubborn too and maybe I was raised in this spirit that I need to figure out things by myself, to not ask “favors” or take “advantage” of people so this makes me feel overwhelmed and make me forget that there are persons out there that would genuinely offer help and support.
5. Acting is fun: Sometimes I get too serious, trying to reach “perfection”, especially in the rehearsal process or acting class and I forget to relax and I lose the joy of it.

Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in your industry to help them to thrive and not “burn out”?

Learn how to meditate. Meditation reduces stress and anxiety, improves focus and concentration, and enhances emotional well-being. And yeah, some therapy sessions will not hurt either. ;)

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 something for the actors who have an accent and still want and deserve to break in the industry. I, myself, have a European accent and this limits the roles range I get or audition for. I consider that the accent and the culture you come from must be “embraced” and used as something special of your own, it’s what makes you unique. Here are some “WHYs” we need this kind of movement.

Firstly, it would promote diversity and inclusivity in the film industry, allowing a wider range of stories and perspectives to be represented on screen. This would create a more authentic and representative portrayal of different cultures and backgrounds, which can help break down stereotypes and promote understanding and empathy among audiences.

Secondly, it would open up more opportunities for actors and filmmakers with accents to showcase their talents and skills, which can help level the playing field and reduce the biases and discrimination that have historically existed in the industry. This would not only benefit those individuals but also contribute to a more vibrant and dynamic film industry, as new and diverse voices are heard.

Thirdly, embracing and accepting more talents with different accents would also benefit audiences by providing a more immersive and engaging experience. Accents can add richness and depth to characters and make them more relatable, allowing viewers to connect with them on a more personal level. This can enhance the overall quality of films and increase their appeal to a broader audience.

And I would name it or use hashtags like #theaccenteffect #accentmatters #accentsinmotion

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 am grateful for the talented filmmaker and an incredible human being, Jacques Thelemaque, who is actually one of my best friends here, in Los Angeles. I met him during the Sundance Film Festival, in 2015, when he attended and came to congratulate me after my movie premiere screening. I thank him for making my life more beautiful, cheering me up after every disappointment professional or personal and pushing me to keep going, introducing to some amazing peeps, and inviting me to all kinds of film industry events. I would like to recommend the filmmakers reading this to join his new online platform Filmmakers Alliance (https://filmmakersalliance.org).

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

One of my favorite life lesson quotes is by Maya Angelou: “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

Actually, I really try to live my life by this beautiful quote. Whether it’s in our personal or professional lives, the way we treat others can have a profound impact on how they feel about themselves and their interactions with the world around them. I always strive to show kindness, respect, and empathy to all the people I connect to.

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. :-)

Jessica Chastain. She is my currently my favorite actress. Jessica has an incredible range and versatility in her performances, able to portray a wide variety of characters with nuance and depth. I admire her dedication and commitment to the acting craft and I would love to have the chance to learn and get some advice from her.

How can our readers follow you online?

They can follow me on Instagram @mariabata

This was very meaningful, thank you so much! We wish you continued success!