Tell us about your childhood in Gozo.

I was born in Qala and lived in Nadur. I went to school there until I was about seven or eight years old when my family moved to New York. I remember living on a farm which I liked. My whole family is from Gozo and how we ended up in New York is a funny story. My parents had applied for a visa 11 year earlier and one day the visa came through and they were just like ‘Shall we go?’

And off we went, very much out of nowhere. My parents took us four kids out of tiny Gozo all the way to New York. I didn’t even know any English at the time, everyone was talking to me and I was confused. First my dad went, got a job and found a place for us to live, then we all went with my mother who didn’t speak much English. We moved to Manhattan then to Queens, then to Long Island, and later I moved back to the city for a few years. But I came back to attend university here in Malta where I studied psychology and communications, after which  I returned to New York.

 

How has your experience in New York been?

I was working as a waitress in Times Square but I didn’t really know what I wanted. I was very innocent when I went to live in New York City. I had lived in Queens and Long Island but when you go to New York City, it’s a different beast. People don’t care about you or anyone. I was very sensitive and I realised that really it’s because no one cares. I would be so nervous sometimes going for an audition and then eventually I told myself screw this. I want this and no one is going to make me feel bad or put me down. So, I started to build a wall and developed a thick skin to protect myself when anyone insulted me or was rude to me. I became so much stronger by dealing with negativity.

 

What made you leave Malta and head back to New York after university?

I missed my mum and dad obviously. But I also just felt that I wasn’t going anywhere, there was nothing for me here. Although I do love coming back to Malta because I made some great friends at university and I really enjoyed my time here. I didn’t enjoy the travelling but university here is really hard so it was challenging. I had a teacher once who came in and asked us who do you think in here will be the President of Malta? People started laughing and she said ‘You’re all laughing but why not you’? And I thought, ‘Why not be an actress? This is all I’ve ever wanted to do.

 

Why did you start pursuing an acting career in New York?

I knew I wanted to do acting but I was so nervous that it took me a year to sign up for an acting class. Finally I did and the first time I acted my lips started shaking with nerves. I eventually built up my confidence and enjoyed the way I felt when I was acting. I then started more training and things started falling into place. I signed up for a 12-week acting-programme at the New York Film Academy, it was a beginner programme held twice a week. With the two coaches I had it felt like ‘Oh this one is another of those’ because I was super nervous, but at the end I thanked them very much for their help and they told me I needed to keep going and I said to myself ‘OK I’m going to do this’.

I then asked my other coach what my next step should be. He told me that I needed to get legit training and he recommended a coach who is meant to be the best. I had an interview with him and thankfully he accepted me. I learned the Meisner technique with him but I missed the first two programmes where they do all these acting exercises. I started a two-year programme which goes through a lot of training and throughout this I was trying to get into short films and plays to gain experience. I performed in a couple of student films but they were so unprofessional. I eventually got the film Pasquale's Magic Veal which I auditioned for in March.

 

Pasquale's Magic Veal is the film you got nominated for, can you tell us about it?

We started filming in May, and when the director spoke to me he really hyped it up, telling me ‘from the 200 girls who auditioned we picked you’; the role meant a lot to me. I showed up on set and I was like ‘Oh my God these are the people from The Sopranos’, which was a big show in New York. I knew these people from television so it was already nerve-racking. After I shot the movie I felt so good because everyone congratulated me and I felt so blessed. I eventually signed with a manager and I’m looking for an agent at the moment. When I saw my nomination on IMDB I couldn’t believe it was real, that it could happen so early in my career to already have a nomination. And next time I want to win. My goal is to be a full-time actress. If I don’t do this I feel like my soul would die, without sounding too dramatic.

 

What’s the general story line of Pasquale's Magic Veal?

My boyfriend and I go to a priest to get married. However, the priest doesn’t believe he truly loves me and in order to find out if he really does he gives him his truth serum veal. When he eats it he becomes possessed and tells me the truth, and I realise I don’t want to be with him. It’s quite a dark comedy.

 

What do you love about acting?

I love being with other people. I love going to work and being someone different every day. I would hate going to work and doing the same thing every day; when you show up on set you don’t know whether you’re going to fall, cry, do the scene right, you don’t know if you’re going to fail horribly – you simply don’t know. Sometimes you feel like you become the character and if it’s a good script you don’t want to go back to your normal life.

 

What sort of genre of acting are you into?

I love drama, I love sadness. I would love to do comedy at one point in my life but comedy is difficult. I love time period pieces like the 1940s or even ‘Games of Thrones’ period.

 

How did you go from studying psychology at university to wanting to become an actress?

Psychology really does play a part in acting. Why is this character doing this? Why is she talking to this person? As you read through the script, you’re basically analysing it. It really helped me a lot in fact.

 

What performances have you been in?

Like I said, I did some student films but my big accomplishment was the Broadway play ‘Golden Boy’. I loved the lead, Laura Moon, in the play and I knew I wanted that part. I auditioned for it and got the part, which for me that was the tops. I performed that at the old gym which is where films like ‘Rocky’ were filmed so it was an amazing opportunity.

 

Do you plan on continuing acting for the rest of your life?

It is hard of course so right now more than anything I need an agent, which will be my ticket to get into films and TV shows. I love theatre but they two different beasts so now I have to focus on just films and TV.

 

Do you ever think you’ll move back to Malta?

Home is home and sometimes I see my future here, so maybe one day I’ll come back.

 

Who is your favourite actress?

Kate Winslett. She’s so beautiful and natural and powerful. I just love her. She was told by her acting teacher that she could only play the fat girl and look at her now winning Oscars.

 

What director would you love to work with?

Quentin Tarantino 100 per cent. He’s just a cool person in general and he’s crazy. I love that and his movies are just the best.

 

Who would you love to work with?

I would love to work with Kate Winslett of course and Al Pacino.

 

What do you have planned for the future?

I shot a scene for a film which we will have to wait and see if it gets approved, but if it does it will be big for me, or at least it will mean a lot more exposure.