By Paola Bassanese
Q: When did you first train to become an actress?
A: I knew I wanted to be an actress from a very early age. I started off doing amateur shows for local theatre companies and I absolutely loved being on stage! I then went on to train as an actress at East 15 Acting School. My passion was not only for acting, I also sing and dance and wanted to further my skills, so I later went on to train at London School of Musical Theatre.
Q: What’s the project you are most proud of?
A: Over the past year I have been working on a film pilot for a mokumentary style reality tv show called My Essex Girls. We’ve been working hard on putting together a really strong pilot to then send off to tv channels and hopefully become a tv series. I’m really excited about this, the crew and the cast are fantastic, so fingers crossed we get our break!
Q: What do you do to keep fit?
A: It is really important to keep fit in this industry because you never know what’s round the corner! I regularly visit the gym about 3-4 times a week. I also go swimming as this is great for an all over body workout. To keep up my dancing aswell I take dance classes at Pineapple Studios.
Q: How important is image in your industry?
A: Image is very important in this industry. The industry is extremely competitive and a lot of the time we are judged on our image. The industry is full of gorgeous, slim talented people and there is sooo much competition! Therefore it is important for us to look after our bodies and to look the best we possibly can.
Q: How important is massage in your day to day life?
A: Massage is so important in day to day life! I’ve only started having massages over the past year and I have noticed a huge difference in myself! It relieves all tension that we carry in our backs in day to day life. I’ve realised I hold a lot of my tension in the upper part of my back and I also get knots there from exercising. After having a massage with Paola my back feels so much better and I feel so much more relaxed. I would highly recommend massage to those who haven’t tried it, it’s amazing!
Q: You have worked in musicals and plays in theatres around the UK; what are your next steps?
A: I am hoping that My Essex Girls takes off soon as a tv series. A lot of great ideas and hard work has gone into it so fingers crossed! I will be continuing to practice my dance, singing and acting, and taking part in any auditions that come my way. Before I went to acting school I did quite abit of modelling which I absoloutely loved! I am planning on getting back into the modelling and doing some more photo shoots which I am really looking forward to.
See Nicola’s agency page on Leading Role Agency.