About acting in Romania with Olimpia Melinte

Acting is both a passion and a job. Not many people can state and be proud of doing a job they are passionate about, they absolutely adore and wouldn’t give up for anything in the world. But actors can. It is a profession in which people put a lot of soul and is practiced with great pleasure no matter the difficulties they encounter. The acting syndrome appears at a very early age and people passioned about films and theatre dream about nothing else than acting.

Today, we invite you to meet Olimpia Melinte, a young Romanian actress. A growing star, originary from the city of Iaşi, who has already played several good parts in Romanian and foreign movies (click here for more info about her career). She accepted to answer our questions and talk both about herself and about acting.

Who is Olimpia Melinte today? 

Olimpia Melinte: I don’t really know what people know about me. I think that the majority know me from “Selfie”. Some of them are still wondering who I am, and I completely understand them because I ask myself that very question often. Others have seen me on the channel TVR2, when I started working in TV, or from a few articles in the press. And many more will get to know me better after this interview.

A thing that people don’t know about you but it is important for you?

Olimpia Melinte: I live in Romania and would never leave the country.

What is your vision about acting and actors today? 

Olimpia Melinte: I think people have changed but actors have remained dreamers, rebels, in love with their job, always ready to try something new, ready to play a part, to have fun and juggle with emotions. The inconveniences in this fieldwork come from the technological explosion around us. It is easier to lay down in front of the TV at home instead of going to the cinema or to the theatre. The desire for effortless comfort is not as beneficial as we might think. On the contrary, it doesn’t necessarily do us any good.

What is your impression about the movie making industry in Romania?

Olimpia Melinte: We develop and grow each and every year and we create new attractive movies that encourage people to go to the cinema. I think we are pretty good at this.

What is the typical trajectory or destiny of a young Romanian actor?

Olimpia Melinte: It is hard to say. Each and every person follows a personal and unique path. After graduating from college, the funny part starts, the craziness, the doubts and the quest for good roles. A little bit of luck, a lot of courage and the thought that you have to be tough and persistent are mandatory. And at a certain point, you hop on the train that will take you to a destination which was meant for you. Every story is different, but the journey is worth all the years of trials and castings.

Why do you think Romanian actors are not known abroad?

Olimpia Melinte: Because we don’t currently have a good managing and advertising system and staff in the film industry, and things evolve very slowly. But it is good that we have a great potential!

What do you like most: movies or theatre?

Olimpia Melinte: I have been working almost exclusively in the film industry for a few years. But I miss theatre very much. Therefore, I would like to do some plays, as I used to some time ago because I really liked it. I enjoy both fields, I can’t really choose between the two of them.

What type of roles are you interested in?

Olimpia Melinte: Since I’ve discovered comedy, I wish I could do some more of it. But I don’t have a specific type of role that I prefer. All I want is to interpret characters with different stories.

If you had to do a pitch right now, what would be the aspects that you would emphasize about yourself and that differentiate you from your colleagues? 

Olimpia Melinte: I have red hair and freckles and I have interpreted several characters aged between 18 and 30 years old. I’m joking 🙂 . We are all very different and I invite you all to go to the cinema, see our movies and make your own judgement about the differences between us.

Any on-going interesting projects?

Olimpia Melinte: I am currently working with Anca Damian on the shooting of her latest movie “Perfect sănătos” (“Perfectly Healthy”).

And starting November 13th, the movie “București Non-Stop” will be broadcasted in the local cinemas, don’t miss it !

Where, when, how and with whom does a young actor like you spend her leisure time?

Olimpia Melinte: With family and friends. It depends on the season : in winter on the skiing slope, during summer at the seaside or at the grandparents’ house, in Medgidia. And more recently in parks and playing areas for kids with my son.

Your favourite Romanian movie?

Olimpia Melinte: Hard to say. I think “De ce trag clopotele, Mitică ?” (“Why do the church bells ring, Mitică?”), directed by Lucian Pintilie, is the movie that impressed me during my childhood and remains one of my favourites.

Your favourite Romanian food?

Olimpia Melinte: The shepherd bulz.

Your favourite Romanian drink?

Olimpia Melinte: The red wine that my father makes.

If you had to interpret at an international dinner a character representing Romania as a nation, how do you picture it?

Olimpia Melinte: I think it would be a mix of Ana Ipătescu and Maria Tănase. A mix of strength, determination and nobelness, poetry and humour.

An advice for the Young people who dream about becoming famous actors?

Olimpia Melinte: When a door closes, another one opens.

Andreea

PS : Photo credit Andrei Nemirschi – www.nemirschi.com

 The Romanian version here