Meet Rocio de la Grana, an Actor willing to go the extra mile to bring an Character to Life...

Meet Rocio de la Grana, she is from Argentina but based in Los Angeles. She studied acting in Los Angeles Performing Arts Conservatory.
She realised she had passion more for acting after studying Filmmaking but discovered she wants to be in front of the Camera, she has always loved to perform and dance on stage as a hobby but realised she wanted to do it professionally for the rest of her life.
Her curiosity to search into how an actor becomes a character started while she was still studying to be a Filmmaker, while directing sometimes when an actor doesn't show and she has to feel in, she usually enjoys it and was also fascinated about all the preparations of the character. As a director she saw a deeper perspective in acting, and writing about the characters and their stories and she felt a strong attraction to performing, each time she had to fill in for an actor that didn't show up she always gets calls afterwards for acting and photoshoot and that was a sign that she was born for this!
It wasn't an easy decision to abandon what she was studying and pursue acting especially because of her shy nature and what others would think but after thinking about how happy it made her, she made up her mind to move to LA to pursue her dream and be a professional actor.
In 2016 she started acting professionally, when she moved to LA she got a role in a short film titled GUIGNOL, the short film is currently screening at the TX Film Festival.
She has a lot of role models, some of which includes; Emma Stone, Scarlet Johansson, Julia Roberts, Sandra Bullock, Julianne Moore, Meryl Streep, and many6 more, she like movies when women have something to tell and something to fight for, when characters has a positive change and interesting arc towards the end.
She believes she stands out from other actors because of her ability to pull different accents, she usually learns fast because she is usually very committed to every projects she does, she is very disciplined, a team player, highly professional and responsible. She has experienced a lot in life and that usually comes in handy as she can access a wide range of emotions and pull off different characters, she is a great listener, she also get inspired by her co actors because she believes in order to inspire others, you must first be inspired.
Her strong points as an actor is her ability to cry on cue, her access to a wide range of characters and emotions, she is a risk taker and is always ready to step out of her comfort zone, acting is her number 1 priority , she can connect quickly with her partners in scenes, and she adapt fast to different scenarios.
Some of her skills includes; She is bilingual, she speaks English and Spanish, Dancing, Skiing, Singing, Play guitar and has a facility to learn choreographies when it comes to physical work.
When she is not on set acting. She loves working out, dancing, hanging out with her loved ones, watching movie/ TV Shows, listening to Music, Meditating , Watching Plays, Reading or travelling.
You can reach Rocio de la Grana on social media via: Rocio De La Grana on Instagram
She her out on IMDB: Rocio de la Grana on IMDB

ROCIO DE LA GRANA

Meet Damilare Kuku, an Actor that believes in honing her Craft everyday with constant Practice and Prayers...

Meet Damilare Kuku, she holds a Masters degree in Theatre Arts from the University of Lagos, and a Bachelor's Degree in Dramatic Arts from the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, she hails from Ogun State, Nigeria.
Damilare has always been drawn to acting but the realisation that she really wanted to be an actor was from watching movies like 'Yemi my Lover' and the 'Sound of Music', she was intrigued by the power of stories and characters had over her. She felt the pain 'Yemi' in 'Yemi my Lover' longed for his lover in the film and wept when the 'Captain' and 'Maria' could not be together for a while in the 'Sound of music' . At that point she realised that acting was a tool that she wanted to master. Acting is the most powerful profession in the world; it is the only profession you can wear different hats and make people feel different emotions. She rememberers how she world sit with her Mum and Grandma to watch these movies several times and constantly felt the gnawing in her gut that she wanted to tell those stories and become those characters.
She says she is an actor because she is certain no other profession will make her feel as fulfilled. The fact that she can live in different peoples worlds and experience their truth because she is an actor, today she can be the President of a nation, tomorrow a mother, and all these are made possible through acting. She believes acting is the most immediate way to reach people, Acting is her medium to tell stories that connect with her and it helps her to lend a voice to that girl or boy who is watching and thinking that is me or I know someone like that.
Dami says she was inspired by a lot of people in Nollywood and outside the Country to act, in Nollywood she is obsessed with Genevieve Nnaji and Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde, she usually wait till holidays while in Secondary School to visit the video shop and watch all their movies, then at some point, she was drawn to Stella Damascus, Rita Dominic, Kate Henshaw, Jim Iyke, Blessing Egbe and Ramsey Nouah. Ramsey used to give her so much joy as a young quirky teenager who had very little experience with infatuation or love, she remembers the first time she watched a film he was in ; 'Blind Trust' she thinks, she spent the next day I Church fantasising about marrying him while her Mother was preaching, she was sitting at the Choir day dreaming of Ramsey.
She got inspired to take a step towards actualising her dream to become an actor after watching the series '24', that showed Americans that a black man can be president. At that points realised if she really want to make people see her point of view, then acting is a fantastic medium. She can inspire change through this noble profession.

Meet Mena Sodje, an Actor that is Determined to stand out in her Craft...

Meet Linda Omena Sodje, professionally known as Mena Sodje. She hails from Delta State, Nigeria, a graduate of Accounting / Finance from Delta State University.
She says, As a child, she once played the role of a daughter and she remembers this event particularly because her dad took her to the set. She was informed without prior notice that she was supposed to act as the daughter of a woman who would be poisoned. Her 'Siblings' and her would subsequently eat poisoned food and die. She played this role to perfection and it was just a pointer to the gift that she had. She used to play dress up a lot, sit in front of the mirror and talks to herself whilst pretending to be different people.  However she never really understood that she wanted to become an actor until she was an undergraduate and she got a chance to be part of a local school production which unfortunately never saw the light of day. Then she decided to focus on and complete her academic training with the knowledge that she would pursue a carer in acting as soon as possible.
In 2013, she went to visit a friend in Asaba, Delta State,  and coincidentally a well known producer was filming and scouting for extras to play along side some of Nollywood stars, she got in and after that she made up her mind she was going to do this professionally.

Meet Tomiwa Tegbe, an Actor that strives for Greatness...

Meet Tomiwa Tegbe, He holds a BSC in Environmental Management and Toxicology from the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta. He hails from Ibadan, Oyo State.
Tomiwa says he has always been a movie buff and geek right from childhood, he literally watched all the movies available in his childhood and he knew the names of almost all the movie stars. He says Movies formed a hugh part of his formative years. Each time after watching a movie, he tries to reenact the scenes by acting them out, he subconsciously does it on the road, in his room, in front of the mirror, while washing plates, fetching water, he did this a lot to an extent he seemed weird to people around him, they began to think he is crazy but he had invested time in learning the lines from all the movies he has seen, when he reads them to himself during his free time, it made him fee really good with himself  and he felt like he had multiple alter-egos which he found as fun. He is also a big fan of comic books, he is a comic book buff he always visualised the comic panels in his head and acted them as he read them, this was his greatest past time. It was at this point he knew acting was something, he will be really happy doings he enjoyed the thrill behind putting on and removing different masks, he loved the freedom and power it gave to him, he took part in dramas in his Primary school, Church, Secondary school, rehearsal time was always his best time in school, he was always happier during rehearsals and presentations, at a point he realised how much passion and love he had for acting so he decided to run with it and never looked back.
His ambition to chase acting got fuelled from seeing how great actors like RMD, Bimbo Akintola, AL Pacino, John Travolta, Daniel Day-Lewis, Meryl Streep, Cate Blanchett, Joke Silva, Francis Duru, Stella Damasus, e.t.c. were able to provoke different emotions from him and he saw it as a challenge to be able to do same to other people, and when he got into the University he joined various Drama groups and ended up heading his Church drama unit till he graduated, as time went on he began to realise that acting was strongly connected to his purpose and path in life.
In 2011, Tomiwa made up his mind to chase acting, he then went on to notify his friends and family, he also asked to be informed of any movie audition opportunities nearby. His cousin informed him of a movie audition he attended and landed the lead role, he was in 200 level then and it was such a thrill getting a lead for his first movie role. He continued attending auditions but it was difficult juggling with school and he thought he had to take a break and focus on school.
Tomiwa's first set experience was surreal, too much to take in, so much responsibility as the lead actor, he felt like fish out of water, first day on set wasn't as easy as he thought, transiting from stage to screen was a totally different ball game, he wasn't prepared but he is grateful to his patient director and co-actors, he was in the midst of fantastic hands, it was a struggle for an inexperienced young actor lie him but he was able to pull though, it was a huge learning process and an eye opener for him. After his first job in 2011 titled Valour by Niyi Akinmolayan, He has since been a part of several productions, some of which includes; MTV Shuga, My Siblings and I, Kasala, On the Real, To have and to Hold, Ehis Bitters, Growing Old, Aging by the Minutes, Uptight Girl, Kamelita, The Johnsons, How to Marry a Billionaire, Dazzling Mirage, e.t.c.
He admires Will Smith for his longevity and stellar body of work and feats, Leonardo DiCaprio for his acting depth and range, RMD for his longevity and life principles, Joke Silva, Stella Damasus and Bimbo Akintola for their ability to evoke and emote emotions effortlessly on screen.
He believes he stands out as an actor due to his Ability to breathe the character and get into the psychology of it, he is an extremely passionate creative, goal driven, a committed performer with a clear sight of where he is headed, he never compromises on his standards and core values, he strives to make his characters as memorable as possible by creating something unique and leaving indelible imprints with each character he takes on. he places a huge premium on a strong work ethic and discipline as an actor, he believes the best branding for an actor is doing great work every time, also his hunger and yearn for knowledge.
He draws/illustrate and writes, he loves watching movies, cartoons, reading comics and surfing pop culture blogs and sites, drawing and playing video games
Tomiwa is spontaneous, intense and very energetic, he has the ability to study, consume and get his lines fast and also mastered the arts of using his face effectively to convey the message in every line and every scene.He is an ambivert with a healthy does of quirkiness. He doesn't want to be just a good actor, he wants to be a great actor, he doesn't want to be the next anything, he wants to be the first him!!!
You can find Tomiwa on Instagram and Twitter: @tomiwategbe

Tomiwa Tegbe

Meet Lota Chukwu, an Actor that places 'The Job' above 'The Glamour'...

Meet Lota Chukwu, She is an Actor, Blogger and TV Host. She holds a degree in Agricultural Economics from the University of Benin, she hails from Nsukka, Enugu State.
She said she has always wanted to become an actor but was always too nervous and scared to talk about it but in 2011 after attending the Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria Pageant (MBGN), she did not allow fear hold her back anymore.
Lota got attracted to the industry by her awe at the way movies made people feel and the god-effect it had on viewers. The ability to make people connect to a character and hold them spellbound like a great adventure to her and she wanted to explore it. Watching the people before her definitely played a part in her love for the craft.
She has often times wanted to be different people and live different lives, acting helps her do that, to become anyone and anything she want to be and teach people something at the same time.
In 2011, she saw an advert on TV about a popular director who wanted to do a film project and was looking for actors, she decided to try it out and she landed the lead role. First time on film shooting set was intimidating to her as she is a very shy person but now she has to be in a small space with over twenty people watching her, then there was the light that was always too bright, too hot and she started sweating profusely, everything was so strange but she found a way to enjoy this new experience. She  made friends and networked with other actors, that was how she got her next role, acting was fun for her then.
In 2012, she went on a long break and returned in 2014, ready to take acting seriously, that year she began acting professionally. She initially saw it as fun because she was scared and nervous and it made her feel at ease with no pressure if she didn't take it too seriously but when she returned in 2014 she was ready and understood it better, she knew what to expect and what was expected if her. Her first professional Job was on Funke Akindele's 'Jenifa's Diary' where she plays the role of 'kiki', she has since been a part of several productions like; Africa Magic's 'Ajoche', Falling, The Arbitration, Displaced, In Every Way, Spotlight, Fine Girl, Perfect Plan, Win Chasers, The Real 2, Royal Hibiscus Hotel, e.t.c.
She has been nominated for the award of Best Actress by City People Awards, Tush Awards and Scream Awards.
She runs two blogs, 'The ramblings of a Sagittarius Sojourner ' where she talks about everything, life, personal opinions, fictions, politics, e.t.c and she runs two food shows, 'Lota Takes' is a show where she visits the home of celebrities and cook for them with whatever is in their kitchen and 'Lota Chow Files' where she goes to chefs and they teach her how to make certain meals. Follow the shows on Instagram via @lotaschowfiles and @lotatakes
She admires and look up to women who opened doors for girls like her and changed the narratives and how our Parents and the society looked at female actors, made people accept acting as a career and respect actors. The likes of; Liz Benson, Joke Silva, Funke Akindele, Genevieve Nnaji, Rita Dominic, e.t.c.
Lota believes she stands out as an actor because of God's Grace not because there are a lot of other actors who are as good or even better but God's Grace in her life always makes the difference. She is Tenacious, dedicated, driven, funny, beautiful and has an amazing personality.
Lota is very disciplined, always punctual (she claims those character traits has been engraved into her DNA), she is a good listener, she is a great team player, she is usually highly dedicated to her character, she thinks on her feet , does her homework, studies her character throughly and is always ready to deliver.
She is a very good cook and has a food blog, she writes and sketches. Lota is a delight to work with as she make work super smooth, digging deep to make sure the characters she is playing are believable.
You can find Lota on Instagram and Twitter: @thelotachukwu