ARINA BACIGALUPO TALKS SCARRED TO DEATH

Interviewed by Culture Coast Talks editor Daniel John. Interview transcripts might have been edited for length and clarity.

Were you surrounded by art and creativity early on?

I've been surrounded by art and creativity from a very young age, my grandfather wrote over seventeen books in Vilnius, Lithuania, and my father published two books about the Russo—Japanese War of 1904-1905. Both of my parents hold degrees in library science and often took me to theater, museums, and various art events. As a child, I attended the Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet for ten years, which introduced me to performing early on. While I did not pursue a career in dance as an adult, that experience made me realize I had passion for the arts and my desire to entertain.

What was it like making the decision to pursue a life in the fine arts, going after what many would deem only a dream. Was it an easy decision to make, putting your energy in that space or did it take some time and convincing on your own?

I've always known I wanted to be an actress. During my early twenties, while I was working as a model, I found that I had more success with commercial gigs that required some acting skills. Despite being born in the United States, I grew up in Eastern Europe and had an accent which made me hesitant to pursue a serious acting career in US. It was an intimidating decision to enter the unpredictable world of show business. So I chose to attend community college to explore my options. As part of my academic requirements, I had to take a fine arts class, so I enrolled in a drawing course. I discovered that I am not too bad at it which led me to build a portfolio and eventually earn a scholarship to a prestigious fine arts school and although I enjoyed my time there, I reached a point where I felt that if I didn’t pursue acting I would regret it. So I decided to follow my heart, despite the fear and uncertainty of stepping into the unknown. Immediately, my first acting–job became a music video for a major band, which got over a million views. I met the love of my life on my second acting gig and now we are married. If that's not the sign from god then I don’t know what is. Since then I have been fortunate enough to book leading roles in various shows and films.

Do you think the dancing background you have has provided you with a certain viewpoint or discipline, whether for the creative process itself or for staying as committed and taking on challenges in the moments in between being on sets?

My ballet background definitely made me understand the importance of discipline. And the hard work behind what you see on the stage and on screen. It requires not only talent to succeed but also dedication, in case of the actor, submitting to auditions daily and do self-tapes on time, otherwise an actor won’t even have the opportunity to get the job. Additionally, my experience in dance taught me the value of collaboration, as both the stage and screen require the collective effort of many people to bring a vision to life. I truly appreciate the teamwork involved in creating.

What about painting?

When I paint, I am my own boss. Acting, on the other hand, involves working within the vision of the director and the writer, where I need to listen, adapt and collaborate as part of a team. However, both, at least to me, involves imagination.

In ‘Scarred to Death’, a documentary filmmaker is hired by a grieving father to uncover what really happened to his deceased son. Plot twist, it also brings her to a allegedly haunted village. What made you want to investigate it as Marina?

I always loved movies where a group of friends try to figure out some mystery but something unexpected happens. Maybe it doesn’t make sense, but I find it cozy. I remember when I was in middle school, sneaking into a locked attic with my classmates, where we found a mysterious metal box surrounded by a security system. We never figured out what was inside it, and to this day, I still don’t know. In high school, with my friends, I visited an abandoned mental institution that had once been like a hospital for soldiers during World War II. On that adventure, I lost my contact lens, but I was so determined to explore that I did not let blurry vision stop me. During the exploration, on the second floor of that building, in the dark room, we heard some loud noise, we almost crapped our pants only to later discover a homeless person had been living there. So, when horror director Joe Leone, with whom I had previously worked, showed me the script of 'Scarred to Death', I was thrilled to experience the investigation that I always dreamt about. A chance to explore my imagination.

Who is Marina to you?

She is a documentary filmmaker, who leads an investigative team to the mysterious town of Dudley, a ghost town in Cornwall, Connecticut. She's a complete badass who leads the team out of their comfort zones. This resonated with me as it brought back the memories of my own childhood explorations. Marina is strong but she is also vulnerable and that becomes evident throughout the film and I had so much fun bringing this awesome character to life.

How do you usually go about finding out who a character is?

There's a line from a song by russian singer Vladimir Vysotsky that says, “If your friend suddenly turns out to be neither a friend nor an enemy, drag the guy into the mountains, take a risk, don’t leave him alone. Let him be in the same rope with you, there you will understand who he is”. To me, this line is an allegory about how extraordinary circumstances reveal a person’s true nature. When I approach a character, when there is an intense or unusual situation, it helps me understand character’s fundamental traits and nuances in everyday life. But at the same time something extreme can affect the person so much that they can change and act differently.

Have you been exploring any other projects?

I’m always auditioning and taking on new opportunities when they come my way. In addition to acting, my husband, Louis Rocky Bacigalupo, and I are working on a podcast, both personal, and one for a local theater, we’re also creating our own films and now I have several unfinished canvases nearby, which I hope to soon showcase in a gallery.