ALL FOR THE LOVE OF THE SCENE: OLGA KONSTANTULAKIS
If you are thinking about a career as an actor, you’d better be in it because you love to act. The fame, the respect, etc., these are the bait on the end of a hook. Real actors have a visceral need to experience different parts of themselves and connect with others. This means acting in a number of challenging scenarios. Olga Konstantulakis is a true believer. She abandoned her pursuit of a promising career in Athletic Therapy while studying in Montreal because, as she explains, “You pursue acting because you can’t imagine doing anything else. You really have to want ‘it’ like needing air to breathe. I think people have this misconception that acting is a destination but it’s really a process; a lonely one often times. It requires discipline, hard work, passion, and a love for the work. I feel incredibly privileged to be an actor. It continually affords me the opportunity to grow as a human being, to connect to one’s humanity. If you can fall in love with the process, the possibilities are endless.” Konstantulakis has appeared in films (Non-Emergency, Warped, Night Bloom, etc.), television series (Slanted), and yet remarks of the benevolent experience of commercial work. Those outside the industry overlook the opportunities for an actor in the advertisement world but true professionals understand the importance of this segment of the acting vocation, as evidenced by the numerous A-list actors seen in commercials on an increasing basis.
The public may not often know about the high level of artistry that goes into commercial production. Many of those responsible for the films and TV shows that are so beloved are often involved in creating commercials. When she appeared in an American Standard spot, Olga was directed by Director/Writer JD Walsh (Battleground, Adversaries, Nanny Club, The Amazing Spider Man 2, Love Liza, Bad Boys II, Two and Half Men, Studio 60). Heavily based on comedy, this commercial is the type which elicits laughter within mere seconds. Walsh remarks, “Olga has the ability to play a scene for laughs or with real honesty and heart depending on what I need from her. She is one of the most gifted and thoughtful actors I've met in this city." Praise such as this might lead one to believe that commercial work is effortless for an actress like Konstantulakis but she notes in dissent, “I played the mother of three in a Papa Murphy Pizza Commercial directed by Matthew Frost. He’s known for being highly improvisational, which I love, and he certainly lives up to his reputation. The commercial focuses on ‘Murphy’s Law’, how everything is going awry in day to day family life except for dinner which is Papa Murphy’s Pizza, of course! Commercials shoots move very fast and there were multiple scenes for me in this one. Matthew would be directing me as the cameras were shooting; throwing idea after idea out. I just had to roll with it. You learn a lot from a situation like that when someone needs your creativity on a momentary and instinctual basis. It was an amazing experience.”
Sometimes commercial work means big names of companies and the attention that comes with them. Olga appeared in the “For All the Weekenders” Hilton Commercial which was seemingly ubiquitous. Her appearance in a MasterCard, “Global V Card travel” commercial displayed her uncanny ability to master banking terms and make them accessible to all as well as her impeccable timing (as a testament to the spot’s success, it garnered a Telly Award and three Communicator Awards: Gold Award of Excellence and Silver Award of Distinction in “Online Video, Branded Content” as well as the Award for Best Online Video in the “Branded Content & Entertainment” category).
Any professional involved in a creative based vocation does so because they are passionate. Money and recognition makes one’s environment more palpable but artists are emotional creatures; channeling their skills is not only beneficial for them but for us as recipients. Artists like Olga Konstantulakis are more interested in the process than its reception and the reward of outcome. Her upcoming venture in a web-based series title “Mira” continues to prove that she is most enticed by what new things she will discover in her lifelong pursuit of acting.
Author: Kelly King
