Interview with Natalie LaSpina

Natalie LaSpina was 10-years old when a theatre troupe came to the town of her childhood. Her mom had encouraged her to try out for the troupe's production of Annie and much to her surprise she was cast as none other than the title role. "After that I was always doing plays in my town, or the town over -- I loved it so much." And, because her dad is a musician, she was out in NYC quite often, always dreaming about pursuing acting -- knowing it was what she wanted to do.

As for theater or film, Natalie is attracted to film because "it has a certain realism that I like more than in theater. You can really accentuate the subtleties of a character in film acting -- especially as you become a character."

Further discussion of the nuances of film help shed light on Natalie's philosophy of acting as an art form. "In a way, acting is the art of psychology. Even if you're not like the character you're playing, you take on that role. You explore the different sides of your own personality. Being able to relate to character and story -- to really highlight the emotional aspect of a scene is an art in and of itself." For Natalie, acting is also a natural high. "When I'm running through a scene, it's a rush, especially when you're working with other talented people."

Natalie reveals that while working catering jobs she uses the opportunity to study those in attendance and learn about them through their actions. She cites an example where she was working a party "...and there was this really beautiful rich woman -- she was a vixen and had every man in the room in the palm of her hand. It was all about the little things... how she drank her wine, how she talked; the little subtlties of how people act.

For inspiration Natalie draws on her family, "especially my father because he's always believed in me since I was little. He always encouraged me to act, sing etc... my sister and brother as well." As for those on film, Angelina Jolie, in the film Gia, was a huge inspiration. "I loved that film, I would watch it all the time. In high school, I wrote a paper about it. Also, the fact that Gia is based on a real person is insane; all the layers that are part of that character. Basketball Diaries really got to me also..."

While it's hard for Natalie to put a label on the roles that she enjoys playing the most, she does enjoy roles where the characters must face their demons. "I enjoy playing light roles, but it's fun to really throw your mind into something and go after the deeper parts."

Speaking about Go Quietly, "I liked the improv type audition, because I was able to be the character when I walked in -- that was so much fun, and it teaches you more about how the actor interprets the role. I never had an audition like that before." She goes on to confess "I hate monologues, no one ever does a monologue in a film -- that's why I enjoy improv much more -- or doing a scene. Sure, sometimes monologues can be good, but interaction is better. It's great when you can feed off another character -- it allows you to relate to the other person and perform in a more real way."

Knowing that acting is what she always wanted Natalie jumped in with both feet: "I moved out of town when I was 18. I took parttime acting classes while supporting myself, but it gave me the acting/life experience I needed. I did it more on my own and even when I was in school I was always auditioning -- a more formal education is different whereas I learned more naturally that talent comes from within. "