Multi-Talented Actress, Writer and Director Gala Nikolic Continues Taking The World By Storm

Behind the scenes with actress Gala Nikolic

The life of an actor looks like it’s an easy one. That is, until you look a little closer.

It’s a lot of hard work. Just learning the dialogue is a huge thing, as Gala Nikolic would tell you. She is a very talented actress from Croatia who knows the ins and outs of her craft and art. She could tell you that she must shut everything else out of her mind as she goes over a script to learn her lines and figures out how she will transform into that particular character. Acting is certainly a pleasure for her, but it is all business when she commits to a role.

 

She has performed in numerous stage productions, including, but not limited to: Our Upbringing in which Gala played Inja at the Croatian National Theatre I.pl. Zajc. In Swan Lake, she was the Queen Mother at the Croatian National Theatre. She also appeared as part of the ensemble or Ghost in Shakespeare’s Summer Nights Variations at the Theatre Ulysses. and Brecht’s Cabaret was a Cabaret singer at the Theatre Ulysses. She was also in Kubrick's Aryan Papers playing the roles of Johanna Ter Steege, and Tania at the Red Cat Theatre in Los Angeles. She was in Woody Allen’s stage play Husbands and Wives as Rain and Sam at the Istrian National Theatre. Gala had a featured role in Lysistrata 21: Make Love not War at the Myrina Istrian National Theatre. Rhinoceros saw her as the Housewife and Old Lady at the Theatre Ulysses and among others, The Good Soul from Szechwan as Mrs. Shin at the Theatre Ulysses.

 

Gala is also a writer and director. She has written and directed the play Land of the Wolves, and wrote, directed, and acted in Dead Croatian Women and film The More I insult You, the More I Love You. She acted in the award-winning feature length film Fishing and Fishermen’s Conversations in which she played the character Eutherpa. The film was directed by Milan Trenc and the legendary Rade Serbedzija starred in this tale about a nobleman poet who embarks on a boat trip with two local fishermen. As they hop the bucolic islands, he recalls his youthful and tragic love and his artistic impotence while the uneasy relationship with the common fishermen evolves.

 

Rade Serbedzija, by the way, was Gala’s acting teacher at the Academy of Applied Arts at Rijeka University. That’s where she received her BA in acting. She earned her MFA in acting at the California Institute of Arts. Fishing and Fishermen’s Conversations played at many film festivals such as, Pula Film Festival (the biggest and most visited national festival); Tiburon International Film Festival; FEST International Film Festival and the 5th Film Festival of the Actor Vinkovci-Hvar Summer Festival. The film won the 2020 golden arena award at the Pula Film Festival and Rade Serbedzija won for Best Actor in a Leading role. The film also won the award for Best Music by Igor Paro.