Meet Andrea Yordanova | Actress

We had the good fortune of connecting with Andrea Yordanova and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Andrea, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
We all know that the biggest risk is not taking any risks and I live by that. Life is so exciting simply because of all the risks and choices we need to take and make which we don’t know where are going to lead us. But isn’t that the magic of it all? Whenever there are opportunities that I have to decide if I want to take or no, I make myself take them because you never know what it can bring to you. Then there’s going to be the question “What if nothing comes out of it?”, well, then at least you tried and you have to give yourself credit for that.
I came to study acting from small Bulgaria to the enormous city New York is at the Lee Strasberg Theater and Film Institute all by myself without knowing a single soul. Not many people from my country that I know would do it. Some would be terrified to go all by themselves, which I absolutely understand, it can be scary, others would simply chose the comfort of the known.
By taking this huge step of moving to New York, I can say this is the best decision I’ve ever made so far because of all of the opportunities that came around. Yes, I was uncomfortable, at times scared, sad, lonely but I was also excited for all the chances the city can bring, met the most amazing people ever and kept waking up with the thought of all possibilities.
Just a week ago I moved to Los Angeles with the same purpose. I was scared but I had to give it a go. I would have regretted it if I didn’t try. I’m still figuring it out here but even if it doesn’t work out I’ll know that I’ve tried.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Acting has been part of my life since I was very little. I remember taking my first acting class when I was 8 and although I was terrified, it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made because it started a lifelong love for the craft. Back in Bulgaria I used to do a lot of theater. I had the opportunity to learn from some of the best teachers in my country for which I feel very blessed.
In my opinion starting your career doing theater is very valuable. Not only do you grow up doing collaborative work, but it also teaches you discipline and thinking creatively. Obviously, as we all know it’s a lot of hard work and most of the productions I’ve done have taken anywhere between 3-6 months of rehearsals. There’s always bumps along the way, but theater teaches you to bounce back. It’s all worth it in the end though!
I worked with David Lee Strasberg for a one night only scene masterclass in New York last year. The scene I was doing from “The Acid Test” was with one of my best friends and we were one of the only four selected. Working with a very close friend to you can either be challenging or very easy. It can be very hard to separate personal dynamics from the characters you’re portraying. For us, I’d say made the scene much more authentic, creating this real bond between the characters. David loved it, he gave us great notes which stuck with me. I’m saying this in hindsight, because I remember thinking that it would be terrible working with someone so close to you but looking back at it we effortlessly slipped into our characters’ roles and brought the scene to life with genuine chemistry and emotional depth. Our natural rapport allowed us to intuitively respond to each other’s cues.
As much as I love theater, my real love has always been the magic of the movies. There’s always been this strong bond between us. I don’t know what it is, maybe the fact that you can be as raw as possible.
As an actress, I strive to bring authenticity and depth to every role I take on. I want to connect with the audience, make them feel all the emotions my character is going through. I mean, that’s what our craft is for after all.
My journey to where I am today has been filled with challenges and rejection. I think, that’s the hard part about our job. It’s not for the weak. You have to grit your teeth and keep going despite what life throws at you. I’ve learned to preserve and never give up on my dreams. Maybe because it’s the only think I can see myself do.
I think it’s important to stay true to yourself and your vision, take risks and live in the moment.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Oh man, there are so many. My friend is actually really coming to visit in few months so I’m very excited for this. First of all, everyone who knows me knows that I can spend my whole day in the West Village. That’s my absolute favorite area in NYC. You may ask why! Well, it’s the vibe, the people, the coziness of the whole neighborhood. Just walking around there or sitting at a coffee shop brings me warmth.
That, for sure, would be the first place to take them.
Obviously, all the touristy stuff like the Empire State, Times Sq., the ferry etc…
Central Park which is the most beautiful place, especially in the fall.
I think Soho is a great place to walk around, shop or try workout classes.
For night life, my favorite places are the bars and lounges in Soho and West Village. It’s all good music and good vibes.
I think the magic of New York is the people. You never know who you can meet and what they can offer. For some reason people say new yorkers are cold but I’ve never felt that.
There’s something for everyone in this city, so whatever your interests are, for sure, you’ll find something you’d enjoy.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
First of all, I’ll forever be thankful to my parents for the support and the given opportunities. Second, I don’t think I’d ever survive New York without my great friends who were there for me through so many ups and downs.
I’m so happy to have all of them in my life and forever grateful.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andreayordanovaa/

Image Credits
Main picture- Victor Bustos Second picture(red shorts)- Ryan Rodriguez