Meet Emely de Paiva | Actor, Director

We had the good fortune of connecting with Emely de Paiva and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Emely, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
I would say one of the biggest risks I have taken in my life was uprooting myself and moving to New York to pursue acting. I had a stable job, as a project manager, in a creative field but I felt like I had to go after this dream, that I had put on the backseat for too long.

So you could say that taking risks does play a big role in my career – would I have not taken that risk I wouldn’t be where I am now.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
The thing that I am most proud of is the theater company I founded with my two collaborators Rohith Guttamidi and Ermete De Boni. We have put up shows in New York and Italy. Right now we are planning to present “The Cherry Orchard” in Italy coming January.
It was of course not always easy, but there is only one thing to overcome challenges – sheer determination. And of course a portion of luck!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I would take them to all my favorite places around the city. Strolls through Central Park to The Loch and The Pool and show them the north of Central Park, Harlem Meer and the Conservatory Gardens, walk The Highline and go to the Little Island Have coffee and cake at Peacefood Uptown.
In the evening I would take them to a Broadway show, to one of my favorits either “Kimerly Akimbo” or “Here Lies Love”. Another night out would be dancing at Shrine in Harlem.
We would have dinners at places I want them to experience, like Silvana in Harlem, Urban Vegan Kitchen in the West Village, Buddha Bodai and Happy Veggie in Chinatown.
We would indulge – some donuts from Dunwell on our walking tour through Brooklyn.
We would definitely also do all the touristy things like going to The Edge, see Empire State and Grand Central – all things that I like to do too from time to time.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
A lot of credit goes to my family for not stopping me from pursuing my passion and a big shoutout goes to the friends from back home and the ones I made in New York, for engouraging me to keep going, when I wanted to give up.

Website: https://emelydepaiva.wixsite.com/emely

Instagram: emelydepaiva

Image Credits
Rohith Guttamidhi – Martin Gasser – Emely de Paiva – Molly Misek