Ria Zmitrowicz (Actor)

Theatre

The Welkin at the National; The Doctor, Three Sisters and Dance Nation at the Almeida; Gundog, Bad Roads and X at the Royal Court; Plastic at Ustinov Studio, Bath; The Crucible at the Royal Exchange; Arcadia for ETT; Four Minutes Twelve Seconds at Hampstead and Trafalgar Studios; Chapel Street at the Bush and Edinburgh Underbelly; God’s Property at Soho Theatre; and Skanky at the Arcola.

TV

Through the Gates, Three Girls, Mr Selfridge, Outlaws, Youngers, Nightshift, The Midnight Beast, Murder on the Home Front and Whitechapel.

Film

Misbehaviour, Teen Spirit, Entebbe, Jellyfish and Kill Your Friends.

Generation Arts would like to thank Ria for contributing to the Get Scene at Home 2020 portal 

When / how did you first get into acting? 

I enjoyed doing school plays and local theatre groups so I decided to audition for the National Youth Theatre when I was 15. I was involved on and off with them until I was 21. This lead to me meeting other creatives, one being the playwright Luke Barnes. Luke had written a play called Chapel Street and we applied for funding from the Old Vic New Voices as well as throwing our own fundraising event in order to take the play to Edinburgh Festival. This performance lead to me signing with an agent and beginning to audition professionally. 

What was your experience of training like?

I didn’t train formally at a drama school but instead did lots of youth theatre plays. I was a part of NYT, Oval House Youth theatre and Hampstead Heat and Light. I really enjoyed being part of the company of actors and writers. It was really fun and a great way to learn as we always did new contemporary plays and got the chance to perform in professional theatres. It was also all free to be a part of. 

What was your first significant acting job?

I remember being on set for the E4 show Youngers and being gassed that I was a part of this cast. I had been a fan of a lot of the actors who were in it like Arinze Kene (I had seen his play ‘Estate Walls’ at Oval House) Danielle Vitalis and Calvin Demba. Everyone in it was amazing, heartbreaking and hilarious. It felt special and significant. 

What has been your most rewarding job(s) and why?

I’m immensely proud of being part of the BBC drama Three Girls. It felt like it was part of a huge cultural shift in starting to understand how grooming works, and the very real power imbalances that are at play in our society. I also learnt SO MUCH from the director Philippa Lowthorpe. She’s extraordinary. 

What is the hardest aspect of being a professional actor?

The time that you are unemployed from acting and having to make ends meet doing other jobs. It’s hard to balance because you need to work enough hours to pay expensive rent in London but also need time to properly prepare when you do get auditions, and sometimes you have to weigh up which is more important to spend your time on. It’s also hard when you really, really love a character and connect with it and then get rejected. It stings. 

What advice do you wish you had taken as a young, aspiring actor?

To have confidence in yourself and remember that when you are auditioning it is a two way exchange (even if it doesn’t feel like that!) you are working out if you want to work with this director / writer when you meet them. Ask yourself, do you think you will learn from working with them? Did they make you feel empowered in the audition? Also do your research into their previous work and see if it is work that connects with you. 

Do you have any top tips for the actors from Generation Arts? 

It sounds obvious but prepare as much as you can before an audition, not because it is a test, but just so you feel confident and empowered in the room.

Try to watch as much as possible. Theatre, film and TV. Then you will start to develop your own taste and learn which kind of work you want to make and be a part of. 

Don’t lose heart. You know something that no one else does about each character that you have the privilege to enact.