INTERVIEW
ALGINA LIPSKIS
“I believe if you really want this, and you truly believe deep in your soul that this is for you, there should be no obstacle that gets in your way.”
Algina Lipskis is a Lithuanian born British actress. She began her career in TV and film from the young age of thirteen. She’s starred in acclaimed TV drama The Lost Prince with British acting royalty such as Miranda Richardson, Tom Hollander and Bill Nighy, she was a Gryffindor in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002), cameo’s in teen TV series’s such as UGetMe (2004), and Star (2003) with Nicholas Hoult. At seventeen she received her first lead role in a feature film Natasha (2007), she’s continued to appear in feature films such as Telling Lies (2008) and a comedy horror Ibiza Undead (2016). In her recent work, we will see her as Mandy Carter in ‘In Search of Fear’ (2021). She is about to begin filming a horror film Night Explorers: The Asylum, due to release in 2022.
Thank you so much for interviewing with us! Can you share your story on how did you get started in the film industry?
Thank you for asking me to be part of this!
My early childhood memories mostly involve a Sony video camera (one of those old models that you put on your shoulders) following me and my family around. My dad was very into preserving memories of my childhood, so it got me very familiar and comfortable with being in front of the camera.
It helped that my dad use to run cinema nights on the little peninsula (JuodkrantÄ—) which we lived on in Lithuania, so I used to sneak in every time there was a screening and watch all the big 80s movies… It was truly magical, movies were magic to me, an escape, an adventure.
The distinct memory of when I thought, yup, this is what I’m gonna be doing for the rest of my life was when I was on set of Stephen Poliakoff’s drama The Lost Prince — I had the part of Anastasia one of the Russian Princesses… I had my script, my trailer, seeing the actors in their make up chairs, crew moving around sorting out the sets, it was an environment that made me so happy, so content, that was it.. it solidified my love for the whole process.
When I came to London as a refuge in the 90s, I ended up auditioning for Sylvia Young’s Theatre School, at the time getting a place there was extremely hard, in those days it was more about talent than anything else.
I got a place there and from there on I learned the in’s and out’s of the movie/TV business, we did ballet, singing — all that comes with a Theatre School, but I was always drawn to movies and TV work.
Left — at Sylvia Youngs, Age 16, Right — Still from The Lost Prince 2003
Who are you grateful for your success and can you share a story about that?
I’m grateful for my mamma, who always had this way about to her that allowed me to believe anything is possible, you want to be an actress, go and be an actress — there were no barriers with her, she was a very beautiful positive impactful human in my life and I’m very grateful to her for her willingness to always believe.
My dad too — even though as time went by he become a little cynical about the industry I was in — which I understand — but he was the root of where it all started. I think I got a lot of my creativity from him, he is an artist himself, but in his case, through life and a lot of fallbacks it discouraged him to explore and delve deep into his creative roots — but I love him and he inspired me throughout my life, I feel he always fought this battle to keep active that creative side whilst still maintaining a balance of being a businessman.
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​Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?
Most interesting story! I have many, I do recall being on the set of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, wearing my Gryffindor cape and just walking on each one of those sets and being completely amazed by it all, it was like you were in another world, an amazing experience.
Left — Natasha 2006, Right — behind the scenes of Natasha 2006
What has been the biggest challenge in your career so far? How did you overcome it?
The biggest challenge, probably the continuous rejections, the feeling of not doing the best you can, getting so close to something so huge that will change your life and then not getting it. This will happen a lot, but I’ve learned to take that away as a process of growth, as an actor and a human, it only makes me stronger and even more determined to go forth and persevere.
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I believe if you really want this, and you truly believe deep in your soul that this is for you, there should be no obstacle that gets in your way. The difference with successful actors is that they kept going — I believe that to be the key factor of a successful acting career — keep going, keep learning, keep improving, keep evolving.
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What do you do to prepare for the role?
My process of preparing for the role is to create the character from the core. I find out where was she born, what kind of childhood did she have, what are her character traits. I think it’s vital to make the character as honest and as detailed as you can, so the audience could relate in some form. That’s pretty much the prep and method for me, the costume and the look of my character always help me get into the role. Also, empathy, I think the more empathy you have towards your character, the more you can understand why they are the way they are, why they are saying/doing what they are doing… even if it’s something insane or crazy. You have to go deep.
Still from Ibiza Undead (2016)
What are your top 3 tips for actors that are starting?
Three tips…
1. Be respectful towards EVERYONE, not just your fellow actors, the whole crew that is there making the story come alive. It’s a unit… it’s not about you so you must kill the ego.
2. Be prepared, know your lines, it’s disrespectful to everyone on set or in castings.
3. But the most important one is to build resilience for the rejections that come along with this career, you’ll get so many “no’s” but you got to remember — that one “yes” can change everything, believe in yourself.
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What has been inspiring you lately?
I’ve been completely inspired by watching amazing actresses such as Andrea Riseborough (ZeroZeroZero), Laia Costa (Life Itself), Sarah Shahi (City on a Hill), Nina Arianda (Goliath) and Julia Garner (Ozark)… these incredible women have blown me away with the realness of what they bring to their characters.
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What movie would you recommend watching and why?
I would recommend…
Waves written and directed by the genius that is Trey Edward Shultz… it was such a journey watching this film, he got it so right.
Life Itself written and directed by Dan Fogelman, another incredible story, it fully identifies with every aspect of life, love, loss, it’s a BEAUTIFUL film.
Last but not least True Romance directed by the late Tony Scott, written by Quentin Tarantino and Roger Avary… One of my favourite oldies, this film has the most incredible cast, as for the story itself, well, it’s in the title, it really is one hell of a romance… but not the gooey type… this one suits everyone, it has a bit of everything, it also has one of my favourite actors, Gary Oldman, he plays Drexl Spivey, by far probably the best character he’s played in my eyes.
by Theo Chalmers
What is one message you would give to your fans?
Thank you for your support, your love, your interest, I hope you continue to enjoy the work I put out.
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How can our readers find you online?
You can find me on:
IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1310563/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alginalipskis/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/alginalipskis
