Anjela Nedyalkova

We meet Anjela in Sofia shortly after the world premiere of T2 Trainspotting in Edinburgh. We impatiently ask her about everything you can think of, starting with the dress - that sapphire blue beauty that has made the actress from Ave, East plays and the TV series Connections girl a true glittering goddess walking on the red... we apologize - the orange carpet. We understand that she chose it herself and the model was made by Marc Bouwer - "the same that dresses Angelina." "The dress arrived at the last minute, just three hours before the event and until the last moment I was not sure whether it would fit me", says the young star. Of course, as we all saw, it turned out that a woman knows her dress ... and vice versa. We loved Anjela from the first moment - before the meeting we were wondering how the stardom has reflected on the young and so tender looking actress. And we faced a really down to earth, balanced and calm person. She speaks little, but in measured and accurate manner. She begins to tell and we leave you in her company...

How exactly did you join the team of T2 Trainspotting?
Through continuous casting. Originally I was supposed to send videos from Bulgaria. They asked me to recreate scenes from various classic films like Some Like It Hot with Marilyn Monroe, Breakfast at Tiffany's with Audrey Hepburn and True Romance Patricia Arquette - still strong and influential female characters. In the next round they gave me also scenes from the script itself and invited me twice in London. It all lasted about a month and a half, and the process was quite exhausting. At the end I secretly wanted everything to end, no matter how. To my great joy it ended in the best possible way.

How did you react after realizing that it was you who was selected for the role?
I was glad, of course. However, for this role I have to compete with a lot of actresses from different countries, the film is iconic and the team - on a global level. But the fact that I was selected did not calmed me - yet it has to come the essential part - the work. Fortunately, everything went smoothly and most importantly - we all had much fun and we were like family.

Ewan McGregor, Jonny Lee Miller, Ewen Bremner, Robert Carlyle - we envy for your relatives! How did you feel working with actors of such rank?
It was extremely pleasant! There was a lot of humor in the field, they are professionals and they were all very committed to the project. Very inspiring too, of course - to see how these international stars come into iconic images in front of you - it’s unforgettable. Once I was so impressed that I almost forgot to say my lines. I just sank in their game and for a moment I forgot that I was not a spectator and we are filming. They accepted me as one of them, though I was still far from their level. And to this day we keep in touch. We became friends, which is priceless!

And Danny Boyle? What kind of person is he?
A collection of childish presence, something ingenious, earthy, always dedicated to his work and very funny! He is a vast universe.

And what about the actual filming process?
It all went well. There were really heavy but very funny moments. All of the team are professionals, very earthy people with an exceptional sense of humor.

What was most difficult for you?
The biggest difficulty I encountered was in a scene where I had to drive with 50-60 miles per hour. The action was during the evening with two world stars in the car with me while driving. I know how to drive, but I do not do it very often out of fear caused by certain events in my past. Paradoxically, I love bikes and they even thought to use motorcycle in the scene, but in the end there was no way to change it. I needed some time to relax and to get training in right-hand drive. Fortunately, I did it.

Can you tell some funny story during the filming?
I remember the first funny scene that we filmed. We had to be serious, but in the silence suddenly I heard the voice of Danny, who was laughing loudly. Initially I did not expect it and I started to laugh as well, wondering why the others did not respond. It turned out that it was customary for him, and eventually I stopped paying attention.

Would you present us to your character?
In fact, T2 Trainspotting is not entirely based on Porn by Irvine Welsh, as they write everywhere, it is only loosely based on the book. My heroine is thus entirely new character, her name is Veronika. She started business with Sick Boy (Jonny Lee Miller) and their work is not exactly homemade porn but is not much farther than that. They make so-called black mailing of various successful men who love paid sex. Sick Boy is secretly filming what they do and then he and Veronica blackmail their victims for money. It seems naive, but it is full of surprises.

After the film was done there followed the glamorous premieres - what it feels like to come across the front pages of all the world's media and photo agencies?
I guess if you ask my family they are very excited. But I can not feel anything special. It's part of the nature of my work. I'm not one of those people who aim for the fame, so this does not provoke much of excitement in me. I am glad that my work is viewed - for me as an actress it's important. The only thing I hope is that people will find something useful and potentially inspiring for them as they read my interviews - only then it would make sense.

T2 is not your first significant success. Two years ago you starred in The Paradise Suite which was the Dutch proposal for an Oscar. The subject matter of the film is extremely serious - trafficking of human beings and in particular organized crime channels that force innocent women into prostitution - we are sure it wasn’t easy for you from the emotional standpoint - also because of the specificity of the film some scenes are quite serious, even brutal. How did you deal with that and did this role changed you somehow?
Indeed, it was a hard process. The subject matter is very serious and affects a harsh reality. The director (Joost van Ginkel) wanted to mix documentary with fiction to present what is happening in the most realistic way possible, so there were quite oppressive scenes which undoubtedly affected me. Before we started filming I went twice to Amsterdam for a preparatory process that also included observations. So, we had to visit these places to speak as much as possible with the girls and to watch people's reactions. There are a lot of girls who are out there on their own will, but the problem is with those who are just like my character - they are fooled with a proposal to become models in the Netherlands and then drawn into the world of torture and doom. What changed me was the true realization of this whole brutal process because of this in depth study. I hope someday to have the opportunity to fight human trafficking, although it is too convoluted and difficult to follow. There are even more severe cases, which are not visible to tourists there - secret elite clubs that offer underage virgin girls abducted and separated from their normal lives - innocent children who are beaten, anesthetized and raped - for money of course. It is monstrous.

An integral part of the work of the actor is nudity on camera. You had such scenes in The Paradise Suite and T2 Trainspotting. How do you deal with this quite tough challenge and do you worry (because you look very confident and calm on screen, for which we applaud you)?
There is always a dose of tension and worry, of course, because the feeling itself is unnatural. However, I did not have serious concerns because it is a big film production with a team of professionals. When you shoot such scenes the crew is always reduced to a minimum; during the breaks between the takes there immediately comes someone who covers us with a blanket, puts heaters to warm us cold and generally do everything possible for us to feel comfortable as far as possible - of course there’s no way to feel entirely relaxed. Moreover, everything is rehearsed, discussed and organized in advance to avoid many takes, when we are already naked. When you want to show some reality you can not do without it, alas. Sometimes it’s awkward, other times is so absurd that it is even ridiculous.

Anyway, I intend to confine such scenes in the future because for the actor is also important what image he has created and if he overdoes a certain type of scenes and characters they somehow are used to that "you do not have a problem with that," and you build a stereotype, which is limited - it is nice to be seen in a different light. It applies not only to naked scenes, but in general. It’s this way with me because the films that I chose and I liked as a theme and message included such scenes. At least now I have more freedom of choice and can afford to decline scenes and characters that would be a setback for me.

In general, has your life changed after T2 Trainspotting?
I do not think that has changed inevitably. I am the same person, my everyday life is as usual. It has always been full of changes anyway, I do not like to stay at one place.

Does this mean that you will move outside of Bulgaria?
I plan to spend a period abroad and explore new opportunities.

Can you describe one day of your life?
Every day is varied for me, I do not follow a particular regime. I read a lot, I go climbing, I see friends, I go to castings, I cook and such things fill my everyday life.

And what is Angela when she is not on set?
The same. And what does that mean - ask someone else, not me.

Is the crown of glory heavy or it is more important that it shines?
Fame is part of my profession, for bad or good. Like any other thing it has its pros and cons - it much depends on what kind of person you are and what you want. If you are persecuting goals and remain down to earth and natural, I don’t think it would "weigh" so much.

What should we expect from you and from your future?
To my immense and extremely pleasant surprise, I am invited to be part of the international jury at this year's Sofia International Film Fest. Separately, I am working on a screenplay I write and I am making a vast research. I also expect answers from various castings.

Makeup and hair by Arlet Stars (arletstars.com)

Text Martina Panayotova/ Photography Sofia Zasheva