Originally from Austria, Nives Bogad found Strasberg through a high school research paper about classical Hollywood. While researching about Marilyn Monroe, James Dean, and others, she realized they all had one thing in common. They all trained with Lee Strasberg. From then on, Nives knew she wanted to learn The Method. Los Angeles had always been a dream for her, so she applied and got accepted to the conservatory program in LA.
“I felt like it was the whole package,” says Nives about the interdisciplinary approach to actor training at Strasberg. Being trained in a variety of skills, like dialects and film fighting, has helped Nives stand out in the field. Being at Strasberg helped her develop all parts of herself: voice, body and mind. She has many fond memories of her time at Strasberg and reading new plays and scripts (her favorite being A Dreamer Examines His Pillow by John Patrick Shanley). She also met her husband, Joshua, while training at Strasberg.
After finishing at Strasberg, Nives moved to Toronto where she did “lots and lots of student productions” and self-promotion to get her career started. Getting a head start on self-promotion and learning how to market yourself is something Nives says aspiring actors should do “as soon as possible.” There is so much of the business of acting that must be done before one can begin their career. She recommends current Strasberg students also try to get involved with student productions and films, because you gain experience “but you are also helping them out too.”
Be true to yourself and make them see you the way you see you.
Nives Bogad, LSTFI Alumna
After returning to LA, Nives got a role in a TV mini-series called Thanks for the Memories. Although “the role was small”, there was a lot of emotion behind it. The role gave Nives a chance to “use the work [she] learned at Strasberg.” So many other small roles don’t have depth, but her role as the main character’s mother gave her an opportunity to actually use The Method and sensory techniques. No matter where she is acting, Nives says, “what matters most is that you’re surrounded by professional people who are taking it seriously.”
Even during a ‘dry spell’ when it is difficult to get work, Nives’ advice for beginning actors would be “keep believing in yourself” and “have a life outside of acting.” Nives’ life outside of acting consists of food; “I love food and finding new restaurants.” Even though times might get tough, “try to keep going as long as you can,” Nives suggests. She mentions actors can keep their passion alive by “creating their own content,” even if they aren’t consistently booking jobs. Even when you’re being boxed in and typecast, Nives says it is essential to “be true to yourself and make them see you the way you see you,” that way you can never go wrong.
The Alumni Blog for LSTFI Los Angeles is run by Aly Homminga.
If you have an interesting story and you think you should be featured please contact Aly at [email protected].
Published on October 19, 2019