We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Bozhidar Krastev. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Bozhidar below.

Bozhidar, appreciate you joining us today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

It might sound cliché, but I’ve always known I wanted to be an actor. It’s the only thing I’ve ever truly dreamed of being.
I remember watching movies and TV shows and thinking: Wow, I want to be just like them. I want to tell stories.
So my mom signed me up for acting classes and that’s how my journey began.

I had the privilege of learning from two of the greatest actors in my country: Ivana Papazova and Stoyan Sardanov. They taught me so much and not just about acting or being on stage, but about myself. About discipline, presence, commitment.
Working with kids isn’t easy, but they poured so much love into us. So much patience.
We did numerous plays together, and every time I stepped on stage, I felt alive. I felt like I belonged.
The idea that I could be someone else—fully, without limitation—made me feel like I had wings. Like I was free. And I wanted to feel that again, and again, and again.

When I was around 14, we worked on Waiting for Godot.
It’s an incredibly complex play- philosophical, abstract, and heavy with meaning. And the twist? My scene partner and I were just 14 years old, playing characters in their 50s.
For the longest time, I didn’t fully understand what the play was about. What it meant. But as we worked on it, something shifted. I started asking myself more questions. I got curious. About the character, the subtext, the silences between the words.
And I remember that feeling vividly, like I had stumbled into a mystery, a puzzle I was dying to solve. And I realized then: This is what I want to do with my life.
I want to stay curious. To keep asking questions. To keep exploring. Because that process, that deep dive into the unknown—makes me feel more alive than anything else ever has.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I got into acting when I was about nine. I always told my mom that I wanted to be an actor and luckily, she listened. She signed me up for acting classes, and from the very beginning, she believed in me. Throughout the years, she never stopped supporting me—not even for a moment.

From the first time I stepped on stage, I knew: This is what I want to do. This is where I belong. After ten years in the acting troupe I was part of—countless rehearsals, long hours, and many plays—I decided to take the next step and moved to Los Angeles, the City of Angels. I had been accepted to the Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute to further expand my craft. Before that, I had never even left my country without my parents, so moving to a whole new continent was a massive leap. But oddly enough, it didn’t scare me. It all felt like a dream. I just had this deep knowing that everything was going to be okay. Looking back, I’m still amazed by the courage of 19-year-old me.

Once I settled in and found my way around the city, it was time for school.
And I fell in love—with the space, the people, the teachers. The passion they had for the craft was truly mesmerizing. I don’t believe I can fully describe my experience at the school, because some things just need to be felt. You have to be there, even just for a single class, to understand what I mean. I learned so much about myself, not just as an actor, but as a human being. I gained courage, embraced failure, and carried away lessons I’ll hold onto for the rest of my life. The Institute is a truly magical place.

After graduating, I’ve been lucky to be part of several short films—and even had the chance to direct one of my own! It started off as a joke, but as I got deeper into it, I became completely captivated by the process of telling a story from the director’s chair. I fell in love with directing. It might sound simple, but that’s exactly what happened. I realized that we shouldn’t be afraid to try new things, even if they seem scary at first.

I was also an assistant director on another short film last summer. Sometimes, not being in front of the lens is just as fulfilling. I truly believe it’s important for actors to understand the entire process of filmmaking—not just their part in it.

Aside from film, I also run an Instagram page called @nobodyistired, which blends photography with poetry and introspection. The name comes from a belief I hold deeply: we shouldn’t be too tired to feel alive, to love, to seek adventure, to experience the rawness of life. There’s so much beauty around us—but sometimes, we’re so caught up in our problems that we forget we’re just humans, experiencing life for the very first time. We’re often too hard on ourselves. We should be gentler.

But then again—who am I to say? Everyone’s path is their own. I just want to send out a message that life is exciting, imperfect, and beautiful. Through my photos, I try to capture everyday moments and ordinary people, and remind us all of how fun, random, and poetic life can be. Nothing has to be perfect—and maybe it shouldn’t be.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

My mission is to tell stories that move people. I believe our craft is sacred, so precious and pure. As artists, we are guiding lights in society. We carry the responsibility of giving people hope, of inspiring courage, of reminding them that change is possible.

Every time I watch a play or a film, I’m in awe of the work, the passion and the heart that goes into building these magical worlds. Worlds that allow the audience to witness something deeply human. That’s what I want to do. I want people to see themselves in the stories I tell. To feel understood. To know they are not alone, even when life feels overwhelming or impossible. There is always a moment ahead when everything aligns.

If I had to choose one word to describe the core of my mission, it would be hope.
I want to give people hope—to not give up, to keep chasing their dreams, to listen to their hearts, and to always fight for what they believe in. To believe that they can be anything they want to be.

Theater and cinema hold such a big part of my heart, not only because I’m an artist, but because I’m human. It’s fascinating when you think about it: for approximately 90 minutes, you get to dive into a world that doesn’t exist anywhere else. And in that time, your fears, your problems, your reality—they fade. You become immersed in another life, in another story. You either recognize your own experiences, or witness something completely new, something you never even imagined could be real.

How magical is that?

Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?

Now, that’s a very interesting question. Honestly, my answer would be “no.” I don’t believe there’s one single goal, resource, or destination in a creative journey and I don’t think I was ever supposed to know everything from the start. The creative path is something deeply personal—sacred, even. It’s filled with obstacles, doubts, and countless walls you hit along the way. But it’s in those very moments of struggle that the foundation of an artist is built. Learning how to push through, refusing to give up, that’s what fuels your belief in your art. It makes you more determined to share your message with the world.

A creative journey is always evolving. It shifts, it transforms, and it challenges you. And I genuinely believe that everything you’re meant to learn, every tool or resource, will come to you at the right time, when you’re truly ready for it. Looking back, I wouldn’t change a thing, because even the toughest moments brought me lessons I couldn’t have received any earlier. That timing is part of the beauty of it all.

To walk this path, an artist needs a particular kind of faith. A commitment that runs deep. You have to believe in your art even when no one else does.

But I also want to stress something important: doubt is normal. I doubt myself and my work all the time. And I’m slowly learning that it’s okay. Doubt can even be a gift—it forces you to reflect, to stay honest, to grow. But sometimes, you have to quiet the noise in your head and start listening to the softer, steadier voice in your heart.

You can’t learn without trying. You can’t succeed without failing. You can’t create meaningful art without diving into your own soul- into your joy, your heartbreak, your imagination.

We, as human beings, are incredibly complex and beautifully simple at the same time. Every single day, we’re learning how to be. And to me, that’s the real magic of the journey. Not having all the answers from the start, but trusting that they’ll come when you’re ready.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bozhidar23/

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