We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Dilara Foscht a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Dilara thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.
As an actress, performing has always been a part of my life—even before I fully realized it. I grew up in a household where dancing was one of our main sources of entertainment. After joining dance classes and competing in national and international championships across Europe, I knew I was destined for a career in the performing arts. Easier said than done.
It was dancing that eventually led me to join a youth theater company, which opened the door to theater and film acting.
I believe that most creative crafts take time to develop. Similar to any trade job, certain skills need to be honed, and the process often can’t be rushed. Especially in a field where emotional growth and personal development fuel so much of what our art represents. There’s nothing that can truly speed up the process of developing your craft except “living life.” For me, traveling, experiencing foreign cultures, and learning new languages have been key to supporting my personal and artistic growth.
The most important skill I’ve learned as I ventured into acting is acceptance—acceptance of where I am in my journey and the understanding that my path will never be the same as someone else’s. There can be guidelines, but no two paths will ever be identical.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
As previously mentioned, I am a trained theater and film actress, but my journey truly began in competitive dancing. Born and raised in Austria, Europe, I trained at a dance school in my hometown, competing in ballet, contemporary, acrobatics, and musical dance. I loved the high-stakes thrill of performing on stages across the EU.
While dancing certainly captured my heart, it was the act of “telling a story” to an audience that truly fulfilled me. After joining a youth theater company in my hometown and being cast as a lead in a theater play shortly thereafter, I knew I wanted to make acting my career.
I went on to study performing arts in Germany and later worked in Vancouver—also known as Hollywood North—for several years before relocating to Los Angeles.
Together with my identical twin sister, I began writing and developing indie film projects, which has become another creative outlet that fuels and inspires the rest of my artistic work.
Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?
Sometimes, I believe the creative industry can feel like a very mysterious place—especially from the outside. All we often see are glamorous photos on billboards, curated posts on social media, and stories told by tabloids. However, those stories and images are often far from the truth.
The creative industry is frequently misunderstood because there isn’t a straightforward path to success. In most “traditional” professions, there’s a clear, step-by-step system that predictably leads to a job. For example, if you study A, you can secure an internship as B, which might lead to employment at C. However, creative careers—especially in the performing arts—don’t work that way.
Why? Because the industry is so subjective. Art is subjective. Period.
As an actor, no degree can guarantee you a role in a movie or a theater production. Every audition feels like a “job interview” where you’re competing for a single opportunity. Actors hear “no” far more often than “yes.” Rejection is a constant reality, and you’re judged based on your craft—something deeply tied to who you are as a person, as your “instrument” is your body, mind, and soul.
This makes it incredibly challenging to separate professional rejection from personal identity, and learning not to take it personally is an ongoing journey.
Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?
The entertainment industry, in particular, can often feel like a place where myths are born, making it challenging to navigate through all the information.
What I highly recommend is finding a mentor who has experience in the industry you’re pursuing. I can’t even begin to imagine how many traps I would have fallen into without the guidance and support of my filmmaking mentors from around the world!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm11259677/
- Instagram: @dilara_foscht
- Facebook: @DilaraFoscht
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dilara-foscht-bb5ab818a/
- Twitter: @DFoscht
Image Credits
@Anna Wochinz
@Camile Fadel