Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Marina Ogalla. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Marina, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?
I have been acting since before I can remember, starting in school and growing from there. The first big project I did was UAP15. It was a project created by Cradula Teatre, which all the high school-aged kids from the province could audition for, and we would donate all the money gained to charities. I stayed for three years in the company, being the protagonist for both UAP16 and UAP17. After that, I became a central part of G3Teatre, a company doing new plays in Barcelona. With them, I was Merricat in Stronghold, Dagmara in Metalhammer, and also part of the cabaret, Ampersand. It was in these projects that I started getting recognition. Lately, I have been in different things, like putting out my debut EP “All Alone”, participating in the Queens Short Plays Festival, and acting in some music videos, both for me and other artists.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I am originally from Spain, a small town north of Barcelona called Girona. That is where I got my start. I started at 5 years old, doing theater at school and singing, eventually I got more into it, until I auditioned for UAP15, and got it. This was a big project, very well-known in the city, with the participation of all the high schools in the province. I was invited to be one of the main performers, and later I was invited to Cor Preludi, where I did many concerts and projects like participating in Oh Happy Day!, a very famous contest in Catalonia, and many others. On top of all that, I also participated in “El Vent és això” a movie by an important Catalan director, Pere Vilà.
After high school, and accomplishing everything that seemed possible in my town, I moved to Barcelona to get my theater degree. While I did that I became a part of G3Teatre, and with them, I performed in many theaters around Barcelona, mostly as Merricat from Stronghold, and Dagmara in Metalhammer. Eventually, even the city started to feel small so I dropped out and moved to New York City, to finish my BFA in Acting at Marymount Manhattan College. Since I have been in New York, I have dropped my debut EP “All Alone”, participated in the Queens Short Plays Festival, and acted in a couple of music videos. Currently, I’m working on more music and a couple of short films.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
I think my journey shows resilience in many ways. Firstly, I won’t say my age, but I graduated college in May of 2023, which shows that I’m still very young, and yet, I have moved cities, and then countries, following my dreams of performing, which hasn’t always been easy. Living here, so far away from my family, and my culture, speaking another language all day every day, figuring out a way to get an apartment or a job as an immigrant, it’s not easy, but I kept working and trying, and eventually, things started happening.
I believe you can see resilience in the story about how I ended up in this city. While I had always wanted to come study in the U.S., I had never had the opportunity or the guts to do it. Until, through my college in Barcelona, I made friends with some Americans, mostly with one whom I would go on to date. With him, I made plans to move to New York, I applied and got accepted to Marymount Manhattan College, and knowing I wouldn’t be alone, I felt better about this adventure. When the time came for me to move, we broke up, which was a devastating thing not only because of us, but because of all the plans. Fortunately, I didn’t let that stop me, so not only a month after the heartbreak, I moved to NY and started my life here, completely alone. I could’ve let the change of plans, and the sadness stop me, but I didn’t, because I knew what I wanted, and I’m so glad I kept fighting for my dreams. I haven’t stopped since then.
Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?
There are so many resources I didn’t know about when I was just starting that would have made my life so much easier! In the acting world, Actors Access is an amazing website with many different auditions from short films to TV shows and Broadway musicals; very easy to find auditions that work for you, do callbacks, and submit yourself. Another resource would be Actors Connection, they can help you find photographers for headshots, have seminars to meet casting directors and agents, and offer many classes in different types of acting from acting on camera to voice-overs. From the music world, Groover is a wonderful website that puts you in contact with music magazines so you can send your music and do marketing. Other resources would be some books like Atomic Habits by James Clear, The Actor and the Target by Declan Donnellan, or The Addiction Formula by Friedemann Findeisen.
A resource that proved to be very helpful, from a business standpoint, was creating an LLC. I was not aware that as an actress that was something I could do. It’s given me the freedom to both create my projects and participate in other people’s as an independent contractor. It has given me ways to invest in my career and business the right way and has created a bunch of new avenues that I would have never considered without it.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://marinaogalla.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marinaogalla/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/MarinaOgalla
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHXfC7o2i-qBiS571qtT-lQ
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@marinaogalla17 https://open.spotify.com/intl-es/artist/43btIJh7ur2nqCc0yQ27z8?si=3iQZrDRSQkuECIiJsd2YGA
Image Credits
Carol Rosegg Photography Justin Clynes