Please introduce yourself. What do you do? Why? What do you want people to know about you?
Heeey! I‘m Nat, it’s great to meet you. I used to call myself an actress and now I add Storyteller, because let’s face it – it’s what keeps us human, mobilizes connection and brings life into our veins. I’ve dedicated my work to giving people a voice who aren’t able to voice theirs. Sharing intimate feelings that we sometimes don’t get to share in the outer world. Making confusion accessible. I’ve tried to highlight this in my work as an actress, director, producer and Podcaster. If there’s a stigma or cliché that needs to be looked at or something that needs light shined on – I’m your woman.
What qualities make you different and unique from everyone else in the industry?
As I said, Storytelling in every art form is a form of connection. Eventhough the digital area has maybe helped bring us closer together, it’s also managed to get us further apart. With my work I want to connect people and characters, make them feel, listen to their stories so that they can be told truthfully. I try to make it all about the others than myself and really try to focus on bringing new perspectives, truths and change.
Describe THAT moment when you realized you’re doing what you were born to do.
I was three years old and I was a very shy girl. So shy that my kindergarten teacher said I wasn’t able to go to elementary school any time soon. But I had this babysitter and she would sneak out with me, drive to an off broadway show and we would sit there and everything in me just started moving. I could feel my entire inner self inhaling new life. It’s like someone turned on a switch. After that I tried to be in every schoolplay possible. Acting gave me a possibility to not just be myself but to discover who I actually am and express myself. The same happened when I watched Jennifer Lopez dance „Let‘s get loud“ and I was like that – I want to move like that. So I started taking dancing classes and incorporated expression into that.
What’s been the biggest challenge you’ve had to go through and how did you grow through it?
My biggest challenge was staying true to myself in an industry that didn’t like who I am. So bad that my shapeshifting fooled me but not my body. I had a burnout in 2018 because I was so desperately trying to fit into a German film scene. A scene that wanted the cute girl next door, not an independent woman who knows what she wants. I changed my looks, my voice, my movement. Anything to not seem like a threat. And then one day I was on a shoot in a car and the director yells cut cause my lefts side of the face wasn’t moving. I had an intense migraine and had already popped x Ibuprofen. I didn’t want to seem unprofessional and make a headache a big deal. I should have. Turns out not just my left face wasn’t moving. My entire left body was paralyzed. I wasn’t able to get out of the car. This was such a challenging phase in my life because I lost myself completely. And my body – thank god – saved me cause it pulled the plug. It’s been challenging ever since to come back and stay true to who I am. But I’m glad I didn’t stop fighting and believing in myself.
Who are the TOP 3 people you’d want to meet that could elevate your career or business? Why these specific individuals?
Zendaya – first off, she is incredible. She is so young and already so far ahead of herself. I think I could learn so much from her about healthy boundaries and staying true to yourself. Also the roles she plays are the ones I would love to go for. To hear how she prepares would be insane.
Jane Goodall – a woman and a mission. A heart of gold. Someone who has a clear purpose and does not focus on feeding her ego.
Terrence Malick or Wes Anderson – both of them have incredibly unique styles and ways of working. Both seem so free and contained at the same time. It would be my dream to get to work with them and create.
Drop your social media links.
Instagram: https://instagram.com/nathaliejcerny