The Bite Magazine - issue 16

U p-and-coming actress Andrea Vasiliou is one of those women that if you saw her on the street, you’d defi- nitely notice her. Man or woman, you’d stop and stare because she’s that pretty. Model pretty in fact, as this 5’8” dark-haired beauty who relo- cated to London from Devon in 2009, works as a model and actress. Currently signed with W Model Management and Byron’s Management, Vasiliou has appeared in several product commercials for the likes of Dove, Got2B, Samsung, BBC iPlayer, Lenovo Vibe X and Foot- locker. Her print and online ad work includes: Adidas,Visa,Virgin Active, Badge, Batoko, The Perfume Studio, Gymshark and LNDR. However, her modelling work aside, what Vasiliou is really becoming known for is her acting. This multi-tal- ented young lady already has two major film jobs under her belt, not to mention two television shows and a series of indie pictures to be proud of. Can we say next break out star to watch? I think so. Vasiliou was born in Cyprus, but moved to Devon where she attended Plymouth College. Later she earned a joint BA Honours Degree in French and Spanish at Royal Holloway University of London. “I always loved learning languages, so I studied French and German as part of my A Levels and then started Spanish from scratch for my degree; I thought this would be a useful skill for acting, too.” And come in handy it did as she speaks five languages fluently: French, Greek, German, Spanish and English. Her language studies aside, Vasiliou always knew that she wanted to act and be in front of the camera. “I started attending castings from the age of 14, when my mum would drive me four hours to London for a casting. Modelling and acting have always been my passion. Watching films and studying filmmakers of the new wave genre inspired me to get into film. In terms of modelling, I got inspired by the fashion industry by reading about new trends in magazines and I wanted to be a part of it. I have worked with some great photographers where I learned how to pose, what my niche is, and what brands are looking for. In modelling, it’s about celebrating the clothes, and making them look best in their full glory, making sure every detail on the piece is beautifully presented and sits well on the body.” Vasiliou also had the unconditional support of her family and friends. Unlike so many others who attempt to break into the industry with little to no encouragement backing them, those closest to Vasiliou never faltered in their backing her career choice. “My mother supported me by taking me to drama school on weekends and driving me to auditions, she really encouraged me to pursue whatever I loved doing.” But no one really becomes a star over- night, despite what YouTube, Instagram or even The Ellen Show may claim. It takes hard work, and more hard work to become successful in this business.You not only have to maintain a certain physi- cal appearance for the roles you want to be cast in, you have to be able to perform to certain specifications, and if you can’t, well, as the saying goes, ‘fake it until you make it’.Vasiliou is well aware of this fact, and knows that winning in the acting game requires all of your heart and soul, not to mention your blood, sweat and tears. You have to give yourself over to whatever demands the role may require and not shirk the responsibility you owe to that character’s persona. In one of her latest roles for the American Inves- tigation Discovery Channel’s docudrama programs, Obsession: Dark Series ,Vasiliou had to prove she had the chutzpa to take on a challenging role. Playing Evimer for season 3’s episode 6, ‘Beauty in the Bronx’,Vasiliou had to portray a woman stalked, tormented and eventually shot by a controlling lover, who miraculously survived. “When I took on the role of Evimer for Obsession: Dark Desires, an American doc- udrama, which tells the story of Evimer Duclerc, a woman who was a victim of domestic abuse and was shot twice by her boyfriend that was hard. Not only was this demanding psychologically, as she gets raped and shot in the drama series, but she also has a thick Lati- no-Bronx accent. I love getting my teeth into a meaty part and this was definitely one of them. I watched her testimonial about her relationship with her abusive boyfriend, studied reports about when the news broke out. Looked into her hometown, where she lived, where she would hang out as well as perfecting her Actress Profile Andrea Vasiliou Dawn Hunt meets one of the Amazonians in the up-and- coming Batman v Superman sequel and the new Wonder Woman film due out next year. bite actress profile