Finding Your Own Path in an Industry That Still Boxes Us In

I recently had a thought-provoking conversation with a young Eastern European actress who booked a Tape REEL session with me. For those of you unfamiliar with this service, it's something I offer through Owning IT Acting Studio—where I help actors select scenes that suit their type and castability, we agree on a direction, and then shoot the footage together.

As we discussed her tape, something deeper unfolded.

She reminded me so much of my younger self. As a Polish actress, I’ve spent the last 20 years navigating this industry, often typecast and boxed into “foreigner” roles. I’ve pushed back, fought to show my range, tried again and again to stretch beyond what casting directors expected of me. And yet, the honest truth—one shaped not only by my own career but through countless conversations with other foreign actors—is that the industry still isn’t fully ready for authentic diversity.

Yes, we’ve seen real progress—especially over the last five years. More doors are opening. More stories are being told. But Eastern European actors still tend to be cast in roles that reinforce stereotypes. It's frustrating, disheartening at times, but it's the current landscape we're working in.

So naturally, when helping this actress with scene selection, I suggested characters that, while stereotypical, could show range within that reality. She was open to it at first—understood my reasoning. But then she said something that truly struck me:

“There’s so much more to me. I don’t want to box myself in.”

That moment cut right to my heart—because I get it. I feel that too. Every single day.

Even with a steady career, even after years of working consistently, I still feel like my full acting potential hasn’t been reached. Not even close. That aching feeling of there’s more never really goes away.

In the end, it’s her tape, her career, and her choice. I will absolutely support whatever scene she decides to shoot. But our conversation left me reflecting on something important:

There is no one-size-fits-all path in this business.

You can’t base your career on what others have done. You can’t wait for permission or mimic someone else’s roadmap. You have to find your own way—and commit to it fully, with everything you’ve got.

This actress said she’d get back to me with her final scene choice. Whatever she chooses, I know it will be the right one for her, right now.

And that’s what truly owning your career looks like.

Big hugs,

Natalia

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