The Cypriot actress is constantly evolving, moving with ease within a gamut that ranges from high-end productions by BBC, Netflix, HBO etc. to theater productions and alternative projects, while she never misses the chance to express her love for Greece and her roots.
Daphne Alexander
The building of a character is a never-ending process
Text: Eva Kousiopoulou
Once you meet actress Daphne Alexander, you can’t help but to label her as one of these rare cases where talent and indisputable natural beauty are intertwined with inner calmness, grace and meaningful contact with people.
Minore, a dark action comedy that steers away from the beaten track and the common motifs, which took part in the 64th Thessaloniki International Film Festival, brought Daphne for the second time in Thessaloniki. “In our film, traditional Greek music and the tentacles of a mysterious creature of the abyss are uniquely combined. In other words, it’s an insane film, and I mean that in the best sense of the word. It’s the sophomore full-length film by Konstantinos Koutsoliotas following the film The Winter released in 2014. It was lovely to join forces with Konstantinos and his wife, Elizabeth Schusch, our producers, Lilette Botassi and Dimitris Chatzivogiatzis, the cast, the assistants, and all those present in Aspropyrgos during that odd 2021 summer, amidst the pandemic,” she mentions.
As to whether the film is targeted to a niche audience, here’s what she has to say: “It’s definitely a genre film, a horror-fantasy film. It has already been screened at numerous festivals, such as Fantaspoa in Brazil, London’s FrightFest, Macabro in Mexico, and many others, having received outstanding reviews by the genre’s aficionados. Its festival journey will carry on in 2024, the film will be distributed in the US, but it’s still unclear whether the film will hit Greek theaters.”
Thessaloniki International Film Festival is no unknown territory to her, as a few years ago, in its 60th edition, she had visited it as the main protagonist of the film Siege on Liperti Street by Stavros Pamballis, whose premiere turned into a triumph, as it snatched five awards. “My first visit to TiFF was an unforgettable experience in every aspect. I was equally thrilled with the Festival this year as well; it had the same warm hospitality, the same joyful ambiance and positive energy, as well as many exciting films, both Greek and international. I returned home feeling inspired and filled with more love both for the Festival and the city of Thessaloniki,” she stressed.
My next question revolves around the cities of her life: her years in Paris, the time she spent in London, her current life in Athens. “I was in Paris for a brief period of time, at a younger age. I became fluent in French and I had a blast in a truly unique city. I then went to London for studies (Law and then Theater), and I ended up living there for many years. I earned a main role in the BBC series Casualty before working in many theater, TV and cinema productions. Even since 2019 I started spending more time in Athens, which became my base, even though I am always on the move, traveling abroad for professional reasons. I lead a nomadic life, ready to go wherever my job requires me to. It’s a fact that I have been very lucky in my professional choices both in Greece and abroad. In the early stages of my career, I had the chance to appear in Roman Polański’s film The Ghost Writer; a great gift for my next steps.
Acting came suddenly into my life and turned it upside down, becoming my entire universe. I passionately love what I do, it means so much more to me than a job, it is fulfilling on a personal level. I welcome every new role with a huge excitement and gratitude, I study fervently as if I am a newbie. I work hard and never feel ready for the part, the building of a character is a never-ending process, you can always dig deeper and deeper.
Our talk then shifts to the people she has worked with in Greece and abroad. “I had the privilege of working alongside talented actors who were great people as well, such as Pierce Brosnan, Ewan McGregor, Carey Mulligan, Kim Cattrall, Rupert Graves. In Greece I teamed up with wonderful partners, such as Mimi Denisi, Konstantinos Markoulakis, Pygmalion Dadakarides, Vassilis Koukalani, Akilas Karazisis, Maria Kavogianni, among many others,” she points out.
Having studied Law in Oxford and Acting in the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, when and how did she come to realize that acting is the very core of her personal universe? “I studied Law when I was not still mature enough to define what I wanted to do in life. As soon as I graduated, I knew it was not meant for me. Acting came suddenly into my life and turned it upside down, becoming my entire universe. I passionately love what I do, it means so much more to me than a job, it is fulfilling on a personal level. I welcome every new role with a huge excitement and gratitude, I study fervently as if I am a newbie. I work hard and never feel ready for the part, the building of a character is a never-ending process, you can always dig deeper and deeper,” she explains.
Her list of full-length films, scheduled to be released within the following months, features The Hunted by the Corsican director Louis Lagayette, a thriller shot last year in Anavissos, with a Greek-English-French cast, and One Night in Bath by English filmmaker Marc Price, a romantic comedy shot last August in the titular city of
England. In addition, two short films are underway, Loose Strands by Lou Panteli and Pomegranate by Abi Zakarian.
Moreover, a series of interesting local theater, TV and cinema projects are on the tracks for next season. “I’m glad for the way things have turned out for me in Greece. Cinema opened up the doors for me and theater came up next, with the play Marshall Plan – A path of perspectives by Natasha Triantafylli staged by the Athens Epidaurus Festival, followed by the TV series Zoe by Dorothea Paschalidou, aired at ANT1+ and hopefully soon to aired at ANT1. I feel at home in Greece, both personally and professionally,” concludes Daphne Alexander.
Bio
Daphne Alexander was born in Cyprus, studied Law in Oxford and Theater at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. She has taken part in TV series such as: Casualty (BBC), House of Saddam (HBO/BBC), The Amazing Mrs. Pritchard (BBC) and Dream Team (Sky TV). In her first steps in cinema she appeared in the films The
Ghost Writer directed by Roman Polański, Beckett produced by Luca Guadagnino and The Fourth Kind by Olatunde Osunsanmi. She also starred in the awarded short film The Palace by Antonis Maras and the full-length film Siege on Liperti Street by Stavros Pamballis, recipient of five awards at the Thessaloniki International Film Festival.
More recently, among others, she took part in the full-length films Minore by Konstantinos Koutsoliotas, The Hunted by Louis Lagayette, Smyrna, my Beloved by Grigoris Karantinakis, as well as in the short films First Swim by Alexandros Kostopoulos, Loose Strands by Lou Panteli and Pomegranate by Abi Zakarian. She is a member of the cast of the TV series Zoe, directed by Dorothea Paschalidou and aired at ANT1+. She has also appeared in theater plays staged at London’s Trafalgar Studios (Hidden in The Sand), Sheffield Crucible (Camelot: The Shining City), New York’s 59Ε59 (City Stories) and Peiraios 260 of the Athens Epidaurus Festival (Marshall Plan – A path of perspectives).
Photos
Info
Showreel: https://youtu.be/NCv13Rfw0UU
Spotlight: https://www.spotlight.com/5191-9082-0756
Website: https://www.daphnealexander.com/
IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2415266/
Insta: https://www.instagram.com/daphnealexander_/
