Rising star Anastasia Doaga joins us on Close-Up Culture to talk about her exciting role in the upcoming film, Assassin Club.
The film follows an assassin who is given a contract to kill seven people around the world, only to discover the targets are also assassins who have been hired to kill him.
You star in the Camille Delamarre action film, Assassin Club. You are still very early into your career, how did this opportunity come about?
This opportunity came about just after my graduation from the Academy of Dramatic Arts “Silvio d’Amico”. It was my first movie set experience. I was very excited, but I also felt a lot of responsibility on my shoulders. I loved the script and the character from the first reading and I couldn’t believe when my agent called me and told me: “you got the part”. I had to ask twice: “What? I don’t understand, you said: I GOT the part? Are you sure?” “Yess! You got it!” I didn’t move for a while, it was such a big thing for me!
What excited you about this story and this project?
First of all, it’s an action movie and it excited me a lot! I loved the game of the 7 contracts offered to 7 assassins all over the world to kill each other. I also loved the role of Jonna in all this story! Of course, by that time I already knew the names of the main actors I was going to work with and I couldn’t wait to be on set!
What can you tell us about your character, Jonna?
Jonna is a strong, a highly intelligent girl. She has everything under control and she hides her emotions and her inner feelings from all the people around. She is still young, but she is prepared to do everything to achieve her goals! And the most important thing is that all her actions are moved by love for her family and by justice!
The film also stars Henry Golding, Daniela Melchior and the legend Sam Neill. What was it like being on set for this film?
My knees were shaking! I worked with Henry Golding, Noomi Rapace and Jimmy Jean-Louis.
In the beginning I was afraid I might do something wrong, but during the scenes I enjoyed working with them so much, it felt so natural and so exciting. Unfortunately I didn’t have scenes with Sam Neill, but I could watch him working and it was such a big gift for me. He is a real legend.
Can you tell us about your background and how you got into acting?
Acting has always been my biggest dream, but I didn’t tell anything to anyone for years. I was born in Moldova, it’s a very small country and when people hear that you want to become an actor, they usually feel pity for you or think you’re crazy, because there are few opportunities to build a great career in this field there.
So I went to Law School. A year after that I decided to move to Milan and continue my studies there. But one day, during a lesson at the university, I understood that if I wouldn’t have found the courage to face my dream and go for it from that moment on, I won’t do it ever. That’s how it all started. I did the auditions for the drama schools and I had the opportunity to choose where to go. I was accepted at the School of Piccolo di Milano and the Rome National Academy of Dramatic Arts “Silvio d’Amico”. I chose the second one and moved to Rome.
What type of roles and projects excite you?
During my latest experiences I understood that what excites me more about acting is working on different roles with very different ways of thinking and ways of moving through life. Most of all I love working on strong and complicated personalities that are impossible to solve, real human beings stories.
I want to take part in projects I believe in, I want to meet people, projects and characters I feel I want to move a mountain for.
Do you have any other projects and ambitions to share with us?
I can not speak about my future projects yet, but I can share one project I’m very attached to, it’s the road movie “Girls Don’t Cry”, directed by Andrea Zuliani, that will be out soon in Italy. It’s about a trip of two girls, Ele and Mia, who decide to travel by an ’80s motorhome from the southern Italy to the north, trying to make their lives better. I am Mia, a Romanian girl with a difficult childhood, who wants to find a place she can belong to.
I’m not used to share my ambitions, but I just want them to be bigger than me, always. So I can go further and never forget I have something else to learn and something else to live.
Follow Anastasia on Instagram – Anastasia Doagă (@anastasiadoaga)
Title photo : Gioele Vettraino
Styling : Caterina Egidi
Look: Black cardigan MTOF
Hair & Make up Marta Ricci @simonebelliagency
Press office Lorella Di Carlo