Latest / Breaking The Meta / Is This The Career Mistake Every Actor Makes? Alyona Real Explains

Transcript

Is This The Career Mistake Every Actor Makes? Alyona Real Explains · Breaking The Meta

• Mike Winson: Hello, everyone, and welcome to Breaking the Meadow. My name is Mike Quins, and today's special guest is Aliona Real, star of such amazing hits as HOA, You've Been Overthrown. Alyona: yeah. Mike Winson: All you need is love. memory reset, Mr. Resistant begged for love, and so many more. Alyona: Yeah. Mike Winson: Hello, Aliona. How are you doing? Alyona: doing good Mike Howard. I think you bust out in laughter. Mike Winson: Good. This is the best part. This is my favorite part. My favorite part of of Alyona: Yeah. Mike Winson: interviewing vertical actors and actresses is reading off the stuff that you guys have been in because they are so funny. Yeah. Alyona: And it never gets better. It never I always hear it again and I'm like, why was it yeah, there's like worse things. But hey, it's okay. It's a living, we have Mike Winson: Yeah. It's okay. Alyona: fun and people love it. So Mike Winson: Yep. Yep. Yep. Okay. So obviously you know, I'm I've I've actually gotten to know you a little bit over the last like week or so, which has been really fun. Alyona: Weak, yeah. Mike Winson: But I want people that are watching this to to kind of learn a little bit about you. So let's start out with how you went from Russia. Alyona: Ha ha Mike Winson: To Texas, to Georgia, now to LA. We'll start we'll start Alyona: That is such a Mike Winson: at the beginning though. We'll start at the beginning. Alyona: Yeah, and I won't go into so many details that it bores people, but it's Mike Winson: No, no, no, we don't need to go into crazy details. Alyona: right, no, it's born in Russia, put into an orphanage when I was three years old, spent four years there, love my orphanage. and then got adopted when I was seven years old by an American mama. And by herself though, she never married, so I she don't have a dad. but like killer, she's she's the coolest person on the planet. Mike Winson: Hell yeah. Alyona: Anyways, she adopted me and we moved to San Antonio, Texas, and lived there for a very long time. Can't even tell you how many years. And then I started acting there in theater. I was doing basketball in high school and theater, and my coach goes, You need to pick one or the other. And I was said, Mike Winson: Ha ha. Alyona: W NBA player, famous actor. Like which one can I succeed in? And I don't know. You just you just know when something's meant for you, so I'll quit basketball Mike Winson: Yeah. Alyona: and white theater. And but I mean I learned English that way, watching movies too, over and over and over. I would watch films. and and yeah. Mike Winson: So so did you come did you when you came to America you didn't know English at all? Alyona: No, I don't know. I was floating Russian. and then to to get me into school I had to take all these courses and classes because I was already already behind for my grade. so I started in kinder, but I had to learn English. And so by six Mike Winson: Mm. Alyona: weeks in the States, I was already speaking. And I kept calling the orphanage, you know, to have that connection, but after like a few months I couldn't understand them anymore. It was actually really sad, but Mike Winson: Really? Alyona: I was making so much effort in English. And you know, when you're younger, it just your brain is so malleable, you know, you could you just absorb so much. So yeah, I learned English really quickly and then I now I'm here. Yeah. Mike Winson: So what what what was what brought you from Texas to Georgia? 'Cause Georgia was where was Georgia where the acting really like started? Alyona: No, no, Texas is where it started. I was acting for a very long time in Texas. I would drive to Mike Winson: okay. Alyona: Austin. Austin, Texas is where so much of the industry is. But it was very, very small in comparison to Georgia and LA and New York. But I started there doing lots of movies and commercials and then I was like, I'm ready for something bigger. So I drove, me and my dog Choo Choo drove to Atlanta and I lived there for five years until I was ready for a bigger adventure. Cause I was doing so well in verticals and I was doing lifetime films and commercials and I just was like, you know what? I think it's time to take that next step. So that's how. Mike Winson: Hmm. Okay. So you went When you went into the vertical, when you got your first Taste of a vertical. What was that like for you? Not like the first act, but like before you like when you first got a an audition for a vertical, when you first started reading the script of what was in a vertical, what was going through your head? Alyona: I didn't know it was a vertical until I got on set, Mike. Like I didn't know until Mike Winson: Really? Alyona: all the cameras were vertical. Yeah, I just thought I booked a lead in a feature film. And that's kind of how they were marketing it at first. So I was like, okay. And it was a love story with the crazy name, Callboy I sure is, Mike, sure is. Mike Winson: Is that the the call boy I met in Paris? Alyona: And I'm proud of it. And what of it? All right. Mike Winson: Proud of it. And and it was Paris, but in Texas. Alyona: It was no, this one was in Atlanta. I got my first vertical in Mike Winson: Okay. So Paris and Atlanta. Alyona: in Atlanta and there's a few mansions that we shoot at, and one of them is called Lionsgate. And if you watch these, a lot of actors know they film almost every vertical there. It's this beautiful location, but outside in front of it, there's like a little fountain and an arch and this little garden, and it looks like you could be in Paris. I think they stuck the Eiffel Tower somewhere in there behind there, you know. I mean, no, they did the Mike Winson: Yeah. Alyona: Lord. I mean, they really put in i they try to make it. I mean, I anyways, they did the best they could. And actually it doesn't look so bad. And it was I mean, I was only in Paris. Like we met and I gave him money because he was stranded and then it's seven years later, in the Mike Winson: okay. Alyona: States. So it wasn't set in pair imagine. No but imagine. Yeah, so Mike Winson: Gotcha. Alyona: so that's when I started and I didn't realize it. but it did it felt like a regular film because I had done lots of films before, so it did it didn't feel vertical. It started to feel vertical when I left to go film them in Canada and LA, that they really Mike Winson: Mm. Alyona: were like, You're at a six or seven. Like when I was odd like auditioning, but they're like, We need you like a 10. And I don't do 10 acting very well. I I find that I'm a lot more grounded and a little bit like quieter, more introspective. And so I really had to like put on a little bit more. And I was like, this this is the verticals that people are like really wanting. So Mike Winson: So you've you've now been doing verticals for a coup almost a about a couple years now, cause that release Alyona: Like three. Yeah. Mike Winson: of Cowboy was June of twenty twenty four. What what has been your favorite one to do so far? Alyona: I think it's c la la la la la What is it? I did it in wait, what's the name? I'm ca I'm kinda going crazy. the Golden Pear Affair. Mike Winson: Okay. Alyona: that the Golden Paraphair was filmed as a collaboration with the brand Native, and I already use Native products. So it was the first like fully branded vertical Mike Winson: Mm. Alyona: with Procter and Gamble. And that w it was really, really cool to be able to work with them because they were on set, but also I played twins and the script wasn't like you're all over him and you're helpless and he's the CEO hero. It was like I was a twin and one twin was bad and one twin was good and the bad one was robbing banks through Europe and then the police come and arrest me because they think it's me and I'm like it's not Mike Winson: Right, of course. Alyona: and then so then we go to find the bad twin in Europe and it was so like and there was one kiss and it was just perfect. It was with Rick Rick Nick Ritako and he's just so lovely and yeah so I loved the script. I loved it was filmed in Athens, Georgia. And yeah working with native I don't know it was just a bunch of really good elements to it. Yeah. Mike Winson: Yeah. So w when did you move to LA? Alyona: A year ago. Literally one year ago. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Mike Winson: A year ago. So and it's been probably what the last four or five months that that there's been since AI kind of took over the whole Alyona: Yeah. Mike Winson: or at least half the industry now, as it's kind of Alyona: Yeah. Mike Winson: what I've seen some stuff that you talking about, but what what has it been like for you? you made a huge move, you literally went across the country. because because, you know, you were getting Alyona: Get Mike Winson: lots of work and then like seven months seven six, seven months later it it really dried Alyona: And yeah. Mike Winson: up. Alyona: Yeah, I have definitely struggled mentally and like physic not physically, but you know, you could just kind of like it's just a it's just a struggle because I really thought I was like, this is what I'm supposed to be doing, like this is the next step. And I really thought about it and marinated on the idea of moving to Los Angeles, but I was doing so well. So yeah, it's I I have really close producer friends who they're like Ali, I I we wanna get you back on set. but we're going AI fully. And so we are not doing any live action. I'll let you know. We're hopefully gonna get scripts in pretty soon. So I'm in contact with some really great people, and hopefully I can work with them again. But you know, it's just so much cheaper, it's so much easier for them. And so I don't fault them for wanting to save money, I don't fault the industry for going that route, but I I hope that we can keep some humanity. So and I know what they're doing now is they used to just put out a bunch of live action, and then whatever did well, they were like, let's try it with AI. Now they're doing the opposite, where they're putting out a bunch of stuff for AI, and if it goes viral, then they choose actors and they do it. live action. Mike Winson: Interesting. Alyona: Yeah. And so I get it. As a business, I'm never gonna fault anybody for like doing what's right for them. It just it's a blow. It makes me sad because all I want to do is be on set. All I want to do is have a script in my hands and act. And I feel like out of my control I can't do that right now. So it's a bummer. Mike Winson: Do you do you like having done other stuff other than verticals and now done verticals? Is there something about do you like doing verticals more or what kind of what kind of acting do you enjoy doing the most? Because because Alyona: I think for Mike Winson: acting vertical acting is fast. Like you're in and out in like a week. Alyona: Week. line and every scene. Yeah. And you know what I will say if I ever go I mean when I go, right? Wording, to do some like narrative work outside of verticals, I will be fine because of how fast we film. I'm like, I can handle the schedules. We film twenty plus pages a day on verticals, but the scripts are not something I have a hard time, if anyone knows me, I kinda have a difficult time reading the scripts and pulling myself into those worlds 'cause a lot of it is still very misogynistic and Mike Winson: Mm-hmm. Alyona: It's har it's it's hard. And then I'm also doing a lot of abusive scenes and There's a lot of violence towards women in a a lot of these. And there's a level that I can handle if it's empowering and it's needed for the story. But I find that like one of the intimacy coordinators for one of them was a a therapist. And I was I was getting assaulted one time in a scene. And I I couldn't get myself out of it. And it was very difficult. My body was going into like fight or flight thinking that I was actually getting attacked. And so Mike Winson: Mm. Alyona: so it took some time and she really talked me out of it. And I'm so glad. I'm so glad I can still do things like that. And even for like the narrative work that I want to do on Netflix, I mean I want to work with the big dogs, right? Like I want to do some really big things. And those scenes are also necessary. But I think in some verticals, it's just like what viewers want is just all of that. And if it doesn't If it doesn't tell the story, I don't want to do it. And so with a lot of verticals, I'm having a hard time with the scripts. But I mean, I just I I want to do messy stuff. I wanna do I also want to do comedies. Cause again, Mike Winson: Mm. Alyona: laughing all day. I want to get into comedy work so bad. But I cry so well on I cry so fast. I I can really get there. And so that's really good for dramas. But yeah, I'm so glad I've done other things outside of verticals because those scripts I enjoy a little more, but I do love the vertical space because it's so much fun. So I just wish it like worlds like better scripts for verticals and faster pace for like the regular work that I do. It'd be a good mix, yeah. Mike Winson: Yeah. It it's funny because I mentioned to you, I forget it was yesterday or two days ago, that I'd actually seen one of your verticals before I'd actually met you. And you said it was one of Alyona: Yeah. Mike Winson: the ones you probably disliked the most because you didn't get to do as much in it. It was the Alyona: Yeah. Mike Winson: HOA, you've been overthrown. Alyona: Yeah, I just yeah. Mike Winson: but I will tell you why I liked it. And I think Alyona: tell me please. Mike Winson: because what I love are when a vertical has a strong woman in it. I think we need more strong women in it. And Alyona: Okay. That's Mike Winson: I know you didn't have many lines, and I can definitely understand your perspective as an actor not liking it. But the whole time I'm sitting here going, it's right, she doesn't need to talk. She knows, she knows. Alyona: That's you know what? I'm so glad you got that. I'm so glad you got that. Cause I was like, hold on, I was talking to my director. Who's also a good friend of mine too. We've done like four together. And I'm like, Tang, I need to say something. I need to emote. This is so harmful and hurtful. And he's like, Nope, you're a queen. And we had clients from China. I'm so sorry if I'm getting wrong. her name is Julie. She was lovely. Taiwan, I don't know. But you know, she was like, nope, she can't talk, she can't do this. Like, that's really what they wanted. So yeah, I think I really wanted to bring something, but I think the HOA characters brought so much more to it and I could balance that out. to where I could be very internalized and they had to be this crazy character and Mike Winson: Yeah. Alyona: I loved working. I mean we laughed so much. They had so much fun. Mike Winson: Yeah, it was it was it was funny. It it was. There were plenty of funny parts in it, especially when the Alyona: It was fun. Yeah. Yeah. I'm glad. Mike Winson: the old guy kept going up and being like, guys, what are you doing? Just just shut up. And they're like, No, we will not. Alyona: Right. Right. No, yeah. Mike Winson: We're gonna make ourselves worse. Alyona: Yes. I'm so glad. Thank you for giving me that perspective. Cause yeah, it's I'm just one girl and this is my like one perspective, but I don't talk to people who've seen it. I mean they'll say, we loved you in like in this, but I don't get their perspective and why they liked it. So that is really, really like great. Thank you for sharing. Mike Winson: Yeah. I I think we need more verticals where the women are like I always say I said we need verticals where the woman is like the rich, strong one and the guy is literally just the plain old guy. There's nothing special about him and the girl has to take care of the guy. Alyona: Right. I I auditioned for one where I was the mafia boss. There's so many mafia ones. but I was the boss and I got all the way to the chem read, but I wasn't chosen and that's okay. But I was so excited to do it. I was like, please let me book this because yes, I'm telling all the men around, all the henchmen, like what to do. And I was like, This is what we need more of. Yeah. So they're out there. Yeah. Mike Winson: Yep. Heck yeah. There are. so is there a style of vertical that you haven't gotten to do yet that like if you could snap your fingers and you just get the part that you would want to do? Alyona: anything with sports. there's like an ice skating one. I wanna I wanna do that so bad. Ice skating, like I don't know why, but in another life I I'm a baker, I'm a surfer, and I'm an ice skater. Like there's all these things that I wanna do and I am Mike Winson: Yeah. Alyona: trying to find lessons to go like take ice skating, you know, here in LA. But yeah, I would love to do that. Like something with sports. I also additioned one for fencing. And I almost got that one too. I was really excited because I got it's like a college one. I was like, yes, like there's a sport in it. Cause I I used I used to play basketball. So I really Mike Winson: Right. Alyona: do like sports. And then there's fantasy ones. And I just started reading fantasy books for the first time and they got me back out of my little reading schlump. And I feel like that would be fun. You know, something different. Mike Winson: Team Edward or Team Jacob? Did I did I open a door that I shouldn't have opened? I apologize. Alyona: They're both hot. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, because I had Taylor Lautner on my walls and on my ceiling. So when I went to bed I could look up and Mike Winson: Hahaha Alyona: No, she's smart, is she not? Hello, like good morning. And Mike Winson: Hey Alyona: but like No, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I mean both, but I think I think Lautner. Yeah. So Team Jacob. Wolf. Puppy. Yeah. What am I giving? Mike Winson: Yep. Have you gotten to play a werewolf in a werewolf vertical yet? Alyona: No, I kind of don't want to. I don't know how to be like you're my alpha and you need to Mike Winson: Really? Alyona: impregnate me with pups. Like I have I have a hard time. No, but come on. Are they good? I've never watched. Mike Winson: Now to be fair, I've watched I've watched a few of I'm not sure I've heard anyone say I want to impregnate impregnate you with pups yet. Alyona: okay. Maybe then it was a commercial on one, but they were like, I want to give you like pups or something and and it was like a Mike Winson: Maybe maybe they have and that I've just happened to not see them, but I've I've watched I have a few I've watched a few with Alyona: Yeah, yeah. I'll send you the Okay. Mike Winson: with some people that I've interviewed and I've never I've never heard that line said. Alyona: Okay, okay. So maybe I just watched the one like clip and I'm like, I don't wanna do it. Are they good too? I mean, is it like I should probably watch one? They're they're fun. Like, yeah, wait, which one is your favorite vertical? Mike Winson: Yeah. They're they're actually really good. I'll give you I'll give you one who's got they've got a couple a couple friends of mine in the vertical world. I'll I'll let you know and they're they're Alyona: Go for it. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Mike Winson: really good. Alyona: Okay. Are those your favorite to watch? Like if in the whole like vertical space, is there a genre or a type of story that you like to watch? Mike Winson: Honestly, the werewolf ones I find are a little weird, partially because of the whole Alpha Luna thing. That feels a little odd to me. Alyona: Yeah. Yeah. Mike Winson: my favorite ones are the ones where the person dies and comes back to life in the past and gets to like live a different life than the one that they had, like make different choices from the one that they had they had made before. Those are my favorite ones. Really? Man, I'm gonna have to I'm not sure I've ever Alyona: Well I don't think I've ever ever heard of that as yeah. Mike Winson: had to introduce people that in the world. Yeah, there's some really good ones. Alyona: What I mean again, what rock am I living under? I feel like I should I should have known this. I don't think I've ever heard of that one. But yeah, please send it my way. I need I need to invest more. I don't watch my own like verticals either. It's just too difficult. So yeah. Mike Winson: Yeah. No, I understand that. I understand. I would I would hate doing it as well. I don't watch my own podcast because I don't want to see I'm too I'm too Alyona: No, okay. What Mike Winson: critical of how I look. I would like see myself make a face at some point. I'm like, why did I make that face? Why? I d Alyona: Right, right, right. Why did I do that? You're touching your hair too much here. Yeah, it's like chill. Yeah, smart. Nice. Mike Winson: Yeah. Yeah. okay. So I think one of the one like obviously because one of the reasons I wanted to interview you was you were friends of people that I've that I'm friends with and friends of my Alyona: Yeah. Mike Winson: friends are my friends. And so I definitely wanted to to get to know you and and and help obviously in any way that I can. But one of the things that I've appreciated about you since since I've been able to see your stuff. And and interact with you on your lives is as someone who is now going through this time where, you know, you're trying to figure things out because you're not getting as much work as you'd like. I really appreciated the stuff that you've been putting out, talking about, you know, help trying to help people who are dealing kind of with the same kind of thing. Like you're talking about how you've gone through like not. moving to LA without any friends and stuff that you've done to try and help with that. And you've you've really what what has it been like for you in those in these last like especially four or five months where work has really dried up and you've you've had to almost it almost feels like sort of reinvent yourself a little bit. Alyona: Yeah. Yeah. It's definitely been finding a way to move differently mentally and it's like physically too. So but i it's it's a lot of Have you ever heard of the artist's way? The the book? like a 12-week Mike Winson: I think so, yeah. Alyona: like cour write course where you know you're writing three pages a day and then you're doing these exercises, you're you're taking yourself out on artist dates, you know, like doing things like by yourself, which I'm already always doing everything by myself because I'm still kind of new. Well, now that I have a couple friends, you know, but it's trying to find going. Mike Winson: You hung on out you were hanging out with a couple of those friends, at least online last night. Alyona: Yes, yeah, yeah, yeah. Last night we were having so much fun and we went to the beach. Emily Rose was one of the very first actors I met. like six months before I moved. So yeah she was one of the only humans I I knew here. So I was like, well she's out there, I have something. I have it small Mike Winson: Mm-hmm. Alyona: anchor to ground myself on. And so now she, you know, it the friendship has flourished. But yeah, it's I'm talking to my best friend about acting and how it's just rejection after rejection. And I I, you know, I think you've already heard this on live, so I'm like, I don't know how much more rejection I can take. And she's like, I don't know what this is doing for your psyche. I'm kind of worried about you. And it It's like no, I think I'm good. I think I'd have to find ways to uplift myself outside of the industry because I don't feel wanted in this space that I want so badly. And it's like Mike Winson: Yeah. Alyona: it's like an unrequainted love, it feels like now, where all I I just I love everything about this industry. And every Tuesday I go watch a movie or I go support like a movie launch or a premiere and I stay for like a QA. and I find my and but I have to find love outside of this because right now there's n it like Hollywood isn't little empty cup and it's not you know, you kinda have like give from a like a full cup and I'm seeing it as like it's it's hard for Hollywood to give right now with AI and you know, some of the strikes and you know, so I'm like, okay, where can I build myself up in my self esteem and my confidence that I've kind of lost in the last six months and so that's why I craft. I read so much. I jump into the ocean every Friday morning at seven AM with a bunch of people and I try to find ways to uplift myself outside of acting. So So it's it's been a lot of that the last six months where this does not dictate who I am or my talent. And I have so much more going for myself, but it's been tough. Yeah. Mike Winson: For people that you know, as as someone who I c who is quite a bit older than you, and Alyona: You don't know my age. Everyone thinks that. I'm telling you, I'm older than I look. Mike Winson: Maybe, but I'm still no, I'm quite a bit older than We'll talk about that after. Alyona: Okay, I'll believe you. Mike Winson: What I someone I've I like to talk about how when I started, so I started, we'll just talk, we'll just go with the 10 years that I've been a content creator. I started as a gaming streamer. I blew up as a karaoke streamer, like blew up online Alyona: Yes. Mike Winson: singing. I was singing like 60 hours a week, hundreds of people watching me. I felt like a friggin' rock star. It was the craziest thing. I sang with people that were on American Idol, like stuff that I've never. And then that dried up for reasons that had nothing to do with me. And then I started doing political content. And then I realized that I'm then I started talking with people and having f becoming friends with people that could become senators and congressmen. And I was sitting there going, what is going on with my life? And now I'm hanging out and sitting out and sitting and talking with people that Alyona: Yeah. Mike Winson: are, you know, are do are Hollywood actors. And it's just like, do you see a a a veering that doesn't go away from from Hollywood or acting that you that you could see yourself doing or you would enjoy doing? That might not be the vertical acting, but something within that that's a that's a almost like a little veer that you just never really considered before. Is that something you've thought about? Alyona: When you say staying in the industry, you're talking about like maybe directing or writing, like something else. Mike Winson: Sure, yeah. Any I mean, yeah. Alyona: Yeah, I mean I'm really good at I worked in marketing for a company called Paper Shoot Camera for about five years and I had to do lots of content creating, lots of email marketing, lots of paid ads work. So I'm trying to look for a job in that way. UGC I would love to do because I want to work with some of my favorite brands, but I also want to write scripts so bad, but I can't put the stories together in my head. Like I have so many stories, but I can't Mike Winson: Mm. Alyona: like if if someone comes to me, they're Ali, can you please write a script about it's one scene, two characters, and they're breaking up, easy. But if It's a story connecting plot lines and a climax here and then a downfall there, and but I Mike Winson: Mm-hmm. Alyona: can't I don't know how to do that, and so I'm trying to figure out how to do that, and so maybe get into writing more. producing just sounds so stressful, but would love to learn. I just think I've kind of put myself in one hole which has done so well, which is acting, and now I'm like, well, that's run dry, you know. That well is no longer available, at least not for right now. And I don't want to say that because I'm trying to manifest, like, you're you Mike Winson: Yeah. Alyona: know, book, but I I do want to explore a little bit more, but I feel like I should probably stay at least within the social media realm because I'm good there and I think Mike Winson: Yeah. Alyona: you have to play to your strengths. And I love being in front of the camera and I love talking to people. So I'm like, okay, I have that. Now what else can I do? I will yeah, but I fully believe I love your journey and I fully I mean one thing changes and I it can take it just it can just blow up and you have no idea. So I I was even telling my friend Annie earlier this morning, I was like, I'm a yes woman. I'm saying yes to everything right now. Mike Winson: Yeah. Alyona: Unless it feels off, right? But for the most part just saying yes to everything and it's paying off. So choo-choo. My dog is making it come in. Come here. Mike Winson: I mean, and that's and that's awesome. And I think that's I think that's a perspective that I think people outside of your industry, it's harder for for them. I I actually find that people in the acting world tend to because, you know, except for a period of time where vertical where everyone just had verticals nonstop working, in general, Alyona: Mm-hmm. Mike Winson: it was pretty much known that if you were working as an actor or like a singer or something like that, you were working a second job or you had you had other things going on. So Alyona: Yeah. Mike Winson: you It it's really kind of your mentality anyways of, you know. Alyona: It's so mental, Mike. Yeah, it's such a mental game. You don't even realize it until you're in a thick of it, you know? You're like, I'm pretty down on myself. I'm very negative right now. Yeah. Mike Winson: Yeah. And you have to be really flexible and you have to be willing to almost rebuild yourself in some cases. I've I've had to rebuild more times than I can count. And there are days every time it happens where I'm like, can I do this again? And then I sit in front of a camera and I do exactly what I'm doing here. And I realize how much I love it. And I go, Yep, I'm gonna keep doing it because I because. Alyona: The no, it takes that, yeah. Mike Winson: Because this is this this is joy to me, learning meeting new people. The fact that I get to sit here and talk with you and meet you and and learn about you and your journey and and you know hopefully, you know, one day, you know, meet you and get to hang out. Like those kind of things are just so that's that's that's everything for me. So I Alyona: I right. And it takes that little you know, I'll be down for a day and then I go to like the movies and I watch a film and I'm like, inspired, this is what I do. I helped a friend of mine for free. I volunteered to help with, you know, do a little shoot for their their little short film and I was on set and I was like the fact that I just get to be on set, like, okay, fine, I know that this is what I'm meant to be doing. Yeah, so it's even just those little pieces that kind of keep you going. So you get it. And we're on this, yeah. Mike Winson: Yep. It it's it's it's not for everyone, which is why I always laugh when people come and tell me that I shouldn't be doing it. I'm like, you couldn't do it. Most people can't do it. This is not this is not an easy job, whether what I do or what you do. It's not something that just Alyona: Right. Mike Winson: anyone can walk in and and do. You have to be willing to keep just going. Cause you guys have to make 'cause you guys do Alyona: Yeah, and you've got through so much to get there, yeah. Mike Winson: like how many. I don't even want to count probably how many How many reels and things you put together to try out auditions. Alyona: What auditions? yeah, I can't. I yeah, I looked recently at how many I didn't get and I I was like, this is heartbreaking. but also it like at least for me and I know for other actors, I love to act. And it is just Mike Winson: Yeah. Alyona: an aw like I have an audition after this and I'm so excited to just act. And every Mike Winson: Mm. Alyona: like right before each audition, like right before I hit record, I'm like, okay, let's play. And then I just have the most fun auditioning. I love auditions. I mean, obviously I want to book as well, but when I get a script, I'm like, okay, right. Mike Winson: We're gonna manifest. I got friends that do this. When they manifest they go like this. They just manifest for you. Alyona: This Mike Winson: Yep. Alyona: I feel like I'm landing a f a plane. Like Mike Winson: They it's it's more like a like rubbing. It's like they're rubbing over their head. It's like manifesting. Yep. Yep. Alyona: like energetic rubbing, I feel like. Okay. Okay. I will let you know if that works. I will adopt it into my manifestation. Mike Winson: Well, you can thank the vertical queens. I'll have to introduce you. They're an amazing group of people. Yep. There you Alyona: Please, please call the whole party. I love. Mike Winson: go. Alyona: Yep. Mike Winson: okay, well, I really appreciate you coming on here and letting us get to know you just for a little bit. For anyone that wants to follow you online and just hang out because you do go live, especially on TikTok, where can they find you? Alyona: Yeah, Aliona Really. My my obviously my name is Aliona Real, but I know, I just thought it was cute. So that's both on Instagram and TikTok. And yeah, I'm trying to go live for a little bit just to see how it feels and how it works. And I just want to connect with people. I've had so much fun chatting with people on live. I it's the best time. Yeah. I Mike Winson: Yeah. Well you're really good at it. I'll tell you. You are good at it. Alyona: think I talk too fast and too much. So I need to like No? I feel like I'm like Mike Winson: No, you don't. You don't. I I wish I could talk as much as you do when like no, not in a bad way. Like you, I Alyona: That's right. Mike Winson: I if no one's if if no one's talking back at me, I will just sit there and wait. It's really bad. Where where when Alyona: Gonna have movement. Mike Winson: where when if no one's talking for a second, you're just like, yeah, and you just start talking. And I'm like, I wish I could do that. It just doesn't, it just my brain doesn't. But if someone's talking to me, I will go nonstop for ever and ever and ever and ever. Alyona: Well that's the hard part, huh? Like if if there's n nothing on the bottom there, you're like, okay, do I say what I've done again for the fifth time like today? Mike Winson: Yeah. Alyona: Or do I start a conversation? I'm always like, So what are you guys up to? And I'm like, this is so boring, like anyways, I'm hoping to bring in some more to the lives that it's not just like, I just wanna say hi, you know, like I need to do more, but Mike Winson: Well, if you ever want you see me pop up, you're all gonna bring me up. I'd love to just talk. So I do that with friends. Alyona: Yeah, yeah, yeah, that's so true. I'm like I do that with, you know, the girly pops on Mike Winson: Yeah. Alyona: the vertical space, but would love to have you on. We'll just chat and then there won't be any awkward silences. Mike Winson: Yeah. Absolutely. That's right. That's right. Ali, thank you so much for coming on here. Thank you for hanging out. Thank you for letting us get to know you. For everyone that watched this far, thank you so much. Please hit all those buttons down below. Alyona: Thank you so much. Mike Winson: Like, subscribe, share, comment. It helps me do what I get what I do, which is get to talk with people like Ali. So please, thank you. and for people that are new to this podcast, just so you know, breaking the meta is about having hard having hard conversations when necessary. Fighting to break the status quo and the idea that all people, no matter your race, religion, gender, or identity, deserve rights, respect, dignity, and safety. Again, Ali, thank you for being here. For everyone else, we'll see you next time on Breaking the Meta. Bye, guys. Alyona: Period. Thank you, Mike, so much. I appreciate you.