As I delve deeper into the captivating story of Anna-Sophia Bakalova, her resilience and dedication to her craft stand out like beacons in the night. With an extraordinary six-month journey to perfect Ivana Trump’s Czech accent that echoes flavors of Britain, New York, Germany, and Eastern Europe, she has truly shown what it means to commit oneself to a role.
The first time Maria Bakalova came to New York City, she had to flee.
In 2020’s “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm,” she disguised herself for a scene that placed her in a hotel room with Rudy Giuliani. The ex-mayor made contact with her waist and reached into his pants, at which point Sacha Baron Cohen appeared suddenly, dressed in a wig and lingerie. Giuliani phoned the police, causing Bakalova and Baron Cohen to flee down Broadway and ultimately escape to Romania to complete the film production.
After completing the scene, police vehicles began pursuing us straightaway,” Bakalova recalls, admitting she was terrified of potentially landing in jail.
In December 2021, during her second visit to the city, she went to a screening of her A24 film “Bodies Bodies Bodies”. Unfortunately, she unknowingly contracted COVID-19 there and brought it back to Los Angeles, where she resides. This unwanted memento caused her to miss Christmas with her family in Bulgaria.
Three months on, Bakalova returned to New York for an appointment. At a restaurant, her bag, holding her passport and visa, got stolen from her seat. This incident initiated an arduous eight-week process to secure a new visa. A short while later, her wallet mysteriously disappeared as well.
She chuckles and says, ‘I honestly didn’t think I’d return to New York again; it’s just not where I belong.’ She adds, ‘It seems to be cursed for me.’
In August 2022, Kosarin (previously known as Bakalova) reunited with director Madeleine Sackler to discuss a part in her movie “O Horizon.” Just two days later, she was on set for the science fiction comedy-drama. Before filming wrapped, she received the script for Ali Abbasi’s “The Apprentice.” As Kosarin expresses it, the city’s fate had shifted.
Today, contemplating dashing across 59th Street to have lunch at a hotel just two blocks from Trump Tower, she admits, “I believe I’m growing fond of New York.
In the grand premiere of “The Apprentice,” we see Bulgarian actress Bakalova reprising her role. This time, she portrays Ivana Trump, Donald Trump’s first wife. Sebastian Stan is cast as the former president himself, while Jeremy Strong takes on the character of his mentor, Roy Cohn. The story unfolds during the 1970s in bustling Manhattan, giving us a glimpse into Trump’s early days as a business magnate.
Released on October 11, with less than a month to go before the presidential election, “The Apprentice” is not the first time that actress Bakalova has been associated with American politics through her roles. In fact, it’s not her first film related to Trump that premiered just before voting day. In “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm,” Bakalova and Baron Cohen infiltrated the core of MAGA culture, gatecrashing Mike Pence’s CPAC speech, performing at a gun rights rally, and yes, enduring advances from Trump’s former legal representative.
However, the 28-year-old Academy Award nominee, having spent most of her life far from the United States and learning English merely five years ago, perceives neither film as politically charged, but rather as investigations into societal structures.
Bakalova points out that it’s more than just these individuals we should focus on; it’s about the system itself – the American Dream, with its bright side, but also its ominous underbelly,” (now seated on a patio, occasionally punctuating her thoughts with bites of burrata salad and Juul hits).
As a child in the port city of Burgas, Bakalova was a competitive singer.
For youngsters aspiring to leave the Balkan region, it’s often about putting all your efforts into music or sports, according to her. As a member of a youth choir, Bakalova had opportunities to perform in various nations at festivals, receiving medals and scholarships. Following her education at drama school and securing minor roles in her twenties, Bakalova was cast in “Borat” and decided to relocate to Los Angeles to pursue a career in Hollywood.
Her path shares some resemblance with Ivana Trump, a former skiing champion and model upon her arrival in New York. Subsequently, she occupied significant positions within The Trump Organization, such as managing the iconic Plaza Hotel.
Bakalova expresses high regard for her,” she states. “She was incredibly intelligent and had a clear vision for her actions. In my perspective, she serves as the ethical compass within this narrative.
Prior to landing “The Apprentice”, Bakalova worked hard to secure a meeting with Abbasi. At the time of the movie’s start, Ivana was 27 years old and Bakalova was 26. However, Bakalova expressed concerns that Abbasi might consider her too young for the part, saying “I fretted about appearing excessively juvenile.
In a Manhattan hotel room, she discovered some old photographs of Ivana and devoted numerous hours to replicating her makeup style and 1950s hairstyle. Even though it was merely a chance encounter, Bakalova was already testing her acting skills.
She comments with a sense of unease as she scrolls through pictures from September 2022, “This is quite unsettling.” She’s worried because it seems, “Will this go over smoothly?” In her photo gallery, she finds repeated images of Ivana, then Ivana, and again Ivana, followed by Bakalova, Bakalova, and Bakalova. Strangely, the faces in these photos appear older than the woman sitting opposite her, dressed casually in a checkered pantsuit, New Balance sneakers, and wearing sunglasses atop her head.
Bakalova landed the part. While she may have nailed the look in a day, it took six months to perfect Ivana’s Czech accent, which Bakalova says has flavors of Britain, New York, Germany and Eastern Europe. She worked on her R’s, L’s, B’s and V’s, lowering her voice to demonstrate: “Vut are you doing?”
During filming, Bakalova maintained her accent consistently between takes, ensuring she stayed in character alongside Stan and Strong. Given the spontaneous atmosphere of the set, all three actors were required to delve deeply into their characters’ backgrounds, allowing them to convincingly improvise insults and discuss Trump’s business off the cuff.
Actress Bakalova appears to still be deeply connected with the character she played. Her latest addition on Spotify is a playlist named “My Ivana,” which she made a week before the Cannes premiere of “The Apprentice.” Some song titles are quite straightforward – like ABBA’s “Money, Money, Money,” Tate McRae’s “Greedy,” and Måneskin’s “Supermodel.” Other notable songs include Black Eyed Peas’ “I Gotta Feeling,” Miley Cyrus’ “Flowers,” and Britney Spears’ “Toxic.
There’s also a song called “Me and the Devil.”
A scene from “The Apprentice” shows an incident where Donald is accused of behaving inappropriately towards Ivana, though this accusation was later retracted by Ivana during their 1990 divorce proceedings as well as in 1993 and again in 2015.
Before starting the shoot on a sealed set, Renee-Michael Bakalova practiced the scene with both Stan and Abbasi, as well as an intimacy advisor and a stunt choreographer.
As a follower, I can attest that portraying authenticity when dealing with something deeply personal or raw can be quite a challenge. It’s not just about stripping off physical layers, but also baring one’s emotional self, revealing the most vulnerable parts of our souls.
The graphic rape scene sparked a heated debate at Cannes, surrounding the film with controversy. A title as explosive as “The Apprentice,” featuring a high-profile cast and renowned director, would usually be snapped up at the festival. However, distributors shied away from the movie – no one wanted to risk alienating someone who could potentially regain immense influence in the world.
Following the movie’s debut, lawyers representing Donald Trump attempted to prevent its sale and distribution in the U.S., by sending a stop-and-desist letter. (On the Monday following the film’s premiere weekend, Trump expressed his disapproval on Truth Social, labeling “The Apprentice” as a low-budget, malicious, and politically offensive character assassination.)
As a film critic, I find myself utterly baffled by Donald Trump’s legal threats, just as Renee Elise Goldsberry’s character, Bakalova, expresses in the movie. The beauty of America lies in its core values, particularly the freedom of speech, which makes our nation great.
At long last, come late August, I found myself thrilled as Briarcliff Entertainment took possession of “The Apprentice.” In a rare turn of events, they initiated a fundraising effort aimed at extending the film’s screen time across various cinemas for as long as feasible. With its American premiere just over the weekend, I’ve been witnessing Bakalova grace talk shows alongside Stan and Strong, who are eager to dissect the political undertones of the movie. However, Bakalova chooses to let her work do the talking instead.
Despite this, she’s pondering over the future of the nation she calls home. Following her debut at Cannes, Bakalova paid a visit to a medium, an act rooted in her cultural background. (She mentioned to me that in the ’90s, a Bulgarian political leader followed the guidance of psychics and dug a 230-foot pit in the ground, seeking extraterrestrial life.)
Bakalova was curious about what the outcome might be following a politically turbulent year, but she’s hesitant to reveal the details. I wondered if her glimpse into the future provided her with any sense of reassurance.
Bakalova forces a smile: “Not sure.”
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2024-10-14 22:18