We’re looking forward to introducing you to Theo Petelov. Check out our conversation below.
Good morning Theo, we’re so happy to have you here with us and we’d love to explore your story and how you think about life and legacy and so much more. So let’s start with a question we often ask: What is something outside of work that is bringing you joy lately?
I’ve been truly enjoying exploring the world alongside my little son lately. Whether we’re traveling or hiking, seeing things through his eyes has been a profound experience. It’s helped me reevaluate my priorities and has deeply renewed my curiosity for new places and adventures.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m an artist and entrepreneur — an actor, director, and coach devoted to the craft of performance and the transformative power of storytelling. My journey began in New York City, where I co-founded The WhiteListed Theater Company, and later continued in Sofia, Bulgaria, along with Miss Victoria Paneva, with whom we’ve established The WhiteListed Acting Studio — a creative home for actors and performers from around the world.
Our studio has become a living, breathing community — a space where curiosity meets craft, and where young and adult artists alike come together to learn, create, and grow. We host workshops and intensives in Sofia, Paris, and Thessaloniki, each designed to awaken artistic truth and inspire bold, authentic expression.
At The WhiteListed Acting Studio, we guide performers through private and group coaching, and prepare them for auditions at some of the most renowned acting schools and academies in the US and Europe. Above all, we believe in nurturing artists who not only master technique but also find their unique voice and place in the world.
Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. What’s a moment that really shaped how you see the world?
I can still remember the moment that changed the way I saw the world — and my place in it. I was a teenager when I went to see a theater performance. It wasn’t an extraordinary show by any means, but something in it spoke directly to me. One of the characters believed he was constantly ill because he’d spent his whole life in the same city, surrounded by the same people. He was convinced that if he ever managed to leave, life would finally begin for him — yet he never found the courage to go.
That struck a chord deep within me. I realized that I didn’t necessarily belong where I was, and that my life and work didn’t have to be confined to the city I lived in. That realization opened a door — it allowed me to dream about places like New York and Los Angeles, about learning from the best and creating an adventurous, meaningful life for myself.
From that point on, I began to create fearlessly. I focused on growth, no longer concerned with what others thought. That moment gave me permission to find myself — as an artist, an entrepreneur, and later, as a parent. The challenges kept coming, each one greater than the last, but I kept moving forward, knowing deep down that I was on the right path.
What have been the defining wounds of your life—and how have you healed them?
When I lost people dear to my heart — both figuratively and literally — I didn’t know how to cope. At first, I felt lost, unable to express myself or control the waves of emotion that came with grief.
Step by step, I began to build a powerful inner world — a place of strength that became my support system. Whenever I faced loss or needed to heal, I would return there. In that space, I learned to focus on love — to understand that the depth of my love for those people was enough, even if they were no longer physically present in my life.
Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. What would your closest friends say really matters to you?
My closest friends would say that my heart belongs to three things — love, the fascinating people I meet along the way, and the art that gives my life its rhythm and purpose.
Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
I hope the story will be about a man named Theo — inspired by the people around him, devoted to his friends and children, and committed to sharing the light of art, creativity, and the infinite possibilities of imagination with the world.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_whitelisted?igsh=MTF2NDA5ZHMwaXl3dQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1FFuojFjuM/?mibextid=wwXIfr
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
