Meet Ioanna Meli

We were lucky to catch up with Ioanna Meli recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Ioanna, thanks for sharing your insights with our community today.Where do you get your work ethic from?
The values of hard work and kindness were always present in my family as I was growing up, in all aspects of our life. To add to it, experiences like participating in school clubs and exchange programs and studying abroad helped me develop a work ethic as well. Working on team projects at a young age taught me a lot about what’s expected of me as well as what I could expect of others. I have always valued honesty, kindness and reliability in people around me and I strive to embody these values myself.

Please tell our readers about what you do, what you feel is most exciting or special about it.

I was born and raised in Athens, Greece and I’m an actor and filmmaker based in Los Angeles. My parents’ artistic outlets fueled my love for the arts. I also traveled around Europe with my school’s choir and exchange programs which is what inspired me to study abroad and eventually brought me to LA. I got my BA in Drama & Theatre Arts from Goldsmiths College University of London and my MFA in Acting for Film from the New York Film Academy in Los Angeles.

Acting never stops being exciting to me! It requires observing human behavior in order to portray it and I find that fascinating. Some of my favorite projects so far are Steven Spielberg’s short documentary “Auschwitz”, Dwayne Johnson’s “The Rock Presents: Ascendance”, Bishal Dutta’s “Life in Color” and Brandt Andersen’s “The Strangers’ Case” among others. I have also written and directed three of my own projects: short films On The Way (Καθ’οδόν) and A Little Part of You, and a miniseries Home-19 where I’ve had the chance to highlight elements of my cultural background. Home-19 is a slice-of-life type comedy on YouTube which follows a young woman who is forced to quarantine with her parents in Greece during the Covid-19 pandemic. It offers a glimpse into the quirks of Greek parenting while allowing audiences of all backgrounds to recognize a bit of themselves in the situations depicted.

What do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
I would say that being organized, having a positive attitude towards life and doing things I enjoy outside acting have helped me on my journey so far. This field is very competitive and challenging. Working towards an acting career is a constant pursuit without a clear path to success so it requires loving the craft and understanding the business. I find that investing in people and activities that bring me joy outside of acting helps me find balance and stay determined. And I try to remind myself to celebrate every little success along the way.

What’s the most impactful thing your parents did for you?
They gave my brother and I opportunities to learn. They encouraged us to explore and they always stand in our corner.

Contact Info:

Image Credits
1 – picture laying on grass – still from Home-19 series by Ioanna Meli 2 – on the set of Life in Color with director Bishal Dutta 3,4,5 – headshots – credit Huebner Headshots 6 – swing dancing photo – credit Steve Kim

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