Hollywood star Adria Arjona: Acting school save me
Adria Arjona believes the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute "saved" her.
Adria Arjona feels she's been "saved" by acting school.
The 33-year-old actress studied at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute in New York City during her teenage years, and Adria relished the experience, as she learned to "express" herself through acting.
The film star told Collider: "Acting school kind of saved me.
"I had a pretty rough upbringing. There were parts there that were not the happiest, and acting really came in and saved me and taught me how to express myself through what I do."
Adria was initially unsure what she wanted to do in her career. However, her dad thought she was perfectly suited to acting.
The Hollywood star shared: "Every movie made me want to be something else or learn a new task. One day, my dad was like, ‘I don't know exactly what you think you're going to be, but I think you might be an actor.'"
Adria has starred in a host of high-profile projects in recent years, including 'Hit Man', 'Blink Twice' and 'Pacific Rim Uprising'.
And the actress has always embraced the opportunity to "play different characters" on screen.
She explained: "Every job you take, you're telling a story to the world of the kind of artist that you are, so you have to stick to your guns and be really truthful to what you believe in.
"It's mostly, also, for me, to not be bored, right? To play different characters and to show the world that I'm more than just one thing."
Despite this, Adria previously admitted that she'd like to be more "strategic" in her career decisions.
She told Empire: "I wish I was more of a strategic actor when it comes to making choices. But I’m just more excited by the women that I get to embody."
Adria starred alongside Glen Powell in the 2023 rom-com 'Hit Man', and the actress recalled quickly developing a strong "chemistry" with her co-star.
Speaking about her initial meeting with Glen, Adria told Empire: "It was supposed to be a one-hour meeting. We ended up talking for five hours.
"Chemistry comes from trust, and I think from our first meeting I just knew I could trust [Glen]. We created a space for us to play and be weird and sexy and funny."
'Hit Man' was directed by acclaimed filmmaker Richard Linklater, whose previous directing credits include 'Boyhood', 'School of Rock', and 'Everybody Wants Some!!'.
And Adria still remembers feeling anxious about meeting the filmmaker for the first time.
Recalling details of their first-ever Zoom call, the movie star shared: "My hands were sweaty. I was really trying to play it cool and that lasted for about ten minutes."
