“I am a determined individual who can achieve anything that I set my mind to and make it a goal.” This way of thinking has led a young woman to turn her dreams into a reality.
Since she was a child, she realized that the world of the arts was for her, surrounded by wonderful moments with her family, among fields, rivers, forests and mountains, she remembers that her childhood was wonderful.
We had the opportunity to get to know a little more about Malena Boylan, an actor, content creator, producer and cinematographer, originally from Dublin, Ireland. Malena speaks with us in this exclusive interview for perlarico.com about her fascinating story and her passion for the arts.
1. Thank you for the interview tell us a little about yourself?
Malena: I’m originally from Dublin, Ireland, but I moved to New York City back in 2021 to pursue my career as an artist. I am an actor, content creator, producer and cinematographer. I love watching films, seeing shows in the city and spending time creating and writing with my roommates!
At 26 years old and far from her homeland, she still remembers her childhood with great affection, and even those moments when midges bites seemed annoying have led her to treasure her family.
2. What was your childhood like?
Malena: I grew up in the more rural areas of Dublin, so as soon as we got home from school and the homework was done, we were outside until the midges came out! My Dad’s house is also right next to my cousins’, so we spent a lot of our childhood just mucking about in the fields, farmland, rivers and forests in the Dublin Mountains.
Malena emphasize,
“I feel really lucky to have spent the majority of my childhood outside, and to not have spent it staring into a video game or an iPad!”
-Malena Boylan, actor, producer and cinematographer
Malena has shown that nothing stops her, determination has led her to grow and prepare despite of the fact traveling abroad to fulfill your dreams can be a daunting event.
3. Who is Malena Boylan in your own words?
Malena: I am a determined individual who can achieve anything that I set my mind to and make it a goal. I am a resilient and brave person that has taken on the incredible but terrifying journey of not only leaving home for the first time, but moving 3,000 miles across the Atlantic, to a city I have never visited before, nor had I any social connections in.
Malena reiterates, “I have learned so much about myself and what I am capable of. After overcoming the inevitable obstacles of such a big transition, who knows what else I could achieve. This is the mindset I try to maintain as I navigate my career.”
4. How did the love of acting come to you?
Malena: My love of performing was rooted in me since I was a toddler. As soon as I could pretty much walk I started dancing. Growing up, I took classes in Ballet, Jazz, Contemporary and Irish Dancing. When I started secondary school, I started taking classes in Hip Hop, Ballroom and Latin dance at DanceTones Studios.
“Most weeks, I would be training up to 5 days per week, you couldn’t keep me out of that studio! I eventually became a competitive dancer and I had the opportunity to do competitions all over Ireland and the UK,” Malena says.
After knowing her ability to dance, she knew that she could grow and experience the world of acting. One morning, a video came into her hands that changed her life.
Malena story tells, “After moving on from competitive dancing to focus on school and going to college, I felt that there was something missing from my life. It was like this hole I couldn’t fulfill. It wasn’t until about 2am on one particular school night, the best time of the day to get your life together and be productive, right?”
“I was scrolling on Instagram and I watched the trailer for The Greatest Showman, not the movie, just the trailer and I had this lightbulb moment where I was just like. I could have been a dancer in that, I missed performing so much and I developed this desire to be a dancer for films, and my Mam suggested that I take an acting class as a way into the entertainment industry. So I started taking Acting for Camera classes at the Gaiety School of Acting, and I was so fascinated by the craft itself that I just kept going.”
Malena Boylan, actor, producer and cinematographer
Watch Malena performing in “Promising Young Woman” below or click here.
5. Why did you decide to move to New York?
Malena: I was actually inspired by Irish actress, Niamh Quirke, who had a role on the Irish soap, “Fair City.” I watched that show growing up with my Mam, and I followed her on Instagram. I saw that she graduated from NYCDA, so I decided to check it out. I was so excited about their Film/TV program that I couldn’t see myself training anywhere else. Also, some of my favorite films and TV shows were filmed in NYC, so I thought that the best way to immerse myself into the NYC arts scene was to live there.
6. We know that apart from acting, you like cinematography. Which of these facets do you identify with the most?
Malena: It depends on the script! For me, it’s not really a case of choosing one or the other, I see these as two different mediums of storytelling. As soon as I get my hands on a script, I either find parts of myself in the character and their journey, and find ways to bring that to life, or experiment with ways that a scene could be filmed. I love collaborating with cinematographers on films that I’m acting in and vice versa, to find creative ways to tell the story before even dialogue comes into play.
7. What’s your ultimate goal?
Malena: My ultimate goal would be to run my own production company, and to have a platform where I can continue to collaborate and create with some of the most incredible people I have ever worked with and also to give opportunities to other emerging international artists.
8. To whom do you dedicate your success to?
Malena: I dedicate my success to my parents. They have both been behind me every step of the way on this amazing journey and I never would have gotten to where I am today if it hadn’t been for them and their belief in me.
Thank you Malena Boylan for allowing our readers to learn a little more about you and giving us the opportunity to send a message to young people like you about the importance of achieving your dreams. We wish you great success and give us the opportunity to closely follow your growth.
To learn more about Malena Boylan journey follow her Instagram.
