Recently we had a chance to catch up with the International Actress Paula Roman, an interesting woman hailing from Spain who was actually a medical doctor before becoming an actress. We had her visit us in our downtown office here to see how her performance in The Colour of August was recently received in Australia as well as understand what's behind that beautiful smile. F.A: Thank you for taking the time. Before we get to The Colour of August, where exactly are you from? Paula: I'm from the south of Spain, from Seville. From the city of the Bull Fighters and Flamenco Dancers. F.A: When did you come to New York and what brought you here originally? Paula: I came here three and a half years ago to study acting, besides I always dreamt of the idea of living in New York. F.A: What made you decide to become an actress after spending so many years of studying medicine? Paula: I was an actress since I was born. The only thing is that I couldn't pursue it openly because I grew up going to the hospital with my father instead of going to the theatre or the movies. So… you know you become what you admire, and I do admire my dad a lot. He's a famous heart surgeon in Spain. He saves lives everyday man..! Paradoxically, I just had to follow my heart. F.A: That's very brave, I'm sure your father is very proud of you now. Paula: Yes, of course. F.A: What are some of the challenges that you face being a European actress in America? Paula: The damn American accent..., but I'm working on my tongue a lot. No seriously though, I have a speech teacher twice a week and it's my first priority. F.A: But you must find it encouraging given how well European actors did this year at the Oscars. Paula: Yes, of course. I'm very proud that all of them were from Europe, and especially Javier Bardem, he's a terrific actor and I can't wait to work with him. F.A: Who are some of your heros and why? Paula: As an actress, I can tell you I love the mystery of Greta Garbo, the genius Groucho Marx, the humor of Woody Allen, the craziness of Almodovar, the sharpness of Ingmar Bergman to name a few. F.A: We enjoyed the stage reading of The Colour of August which was then successfully produced in Sydney, how was that experience? Paula: It was awesome and thank you for the support. The rehearsal period was a little tough because we only had one month to put this passionate play together, but after a lot of hard work, the results were very rewarding. We got a lot of publicity and the play was very well received. Above all the painting scene... [Laughing] F.A: And what's next for you? Paula: Well, I was recently cast for a short film in April and in the Summer I'll be shooting an adaptation of the play The Colour of August. F.A: What advice can you give actors who are just starting out? Paula: As Michael Caine said, "You have to have a will and a drive like a locomotive." He also said, "I wasn't trying the possibility. I was determined." F.A: Many people say how important contacts are in show business, have you made any through Filmannex? Paula: Oh, yes, of course. I met a bunch of wonderful people in the industry through Filmannex. It's a great place to get in touch with Producers and Filmmakers from all over the world, develop relationships, share ideas and sometimes find opportunities to work together. I think Filmannex is a great concept and also I am crazy about classic films, for example in Filmannex you can find great Charlie Chaplin films. F.A: Well we're glad you have a good experience on our site. Who would you most like to work with and why? Paula: Ah! Firstly with Woody Allen of course, and with the Coen brothers, Martin Scorsese, Julian Schnabel, Wes Anderson, Pedro Almodovar, Alejandro Amenabar, Alejandro Gonzalez Iñarritu to name a few. Why? Because I love their work. F.A: Could you leave us with one final thought? Paula: Carpe Diem! This is my site, www.samboaitalaboa.com For the Film Annex page of Paula, visit www.filmannex.com/the%20mermaid