Ewa Sobiczewska

What inspired you to move from Warsaw to Los Angeles and pursue acting in the American industry?

I always knew I wanted to study acting and build my career in the US. I grew up watching American movies and tv shows and fell in love with the language, the style of acting, the craft of the filmmaking, the types of productions made. I think in some ways I’ve always tied my future to Los Angeles. I was, and still am, captivated by so many American actors, such as Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway. Their performances truly showed me that acting is an art. So I started dreaming about studying and building my acting career in the US, and my acting coach encouraged me and helped me turn it into reality.

How has your experience of working between Poland and the United States influenced you as an actress and as a person?

I definitely learned how to adapt to new environments faster. Every project is different, even within the same country’s industry. It has different people, different pacing, different rules. You’re never really allowed to settle or get too comfortable with one over the other. I’m constantly on the go but I don’t let that stop me from forming meaningful relationships with people I work with or doing work that I’m proud of.

You trained at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and also studied acting in Poland. What are the biggest differences you have noticed between the two approaches to acting?

Polish training gave me the basics for all my future work. I went to an Acting Study in Poland as well as worked with an acting coach, so I had the privilege to work both individually as well as in a group setting. I learned discipline, precision, character creation and world-building. The American training solidified all those things and also helped me focus more on technique and trusting my own instincts. It also encouraged me to create my own projects and take my career in my own hands and make things happen for myself.

You have worked across theater, film, television, and web series. Which medium feels the most natural to you, and what do you enjoy about moving between different formats?

I love all of those mediums for vastly different reasons and moving between them is what keeps my creativity alive. Working on stage built my stamina, patience and taught me how to go with the flow and be spontaneous. Film made me realize that little is actually a lot. It showed me the power of stillness, internalizing and being concise with what’s happening within me when I’m playing a character. Film used to be my absolute favourite when I was younger and I wasn’t really considering theater but I feel like that’s changed once I got into an acting school. I fell in love with performing live and even though I still keep on-screen acting as something very special to me, I’m definitely more on board with theater.

You wrote and starred in Family Trust, which became your most awarded project. What inspired you to create that story, and what did you learn from being both the writer and the lead actress?

Every good story arises from a strong conflict. Family Trust is a story of a conflict between siblings who love each other dearly but ultimately speak a different language when it comes to their outlook on life. Add to that money issues and you have something that I feel like a lot of us can relate too. There’s a specific type of hurt that comes with not being able to see eye to eye with your own family and that’s something I wanted desperately to explore. I wrote the film with my good friend Eyal and it was great to work with someone who understands you. Working as both the writer and the lead actress taught me when to put on which hat and when to take it off. I learned to separate the “writer Ewa” and “actor Ewa”. Once you’re in front of the camera you have to trust the work you did as a writer and just let go.

You have played very different characters, from Shakespearean roles such as Fleance in Macbeth to contemporary film and theater characters. How do you approach preparing for a completely new role?

No matter what type of character I’m playing I do tons of research. I lean heavily on the information the writer, author, or director gives me but the rest I create for myself. I explore characters’ physicality, the way they talk, their relationships, I do scene improvisations, and write their backstory. With Shakespearean characters there’s also the element of the language, which you have to study vigorously to truly understand their thoughts and emotion. I also love working with my scene partners on rehearsing our scenes and making sure they’re fresh each time.

What has been the biggest challenge you have faced while building your career in Los Angeles, especially as an actress originally from Poland?

I would say probably building a network of people from the industry. I didn’t have anyone here when I first came to LA so I had to start from scratch. But I did it step by step by working on my craft and showing up consistently and with kindness. Also as someone for whom English is a second language it was a bit of a challenge to improve my accent and make it work for me instead of against me. But again, a lot of work and determination have proven to be what I needed to move forward.

You are fluent in both English and Polish. Has working in two languages ever changed the way you approach a character or connect with a role?

Definitely. Both Polish and English come with a different type of physicality for me. Polish is my native language so it’s more raw and direct and carries most of my early memories and feelings. But English had a very important role in my formative years as well. It’s a language I got very attached to when I was in my early teenage years, it was a medium through which I processed a lot of emotions I didn’t have a name for yet, new experiences and ideas. So in a way it feels like both are native to me and when I act they both give me different personalities, depending on which one I’m using.

Looking back at everything you have accomplished since moving to Los Angeles in 2020, what experience has had the greatest impact on your career so far?

It was multiple things. Definitely graduating from The American Academy of Dramatic Arts because it was the culmination of all of my hard work, endless transformations, sleepless nights, and never giving up. I promised myself that I could do it and I did it. Also creating Family Trust was a breakthrough moment for me because I finally did what I had always wanted to do – I wrote something for myself and acted in it. I wasn’t waiting for someone else to give me a chance or offer me something. And being part of my first SAG-AFTRA production was also something that I’ve been working towards so I was very happy when it finally happened, even if it was a small role.

What is the next dream role or project you would love to take on, and where do you see yourself as an actress over the next few years?

Right now I’m looking forward to developing Scarlett, a web series I co-write, co-produce and perform in. We already released the first season and we’re making it to be a multi-season story so I can’t wait to continue building the next parts of the story. I also have a couple of projects lined up that I’m really excited about – some with people I’ve worked with before and some with new collaborators.