Be grateful for every acting opportunity and audition
When I was in the 5th grade in Elementary School, our class saw a theater production for a field trip, and it was while watching that production in the audience that I decided that it would be fun to be under the stage lights myself. After my third theater performance, I was approached by a talent agent. He asked if we had ever considered performing on television or in films. (Which I had not, at the time.) He then asked if he could represent me, and from that point on I have been acting in music videos, feature films, television commercials, and print advertising.
Did you study acting
After my decision to become an actor, I began to take acting classes and training. I have studied with many coaches, such as Steve Blackwood, Pam Johnson, Gordon Michaels, various guest instructors from the SAG Cadet Program (Detroit) and with private acting coach Carrie Ellen Zappa of Zappa Studios.
What acting technique do you use
I use a combination of acting techniques that include Uta Hagen, Meisner, along with some of the techniques from Stella Adler. Also, in my more serious roles, where I need to cry or become very emotional, I visualize something very tragic and sad happening to family or loved ones to achieve this state of mind for my character. It may sound twisted, but it turns on the water works for me.
What wrong impressions do actors hold about acting
To be an actor you really have to want it. If you’re in show business for any reason other than you absolutely love it, then you’re in it for the wrong reason. It takes time, patience, dedication and a willingness to grow. As an actor you have to learn to be comfortable with rejection, and comfortable in very awkward situations. Acting is not for everyone. And by the time most actors become “famous” or are “discovered” they have already been acting for years.
Do you take courses to improve your craft
I am constantly on the look out for opportunities to learn and grow as an actor weather it’s taking lessons with coaches, Skype coaching with my private acting coach, or watching great actors in movies.
How do you keep fit as an actor
To stay fit physically, I eat healthy and exercise. To stay mentally fit as an actor, I audition frequently.
When you’re offered a role, what do you do next
After I am offered a role, I research the project. I find out all I can about the other actors in the project, the previous projects that the director has done, and then I read the script and practice my characters scenes until I am confident I know the emotional intensity and understand how I am going to deliver my scenes.
How do you take a character in a script to a honest, believable and breathing person
To make a character a believable and an honest breathing person, I have to create that character, (which is the fun part). I get to build the character, figure out how she would act, and react, and determine what may have happened in her life to get her to this point.
How do you stay fresh on set
To stay fresh on set between takes and re-takes, if it is a serious scene, I have to stay in that serious mind set. I must stay away from distractions and try to avoid people who make me laugh between takes, in order to stay in that serious frame of mind.
Describe a memorable character you played
One of the most memorable characters for me so far was playing “Claire” in the horror film “Dead Quiet (2015)” scheduled for a October 2015 release. This film also stars Kip Weeks (from The Strangers), Gabrielle Stone (from Speak No Evil), and Cara AnnMarie.
Explain one creative choice you took on set
I worked for the first time with the talented Director Roze, from LA. In this movie, before filming a scene, he would tell me to perform the scene with a different emotion in each take. For example, he would say “Lovingly” then “Action!” and I would have to deliver my lines with a loving tone and loving emotion behind them. Then he would say, “Angrily” then “Action!”, and so on and so forth, until he was satisfied with his choices.
What do you want most from a director
What I want most from a director is one who not only enjoys what they are doing, but also gives me the creative freedom to deliver the character the way I would have built them.
What actors do you long to work with
One day, if given the chance, I would love to work with Actress Jennifer Lawrence. I think she’s a great actress, and she looks like she’d be a lot of fun to work with on set.
Why
I feel like I could learn a lot from watching Jennifer Lawrence in action.
What advice would you give actors
The only advice I would give actors around the world would be to have fun and enjoy the whole acting experience. Every experience you have, both good and bad, gives you material for your next role or audition. It also makes you fully appreciate being on a set with a good atmosphere.
Briefly write about your career
Actress Niki Cipriano was born on May 10, 1999 in Detroit, Michigan. Known for Dead Quiet (2015), Necroland (2015), Lost In Detroit 2 (2014), The Midnight Hour (2013) and Wise Guys? (2013) Her acting career began at the age of 11 when she spent Saturdays on stage in Grosse Pointe. Since then Niki has scored roles in commercials, feature films, short films, videos, print ads, television series’ and was in the music video ‘Lost In The Echo’ for the band Linkin Park. On set Niki enjoys meeting and working with other actors, learning scripts, traveling and filming in new locations, and having the opportunity to see the world in a new perspective through the eyes of the characters she plays. Niki is always looking for new projects and is grateful for every acting opportunity and audition. IMDB Niki Cipriano
Niki has currently booked two roles which are now in pre-production.
The first – Niki will be playing a lead role as Molly in “Mettle of Honor (2015)” Directed by J. Brian – When a gang of kidnappers takes their young hostage to an abandoned building to await a $100 million ransom, a homeless Vietnam vet who lives in the building becomes her only hope for survival. Mettle of Honor
The second – Niki has been cast in a supporting role as Sarah Jane in “Never Can Say Goodbye (2016)” Directed by Justin Chambers, starring Lauren Holley, Sally Kirkland and Bill Hayes. Audition link for Never Can Say Goodbye.
Audition Link – Search For Sam, Niki Cipriano
