Interview with Ms. Michela Farrugia: Actress

2021's Luzzu has made waves in the local (and international!) film scene recently, and while I haven't yet had the chance to watch it myself (please have a local release soon!), I have had the opportunity to interview Ms. Michela Farrugia, who plays leading man Jesmark's wife in the film. Farrugia gives us her insight on what it means to be within the acting profession on our isles, both in Film & TV as well as on-stage.

Source: Twitter (@MichelaFarr)

When asked to elaborate on what makes the two mediums most different, Farrugia told us that stage actors usually perform 'larger', as opposed to performances for more camera-centric mediums which allow for more subtlety owing the how the audience is placed in relation to the actors; "being able to whisper was new to me". There's also a difference in how one prepares for go-time. "In stage productions... there's a rehearsal period... in film, however, the actor needs to do a lot of his/her work alone...".

Farrugia started attending performance arts lessons at the age of three, with her mother enrolling her in stagecoach classes owing to Farrugia's performative nature with family and friends. She took part in her first professional theatre production in 2014, and her first film in 2019 with Carmen (TBA).

Farrugia as Denise (right), Image Courtesy of Rebecca Anastasi

We asked Farrugia how being based in Malta might affect actors compared to other European nations. "As a nation, we struggle to understand that actors (well, artists in general) are professionals who... can be productive in society", an apt insight following recent comments by a certain minister. Farrugia maintained that such an outlook "limits opportunities" and "puts the industry in a purgatory" by not being able to pursue their artistic endeavours fully. This view hits eerily close to costume designer and supervisor Ms. Martina Zammit Maempel's (who we interviewed recently) outlook on the local situation.

Despite this, Farrugia has commented that our isle's limited and small nature does have its advantages too, explaining that it's much easier to connect with people and get a project going, even if it means miniscule budgets. A perfect example of this is Noah Fabri's In-Nani F'Art Il-Ġganti (2021), a 50-minute microbudget production which Farrugia has recently acted in, and helped create.

Farrugia also told us about some of her favourite on-stage performances: "nothing beats seeing Maxine Aquilina, in a pink Victorian dress holding her spectacles to her eyes... [which] would literally double in size (because of the glasses)... I would have to try my hardest not to burst out laughing in front of the whole Manoel auditorium. That was The Importance of Being Earnest".

We also got some insight into what it's like on a shoot day for a film production. Farrugia told us that she always found the process very calming. She would arrive on set, go through hair and makeup, get into her costume and then just focus on embodying her character. "I generally try to get comfortable in the space too, so say if I’m shooting in the character’s house, I would try to sneak my way in there to get acquainted. If I’m doing a scene with another actor, I would discuss certain elements with them."

We finally asked Farrugia what she looks forward to in the local film scene, as well as her own career. She told us she "want[s] artists in Malta to not be scared to just up and do" and that she wishes to keep working at her career "...maybe put up my own plays one day. My aspiration is to play great roles and collaborate with even greater creatives."