In Jeffrey Grellman’s fantasy/horror/thriller Mermaid Down, Alexandra Bokova plays the title role of a real-life mermaid, pulled out of the ocean, fin chopped off, and placed in the basement of an asylum for women. With the help of a ghost and a few patients/allies, Bokova’s mermaid desperately attempts to return to her oceanic home where she belongs. When Russian-born actress Bokova arrived in Hollywood, she hit the ground running, landing three film roles and is now steadily building her IMDb resume. We chatted about her unique portrayal of the killer mermaid and her cross-cultural journey as a child-star in Russia to becoming a small fish in the big Hollywood ocean.
“A peculiar, wild yet mostly harmless creature far from home, misplaced, misunderstood, and unable to communicate…”
How would you describe your character in Mermaid Down to your friends and family?
A peculiar, wild yet mostly harmless creature far from home, misplaced, misunderstood, and unable to communicate her pain and longing to others. Also cool hair and a great sense of style with that key accessory dangling from her bangs.
How did you get cast as the Mermaid?
I saw a casting notice for the role and applied. It was an open-call casting, and an hour later, due to the high volume of submissions, it became an invite-only audition. I was very nervous but prepared and went for it. After a few callback auditions, I got the part.
Pretty girl, LOUSY movie!
This chick is awesome! Saw the movie, she did a fantastic job. Great to see she’s actually down to Earth and awesome too.
Great interview.
I would love to audition myself for a chance to take role in a movie