“I was always a performer, from being a little kid back in Russia and people coming over. I always wanted to do something, whether it was to recite a poem, or to do a dance in front of the guests. The stage and performing really drew me, but being an immigrant, I knew I had to take a more stable path in life and have a career, and not push to the arts, because my family sacrificed a lot to bring me here, and I just felt like I owed something to them to do something serious in my life, where I can guarantee income and health insurance. But acting always has been part of my DNA, and when I was in college, I couldn’t decide on what I wanted to be because I was constantly seeing myself in all these different professions, but more like playing at them.”