Artist On A Mission: An Interview with Director/Actress Elena Evangelo

Elena Evangelo is so much more than an actress, which is often the first word you see tacked to her name. In actuality, a better description of her would be artist, since she has continually attempted to incorporate various mediums into her screen work. In addition to acting, Evangelo is also a serious poet drawn to the sweet nuances of language like moth to flame. This fact becomes apparent in the way she delivers her lines and consumes her characters – looking to embody rather than depict.

Evangelo was raised in New York City’s Chelsea District. A first-generation New Yorker, she grew up of modest means, with her parents hoping she’d pursue medicine or law as a career so that she’d have an easier path than they did. Nonetheless, that wasn’t who she was; after graduating high school, she enrolled at Vassar College and took her B.A. in English and French.

Following her undergraduate program, Evangelo received an M.F.A. from the USC School of Cinematic Arts, winning The Jeffrey Jones Screenwriting Scholarship and The Ray Stark/ Ted Turner MGM Award while studying there. Her film credits include G.I. Joe Rise of Cobra, Siren and Purpose, while her impressive television resume includes roles on Justified, Revenge, Body of Proof, CSI Miami, NYPD Blue, 90210 and Monk. Imbued with an introspective Mediterranean beauty, Evangelo has also been cast in over a 100 commercials and print ad campaigns over the past two decades. Currently, she continues to produce and direct her own films as she builds bridges between poetry and the big screen.

The Electric Review sat down with Evangelo in mid-February in a sprawling interview that sought to explore the face behind the mask she wears on screen. Most people go to the movies for entertainment, often failing to realize there’s a person’s real heart beating through the lines every character delivers. “The idea of taking my personal experiences and transmuting them into something another person can feel is what I love about pursuing the Arts,” Evangelo told Voyage LA Magazine in May 2023. As she expands on these ideas further in our discussion, we come to see that Elena Evangelo is an artist on a mission, and with so much more left to say to the world.

by John Aiello

Can you tell me a bit about your early years, your family, and where you grew up?

I was born and raised in New York – actually in the Chelsea District. My parents were immigrants from Greece.

What did your parents do for a living and do they still reside in New York?

My parents still live in New York; they had a Greek diner…

Do you have any siblings and are they also in the arts?

I have a younger brother – he’s not in the arts.

Has the Greek culture played any specific role in your art?

Yes, my culture has had a tremendous impact on my work. When I finally traveled back to Greece it was magical: As I got to know my family and experience life there, a new world opened up. It was so different! The total opposite of what I’d known in Manhattan; it expanded my understanding of so many things on so many levels. And I must say that today – I feel very Greek!

I understand from a previous interview that your parents wanted you to pursue a more ‘dependable’ career like law or medicine. Did you feel any push back when you told them you were going to film school?

Like I said, my parents were from a different time and they grew up much differently than I did. It was hard for them. They had so much instability to deal with; and I think that’s what they really wanted for me above all else – stability. They wanted things to be easier for me. I think what initially threw them was when I traveled cross-country for grad school. But my dad was always behind me 100%. He wanted me to pursue what I wanted to pursue. He wanted me to have choices and he didn’t question it. You know, when you look back you can see how vulnerable you [must have] appeared. It’s hard to shape your future. It’s not always easy. The future is not a ladder you’re climbing.

I’d venture to guess that most of your fans don’t know that you’re a serious poet. Tell me when you started writing poetry and why you’re still inspired to write even though you have so much else going on in your life.

I truly love poetry! It’s [an actual] part of me. I love reading poetry [but more] I love words. I love exploring them and enjoy the format [poetry places them in]. I guess like Sylvia Plath – poetry was my first love. I mean – it’s happening on a single page. But there’s so many pages of feeling you’re experiencing. Moments open up. For me, it’s something about the size [set against] how far the reach is. It’s such a powerful process – so lean. Yet so much muscle there…

And the origin of your inspiration?

I actually don’t know if I can identify a catalyst. [Like all writers] I was learning with those first poems…But I’ve always spent a lot of time [working] with poetry. Even in elementary school I was writing poetry. It’s always somehow been there inside of me…

(pauses)

It’s never really occurred to me before, but my father kept notebooks full of poetry in Greek. Maybe [my love for the art form] came from that. I just don’t know know for sure…

Do you write every day?

Not every day. I sit down to write when it’s flowing. Perhaps a few words will join together in my head and that will bring me to a poem. [When that happens] it’s a truly magical moment.

What poets have influenced your writing?

Well, Eamon Grennan – a professor of English who taught me at Vassar  – was a huge influence. I learned so much from him! But there have been so many, really. People like Leonard Cohen, who’s written so many incredible pieces that it’s giving me goose bumps to think about it right now. And there’s also Millay; Adrienne Rich; Jorie Graham; Lyn Hejinian. So many…  

Do you mainly read poetry during your leisure time or do you also seek out fiction?

As I said, poetry has always been my first love, and it’s often my first choice. But I also enjoy fiction…

I understand you are directing films now. Tell me about your new movie that just went into post-production.

Well, it’s a short film that’s taking a long time to make (laughing). It’s called Eyesome – it was co-written by Alex Cartana and Remme Dahl, who also both star in it. Alex is also a singer and songwriter  and this is her story. [The plotline is centered on obsessions with body appearance]. Eyesome is about women trapped in their lives who are having this dialogue about how to free themselves. [As a director], I am trying to get you to feel what these people are living with. The vehicle for that is the dialogue between the characters [but] ultimately, the film can be what you want it to be…

What kind of stories draw you and where will you go from here in relation to the Director’s chair?

I gravitate to stories that you can feel and not just see. I guess this is a part of the reason [behind] why I went to film school. I saw it as a bridge [connecting] the arts [connecting to] poetry. In film [like poetry] you are using a few words to make people feel deeply. You actually get to feel pieces of the characters’ lives…

How does directing differ from acting? 

They are very different experiences. I love acting – immersing myself in a world that’s not your own but then making it your own. It’s about the freedom of the moment and it moves magically. I love that element of it. Directing brings another pleasure. It’s about putting all the pieces together. Managing the moment. Manipulating the camera. Pulling the best from people. But at the end of the day both processes are about the same thing –  allowing the audience to feel what I am seeing. Opening up this world [to the viewer].

Which hat fits you better?

I think they each allow me to do different things and go in different directions, but I enjoy both [processes]…

What directors inspire you the most?

There are many! Frederico Fellini: 8 1/2, Amavord. Bernardo Bertolucci: The Conformist. Alain Resnais: Hiroshima Mon Amour, Last Year at Marienbad. Satyajit Ray:  Pather Panchali.

Tom Ford: A Single Man. Darren Aronofsky: Requiem For A Dream. Ingmar Bergman: Fanny and Alexander. Wong Kar Wai: Happy Together, In The Mood for Love. Spike Lee: Do The Right Thing.

Bob Fosse: All That Jazz . David Fincher: Fight Club. Ari Aster: Hereditary. Danny Boyle: Trainspotting. Wim Wenders: Wings of Desire. Martin Scorsese: Mean Streets, Raging Bull, The Last Waltz. Sidney Lumet: Dog Day Afternoon. David Lynch: Twin Peaks…

You were in an episode of NYPD Blue once. Even though the role is small, it’s truly compelling – I was especially taken with the specious nature of your character and how you brought this brimming to life with your mannerisms and delivery. Do you remember this job at all? How did you go about constructing that character?

I do remember that part actually. It was such a small part and I am surprised you know it. Those small parts are actually much more stressful than bigger roles because you can’t stretch the character as far. And there’s a lot of pressure in that – you just don’t have a lot of space [that] you’re working with. But with that particular NYPD Blue part, I was trying to create a caricature. It was a very procedural part, and I think a component of that was because [NYPD Blue is] a police story…

In terms of acting, who do you enjoy working with – and why?

I really enjoyed working with Tony Shalhoub in the series Monk. His acting is so natural!

You bring forward a lengthy resume. What movies were high points? Is there one role or production that stands taller than the rest?

I really enjoyed working in The Dirt! [2019 feature film]. That movie was such a blast. There was this thriving energy [on set] and it was truly one of the coolest things I have been a part of…

As an artist, is there anyone in particular you’d credit as an inspiration or mentor?

Tom Ford – who’s a fashion designer and filmmaker [A Single Man; Nocturnal Animals] – has really had a big influence on my career. [Refocusing video camera to show framed posters on wall] Fellini has always been a great love of mine and a great influence as well.

In the Voyage LA interview, you speak about bringing personal experiences to the screen via your characters. Can you tell me about a real experience that you borrowed from and used in a film?

I feel like I haven’t had a role that required that type of transformation yet, something that was so horrible to live with but that I was able to borrow from and then bring to the screen [into another dimension]. What you’re talking about is the cornerstone of method acting – where you are using yourself and painful moments from your past [and putting them on display].

Theater Arts is a notoriously taxing field to pursue — it can be difficult both financially and emotionally. How have you managed to balance work and family life while keeping your creativity at full boil?

It’s quite tricky! There are so many demands on you, especially when you are in the thick of a shooting schedule –  life becomes all about that. But my husband has been hugely supportive, he fills in the gaps when I can’t get to things. And he’s always my biggest cheerleader (laughing).

You’re really one of the more human, gracious and authentic actors I’ve met and you seem to relate to people on a one to one level. Why haven’t you put that ‘wall’ up?

Well, I think if you are incredibly famous you are paranoid about people getting ‘too close.’ Plus people always want something from you all the time. And that becomes a challenge in itself. But for me – I love people! Days when I don’t encounter people really bother me. That’s what I love about New York. Being able to feel people on the street. Feeling who they are. That what makes me feel alive…

Some have said that it’s difficult to be in personal relationships with actors because they’re always acting and that they hide their true personas. How do you respond to that?

Some people are always on. They always seem to be in their role, there’s just no off switch. But that just may be their energy, while other actors are so grounded that they don’t have to be pushing it. They can just be themselves…

A downside of this cell phone culture is that it’s shortened our attention spans — people want quick fixes not slow developing stories. What’s your feeling about technology’s impact on the cinematic arts? Do you think streaming has ruined the film experience?

It’s definitely complicated, but I do think that’s happening. I feel we’re losing so much of the artistry by being away from the big screen, which surrounds you. We lose so much of the details when film goes to a small screen. We can’t see or experience the details. You’re seeing so little of what’s there. Really, you’re only seeing a piece of it. [The technology] is definitely altering the experience [because] a film simply can’t take its time to evolve. I’m actually seeing this phenomenon play out with my son: He speeds through the boring parts of a movie, which might not be boring at all. But he’s not taking the time to see that for himself [because he can immediately control the viewing process with his device]…

Where does Elena Evangelo go from here?

My battle plan is to keep making films, to keep honing my craft as a filmmaker. Acting is not as much in my control, but I’ll take all the opportunities I can nab! Both sides of the camera are fulfilling to me in vastly different ways. And of course, my first love, poetry will always be the heart of me! I see poetry in every medium…

by John Aiello