ROSE & IVY Introducing October Starring Ella Balinksa Star of Run Sweetheart Run

Above Ella is wearing Cartier Clash Necklace; Panthère de Cartier rings; Juste Un Clou earrings, all by Cartier.

Hi ella! it’s so lovely to meet you. I’m excited to chat with you more about your career so far and finding out what makes you tick. you’ve come out of the gate with some incredible projects like making your first film debut in Charlie’s AngelS, followed by Resident Evil, and you have a lot on the horizon. What has your experience so far taught you about being brave and courageous in the pursuit of what you want?

I’ve been really lucky, especially in the earlier part of my career, where it was about taking right-of-passage roles like Casualty and Midsomer Murders, the British classics loved by many. Then when the first big blockbuster came around, I didn’t think I was going to be anywhere near the running for it. The tape I gave in was fearless, unapologetic, and what I wanted this character to be given the chance to portray her. I think that fearlessness worked in my favor because I ended up booking the job. But with that, there was a certain sense of calm because I knew when I was on set I was there because I gave my version that people loved. I didn’t need to apologize or worry whether it’s what they wanted, which is a very easy mindset to get into earlier in your career, since I started with authenticity. Of course, you fail and make interesting choices left, right, and center, but there has been nothing in my early career that I regret. It’s been a strong foundation to keep moving forward and continue making those bold choices.

Above Ella is wearing Cartier Clash Necklace; Panthère de Cartier rings; Juste Un Clou earrings, all by Cartier.

I love talking about authenticity, being yourself is the most valuable currency you can bring to anything you do.

You are your best asset, so run with it.

When you sign onto a project what typically guides or excites you— is it a gut feeling, something that could push you, and expand your horizons?

I was in a place in my early career where maybe I didn’t have quite the opportunity in drama school training to play those empowered roles, so I was almost craving that when I got into the industry. I’d read these scripts and most people would think they were terrifying and question what the filming experience would be like. I’d see it more as a, hell yeah! (laughs). It was more of an opportunity to sink my teeth into these characters, which was reflected in Charlie’s Angels, Run Sweetheart Run, and Resident Evil.

Above Ella is wearing a dress by Stella McCartney.

Above Ella is wearing a Cartier Étincelle ring and earrings.

When you were in school, was your ultimate dream to pursue film, TV, or were you just open to what opportunities would come your way?

Speaking as a drama school student, I think most will say they will take any opportunities (laughs), but in that, I have always loved film. When I watched Zoe Saldaña in Avatar, it was the first time where I was like wow, I really want to be part of the process of making this film.

Speaking of drama school, you attended the Guildford School of Acting in London, where you now have a scholarship, that’s so amazing, paying it forward. Why was it so important for you to give back in this way?

When Black Lives Matter was at the forefront of everyone’s mind, I asked myself, where can I contribute? I thought about that feeling in drama school when I wanted to play those empowering roles and tell those types of stories. I thought it would be great to open that opportunity for other people to discover how their culture has an impact on the industry and also giving students the resources and the tools to fully explore that. However each person wants to expand on that after their graduation is totally up to them, I just wanted to make sure actors coming into the industry have that undercurrent of empowerment in everything they did moving forward. Everything they have put out has always been thoughtful and as you said, it’s a knock-on effect that pays it forward. The thing I could do was open up the opportunity for someone else and then for them to open up an opportunity for someone else–it’s a domino effect.

Above Ella is wearing a Dundas dress.

That’s so incredible. I’ve come to learn the key to evolving as a creative is staying curious. What has your experience been so far?

Whenever you have an impulse to explore something creatively or physically, just follow that because all it does is lend to your experience as a person. I think you hit the nail on the head about staying curious, everyone always asks, well, what does that mean? I think it’s about heading out of your comfort zone a little bit. All of my friends, and maybe my team as well, know I’m a spontaneous person. If someone asks me what I am doing in 20 minutes, I’ll say, I don’t know (laughs). At the moment, I am really enjoying DJing. Someone recently rang me and said, you have 20 minutes to get to the venue, go! I was in my pajamas (laughs). I am embracing life in that way because every experience feeds into your art.

So are you just booking gigs around LA? You mentioned you recently DJed at Burning Man!

Yeah, I have been booking gigs (laughs). Even my team is like, how are you doing this? And I am like, word of mouth is a powerful thing! I am just having a lot of fun–it’s an expression, it’s art–I am loving it, and there is no objective.

That’s so important, to have something you lose yourself in and not put pressure on it and feel like, I need to be the best in the world, just have fun! That’s a freeing feeling.

Oh yes, if you come to my show, you will have a great time and you’ll also remember, I am a human being (laughs)!

Above Ella is wearing Cartier Clash hoop earrings; cape and broach by Carolina Herrera;

Much of your work you have done extensive training, but mentally and emotionally, how do you step into a new role?

I only take on roles with characters that I connect with. There are two parts to this, there is the emotional experience—it will click inside of me in that way, and it will open up the capacity for imagination. There is also a lot of research that goes into it and I want to make sure I stay authentic to the character–so there are a lot of conversations with the director–especially with Run Sweetheart Run. It’s the constant search for truth.

Does it click immediately for you or does it take a while for things to fall into place?

I am a human being and there are times where I am hyper-fixating in my girl cave, as I call it, and I’ll be completely in a study bubble. Then there are times I feel like I need to put something down for a week or two and let life happen. It’s crazy how in a role like Resident Evil, life did echo a lot of what was happening on screen. It’s powerful and you can be too cerebral with something; sometimes it’s about letting your natural instincts take over, which is important.

Your next project is Run Sweetheart Run from Blumhouse Productions. upon hearing about it, I thought it sounded like a light-hearted movie, but it’s another reason to maybe not go on a blind date (laughs). Can you talk more about your role as Cherie and about stepping into the heart-pounding horror genre?

I say, if this movie isn’t a love letter to the best and worst sides of Los Angeles, I’m not sure what film is. It’s a very visceral feeling, however at its core, there is this awesome messaging, if you want to look into the subtext of each scene and what the director, Shana Feste has done with her writing. It’s special and it’s what drew me into it when I asked her what she wanted to do with the story. My character Cherie is a single mother and she goes out on a client dinner and it turns horribly wrong. Unlike most horror movies where there is the ebb and flow of horror–suddenly you are really in it and then you are out of it and you wake up the next morning and you say, hey, did you see the ghost—there is no ebb here only flow (laughs). It’s an intense film and once you strap in you are in for a ride.

How do you unwind after an intense day like that? I’m sure your adrenaline is pounding, or maybe you don’t and that lack of sleep or wind-down can help fuel the character?

This film was shot three years ago and I am a completely different person from when we shot it. My life experience, the way I am doing press, and my experience of time on set has more than tripled since then. I can actually speak on this in a wiser way than I would have in 2019 and I think it’s an interesting thing to touch on. Ella in 2019 would have been like, we did such a cool thing, we were in LA on location, it was intense, and I got to be covered in blood all of the time. It was my birthday a few days ago and 26-year-old Ella has a slightly different answer (laughs). I will say I thought I was unwinding while filming but I didn’t. I would go to bed with all the dirt and gore in my hair for continuity and wake up the next morning and keep it going. The memory of that character definitely stayed in my body for a couple of weeks after I shot the thing. Now, I take my PlayStation around with me to take my mind off things. I think it’s really easy to stay in this dark hole of self-induced suffering, especially for a role like this in the horror genre, but now, I am there for a good time and I am going to tell the story and work with amazing people, like Pilou Asbæk and Shana Feste. I have discovered in my journey of acting that I could have removed myself a bit further at the end of the day.

It’s great to look back and realized you learned something important, that’s growth! Next year you will start production in Hugo Keijer’s, The Occupant, which you also helped produce. Talk to me about the film, it sounds super intriguing, and about deciding to expand and take on the role as a producer.

When I was in South Africa filming Resident Evil, there were so many restrictions with covid. I found the day ran faster when I was cc’d on an email and when I was told what was going on. I found a lot of creative decision-making that would spend half the day running up the chain of command, I could solve it in ten seconds and that interested me. I loved being part of the creative process and with light things like a costume for Jade, which myself and Danielle Knox worked on together. With The Occupant, I am the protagonist, it’s two-handed but it’s just me on set. Because I am so emotionally and physically there, I am involved. It’s important to have that open dialogue with the director in that expanded creative way, which comes with the producer role.

Above Ella is wearing a Panthère de Cartier bracelet; Juste Un Clou ring; Clash Hoop earrings, all by Cartier.

It’s so much more fulfilling, I think, when you have a say or part in how things go, plus you will learn the ropes so if one day you want to solely step into that role you will know it.

Exactly, the goal is to be able to cast my friends in things and be like I produced X, Y, and Z, I know what I am doing (laughs).

You also step into a new form of entertainment in the upcoming Forspoken by Square Enix for PlayStation 5, which is coming out on January 24th. I read you are into gaming so it must have been a trip doing this. What was that process like as compared to say your role in Resident Evil?

The process is very much akin to theater because it’s very physical. Every movement has to be slightly exaggerated so the people in the back can see. But then again there is no audience and you are standing there with all of these dots on you and all of these lights tracking your every move. Because it’s so expensive to do, render, and record, whenever you film a scene you have to do it the whole way through, and like theater, you are in it. But like film, if you mess it up you just start again.

You’ve established yourself not only in film but also in the fashion and beauty world since you are the ambassador to brands like Cartier, congratulations. I heard you might be dabbling in something of your own?

For my own thing, all I can say is February question mark (laughs). It’s a little passion project. But with the brand ambassadorships, the most exciting thing—besides traveling the world and learning the craft of modeling—is that each has cool philanthropic endeavors that I align with like Cartier who does so much with female empowerment. It feels authentic and I always try to lead with authenticity.

I always love to ask, since I am such a believer in saying out loud what you want, and dream, what are some big dreams you have down the pipeline that you would love to come to fruition?

I’ve had such an incredible journey into this industry, I’d like to preface with that. It’s been zero to hero with Charlie’s Angels. I would love to be able to look behind me in five to ten years and be proud of the body of work I have built despite being thrown into this thing head first. I recently posted a video on my Instagram that my dad sent me on my birthday, it’s of eight-year-old me. Everything I do is to be able to look at her, if she came up to me, and be like, hey you are doing good.

follow ella balinksa on instagram

stream ‘run sweetheart run’ on prime video on october 28th

A special thank you to this team, Cartier, and Rogers & Cowan PMK

Introducing October Starring Ella Balinska