Pavel Christian

I grew up in Krakow, the second biggest city in Poland. Krakow is known as the Art Capitol of Poland. Perhaps this contributed to my early love of the theatre. I understood at an early age that the life of an actor is not easy, but then again, the life of most people in Poland is not easy. Hard work and persistence are both learned very early where I grew up, which is lucky considering the profession I chose. As an adolescent I played futbol for a semi-professional junior league and was eventually promoted to a city team. As a young adult, finding my history and philosophy degree somewhat difficult to apply in the real world, I pursued my dream of acting. I was able to work on both the stage and screen, but Poland was somewhat shut off from the rest of the world and I wanted more experience.
When Poland joined the European Union I didn’t waste a moment. I packed my bags and was off to England where I could learn the English language and improve my acting skills.
Once I settled down in the UK I took the entrance exam at The Theatre School in Cambridge. I passed and finally began to do what I had always dreamed: study acting. Handling a part time job and full time education wasn’t easy. The cost of tuition left me subsisting off of very meager means. If not for the European Union scholarship I would have never graduated.
After graduation I went agent hunting, which lead me the Pineapple Dance Studio in London where I did my showcases and dozens of auditions. One of them was for a small part in an independent and experimental project that brought together over twenty directors from five continents with an end goal of one single movie. One of the producers I worked with on the film, Marty Shea, who was originally from Detroit, suggested that I should spread my wings even wider and try acting in America. Since I had nothing to lose and no ties in England, I was off to America.
I ended up in the Big Apple and soon realized that without a valid work permit and green card, an acting career in America was not tangible. While living here with my tourist visa, I applied for a green card through Poland’s green card lottery. I could not believe my luck when I found out I was one of around 1,500 hopefuls who had won. I am now a permanent resident of the United States and excited to pursue my dream of acting here. I am currently getting involved in a new project coordinated by Marty Shea.