A Conversation with NYFA BFA Acting for Film Alum Giulia Zeta

NYFA BFA Acting for Film Giulia Zeta is an actor and model based in Los Angeles. Giulia has acted in several projects, including a recent community benefit performance at the Victory Theater in LA as part of NYFA's Commedia Troupe. She is also featured as an emerging artist in Poze Magazine. 

Giulia spoke with NYFA about her acting journey and her performance at the Victory Theater. 

 NYFA Alum Giulia Zeta

NYFA: Can you tell us a bit about yourself, where you're from, and what brought you to New York Film Academy?

G.Z: Hi, I’m Giulia Zeta. I’m 23 and I’m originally from Italy. I lived there for 20 years of my life until I decided to move to Los Angeles in 2020 to attend the BFA in Acting For Film at NYFA.

I started my acting journey when I was nine. I was the type of kid who wouldn’t like any sport, therefore my family decided to try an artistic approach and no need to say that it was definitely the right move.

I did mostly theater acting for the majority of my time in Italy. I performed for small theaters, such as the “Armadillo” and “Empact, Studio Frigia 5” in Milan. At the age of 17 I came closer to knowing more about Acting for Film through one of my acting coaches. I attended several workshops with NY Actors Studio alumni Dominique De Fazio, which opened up my mind about the complexity and beauty of Acting for Film. Studying acting with someone from the States, using the teaching methods of the big Stanislavsky, Hagen and Meisner made me understand that my place was somewhere further than Italy.

When I graduated high school I started searching for colleges that could give me a bachelor in acting and the first one that popped up in my research was the New York Film Academy. After my learning experience with the Actors studio coach I knew I wanted to attend college in the United States, so between all the campuses I chose the one in Los Angeles. Being in Hollywood and living so close to all the major studios was also definitely part of the reason why I couldn’t have chosen any other campus.

Three years later it’s today and I’m so happy with the choice I made and where this journey has brought me.

NYFA: What projects have you worked on since graduating? 

G.Z: Ever since graduating I’ve been a part of the Commedia Troupe at NYFA, which recently performed at the Victory theater. Me and some of the members are also in the process of making that troupe become an actual theater group that will perform in small LA theaters soon!

I’ve also been published in an online magazine called Poze Magazine. They’re a company from Chicago that promotes emerging artists and influential people in the industry. I was contacted by them through Linkedin; they asked me some questions about my job and they wrote a three page article about me on their last volume.

I also starred as a lead in a thesis film that will be screened soon at the Dolby Screening Lab and will be sent out to festivals.

Right after graduating I also started my process of looking for a manager or agent to represent me and thanks to the help of the great career counseling teacher Barabara Weintraub I was able to find and sign with my current manager.

My journey has just started but I’m very excited about all the opportunities ahead of me!

 Giulia Zeta featured in Poze Magazine 

NYFA: Tell us more about your recent performance for the NYFA Community Benefit? How did you get involved in the project?

G.Z: The NYFA Community Benefit was a project organized by Riley, the mentor of the Commedia Troupe, a troupe I’ve been a part of for four semesters. Riley told me about the project and, as one of her directing assistants, we worked together in creating the perfect script and show for it. I was very excited to perform on a stage for a charity event and I’m so happy so many people got to know more about Commedia and laugh and play with us. 

NYFA Commedia Troupe Performance at the Victory Theater

NYFA: What did you learn at NYFA that you applied directly to this performance and others?

G.Z: One of the biggest things I’ve learned from NYFA is to trust my instincts and never be afraid of bringing my true unique self on stage. For the Community Benefit performance and, in general for every time I perform with my Commedia troupe, this philosophy helps me ground myself into my craft and bring all I have on the stage. Commedia involves a lot of complex physicality and movements. Therefore, reminding myself that my instincts are right and there’s no such thing as a bad choice but just choices that haven’t worked yet takes a lot of pressure off of my shoulders and allows me to be grounded and present in each moment. NYFA helped me learn this and many other great approaches that I’ll always bring with me wherever my career takes me.      

NYFA: Are you working on any future projects? 

G.Z: I’m working on getting the Commedia troupe called “the after before commedia” to perform in theaters. And also I’m writing a web series to be produced soon as well!

To check out Giulia's article in Poze Magazine click here.