Sheridan alum shoots for the silver screen
STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY CAMILLE GUSHWAY
From dreams of walking down the red carpet to early call times. 20-year-old Krista Komar is working her way up in the acting industry.
Krista Komar has known since she was five that she wanted to act in movies. She would watch famous stars like Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen and think, “I want to do that. I want to be what they are.”
From childhood to her teen years, Komar always got involved in drama studies at school. She acted in plays and took part in a public service announcement (PSA) in high school.
“I was in a PSA in Oakville for anti-bullying,” she said. “That was my first on-camera experience that other people could see and it was something professional. That’s when I was 15, and that really made me think ‘this is what I was meant to do.”
Komar’s friends have always been supportive and want to see her in action. They are part of the reason she keeps doing what she loves.
“Krista and I encourage each other to do what we want and follow our dreams,” said Jake Dietrich, also an actor and Komar’s boyfriend. “At times, our aspirations may change, but we always support the decisions of each other, which I feel is the most important part of a relationship.”
Komar describes her family as being reluctant about her future career.
“As I grew older they knew I wasn’t straying from acting, and they started to realize ‘Oh, she’s not really kidding, it’s not a phase,’ and they asked me what else I wanted to go into as far as backups go. They’ve always told me to follow my dreams. In a way they were supportive, but they were also cautious about it,” she said.
After graduating from Oakville’s Holy Trinity high school in 2013, Krista enrolled in Sheridan’s Media Fundamentals program. Her favourite moments were when she got to meet people in the film industry.
“Meeting anybody that had to do with film and television, directors specifically, when they came into our class as a guest speaker was really interesting,” she said.
After spending a year at Sheridan in the Media Fundamentals program, she knew it was time to look at acting schools. In early October 2014, she enrolled in a four-month diploma program at the Toronto Academy of Acting. It was not her first choice originally, but it ended up being the better decision for her in the long run.
“I did want to go away to another acting school but I ended up choosing the Toronto Academy of Acting for personal reasons. It was a short course and I got right into the world afterwards.”
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Even though Komar was excited to start acting, she was still nervous. She constantly asked herself ‘What does the future hold?’ and ‘Will I truly be successful?’ Overcoming the doubtful voice in her head lead her to being on the sets of Total Frat Movie, Sparks in the Dark and Hemlock Grove.
“Krista went from being a bit nervous and insecure about her future, to who she is now: somebody who knows this is what she is going to do for the rest of her life. I couldn’t be happier for her,” said Dietrich.
Komar’s experience at the Toronto Academy of Acting is one she will never forget. She admires her professors and the teaching strategies they brought to the class. They focused on improv and music in order for students to get into their own characters.
“Krista is continuously growing as an actress,” says Shannon Beliak, a former classmate and actress. “When I first met her, she seemed a bit inside herself but in the past year, I’ve seen her learn to use her emotions and real-life experiences as fuel for her characters. She seems so much more determined and serious to be an actor than she did when I first met her.”
Past teachers have gotten Komar connections to agents, as well as casting directors. This opens up more audition opportunities for her. The faculty at the Toronto Academy of Acting asked if she could take part in a success story panel. There, she spoke about being an actor to current students at the Toronto Academy for Acting. The school has also written an article about her acting journey.
“All the teachers were amazing,” she said. “They were so involved and supportive, and they kept pushing me to my limits and farther if they could. That was really helpful because I got to reach levels of acting that I never thought I could reach. They helped me leave my headspace, which was really cool.”
Making money from acting was one of Krista’s biggest struggles, especially when first acting jobs are expected to be non-paid or low-paid. The money she earned was spent on headshots and travel expenses.
Another struggle Komar continues to face as an actress is her appearance. Something as small as having your hair a shade off from what the casting team is looking for could rob you of a chance at an acting role.
“How you look is a huge thing. There will be instances where your categorized with a bunch of people and they all look the same, so it all comes down to ‘who has the closest look to the character or who’s talent is better?’ Most of the time they chose the look.”
These days, Komar has been travelling to Toronto every morning to the set of Good Witch. She is excited to add scenes she is featured in to her demo reel.
“When we filmed a school scene back in November, I played a student. This past week I was on set as a carnival goer. They were very small, featured roles but they definitely got me to know people on set,” she said
When asked where she sees herself in 10 years, Komar said, “I hope to have achieved a lot of silver screen movies. I’d like to be in a sitcom as well.”
