Meet Mariam Meliksetyan | Actress

We had the good fortune of connecting with Mariam Meliksetyan and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Mariam, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
I’ve been an artist for as long as I can remember. I began training in the fine arts before I even started school. Growing up I would write short plays and put them on for my family. I would pretend I was a pop star and make my family watch my song and dance numbers. In school I participated in choir, dance, poetry recital, and finally in high school I got to experience acting in school plays. However, being from an immigrant family I didn’t think to pursue these creative fields as a career, I knew I had to make a practical decision with my career choice to ensure financial security. But as I took my business and economics classes in university I felt an emptiness. So I began to fill my creative vessel once again by taking classes in theatre, cinema, photography, fashion, art history, music in film, and more. And by a series of fateful events, after eliminating countless other creative career prospects by means of trial and error, I realized I wanted to give acting a try. And from that day forth, every step I took towards pursuing acting kept opening up more doors as if to say this is the path you were meant to be on. And I haven’t looked back since. If you were born an artist, you have no choice but to be an artist. No matter how difficult it can be, it is still the most fulfilling thing to be true to your nature as a creative. What acting gave to me was the ability to combine all of my creative interests into one. The possibilities for learning, creating, growing, and artistic exploration are endless with this craft.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I am a strong supporter of the notion that representation matters and this is a major cornerstone of my work as an artist. I aspire to make underrepresented communities like my own feel seen and heard through the work that I choose to do, as there has been a lack of opportunities for Armenian and MENA talent in film and television. There have been a few instances recently that really excited me, for example with Marvel’s Moon Knight, where we got to see Egyptian culture represented in an authentic and beautiful way. Seeing the positive audience reaction to that, whether it’s people who have long been underrepresented finally seeing actors who look like them, hearing music in their own language, or audiences who are non-MENA learning about and loving this culture. Throughout my own career I hope to share my own culture with the world in a similar way, so it too can be celebrated. However, Armenian actors and artists are still highly underutilized. Recently there have been more and more instances of characters in movies and shows being written as Armenian but an actual Armenian actor is never used for those roles. It’s so highly inauthentic to our people and unfortunate because we have so much talent out there waiting to be discovered but people in the industry aren’t looking hard enough. This challenge inspires my work and excites me to be a trailblazer for people like me, so that perhaps one day I can help my community feel truly seen and authentically represented on the screen.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
It’s really difficult to pick just a few spots because LA has so much to offer! My favorite areas around town are Larchmont Village, the general vicinity of Studio City, Pasadena, Glendale. Anywhere you can walk around and grab a coffee with friends, go for a nice hike, or pop into a cinema to catch a movie. For arts and culture – A Noise Within Theatre and Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena, Geffen Playhouse, and The Getty Center, among many many other places. There’s always something fun and creative to do in this city.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
It’s impossible to list everyone because there are so many people who have played a huge part. Whether it be the personal relationships with my family and friends who give me love and support, or the professional relationships with teachers, mentors, and colleagues who have given me opportunities, believed in me, taught me, and encouraged me. Each and every one of these people I keep in my heart and always make sure to remind them how appreciated they are for their role in helping me get to where I am today.

Website: melikse.com

Instagram: @mariam_meliksetyan

Image Credits
Featured Photo: David Muller