Meet Nika Khitrova | Actress, Producer and Life Coach

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

Hi Nika, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
I’m a big believer is taking calculated risks. When I’m producing film, I have a plan A, plan B and a plan C and I have a backup alternative too. Then I feel I can relax and just trust the flow. We cannot predict the future, all we can control is the present moment and how prepared we are for what could happen. Here’s the thing, nothing was ever invented or pioneered without a large degree of risk. It’s intrinsically linked to progress. For example, when you exercise to tone muscle, you need to ‘tear’ muscle to build new stronger muscle tissue. I try to remind myself that when I’m contemplating a new venture. For me, as I’m sure for a lot of other people, it’s always very daunting to start a new project. My brain floods with all the things that can go wrong, all the ‘impossible’ examples of how others attempted it and failed. Sometimes these thoughts are debilitating. But then, once all the scary emotions quell, I start to remember all the other times in my past I felt so hopeless and how pushing past those feelings and starting to make contingency plans for every possible pitfall has got me through every challenge that truly felt impossible and made me the person I am today.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.

I think we are all creatives in one form or another. I’ve been drawing, sculpting, and playing out long scenes with imaginary friends since I can remember, one might say that comes with the territory of being an only child and an immigrant with a big language barrier growing up but in hindsight, I feel it has served me well. I’ve been lucky because even though my elders warned me how difficult pursuing a career in entertainment would be at the same time no one stopped me from throwing thousands at a degree in theatre and pursuing a career that feels like an eternal art student’s lifestyle. My favorite thing about acting is that I get to play in another ‘world’ and in that moment everyone agrees it is real. It feels like a superpower to be able to play in an alternate dimension, kind of like lucid dreaming. With every role from doing a scrip reading, filming an audition or actually being on set I get to live another life, with different perspectives and new ways of interacting with others. It’s an absolutely fascinating mental and physical adventure that’s hard to summarize into words.
My passion is to tell thought-provoking stories, I love it when after watching a scene audience feedback is that they didn’t see things that way before and/or that they have a deeper understanding of why people do the things they do. We are complicated creatures and our behavior can too often be judged as just right or wrong. But my belief is that that’s how we got into the mess that the world is today, by not taking the time to appreciate and value other points of view with pure empathy.
How I got to where I am today? Hard work and persistence. I’m nowhere near where I want to be but at least that gives me guidance to keep going. I feel every challenge is an opportunity to create solutions if you know where to look for them. That’s actually one of my favorite things about producing, it’s like a giant escape room scenario, once you go into a project the timer is set and the challenge is on!
The biggest lesson I’ve learned is that everyone’s journey is going to be different and not to be disheartened. Just keep learning and keep pushing through. Ask yourself what would I need to achieve said goal and find a way. Sometimes getting the goal just doesn’t happen, no matter how hard you try, but in my experience, something else equally valuable appears, as if by magic. But of course, there is no sorcery here, if you strive hard enough you create ripples and new opportunities always form on the horizon.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I love it when friends come to visit!! I’m originally Russian and I grew up in London and have friends from all over the globe. My only regret is that too often I have time constraints and work deadlines when they visit. So let’s pretend there are no limits… I would start with a trip to a Korean Spa in K town, great for jet lag, followed by dinner in the area. In the morning drag brunch and hang out in WeHo, and find a rooftop to watch the sunset for dinner. A day driving up and down the Pacific Coast enjoying the seafront and seafood. Definitely a mini road trip to Joshua Tree, I always book an Airbnb with an unobstructed desert view of mountains and Joshua trees. There is nothing like watching the sunrise/sunset and star gazing in a hot tub in my opinion! I would stop off at Big Bear too, to see the snow and the stunning scenic drive at 7,140 feet above sea level. For the last day in the city depending on my guest’s preferences, check out the galleries or sightseeing. It would have to be Fogo de Chao for a very decadent lunch. In the morning before the flight, a trip up Mulholland is stunning and I love the Hollywood Reservoir Park to get some sunshine before a long flight.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I think it’s fair to say that the entertainment industry is unlike other industries in terms of building your career. Its a bizarre combination of hard work, talent and pure dam luck. There is no obvious way to do it and it can be very hard as there are no obvious career ladders, in fact often it feels like snakes and ladders. So, I am forever in debt too all the dear people in my life who have always supported me, been there to listen, and given me the strength to keep pushing. Without that level of support, it can feel very hard to stay motivated and dare to pursue one’s wild ideas. I am also incredibly grateful to all the directors, producers, and fellow artists who have ‘seen me’ and given me a leg up so to speak. I hope I made you proud.
I recently just signed with a new manager, Brenda Fisher at Untamed Artists, and after being in the entertainment industry for 20 years I can honestly say I have never felt more supported, Im excited for whats to come.
I’m a big fan of books as they widen ones perspective and help me understand myself and humanity better, my favorite would be The Artists Way, Julia Cameron. The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck, Mark Manson and You Can Heal Your Life, Louise Hay

Instagram: @nikakhitrova

Other: www.imdb.me/nikakhitrova