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Bella bites the big apple

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The team at Gloss fell in love with Kiwi actress Bella Vendramini's tales of hilarity and heartbreak in New York City as she follows her heart's desire to go to a prestigious acting school in NYC. We had to find out more about the girl behind the new book 'Biting The Big Apple'...

In your book you really seemed to adore New York – what are the best things about the city?
Being in New York makes you feel like you are in the middle of one of the best parties of your life… A party that never stops. You go home to rest and the party rages on without you – then at any time you can plug right back in. It's good for people with low boredom thresholds.

When you tried to get into Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute the receptionist told you it was impossible – what do you think it was about your application that set you apart from the others?
I'm not sure what it was. I know I worked on the application from morning to night and edited and re edited it into the wee hours. I think I was so besotted with the idea of going there, they would have risked a suicide if they didn't let me in!

Who is the most enjoyable character you have ever played as an actor?
I loved playing Blanche from a Streetcar Named Desire. She was a tough nut to crack, so seeped in madness and fragility and old world charms, she was an extraordinary complex character and so beautifully written, I loved playing her, it was a real honour.

You talk about method acting – what is it and why do you think it works so well?
Method acting at its bones, is using your five senses of communication to evoke your past life experiences to better inhabit a character and a character's emotional life. To link your own life experiences to the character’s helps you get more honest. It can be tough dredging up your past, but it definitely makes you more self aware. And a little crazy.

You've spent some time hanging out with Quentin Tarantino. What do you admire most about his work?
I love seeing Quentin, I'm a bit of a fan, he is smart as a whip, exuberant, generous, fun and hugely entertaining. Pulp Fiction was one of the seminal films of our time. He has the ability to entertain, provoke and startle audiences time and time again. I just read his new film Inglorious Bastards - and it is fantastic spectacle.

Who would be your dream character to play?
I don't think I have a dream character I'd like to play, I have dream directors I want to work with though, like Coppola or the Cohen brothers, Mike Leigh – pretty diverse directors, but they would all be fantastic to work with.

At the end of your book you were off to LA – are you going to write a book about your adventures there? Please do!
Absolutely. I can't seem to stop getting into some kind of trouble - so in Los Angeles I'm sure it will be the same – and I'll write down every last embarrassing details of it to entertain the folks back home! Schedenfreud is a good thing.

Bella Vendramini's first book 'Biting The Big Apple - A Memoir of Life, Love (okay and sex) in New York City' is out now.
Distributed by Hachette Livre.
RRP: $39.99