Ursula, the award-winning actress and performing artist who is originally from Austria, has been performing since the age of 13 when she was cast in a successful dance team as its youngest member. She has trained extensively in dance with Jazz, Hip Hop, and Ballet as her main disciplines. Soon after joining the dance group she started acting and modeling and got signed by a Vienna based talent agency, which led to her moving to the capital at the age of sixteen.
When asked about a big life lesson that she has learned, Ursula shared that “Life is short and unpredictable. You never know what happens next. I mean, the pandemic really proved that. Everything can change so quickly.”
Many times you may have the urge to compare yourself and your journey to others but the actress warns that comparing just leads to unhappiness as you never know how much help the people you are comparing your life to may have gotten. You simply don’t know their circumstances.
The entertainment industry is very crowded and competitive, lots of people are trying out for the same acting roles.
“With so much competition, you need to be unique. Bet on your strengths.” Ursula says. “For me, that’s being able to speak more than one language, being a trained dancer, being athletic.”
It’s evident throughout her career that Ursula Maria is a prime example of rising to the top based on talent and determination. She was a finalist in the NIKE Women’s dance contest and auditioned successfully for a performing arts school located in Vienna. Ursula danced in various shows throughout Austria as well as the US, worked as a commercial model and actress, taught dance, and studied theater, film, and media at the University of Vienna. She eventually moved to Los Angeles, California to study at the prestigious Stella Adler Academy of Acting and to continue working in the arts.
Working as an actress and performer is definitely an exciting career choice, but it’s not an easy one.
“I have been performing ever since I can remember. I used to do a lot of dance shows, then I studied musical theater and acting. I love to put on a show. I get excited about immersing myself into a character and bringing it to life. I enjoy storytelling and creating. And I like to play.” so Ursula “But of course it’s difficult. A lot of people get cast because of who they know. But at the end of the day, you need to be able to be good. And you need to love the process of creating in order to stick with it even when things are tough. You’ll audition for lots of projects that you’ll never book and you can’t let yourself get down about that. It’s the nature of the game. Only one person can get the job. But when you do book the role, it’s the most exciting thing ever!”
We asked Ursula what she would tell her 10-year-old self right now if she could: “Don’t worry so much, believe in yourself and take more risks!” she said.
You’d probably agree with her that we all need to take a step back sometimes and focus our attention on what really matters most to us instead of worrying about things that we can’t control. It also doesn’t hurt to take risks sometimes, because if you don’t try anything, you will never know what could have been.
After moving to the US Ursula quickly got signed by an acting agency as well as a manager and was cast in various projects including short and feature films, pilots, and plenty of commercials. Some of the films she starred in made it to film festivals, receiving awards including the best actress award for Ursula on more than one occasion. So made her own film “Imag-in” that she co-wrote and co-produced as well as starred in. About “Imag-in” she said “That was a fun experience. It was shot in Los Angeles as well as Chicago. There’s this old church in Gary which was just perfect for the movie.”
Ursula attributes her success to three main factors: Discipline, dedication and willpower. But she is far from being satisfied. “I’d love to be much further ahead, much more accomplished.” she says. “There’s so much more I want to do. So I’m excited for the opportunities the next year will bring.”
You can follow Ursula Maria on Instagram/Twitter @ursula_maria_