It was great to hear from Ionica last week.
She spoke to our Performing Arts students about her journey through drama school and the various roles she has enjoyed on TV and radio. She also offered our students her top industry tips and advice and answered their questions about career progression.
Ionica explained the exciting twists and turns her career has taken over the past year and told our students that they can never truly predict where a career in the industry might take them:
“I was nominated for an acting award and I wrote to lots of different radio stations near where I live. A few of them invited me onto the show to talk about the award. The evening after I was on BBC York I got an email from the producers. They said they liked my energy on the show and asked if I’d consider presenting. I’d never done it before but I thought, why not? After auditioning for BBC York, I got a contract for a year doing The Arts and Culture Show and then off the back of that I’ve done a lot of presenting this year.
The point I’m making is your career may stem off in lots of ways that you might not necessarily expect. I never thought I would present and then this year has been a crazy journey. Lots of different opportunities have come off the back of it.”
Ionica also spoke to the students about her childhood. She was born and adopted from Romania at the age of 2 and this experience influenced the path she has taken throughout her career. She said:
“Since my contract with BBC York, I now freelance for the BBC and I did a documentary about the orphanage I was in when I was younger and I met my birth mum.
I’ve just been on BBC Politics. I never thought I’d be on a politics-based show they were doing a section about the profits that foster care homes make and although I’m not fostered my family has fostered before.”
Ionica trained at East 15 Acting School in 2008 and she had a key piece of advice for our students:
“No one has a crystal ball but everyone has an opinion about what drama school is and how you can get in.
In reality, drama schools want an eclectic mix of people, so if you feel like you stand out or you feel like you’re different then that’s your biggest charm. Be authentically you!”