Meet Gratiela Brancusi Star of ‘1883’
Gratiela was virtually photographed in Los Angeles by Alison Engstrom; hair by Loren Canby; makeup by Nancilee Santos
Thank you so much Gratiela for partaking in the ROSE & IVY virtual shoot! I’m excited to talk to you about your role in 1883, but before we talk about the show and the massive success, I’d love to learn more about your background. I always love to ask, what did you want to be when you were little growing up in Romania?
I wanted to be a boy (laughs). I didn’t have a brother growing up; I had an older sister but she was 11 years older so she was never around. My mom and dad were divorced and I was raised by my mom so I wanted to be bigger and stronger. I never liked having anyone to protect me, I wanted to take care of myself and at the time, I thought the only way to do that was by being a boy.
Was there anyone or anything that inspired you to start performing, how did you get into the field?
It all started in a weird accident. I was volunteering at a non-profit theater company called The Actor’s Gang. They have this theater rehabilitative program called the Prison Project, which they take to prisons, juvenile facilities, and reentry houses. I wanted to become a teaching artist but to become a teaching artist, you had to be an actor with the company, but in order to become a member of the company, you had to get this very specific training in this old Italian art form called Commedia dell'arte. It’s mask work with stock characters who you find in every society and explores four states of emotion: happy, sad, afraid, and angry. So I had to go through the training in theater for a couple of years and then eventually I joined the company as an actor. Then I started going in as a teaching artist.
That’s incredible, especially since so much of society might not see the prison population as an opportunity to teach performing.
It truly changed my life and my perspective on pretty much everything. I used to work in advertising before and just thinking about what used to consume me or my goals seemed silly.
So then, how did the stars align for you to break into TV with ‘1883’ since it’s your first television credit?
I never thought about doing film because I was so immersed in the theater. I truly love the theater more than anything; it’s such a sacred space for me but then the pandemic came and all the theaters shut down, including ours. The Prison Project transitioned to sending packages to our students since we couldn’t go inside. Most of my friends in the theater were already auditioning, and my best friend Dora, who is this madwoman (laughs); she used to be a professional tennis player, and has the discipline of an athlete. She goes to the gym then does a self-tape, and so much more. She was the one who pushed me to start auditioning. My soul was dying; I was trapped in my apartment, we were doing puppet workshops on Zoom, so I started auditioning late last year. Then eventually in July, when I went back to visit my family in Romania for the first time in three years, my manager sent me this audition. I had to go buy a tripod and a ring light that day. I was in my friend’s very dark and narrow hallway, the lighting was horrible, so I was rather nervous to send the tape to casting. I sent it in, flew back home, and my manager called me that evening and told me I booked it.
Wow, that’s amazing! So many spend years trying to even get small parts, so it’s pretty remarkable.
I am so lucky; I don’t know where this came from. I welcome it and I am so grateful for it, but I know so many people who have worked for so long and are so talented.
The role was destined for you. What excited you most about the project, which is the precursor to Yellowstone?
What really excited me was that I was going to tell the story of a Romani woman. There is very little representation that does justice to the culture of the Roma people. I was excited but at the same time nervous because I wasn’t raised in the tradition. I am of Roma background, on my dad’s side, and I was raised in the community but there were traditions I didn’t even know until later on. I was worried about doing it justice, making ancestors proud, and not offending anyone.
Can you share more about your character, Noemi, and how you got into her headspace? what have you liked about playing her?
She is what we would call a refugee today. At the time, Roma people were enslaved in Europe, predominantly in Romania and Romanian territories. They had been enslaved for about five hundred years. Slavery was abolished on that side about twenty years before Noemi would have traveled to the U.S., but it took a long time. Still, throughout Europe, they were doing what they called gypsy hunts, which were considered a sport. They have been a subject of ethnic cleansing and oppression for a very long time. It’s not impossible to find research on that, but there is not a lot of perspective on the Roma background from people from within the culture if that makes sense–it’s mostly scholars. You have to be engrained in the culture to understand it. It’s not homogenous, it depends on what territory they are in. Each tribe is different based on where they are. I tried to do my best to find as much accurate research in terms of documentaries.
The concept of Roma people has been romanticized especially with Roma women. I was lucky enough to have access to my dad’s friends and family, some of who are part of a more traditional tribe in Romania. It was very valuable information since many traditions are very old. I was able to talk to my dad’s best friend. In Roma communities, if they have to settle a conflict, they have their own type of courthouse and it’s led by the wisest men in the community, and he is one of those men. I had access to so much with him, I was very lucky. Another part of it is, I am an immigrant, not a refugee. I come from a country that was under a communist regime until 89’ and there is still an aftermath from that. But that perspective of being an immigrant helped, too.
How long did you have to prep?
After I found out I booked it, I had four days before I flew out to Texas. We did a cowboy camp the first two weeks we were out there, to me, it was Disneyland for adults. We would ride horses, rope, ride wagons, shoot guns, the whole western school, until we went into production.
That sounds like a blast, had you ridden a horse before?
Yes, maybe for seven seconds (laughs). I grew up in the countryside, I am a country girl. My parents would send me off to my grandparents for the summer. I would ride in a wagon with them when they would harvest watermelons, grapes, strawberries, and such.
What journey can viewers expect from her this season?
During that time, Roma communities were very patriarchal. Women tended to the kids and the husband. They were married into arranged marriages. I think she has so much resilience—and ancestral resilience—for her life of surviving over in Europe and deciding to make the trip. She still doesn’t know what freedom is like, and by freedom, I mean the freedom to make choices. (**SPOILER) She loses her husband in episode two, and she is left with two kids. While I don’t have kids, I can only imagine if you lose your drive to live, only a child can pull you out of that. It becomes about nurturing them and making sure they are safe. I think she starts shedding skin and she is figuring out how to be on her own which she has never been able to do. Women, when they leave the house, in traditional communities and at the time for sure, they are accompanied by someone, they can’t leave. They are dependent on male figures, so there is a lot of growth with her.
You are playing alongside some icons, like Tim McGraw and Faith Hill—who are country royalty—to Sam Elliot. It must be pretty magical on set!
The thing that made it magical is that they are so down-to-earth, humble and generous people. I feel like I don’t speak English well enough to find the words that are generous enough. I got to set and met them, but I met them as people. I didn’t know much besides that since I have only been in the States for five years. I knew of Sam but it’s just the way they are, the moment you meet them you forget about all of that. They are so present, kind, and aware. They read the room. Faith and Sam are truly two of my favorite people in the world. I wanted to learn so much from them, I learned grace from Faith and generosity from Sam, I can’t imagine a human heart that is purer than his.
You filmed on some pretty epic sets and those sets are mother nature. How would you describe filming in such wild and remote places?
The scenery is definitely a character in the show, just being out there, being in the cold, helped me relate to our ancestor’s journey, even just a little bit, even though it doesn’t compare. It’s different than being in a warehouse in Vancouver. I was so grateful for that. Every time I went to set, it would be even more beautiful than the last time–it was just incredible. We shot in Texas and Montana; the sunsets and the sunrises in Texas, it just goes to tell you how ignorant I am (laughs). Every day I feel like I am less ignorant, I find I am more ignorant. Being in LA, I think there are no sunsets like LA sunsets, then I get to Texas and every night was absolutely insane.
That keeps you on your toes and keeps your mind open especially as an artist. Did it help you disconnect and recharge after an intense day of shooting?
I am not very good about that, but I discovered Epsom salts. When we were in Montana and Isabel (May) left a bag in my dorm one night because she knew I was struggling with the cold. I was like, let me try it, I used to buy it for other people but it really does miracles. I used to work out with LaMonica (Garrett) before shooting or after cowboy camp. Working out helps my brain, I don’t know what else to do to quiet my brain.
Since you are an artist, how do you stay inspired in your daily life?
LA is such a great place to be inspired, even if you can just find a place to walk. This is one thing I miss about New York and Europe, just being able to walk on the street and watch people, which I can’t do here. I also read; I am lucky to be surrounded by my theater community and I can steal something from them every time I see my friends. I like to buy random records of artists who I am not familiar with and discover music. I shoot film; I had my camera with me throughout this whole journey. I had about 50 rolls of film I had to get developed. It’s one thing that gives me a lot of joy.
I’m excited to watch your career blossom. Is there anything you have your hopes for in the future?
I want to continue to work with kind artists; it’s been such a generous experience being on set. I have been surrounded by so many people who were so supportive of me, I look forward to more of that and going back to my theater and supporting the theater.