Katyana rocker-cook
Short, sweet; your classic girl next door and cartoon princess. And yet in "Towards Zero", everyone thought I was the murderer
A successful West End child actor in London; my roles have since ranged from spoilt rich girls played for laughs, to the "dark horse" that no-one sees coming. With extensive training in both comedy/improv and classical drama in the UK; I'm equally at home as the comic relief and the final girl. I have a professional background in musical theatre, and founded Cabaret23 here in Los Angeles; celebrating the growing musical theatre presence we have here.
TYPES: 17-20s, Leading Lady, Girl Next Door, Sorority Girl, Best Friend, Ingenue, Mean Girl, Young Professional, Newlywed, Bimbo, Teacher.
A child actor, a writer, and..?
It's a tale as old as time, but I always knew I was going to be an actor. So what's so special about my story?
I guess just that it's mine.
I dedicated my entire childhood (and by extension, the lives of my all-too-patient family!) to developing my craft and career. My first professional role was in "Les Miserables" on London's West End, where I played Little Eponine for 4 months before re-signing as Little Cosette; reportedly the first to do so without a break between contracts. There was nothing in the world I wanted more than to remain exactly where I was; and I continued training and booking over the next few years.
Whilst all this was happening, I nurtured a great passion for literature and creative writing, and when it was time for university applications, I decided to use the same drive and dedication I had for performing to developing my skills as a screenwriter. I gained my BA(Hons.) in English Literature and Creative Writing and my MA in Writing from the University of Warwick, and started to turn my attentions to returning to my career in the industry.
But what's a great story without an unexpected twist?
As everyone knows, this is not an easy business to break into. Whilst at university, I had made ends meet by teaching performing arts to kids aged 6-11 on the weekends (in addition to working as a wench in a medieval castle, in a factory, a department store, and a cafe - but those are stories for another time!). I've always loved working with children and young people. So, still holding my dreams of being an actor/writer in my heart, I gained my teaching degree from the University of Oxford, and taught English at a prestigious boarding school for boys. I spent four years using my knowledge and skills as a performer to bring performing arts into the standard curriculum, and proudly saw my students grow in confidence and ability.
And then at last, a great shining sign came from the universe, and I was presented with the opportunity to move to LA. And boy, did I take it. So here I am, with an impossibly wide world of life experience behind me that informs every second of my work. I continued training here in LA, and have been successfully booking back-to-back projects from self submissions.
So I guess the only thing left to say is that if my story sounds as special to you as it is to me; let's get in touch, and see how it continues to unfold!
