PART I: AUTHENTICITY by Jen Bush

Children often hear the question, what do you want to be when you grow up?  Each child might have 20 or more answers to that question over time.  Coral Mizrachi had only one answer to that question.  The performing arts called to her at a young age and she’s happy to still be engaging in her greatest passion.  “I’ve wanted to be an actress ever since I could remember and working as one on set and on stage is a dream come true. I always loved acting and singing, and as a kid I would do it every chance I get. I was born in Israel and worked as an actress there from a young age, and moved to New York after I accepted a scholarship from The American Academy of Dramatic Arts. I worked on the set of Comedy Central in the sitcom Shutafim (Israel), and the upcoming TV show Block Boys with Ski-ter Jones. I feel the most alive when I’m acting, and I am grateful to be able to do that every day.” 

Coral Mizrachi starred in a music video for the song Can’t Kill Me Now by Wesley Aldrich.  The original video was supposed to be very different from the finished product.  A forward-thinking compassionate director did not move on to the next actress once she found out the actress she picked for the job was ill.  She embraced the good and the bad of this brave artist’s journey and created a stunning, haunting and ultimately uplifting video around a beautiful song.  Ms. Mizrachi details her involvement with this project.  “Director Audrey Lane contacted me to be in the music video. She didn’t know about the cancer at the time, but when I told her, she was the one that had the idea of making the illness the center of the video. At first, I wasn’t convinced, but I did want to document what I’ve been going through, so I said yes. I am so happy I did; Audrey gave me a present most people don’t receive. After a traumatic event like this, I was happy that I had an outlet to show the world a real documented footage from the hospital, and from myself.”

 Ms. Mizrachi’s creative process was highly dependent on how she was feeling on any given day of filming.  She struggled but pushed through in turn creating an extraordinary finished product.  “Filming took a very long time because we could only film on my “good days”, and “hospital days”. There were many moments that I had to tell Roi (the DP) to stop the camera, and that I need to rest. It was a constant battle between what I wanted to do, and what my body was capable of. On some of the shooting days I had to recall how I felt, or bring out to the surface what I was actually feeling, and it was quite difficult. I wasn’t playing a character, I was playing myself and stripping down in front of the camera to show my real, fresh scars. Those days were extremely hard, but cathartic in a way.” 

 Ms. Mizrachi has projects lined up on several continents.  The little girl who wanted nothing more than to act has grown up and is living out that dream with success and grace.  “I recently signed with a European agency, and I will probably work in Europe in the near future. I also have a few projects waiting for me in the United States. I really enjoy the fact that I can travel for my work, I really like seeing the world and living in new places. I’m excited to see what awaits me next.”

Look for Part II: COURAGE in Showtones.com