ANITA ALBRECHT

MOST RECENT WORK IS IN FEATURE FILMS (ACTION/THRILLER) AND SHORT FILMS (DRAMA, COMEDY, LGBTQ+) BUT IF YOU WANT TO KNOW WHERE IT ALL BEGAN, HERE'S MY 'STORY':

I was always going to be a born entertainer with way too much energy!

From the age of three I was hanging off the washing line by one leg goofing around, dressing up as my favourite stars and pretending to act by putting on scenes for anyone who was interested in watching. In case I fell off that washing line and cracked my head open, I got thrown into gymnastics straight away at the ripe old age of three and then started dance classes doing ballet and jazz from age 5. Always a lover of sports as well as performing, I launched my own personal training business years later in 2005 and had an extensive waiting list for most of my PT career. I had two private studios in Essex for 8 years specialising in body transformations, pre and post-natal clients and 1-1/small group PT. I now focus on acting and writing full time. My work has included training clients 1:2:1, small group training, HIIT classes, international bootcamp/Body & Conditioning and HIIT classes via zoom (during the pandemic) and choreography and posing coaching for bodybuilders fitness and figure competitors.

Living most of my life in Kelston Auckland (yes, I was a 'westie', ha ha!) doing acting work helped pay for my very active and expensive sports and dancing hobbies. My first taste of the screen was landing a commercial in a Mum deodorant ad at the age of 8 and soon after, I landed a big contract with a big New Zealand supermarket chain (New World Supermarkets) featuring in all their commercials for a 3.5 year period (13 TVC's in total).

Many more commercials in the 1980's followed for lots of different NZ and Australian products including starring alongside Penelope Keith in a Heinz Tomato Soup ad then I got involved in catalogue modelling and stage drama and dance competitions and exams. All of this continued throughout my entire high school years - I was Head Girl at Avondale College and was also in the 1st X1 Soccer and Cricket teams - the female soccer team were National Champs in my final year in 1992! At Avondale College I played Mrs Bumble in 'Oliver', was a dancer in 'Guys and Dolls', 'The Threepenny Opera' played Betty Farnsworth-Jones in 'Wish Me Luck' and landed roles in many other NZ based plays and shows on stage.

After years of drama training, writing, performing in plays and musical theatre at college, I studied Meisner for 2 years under the instruction of Michael Saccente who was one of Meisner's last pupils. Life changed and I moved to London in 2001 and studied with Jenny Melville at the London Centre for Theatre Studies and following that with Tim Kent, Jon East (Killing Eve) and Taz Ayoub at the the Actors Studio, Paul J Lane at FACTA and continue weekly workshops with the amazing Mixing Networks in London doing Audition for Camera and various Casting Director workshops. I have also done professional Presenting training with the wonderful Kathryn Wolfe of 'Pukka Presenting' which resulted in me doing co-presenting LIVE on Ideal World selling fitness products.

I am a UK Equity Member and in 2019 I gained a Merit in my Intermediate ballet exam returning as an adult ballet student after a 25 year break from competitive dancing and exams!

From comedy skits for Sky TV (Soccer AM) to selling fitness products LIVE on shopping channels to being in Michael Moseley's 'Meet The Humans' documentary about competitive people (doing the most amount of burpees in 2 minutes!) to being a guest on 'The Vanessa Show' and 'The One Show' as a guest natural bodybuilder, TV has become a part of my life and I am grateful for the wide range of experience giving me an opportunity to work with various types of television media and be able to relate to and work professionally with people from all walks of life.

Now its all about feature films, short films, writing/creating my own work and commercials.