A native of Moscow, Russia, actress Alexis Raben is soon to become one of the most watched actresses in Hollywood. With two high profile films under her belt, Alexis’ acting style is reminiscent of some of the greatest actors of our time.  With fearlessness, authenticity, and intelligence transcending every frame she is in, Alexis has become known for her dramatic, intense and at times tragic characters.

Now, Alexis will show the world a new side to her acting abilities, with her breakthrough role as “Katja” in the film Miss March. Written and directed by the comedy troupe The Whitest Kids You Know, Alexis plays an accented lesbian bombshell that wreaks havoc on the protagonists of the film.

In her spare time, Alexis has been involved with The Young Storyteller Foundation, a Los Angeles based non-profit organization dedicated to developing literary, self-expression and self-esteem in elementary school students through the art of storytelling.  She is also a longtime supporter of IRC- International Rescue Committee.  In addition to acting, Alexis is currently collaborating on several films, one she is co-writing, while others she is developing and hopes to produce.

We got to interview Alexis about her past—and future:
Hollywire: Tell us about your life in Moscow. How long did you live there?
Alexis Raben: I was born in Moscow and lived there until I was 13. It was a great place to grow up actually, extremely creatively and intellectually nurturing.  As long as I was a kid and didn’t have to face the real consequences of all the political and social upheavals, they only seemed to add a sense of excitement about living in a time of importance, where what you do will truly matter. I’m not sure how this world view would have held up had I remained there into my teens and adulthood.
HW: How did your love of photography transfer into your love for filmmaking?
AR: I loved the way photography allows you to manipulate the image to tell your own story.  But of course if you have a longer and possibly more involved story to tell, you start yearning for language as well.  And I guess it was that desire to unite photographic image with dramatic language that landed me in filmmaking.
HW: Tell us about your work in the 2007 film The Invasion.
AR: Working on The Invasion was a great experience for me. It was directed by Oiver Hirshbiegel, whose previous film Downfall I had been a big fan of, and with whom I was very excited to work. And on top of it, I got to act opposite some great actors. What more can a girl ask for on her first big film.
HW: Tell us about your role in the movie The Outlanders.
AR: In The Outlanders, I played Anna, a Russian woman living and working illegally in London in order to support a baby daughter back home in Russia. In preparing for the role I got a real education on the state of modern day Europe, and the effect that globalization and world economic inequality is having on it; and of course the real and more personal lesson was about what it’s like for a single unprotected individual to try to survive in this vortex. Anna pretends to be Lithuanian because unlike Russia, Lithuania is part of the EU and its citizens are allowed to work in other EU countries. It’s not a particularly solid cover, and without papers to back it up, Anna lives in constant danger of being found out and deported.  But then of course, she falls in love and her priorities are tested.
An additional challenge in playing Anna was her accent. She had to speak with a heavy Russian accent but as if aiming for an English accent. Neither of these is natural to me and I had to really study and work for that.  As part of my preparation, I searched London for women like Anna, and was lucky enough to meet and talk with a few.
HW: Tell us about your role in Miss March.
AR: In Miss March I play Katja, who I think might be best described as a nympho-maniacal lesbian traveler in love. Personally, I find her pretty hysterical.  I’m especially fond of her exclusive and unwavering focus on her girlfriend, her unapologetic lust, as well as her obliviousness to men and the rest of the world around her.
HW: As a dramatic actress, how did it feel to make a switch to comedy in Miss March? What was it like for you on the set?
AR: Making a switch to comedy felt invigorating and natural. I had done a lot of comedy on stage, and working on Miss March made me realize how much I’d missed it.
HW: What is the extent of your involvement for LA’s The Young Storyteller Foundation and the IRC- International Rescue Committee?
AR: As part of YSF’s program, film industry professionals such as myself are attached to 4th and 5th graders as mentors, or at times as glorified secretaries.  And over the course of the term we guide the students in developing and writing a short script which is then performed by other professional actors in front of the entire school. It’s an amazing experience to be a part of, and to witness how it transforms its participants, and actually encourages self-confidence and self-expression.
HW: What’s up next for you in 2009 and beyond?
AR: Right now my two most exciting projects are kind of in the secret mode, which unfortunately does not make great interview material. But I promise to make up for that as soon as they can be revealed.