Gala Nikolic was born and raised in Rijeka, Croatia. When she was a little girl in elementary school she realized that she loved being on the stage. She was training everyday in classical ballet and contemporary dance. Just before she became a teenager, however, she had another realization, or perhaps we could call it an epiphany. She cut her hair and decided to never tie it in a bun again. Wait, there’s more. Beside that decision, she also came to the conclusion that the monotony of daily dance practice was definitely not for her. However, since she loved the stage but not the strict routine of training day in and day out, she made the life altering choice to be an actress.
The next part of her young life would immerse her in everything acting. She earned a BA (Bachelor of Arts) in acting at the Academy of Applied Arts at Rijeka University, in Croatia. One of her acting teachers there was the world famous Croatian actor Rade Serbedzija, who she would work with in the excellent feature length motion picture Fishing and Fishermen’s Conversations. Before moving to Los Angeles, Gala acted at the City Theater in Pula, in Woody Allen’s play Husbands and Wives, which was based on his film of the same name. When Gala landed in California, she attended the legendary California Institute of the Arts, from which she received her Master of Fine Arts degree in acting.
Gala is a woman who goes after whatever it is that she wants. She is a person who learns fast and has a great knowledge retention ability. When she comes on a set or location, she is ready to work. She has learned her lines and she has transformed herself into the character she is portraying. She is truly a fine actress and she is also a writer and director, which makes her one of the rare multi-faceted and multi-hyphenated talents in Hollywood. Her first film role was Fishing and Fishermen’s Conversations, with Rade Serbedzija, who won the Golden arena award for Best Actor in a Leading Role at the Pula Film Festival. The Ministry of Science and Education said the film is a “valuable work that will bring students closer to Croatian cultural heritage and the influence of the cultural circle on their own identity.” Gala is at home on the stage and on a set or location in front of the camera or behind the scenes as a director. She has written and directed many films and stage plays and has won high praise and awards for her work.
