From France to England to New York: A passionate actress’ journey to success

By Divya Ramesh

As a child growing up in Strasbourg, France, Elizabeth Maille watched a lot of films. She would memorize her favorite lines and scenes, and often scrunch up her face and say to herself, “I wouldn’t do this scene like this.” Then, the extremely shy girl would run to her room, make sure she was alone, and gleefully act out the same scene to her satisfaction. That is how it all began.

Now, that little girl has grown into a successful, confident actress, auditioning for major TV series and films. At age 26, Elizabeth is living her dream in the City of Dreams. From starring in a popular off-Broadway production, to acting in a play directed by Tony award-winner Jack Hofsiss, Elizabeth has had an exciting time in the city that she says “feels like home.” Her brown wavy hair tied in a bun, her eyes bright with enthusiasm, and a wide smile parting her lips, she settles down comfortably in Shade Café near Washington Square Park, one of her favorite spots in the city, to narrate her interesting life story.

Born to a British mother and French father, Elizabeth grew up in France and particularly cherishes her early childhood in Normandy, where she attended huge family gatherings every Sunday. When she turned five years old, her family moved away from her relatives to Strasbourg, and Elizabeth attributes her love for theater to the relocation. As a young child, she felt confused by the sudden disappearance of her large, loving family; theater helped to fill the gap. “Theater brings a sense of community — always surrounded by people, laughing, creating, talking,” Elizabeth says. “My love for acting comes from those early years of always having people at home, and the desire to have a big messy house and an unconventional life.”     

When Elizabeth turned 17, she packed her bags and left for England to study acting and experience English culture, just as her mother, who loved French culture, had decided one fine day to move to France. But about four years ago, just when Elizabeth was beginning to feel at home in London, the Big Apple beckoned. At that point, she visited New York City for the first time to attend a summer training program in acting. She remembers looking around in awe and exclaiming, “Oh my God, this is where I need to be!” Unlike many other visitors, she has no memory of feeling intimidated by the crowds and pace of New York. On the contrary, she says she felt “instantly comfortable.” The summer flew by as she learned more about acting and happily traipsed through Brooklyn Heights when she had free time. Elizabeth left New York when the course ended, knowing that she would be back.

Just a few months later, Elizabeth returned to New York for a nine-month acting course and her career began taking off. She acted in short films and was featured in a music video for MTV. However, when the course ended, Elizabeth could only have stayed in the United States by applying for a whole new visa, so she returned to Strasbourg. She says matter-of-factly, with no sourness, “It is already really hard being an actor. In addition to the precarious thespian life, I had to deal with the realities of being an immigrant in New York.”

Back in Strasbourg, Elizabeth began working as a secretary and saving money in hopes of attending HB Studio in Manhattan, a renowned theater school that has trained many successful actors, playwrights, and directors. Her dream came true quickly — she secured admission to the institution, and found herself back in the city she loved, a year later. Her face lights up when she speaks about her time at HB Studio. “It was the most incredible experience. The program lets you pursue your area of interest. And I made friends for life.”

Two months into the program came her first big break. A casting advertisement that simply read, “Come and perform a monologue tonight” caught her eye. Intrigued, and with nothing better to do that evening, Elizabeth decided to attend the audition. She was greeted by a huge crowd, and with nervous excitement, learned that the audition was for a Jack Hofsiss play. To her utter delight, she ended up being cast. She exclaims, “I was thrilled! It was a huge deal. It reaffirmed my belief that New York is the place for me.”

But not all auditions have a happy ending — Elizabeth says she finds most auditions terrifying. “It is like an interview. Nerve wracking,” she adds. One nightmarish audition in particular stands out to her. After waiting for nearly 10 hours to audition for one of her dream roles, Elizabeth forgot her lines. And when she started her lines again, she was bluntly told, “It’s OK. We have seen enough.” She was devastated.

But Elizabeth is not someone who dwells on past mishaps, and instead talks excitedly about the small successes she has had in the last year. Beaming, she says, “I got an agent. I cried of joy. All these years of training had come to fruition.” She has also managed to get into the union of actors in Europe. “That means I am a professional actor now,” she says proudly.

Some people tell her she’s lucky to be pursuing acting in New York, to which she’s quick to reply, “Yes, I am lucky. But I made it happen. I am the one who tried for it, and I am the one who auditioned for school. I worked for it.” Reaching this level has not been easy for Elizabeth. Among other challenges, she has had to fight prejudice from people who blindly believe that only shallow women take up acting. Elizabeth says a little indignantly, “What you see on the red carpet is just a fraction. It has nothing to do with the day-to-day life of actors. As women, we face barriers, but it is for us to seize the day and prove everyone wrong.”

Her mood instantly brightens as she talks about her upcoming acting projects, including a starring role in a Tennessee Williams play this October. “When you wake up in the morning, and you know that acting is what you are going to do that day, it doesn’t get better than that,” she says. Elizabeth is currently applying for the heavily scrutinized, highly competitive artist visa to remain in the US. Confident that things will get sorted out, she hopes that other women will pursue their dreams too, urging earnestly, “Go for it. New York offers everything. Never say never.”