Karina Smirnoff and Ralph Macchio Interviewed About “Across Grace Alley’, DWTS, And More

Broadway World has a new interview posted with dance pro Karina Smirnoff and former Dancing With The Stars partner Ralph Macchio. They talk with them about their partnership on Dancing With The Stars and their new film together, “Across Grace Alley, which will soon be premiering on the East coast at the HAMPTONS INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL from October 10th – 14th! Here is fan take of how they started working on the film together. Lots more at the link. Check out this new website for the film too. It’s fun!

So at what point did you start talking about working together on the film. Was it during that season, or afterwards?

RM: It was afterwards. We felt, and I think this is probably the case for a lot of people on that show, there is certainly a void when it’s over. I think you either wind up being friends forever or never wanting to talk to the person ever again. In our case, I felt the creativity that we had, the ability that we had to tell stories through dance and also through the weekly packages on the show – I miss that and I felt that Karina and I had more stories to tell.

And I think we both felt that and we both miss that creative process. And the getting to know her behind the camera and personally as the friendship grew over the course of the season, I became more and more fascinated with how intriguing a person she was and how much I felt this sort of real, human, understated, grounded side to her that was not sort of focused on the celebrity of Dancing with the Stars- and the glitz and glamour part of it. I saw the human side, the girl beneath the woman, was something I thought would be a fascinating character and so a lot of her character in our film came about in just conversations and our relationship and some discussions we had over that time from a human level.

So that’s where the concept of placing Karina in that sort of place and unveiling that side of her began and our creative collaboration in my world of filmmaking, as opposed to her world of ‘5, 6, 7, 8 go!’

And Karina, this is your film debut. Can you tell us a little bit about your role and is this a career you’d like to pursue further?

Absolutely. It was an incredible experience. You know on Dancing with the Stars we get to create and we get to become a different character for the dance, but it was never as in-depth as it was during the shooting of the movie. And to work with Ralph and to have him explain to me the direction of how he wanted me to act in a certain scene. It wasn’t like 5, 6, 7, 8, go as he says. He told me stories that connected to an emotional experience in my life. And he knows exactly what he wants you to do, which was a very good experience in many ways. I loved every minute of it. I’m looking at other roles right now- I’m excited about this new acting in my life because I have always wanted to act, but when you’re growing up it’s usually a dream and a lot of people don’t think it can be reality, but Ralph has given me a possibility that can be the next chapter of my life and I am ever so grateful for that.