Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1093354
What's the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning? I sit up slowly and rub my hands together. Then I cup my eyes to feel the warmth. I used to jump out of bed before and then feel faint. So now I finally learnt to slow down. What is the best advice you've ever received? My mother loved quoting a song to me when I was a girl. "Walk tall, walk straight. Look the world right in the eye!" I find the first part quite challenging, being more of a petite size. But the rest I have taken to heart. What do you never leave the house without? A bag. There's one for every occasion. I have forgotten my wallet, my diary, my mobile, everything. But I go out with a bag. Pick three words that describe yourself Energetic. Loving. Funny. What do you consider to be your greatest achievement? Cliché coming up: my family. Sorry! What is your guiltiest pleasure? Binging on Netflix. I love it. Watching on my tablet in bed possibly. It's a fantasy I had when I was a small girl, to watch whatever I wanted, wherever I wanted. I'm living my science fiction childhood dream! What is the most important lesson life has taught you? Another cliché coming up. When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. I should open a booth somewhere and give classes. Property and cars aside, what's the most expensive thing you've ever bought? My wedding ring. I wanted it flashy, full of dia- monds all around. Then I lost it. Oh well! What is one thing you wish you knew when you were younger? That it will all happen and it will be okay. I'm truly living my dream. Being an artist in Malta. Who's your inspiration? Frida Kahlo. She made lemonade out of her life, in style, with flair and in her own way. What has been your biggest challenge? Overcoming my faltering self-confidence. If you weren't an actor and producer, what would you be doing? I paint, play the piano, present on TV and teach. If I had to be something else, I can only imagine I'm a butterfly. If I'm not any of these, I'd rather be an insect. Do you believe in God? Yes, I'm Roman Catholic but I appreciate all re- ligions. An energy, something my mind cannot comprehend, definitely exists. If you could have dinner with any person, dead or alive, who would it be? Marie Curie. I would ask her how it felt working side by side with her husband during a time when women were so overlooked. Women's situation improved only slightly. What's your worst habit? I bite my fingernails. I need them short to make props and play the piano. What are you like when you're drunk? I'm rarely ever drunk. I'm wild and uninhibited. Who would you have play you in a film? Rachel Weiss. What is the trait you most deplore in others? Entitlement. You find it everywhere, like a disease. What music would you have played at your funeral? The Halleluiah of Handel. For me, it means I've done it. And that was my life. My final bow. What is your most treasured material posses- sion? My paintings and drawings. I don't even sell them. What is your earliest memory? Climbing into the Moses basket where my newborn sister lay. I was three. I knelt and lay down. It was all white and beautiful. It was heavenly. When did you last cry? Apart from during the rehearsals and perfor- mances, it is when I see children suffering deplorable conditions like in Palestine, Yemen and Syria. I cannot understand how the people in power do not use their power for good. I cry for the lack of empathy around us. Then I use my anger and frustration and portray it in my paintings, social work or my plays to increase awareness. We need a culture of caring around us. That's what makes me cry. Who would you most like to meet? Why? Angela Merkel and Theresa May. I would like to pick the brains of such powerful women and see how they deal with life. What's your favourite food? I'm on a strict diet for health reasons, so if I could just eat a whole bar of chocolate with lots of hazelnuts and raisins, I would be in heaven. Also, rabbit stew and lasagne. Who's your favourite person on social media right now? My favourite people are those who speak with dignity, values and integrity. They are not famous but they energise people. If you could travel in time, where would you go? The future. I'm so worried about the state of the world I want to check how bad it is going to be, film it and bring it back and shove it down some very important throats. What book are you reading right now? Graphic novels like Scott Pilgrim or Saga. If you could have any superpower, what would it be? Clean the world. Yes, the pollution in the air, the oil spills and plastic in the sea and toxic people from power. What's one thing you want to do before you die? Hug my children. Always feel so blessed hug- ging them. What music are you listening to at the mo- ment? Usually classical, but lately it's whatever my children are into, be it Crazy Frog or Ramona Falls. In the shower or when you're working out, what do you sing/listen to? I rarely work out. When I do, it's mostly stretch- ing and yoga, so I love listening to Indian music. ANGELE GALEA BY MARIA PACE suggestions by email mpace@mediatoday.com.mt She has played in Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf, Alfred Buttigieg's Dwar Menopawsi, Minorenni u Muturi High Speed, and Secret Sounds Stories at Altofest Valletta. She also acted in Largo Winch, Agora and Beat, and when she is off the stage she holds Fellowships in Piano Performance and Music Theory and teaches art at youth.inc THE Q&A maltatoday | SUNDAY • 17 MARCH 2019 2