From Tolyatti to Hollywood: Nastya Fedko Meets DiCaprio

A cruel joke in a classroom filled with indifference, and brilliant Hollywood dubbing in Tbilisi. A year of stress to learn English from scratch and conquer New York. And here she is—at the BAFTA party in an Alexander McQueen dress… The story of Anastasia Fedko, who recently met Leonardo DiCaprio, is a journey from a «drug-addict» nine-story building in Tolyatti to one of the world«s most prestigious acting schools.

How harmless online parodies and a search for self led to a move to America and what it means to survive there as a «resilient cockroach»—in the material from TOLYATTY.ru.

About life in Tolyatti and bullying

Anastasia was born on December 1, 2000, in Tolyatti and spent her childhood in a large family living in a high-rise building in the Avtozavodsky district with a bad reputation.

— The house I grew up in was called the most «drug-addict» in the city, surrounded only by panel nine-story buildings, with the ambiance of the nineties. I had the most ordinary childhood and the most ordinary average family. I remember going sledding, walking with friends in the yard, and the only thing that set me apart was that I was very creative from an early age, — Nastya said.

But she added that the atmosphere in the family was friendly.

— On holidays, grandma made manti (Central Asian dumplings), 75 salads, grandpa sang in karaoke: «My dear, forest sun,» — the top blogger shared.

There are moments the girl is ashamed of. After becoming famous, Nastya openly told how in her teenage years, together with friends, she arranged cruel pranks on her classmates.

— For example, we tied a boy considered a «mama»s boy« to a chair using tinsel and a clamp. We thought it was funny. But now I ask myself: why did I do that? Probably, I was seeking attention from peers. But the atmosphere in the class was indifferent, it»s terrifying, — Nastya told the project «Bullying-NO!».

About moving to St. Petersburg and dubbing «Barbie»

The creativity that the girl was passionate about from early childhood was Disney films and series. Nastya didn«t just watch them—she dreamed of becoming a heroine. Thus, the first sketches and parodies appeared. Nevertheless, after school, the girl didn»t go into cinema—she went to St. Petersburg to study journalism. And after six months… she dropped out.

— After six months, I realized it wasn«t for me. Then I tried to find myself and my place in this world, it was difficult. I thought I was very interested in film, and I enrolled as a producer at the St. Petersburg Institute of Film and Television, — Nastya said.

In 2022, she ended her new studies as well—the girl moved to Tbilisi with her boyfriend and took up dubbing Hollywood films. Now her voice is used for characters in «Barbie» and «Oppenheimer».

— I got into the new profession completely by chance. Tbilisi lacked Russian-speaking actors, a friend invited me for a trial, and I agreed, — Nastya said.

Soon, the blogger decided to move across the ocean. The choice, according to her, was not easy.

— The idea arose spontaneously when I was living in Georgia and had somewhat lost the meaning of life… I«m a blogger, and at that time many social networks had stopped working. It was a turning point. Then I talked to a friend who was already studying acting in the U.S. That»s when I realized it was possible! I understood it was a sign. The pieces fell into place. All that was left was to learn English, — Fedko said.

About preparation, stress, and learning a language from scratch

The entire preparation process took a year and was very stressful. The main challenge was the English language, which Nastya hadn«t seriously studied before.

— For admission, a B2 level was needed. The daily routine included 3 hours of study: video lessons, conversational practice with friends abroad, work with tutors on grammar and pronunciation, as well as acting classes in English with a teacher from Los Angeles. This intensive helped pass IELTS*—an important exam—with 6.5 points (between B2 and C1), — the girl said.

*IELTS (International English Language Testing System)—an international exam that assesses the English proficiency level of non-native speakers.

The new trial was the audition—it took place online. For the test, Nastya prepared two monologues (dramatic and comedic).

— In the end, I told only one. The school director joked, asking to tell it again with different intonations, and noted: «That was bad acting.» Then I realized it was a test, — Anastasia recounted.

However, there were no problems with recommendation letters—her portfolio from St. Petersburg helped, with a role in the play «Everyone Has Their Faults» at the N. P. Akimov St. Petersburg State Academic Theatre and in the series «The Newcomers».

About choosing a school and studying in New York

Nastya wanted to study at the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre in New York, which is also called a professional conservatory for actors. She chose it for two reasons: relatively affordable cost (education in the U.S. is very expensive) and a strong acting tradition. An important and personal fact was that Sanford Meisner, the founder of the famous Meisner technique*, taught at this school.

* The technique aims to achieve truth from actors in imaginary circumstances. «The foundation of acting is the reality of doing,» — the master believed.

— The studies are very intensive. Days start at 8:30 and include 4-5 classes: acting, stage speech, combat, vocals, dance. Endless activities happen daily, I come home terribly tired and emotionally drained, — Anastasia shared.

In May last year, Anastasia«s studies ended: the diploma was the premiere production of Kate Hamill»s play «Dracula,» in which she played the role of Renfield.

The girl doesn«t elaborate on further plans, calling herself a »resilient cockroach« who adapts thanks to sociability.

— I plan to develop in the acting field: take master classes, go to «for the soul» castings for experience, and continue blogging. The stage and film set bring me a huge amount of endorphins and emotions. Life on another continent sometimes presents communication difficulties due to cultural differences, — admits the native of the auto city (Tolyatti).

And how did Anastasia Fedko end up at the same party as Leo? It turned out that it was a work trip that happened thanks to a contract with an advertising agency. Thus, the girl gained access to closed events like the Tea Party and the Golden Globes itself. And yes, that same silver dress in which she shone on the red carpet was made by Alexander McQueen. And the outfit was helped to find by a personal agent.

The top blogger herself can«t get over the events and promises to give details a bit later.

— Miley Cyrus«s mom said I have a very beautiful dress. I shook hands with Jennifer Lawrence, hugged Selena Gomez, told Charli XCX that I»m her fan. And in the end, I finally saw Timothy Chalamet! Yesterday, this would have sounded like complete nonsense to me, but today it«s my life. I»ll tell everything soon, for now I«m in shock, — Nastya wrote.