Meet Costa Rican Actress Emanuela Boisbouvier

Allow us to introduce you to Emanuela Boisbouvier, a Costa Rican-born actress who moved to Monaco when she was a child. While acting is her main focus now, Emanuela has a major in Political Science and she likes to combine both of her passions.

“I think the way I imagine combining politics with it is by trying to tell stories that have political significance. There’s definitely more and more cravings and desires from audiences to consume content that tell significant political stories – like Argentina 1985 for example! So I really want to be able to be a political voice through my art.”

• Tell us about your movie

“Margins” tells the story of two women, Kai and Lucie, who are going through a tough moment in their relationship. Kai is a Black woman who is actively involved in organizing and helping with the Black Lives Matter protests in Los Angeles during May 2020. Lucie wants nothing more than to be a part of this and help her partner, but also fears that the consequences of anything going wrong with law enforcement could jeopardize her visa status.

It follows this slice of time as Lucie decides against Kai’s advice to join her in protesting, but Immigration Enforcement happens to be there that day. This leads to her getting taken in for interrogation and an extremely stressful moment in these women’s lives.

It was inspired by true events – I’ve been an immigrant in the United States since 2014 and have heard a good share of stories of people going through scary things. I wanted to shed light on that – while also making it about love as well. I was also in Lucie’s shoes in 2020, and was constantly balancing my desire to fight for justice and be an ally, while simultaneously not wanting to take risks and maybe getting taken in.

While from the outside it appears to talk about a lot of big subjects, the truth is I think Margins, at its core, is a story about love and resilience. It’s about what you’re willing to do to protect the one you love.

• How was growing up in Monaco?

It was great (and small)! It has all the perks of a small town, such as safety, familiarity, cleanliness, while also some perks of bigger metropolitan cities like art, and culture, and diversity. I definitely feel very lucky because growing up there forged a lot of my identity. I was put in the international section when I entered middle school so my education was partially centered on the French system, while also getting the opportunity to learn about American literature and history. This definitely influenced my desire to move to the US and study here.

I think Monaco was an amazing place to grow up while also a bit too small for me to stay in. As an actor and an artist, it has made a lot more sense for me to pursue my career here in Los Angeles, as opportunities are much more numerous. However I still keep close ties with my community there, and hope to one day maybe return and bring some opportunities back with me!

• One of the things you miss the most about Costa Rica?

I left when I was three so there wasn’t that much for me to remember or hold on to. But having been back to visit family and friends, I think it’s a country that has such an easy way of living over all (hence the pura vida slogan!) Most folks there just know how to enjoy things as they come and really be present in my experience and I think the rest of the world could use a bit more of that too sometimes!

• You studied political science too. What do you like about that career? Would you like to combine it with acting?

I think what drew me to Political Science was the fascination I have with history and studying it through a political lens. I focused on International Relations and got to take a bunch of classes on political systems across the world which was so interesting. I think the aspect of it I liked the most was when I studied abroad in Argentina and Chile and got to deep dive on Human Rights and Transitional Justice for a semester. That was an incredible opportunity and really opened my eyes. I developed a fascination for the specific political history of those two countries and got to meet and learn so much from the people there.

While acting is my main focus, I think the way I imagine combining politics with it is by trying to tell stories that have political significance. There’s definitely more and more cravings and desires from audiences to consume content that tell significant political stories – like Argentina 1985 for example! So I really want to be able to be a political voice through my art.

• When did you know you wanted to be an actor?

I knew I wanted to act from age 13. That was the year my parents sent me to an acting camp in Los Angeles and I absolutely fell in love with it. From there, I joined an acting troupe in my high school and then moved to Los Angeles for my Bachelor’s Degree. I was definitely combating some insecurities of not feeling like I had enough training or viability to be a “real actor” mostly because I didn’t grow up going to a performing arts high school or haven’t been auditioning since age 10. But those skepticisms were quickly erased as I began to receive more and more praise from my teachers and community out here in LA. I was pushed and encouraged by so many people who saw the talent I had to offer and wanted me to trust in it more. So I’m eternally grateful to those people because I got the confidence to continue pursuing what I really love and am now working in that field full time!

• What’s the most rewarding thing about acting?

For me, the most rewarding thing is to see how other’s can be affected by my work. On a personal level of course, it’s incredibly fulfilling and there’s nothing else in the world that gives me that amount of adrenaline and joy. Being able to study and dive into a character with so much intricacy and depth is such a fascinating process and being able to embody people who can be so different from who I am in my life is an amazing outlet. It can be an outlet for so many emotions and also be very therapeutic. However, I think the most reward I’ve gotten is when people who’ve seen my work (be it on stage, or on film) come up to me and tell me that it either helped them or moved them or made them realize something about their life. The power that this art can have on people is incredible. It can be a source of therapy and help to so many. So that’s really what I’d say is the most reward. Being able to affect and change a person’s day, even just a little. That’s what it’s all about.

• What is your life motto?

Everything happens for a reason. As cliché as that might be, I really do think that. I think the universe works in mysterious ways and when you go through tough moments, there’s always a light at the end of the tunnel. And while it may take time, you look back and say, “Wow. Thank goodness that happened because it opened the door to this other amazing thing.”