A Maniac for Acting, Georgian Star Nika Gordeziani Wants to Emulate his Idols

“Nika Gordeziani is a ‘maniac’ of his craft.”

Wow, how’s that for praise!? And, it comes from Tornike Bziava, the award-winning director of Fishing, which starred actor/producer Nika Gordeziani, and which won 4 awards and earned 3 nominations at prestigious international film festivals in Europe. Bziava adds, “Not all actors can deliver the idea of the film and bring the authenticity to the audience. And, Nika was and is the best actor to work with and discuss character.”

Gordeziani is indeed an enthusiastic and happy “maniac” when it comes to work and acting, as he has several international projects presently in post-production, including: The Mask, a very different Chinese limited TV series filmed in Georgia and slated for release in China; a Parachute Films production of The Drummer, an intense coming-of-age drama and directed by Kote Kalandadze; a horror/psychological short thriller called Scum, directed by Tsubasa Maruno, filmed in the U.S. and running in various international Film Festivals — Gordeziani plays Johnny the epitome of scum, a talentless musician with high aspirations of being a famous rock and roll star; and, then there’s Lola in Love, a short film shot in Los Angeles, and directed by Oxford University grad and international actress Bryerly Isabel Long whose career began in Japan.

That’s an impressive and growing international resume for 25-year-old Gordeziani.

But for “Nika,” it all started back in his native country of Georgia. At the tender age of 15, he performed in a professional live theater production of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. He was transformed. He recalls that performance “changed the trajectory of my career as it became the defining moment to pursue my passion for the dramatic arts.”

Since then, he’s worked on hundreds of television shows, films, and commercials, as an actor, voiceover artist and creative director/producer. For example, at 20, he became a nationally recognized Georgian star when he was a regular on the hugely popular TV series, With Us, which was about a group of friends navigating their lives in their 20–30s. His character Ika had a major plotline that revolved around an on-again-off-again, romantic relationship between Ika and a female character Sali — their relationship is described as similar to Ross and Rachel from the mega-hit US series, Friends.

Along the way, Gordeziani has earned some serious education props, including: being the first Georgian enrolled in the American Academy of Dramatic Arts (LA Campus) — Nika was asked to meet with the Ministry of Culture in Georgia, who in turn financed his education; and, he also enrolled in UCLA’s Theatre, Film and Television School to keep developing his craft.

As Gordeziani makes further inroads into Hollywood, he still recalls the power of his initial inspiration to get into acting, explaining:

“When legendary Georgian actor, Goga Pipinashvili, directed me in that Shakespearean adaptation of Midsummer Nights Dream, I got intoxicated and had the best experience of my young life during my first appearance on stage. The whole thing was adrenaline-charged, from having butterflies and my initial worry backstage, to the first laughs and applause from the audience — right there and then, I found out that this was the best high in life!”

And, as for idols growing up and even now, he humbly suggests:

“I’ve been inspired by stellar and Oscar-winning Hollywood actors like Anthony Hopkins, Al Pacino and Robert De Niro, among others. But, there are also actors from the old generation in Georgia that I feel are geniuses of their craft. One man who inspired me, was Mr. Zura Kipshidze, who earned numerous awards and he’s been National Artist of USSR. In 2016, I was in a film, Symphony of the Truth, where we were partners and it was such a big deal for me. He was one of my idols, someone I looked up to, and there I was standing in front of him playing his scene partner. That was when I realized I was on the ‘right way’ and the ‘shit got real’ for me.”

His ambitious goal moving forward is to “keep developing my craft in the American market where there are high standards and the challenges are bigger. Honestly, I can’t wait for the day when I’ll book a freaking amazing part, perhaps with one of my Hollywood idols.”

Drop in on Nika Gordeziani on his IMDb page; check out Ragnar Pilsner beer campaign, starring Dolph Lundgren, and for which Nika was creative director and voiceover actor for the international commercial; and, check him out on Facebook, and Instagram.