Serrano plays a victim of domestic violence in a short film about Vitaly Zdorovetskiy's early life before YouTube

Dayton, OH -- (SBWIRE) -- 04/03/2017 -- Actress Tania Serrano makes a memorable impact as the mother of a YouTube star in a short film that has surpassed over 5.3 million views. "Why I Did Porn" chronicles the early life of Vitaly Zdorovetskiy, known as VitalyzdTv to his millions of YouTube channel subscribers. The Russian-born comedian is famous for his over-the-top hidden camera pranks.

In a series of dramatic re-creations, with voiceover by Zdorovetskiy, viewers see how the comedian endured loneliness and isolation as a Russian-speaking young boy in the United States. Playing his mother — who remains unnamed in the film — Serrano is seen helping her character's son learn English with homemade flash cards.

Later, we see the young Vitaly, played by Bryson Robinson, his stepfather, played by Sean Michael Nugent, and his mother (Serrano) go through a heartbreaking loss. Serrano's whole body is wracked with grief, her shoulders heaving and her hands shaking when, as Zdorovetskiy's mother, she reaches out to comfort him.

As the video unfolds, we watch Serrano's character endure abuse perpetrated by Zdorovetskiy's increasingly violent and dangerous stepfather. "I was afraid for my life," the comedian explains, "I was really thinking...he [is] gonna kill me, or my mom."

Ultimately we learn that the domestic violence is what drove the then-18-year-old Zdorovetskiy to appear in a pornographic film, seeing the big paycheck as the fastest way to get himself and his mother out of their dangerous household.

Serrano's scenes with the young actor portraying Zdorovetskiy as a child contain a compelling sweetness and emotional tenderness. This makes the emotional tension later in the film even more of a contrast, as we see her character endure the unimaginable, then struggle to survive domestic violence that leaves her shaking on the floor after a beating.

"I really enjoyed working on this project," says the actress, who filmed the short feature in Los Angeles. "I understand how jarring it can be to pull up the roots of your old life and move halfway around the world to start from scratch in a new city," says Serrano. The actress had, herself, moved to L.A. to continue the professional acting career she first launched in Spain at the age of 13. "I had a lot of empathy for the character I was playing."

Serrano was recently interviewed on Spanish radio about her acting career and experiences in Hollywood. Producers of the talk show "Jaen Hora Sur" on the CanalSur radio station invited Serrano on their International Women's Day show as an example of a strong, successful professional woman. "They also liked the fact that I'm using my mother's last name, Serrano, as my stage name," noted the actress. Show host Luisa Navarro played audio clips from Serrano's appearances in the short films "Fade Out" (2016) and "Camila" (2015), to introduce Serrano's segment of the show, which is broadcast in the Andalusian region of Spain.

Born in Switzerland and raised in Spain, Tania Serrano was invited to join the "Punto y Aparte" Theater company in Madrid at the age of thirteen. She performed in a number of stage productions and was eventually awarded First Prize in the third annual Interpretation Festival for live theater in Nuevo Baztan for her performance in "Thanks Grandma" by Sebastian Junyent. After earning her bachelor's degree in film in the United States, she returned to Madrid to finish her Masters in acting for film at the prestigious "Central De Cine" under the direction of Eva Lesmes, where she received coaching and instruction from Maria Ripoll among many others.

In addition to her theater work, Serrano's acting credits include roles in several short films, television appearances and the feature film "Ted 2" starring Mark Wahlberg, Seth MacFarlane and Amanda Seyfried.

About Kathleen Hanover
Kathleen Hanover is a freelance writer and public relations consultant whose work has been published in local, regional and national newspapers and periodicals including the Los Angeles Times, Washington Times, Cleveland Plain Dealer and many more.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

Last Teenagers of the Apocalypse features actress Tania Serrano in the the trailer and poster for the web series, which was released on the social media site VFiles.com.

Los Angeles, CA -- (SBWIRE) -- 03/09/2017 -- With her runway looks and girl-next-door appeal, Swiss-born Spanish actress Tania Serrano is accustomed to being cast as an ingenue. She enjoyed playing a character who's a lot less innocent — and perhaps more dangerous — in her first made-for-web series, Last Teenagers of the Apocalypse. She acted alongside the series' creator and writer, Avan Jogia, in his role of "Bones," one of Satan's minions who has been put in charge of what's left of the earth. She appears in the first two episodes of the four-part series.

Serrano was sought out for the role by Last Teenagers' assistant director, Markel Goikoetxea. The two Spaniards worked together on the short films Camila and Aitxitxe, released in 2015. Serrano was featured as the title character, and Goikoetxea worked as the first assistant director on Camila, which was an official selection of the Cannes Film Festival Short Film Corner in 2016. Goikoetxea directed Serrano in Aitxitxe — also seen at Cannes — where she portrayed a witch. Goikoetxea noted, "As soon as I knew the profile of the three henchmen of the bad guy that we needed, Tania came to my mind. I knew that her chameleonic acting would fit perfectly, and so it did."

In her role as one of Bones' two Horsemen of the Apocalypse, Serrano's costuming and makeup was "definitely post-apocalyptic, reminiscent of Suicide Squad" which helped her in the part. "I really enjoyed playing an evil person for a change!" said Serrano, a resident of Los Angeles.

"To adjust to this over-the-top acting style...with the makeup and the wardrobe, you don't feel like your normal self," the actress explains. "And when you see yourself in the mirror, you realize, 'Tania is gone.' It always helps me a lot to get into character. To see myself as a different person. Like when a kid is dressed up as a princess or a superhero, and you see them totally invested in that part. It allowed me to just have fun and play, and not all roles are like that."

The actual shoot — from 8:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. on a cold night in downtown Los Angeles — was a bit of a challenge for the actress, thanks to a wardrobe that consisted of "a bra, and not much else," says Serrano. "But as an actress, you have to adapt to whatever the conditions are, and approach every set with a professional attitude, and just get the job done."

Serrano was pleased to discover that her scene is featured in the the trailer and poster for the web series, which was released on VFiles, a social media platform platform focused on fashion and style.

About Tania Serrano
Born in Switzerland and raised in Spain, Tania Serrano was invited to join the "Punto y Aparte" Theater company in Madrid at the age of thirteen. She performed in a number of stage productions and was eventually awarded First Prize in the third annual Interpretation Festival for live theater in Nuevo Baztan for her performance in "Thanks Grandma" by Sebastian Junyent. After earning her bachelor's degree in film in the United States, she returned to Madrid to finish her Masters in acting for film at the prestigious "Central De Cine" under the Direction of Eva Lesmes, where she received coaching and instruction from Maria Ripoll among many others. In addition to her theater work, Serrano's acting credits include roles in several short films, television appearances and the feature film Ted 2.

About VFiles
New-York-based VFiles is a social and media platform originally created for the fashion community. Users curate existing content, or add their own to create VFiles—online folders where they can compile images and video files about the topics that interest them. The platform has also launched several original video series, including Model Files, TMI, In Real Life, Xtreme Fashion Week and VFiles Status Update.

About Kathleen Hanover
Kathleen Hanover is a freelance writer and public relations consultant whose work has been published in local, regional and national newspapers and periodicals including the Los Angeles Times, Washington Times, Cleveland Plain Dealer and many more.

For more information about film and television actress Tania Serrano, please visit her website at http://www.taniaserrano.com.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

De Menezes is considering an adaptation of Mia that features Swiss-born, Spanish-speaking actress Tania Serrano in the supporting role of Katie.

Los Angeles, CA -- (ReleaseWire) -- 03/09/2017 -- A warm reception at the Cannes Film Festival Short Film Corner — and a win for "Best Thriller" at the Los Angeles Independent Film Festival — have inspired writer/director Daniel De Menezes to re-create his critically-acclaimed short film Mia as a feature. And one of the thriller's most notable upgrades may be an expanded role for Spanish-speaking Swiss actress Tania Serrano.

Serrano plays a supporting role as the character Katie in the short feature, which delves into the mental journey of Mia, a 27-year-old writer seeking inspiration for the last few chapters of her book.

"I made the film Mia because I wanted to explore the human mind and how it works through a strong character like Mia," said De Menezes. "With Mia — the complex nature of her being — it shows through her writing. The various emotions that a person goes through and how quickly a person can go from being completely sane to insane."

A strong lead role called for strong supporting players, and De Menezes found one in Tania Serrano. "It was an absolute pleasure working with Tania," said the film's director and writer. "She played the role of Katie and did an exceptional job. She was easy to work with and took direction really well! Her performances brought out the full essence of her character."

"Daniel is working hard to develop the script and attract investors to make the feature film possible," says Serrano. "I think he has some intriguing ideas for the character of Katie, and I look forward to the opportunity to bring her to life once again."

Serrano has made her mark on the Los Angeles film community since moving there in 2014, after earning her Master's degree in acting for film at Madrid's prestigious Central De Cine. All told, she has appeared in over a dozen film and television projects, and a dozen more theater projects in both the United States and Spain.

Her work on Mia marked a return to collaborating with Carla Roda, the producer on this project. The two had worked together previously on the critically acclaimed short film Camila, which was also named an official selection of the Cannes Film Festival Short Film Corner.

About Tania Serrano
Born in Switzerland and raised in Spain, Tania Serrano was invited to join the "Punto y Aparte" Theater company in Madrid at the age of thirteen. She performed in a number of stage productions and was eventually awarded First Prize in the third annual Interpretation Festival for live theater in Nuevo Baztan for her performance in "Thanks Grandma" by Sebastian Junyent. After earning her bachelor's degree in film in the United States, she returned to Madrid to finish her Masters in acting for film at the prestigious "Central De Cine" under the Direction of Eva Lesmes, where she received coaching and instruction from Maria Ripoll among many others. In addition to her theater work, Serrano's acting credits include roles in several short films, television appearances and the feature film Ted 2.

About Kathleen Hanover
Kathleen Hanover is a freelance writer and public relations consultant whose work has been published in local, regional and national newspapers and periodicals including the Los Angeles Times, Washington Times, Cleveland Plain Dealer and many more.

For more information about film and television actress Tania Serrano, please visit her website at http://www.taniaserrano.com.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

"Camila," directed and produced by Carla Roda, features Tania Serrano in the title role of a rape survivor who creates an imagined second personality to help herself cope with the aftermath of the assault.

Los Angeles, CA -- (SBWIRE) -- 03/09/2017 -- The work of Spanish actress Tania Serrano has been recognized by the Best Shorts Competition, a juried film festival for short films based in La Jolla, California. "Camila," directed and produced by Carla Roda, features Serrano in the title role. Serrano plays a rape survivor who creates an imagined second personality, "Lana," to help herself cope with the aftermath of the assault. "She's so uncomfortable in her own skin that she just develops this other identity," Serrano explains. "It's almost like she has an identical twin."

"The shoot was only a few days," says the actress, who was born in Switzerland and raised in Spain. "But the subject matter is so intense and dramatic, that I used to go home emotionally drained with a headache every night." Serrano carries the eight-minute Spanish language film, appearing in virtually every scene as either Camila or her alter-ego. "We shot the whole film in just two or three days, but after a long and intense rehearsal period," Serrano explains.

"I have never been raped, thank God," Serrano says. "But I think we have all experienced a moment in our lives where you just want to disconnect from yourself and be another person. And, of course, that also describes my career as an actress! When I play a character, I really like to become that character."

Playing two personalities in one body made the shoot quite a challenge, says the actress. "Normally you have another person in the scene. So you rely on your fellow actor to give you the lines so you can react and be in the moment. In this case I didn't have anyone to act with. It was just me, reading my lines in a mostly empty sound stage." And yet, Serrano's performance drew raves from the cast and crew. "It was a challenge to play a character with two personalities, but the result was amazing!" says film's director, Carla Roda.

Roda cast the actress after the two had worked together on a previous project. Roda adds, "Tania is a wonderful actress, her face and expressions are sincere and make you feel emotional. It was such a success to work with her. She understands immediately all the bits and intentions of the character."

Camila is currently making the festival circuit in the U.S. after having been an official selection of the 2015 Cannes Film Festival.

About Tania Serrano
Tania Serrano was invited to join the "Punto y Aparte" Theater company in Madrid, Spain at the age of only thirteen. She seized the opportunity to perform in numerous stage productions and was eventually awarded First Prize in the third annual Interpretation Festival for live theater in Nuevo Baztan for her performance in "Thanks Grandma" by Sebastian Junyent. After obtaining her Bachelor's Degree in film in the United States, she returned to Madrid to finish her Masters in Acting for Film at the prestigious "Central De Cine" under the Direction of Eva Lesmes, where she received coaching and instruction from Maria Ripoll among many others.

About The Best Shorts Competition
Now in its 5th year, Best Shorts discovers and honors the achievements of filmmakers who produce high-quality short films and new media. "Best Shorts" is a global avant-garde film and new media competition that strives to give talented directors, producers, actors, and creative teams the positive exposure they deserve.

About Kathleen Hanover
Kathleen Hanover is a freelance writer and public relations consultant whose work has been published in local, regional and national newspapers and periodicals including the Los Angeles Times, Washington Times, Cleveland Plain Dealer and many more.

For more information about film and television actress Tania Serrano, please visit her website at http://www.taniaserrano.com.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

Serrano plays the mother of the notorious YouTube prankster Vitaly Zdorovetskiy in a short film based on the comedian's early life as a Russian immigrant in America

Los Angeles, CA -- (SBWIRE) -- 03/09/2017 -- Russian-born comedian Vitaly Zdorovetskiy, known as VitalyzdTv to his four million YouTube channel subscribers, is famous for his over-the-top hidden camera pranks like dressing as a zombie or Russian hitman and frightening innocent bystanders. But his recent short film Why I Did Porn! — featuring Swiss-born actress Tania Serrano as his mother — shows a side of the comedian's early life as an immigrant in America that few have known. The short film has been seen nearly 3.5 million times on YouTube, making it Serrano's highest-profile video project to date.

In a series of dramatic re-creations, with a narration track by Zdorovetskiy, viewers see how the future YouTube star endured loneliness and isolation as a non-English-speaking young boy in a strange country. Playing his mother — who remains unnamed in the film — Serrano is seen helping her character's son learn English with homemade flash cards.

Later, we see the young Vitaly, played by Bryson Robinson, his stepfather, played by Sean Michael Nugent and his mother (Serrano) go through a heartbreaking loss. Serrano's whole body is wracked with grief, her shoulders heaving and her hands shaking when, as Zdorovetskiy's mother, she reaches out to comfort him.

As the video unfolds, we watch Serrano's character endure abuse perpetrated by Zdorovetskiy's increasingly violent and dangerous stepfather. "I was afraid for my life," the comedian explains, "I was really thinking...he [is] gonna kill me, or my mom."

Ultimately we learn that the then-18-year-old Zdorovetskiy sees the big paycheck from working in porn as the way to get himself and his mother out of their dangerous household so they can start a new life in safety.

Despite playing a role with no dialogue, seen only in flashbacks, Serrano manages to make a memorable impact in the film. Her scenes with the young actor portraying Zdorovetskiy as a child contain a compelling sweetness and emotional tenderness. This makes the emotional tension later in the film even more of a contrast, as we see her character endure the unimaginable, then struggle to survive domestic violence that leaves her shaking on the floor after a beating.

"I really enjoyed working on this project," says the actress, a resident of Los Angeles via Madrid. "As an immigrant myself, I understand how jarring it can be to pull up the roots of your old life and move halfway around the world to start from scratch in a new city. I was honored to help portray Zdorovetskiy's mother. I hope I was able to convey what a loving and strong woman she had to be to survive and thrive here in America."

About Tania Serrano
Born in Switzerland and raised in Spain, Tania Serrano was invited to join the "Punto y Aparte" Theater company in Madrid at the age of thirteen. She performed in a number of stage productions and was eventually awarded First Prize in the third annual Interpretation Festival for live theater in Nuevo Baztan for her performance in "Thanks Grandma" by Sebastian Junyent. After earning her bachelor's degree in film in the United States, she returned to Madrid to finish her Masters in acting for film at the prestigious "Central De Cine" under the direction of Eva Lesmes, where she received coaching and instruction from Maria Ripoll among many others. In addition to her theater work, Serrano's acting credits include roles in several short films, television appearances and the feature film Ted 2.

About Kathleen Hanover
Kathleen Gee is a freelance writer and public relations consultant whose work has been published in local, regional and national newspapers and periodicals including the Los Angeles Times, Washington Times, Cleveland Plain Dealer and many more.

For more information about film and television actress Tania Serrano, please visit her website at http://www.taniaserrano.com.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

Tania Serrano is living embodiment of Streep's Golden Globes speech

Los Angeles, CA -- (SBWIRE) -- 03/09/2017 -- "What is Hollywood, anyway? It's just a bunch of people from other places," observed Meryl Streep in her recent lifetime achievement award speech at the Golden Globes. "Hollywood is crawling with outsiders and foreigners and if we kick them all out, you'll have nothing to watch…"

One of those foreigners is Tania Serrano, an actress, singer and dancer who's a triple-threat in three languages. The Spanish, French and English-speaking performer—born in Switzerland and raised in Spain—hopes to join Hollywood's multicultural performing arts community on a permanent basis. Serrano counts Streep as one of her favorite actresses, and says she's the one who inspired the young Serrano to pursue her performing arts education and career in the United States.

"I grew up watching Spanish TV and American movies, hoping someday I could be the one on-screen," says the actress, who started formal drama training at thirteen. Just a few years later, her dreams were realized when she was cast in several TV commercials and the popular Spanish television shows "La Que Se Avecina" (What's Yet to Come) and "Amar Es Para Siempre" (Love in Difficult Times).

In 2015, a talent scholarship allowed Serrano to made her way to Hollywood to get conservatory training at the New York Film Academy of Los Angeles. Since arriving on U.S. shores, Serrano has made her mark in several short films, commercials, and the feature film Ted 2. Though shot in and around Hollywood, many of Serrano's projects have featured cast and crew members from all over the world, again proving Streep's point.

In her Golden Globes speech, Streep also explained, "An actor's only job is to enter the lives of people who are different from us and let you feel what that feels like." Serrano says that's what makes the job of an actress so interesting and challenging.

"There can be a lot of research involved," Serrano notes. "The less like me that character is, the more I have to learn and imagine, so I can put myself in that character's world." And that's not always easy—for the actress, or for her very supportive family. When she was just 13, Serrano was cast to play an 18-year-old heroin addict. She had to learn how users prepare and inject the drug so she could convincingly portray it onstage. "My sister Vanessa sometimes has a hard time watching me perform roles like that," Serrano says. "I always have to remind her that the person she is watching is not me, it's the character I'm playing."

But no matter how challenging, controversial or difficult the role is, "acting as if" is what Serrano lives for. "I've wanted to be an actress for as long as I can remember," Serrano says. She landed her first leading stage role at the age of five, playing an inventor who brings a doll to life. "It was even in the newspaper," she adds, remembering how excited her five-year-old self was with her new vocation.

While pleased with her daughter's enthusiasm, Serrano's mother, Paqui, was more realistic about Serrano's chances. "When I was little and my mom asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I always said 'I want to be an actress.' Mom told me, 'That is a hobby. You'll need a real job.' So I said, 'OK, then I'll be an astronaut and an actress.'" Laughing, she adds, "Since that moment, Mom has always been supportive about my acting. I guess she thought I'd be better off playing an astronaut than being one!"

By Kathleen Hanover

About Kathleen Hanover
Kathleen Hanover is a freelance writer and public relations consultant whose work has been published in local, regional and national newspapers and periodicals including the Los Angeles Times, Washington Times, Cleveland Plain Dealer and many more.

For more information about film and television actress Tania Serrano, please visit her website at http://www.taniaserrano.com.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm