Kosar Ali

Kosar Ali was brought up in Forest Gate and lives in Newham, East London. Ali got noticed in the film, Rocks, is a 2019 British coming-of-age drama film directed by Sarah Gavron. Rocks was film unconventionally, whereas the actors would be filmed in between takes, to create a natural and real style. The film premiered at The Toronto Film Festival and Ali also won two British Independent Film Awards (BIFA), for ‘supporting actress’ and ‘most promising newcomer’, in February 2021. Ali will be featured in the remake of Dangerous Liaisons to premiere on Starz. Kosar Ali plays Victoire.

How did you get into acting? Have you always wanted to be an actress?

No, I most definitely did not want to be an actor, the thought never crossed my mind only because I thought it was something so unreachable and foreign to someone like me.

Tell us about filing Rocks? What was the story about?

Rocks was an indie coming-of-age film, it was a film we all made with so much time, love, and fragments of our personal identities. The film will forever be a special one and not to mention it got me into acting.

Tell us about your character Victoire in the new Dangerous Liaisons?

Victoire is this boisterous, direct, humorous, delicate young lady in 18th-century France. She takes the title chambermaid due to the history of the time but it’s far more than that in this series. We call her the detective of the show and frankly the catalyst to the whole story.

Is the new Dangerous Liaisons different than the movie starring Glenn Close and John Malkovich from the 80’s?

Yes, I think they both explore the same themes and follow the book somewhat but the series is a prelude and all the actors bring a unique and interesting narrative to the characters ; some that exist in the book and some who have been magnified.

How did you prepare for the role of Victoire?

I think my preparation for Victoire happened through building her with the writers and producers, we made Victoire together and with that, it was sort of my preparation to becoming her. I also did a lot of reading about the black experience in 18th-century France and the Muslim communities at that time too all to really understand and live in that era

A couple of your projects involve portraying misbehaving students. Can you relate to that and were you drawn to these characters?

I’m drawn to characters who feel real, who challenge me because that’s what makes them feel human. We are complex beings so that complexity draws me in and so far that’s been through young adults like me, who are I guess finding elements of their life challenging and I relate to that. It’s interesting to see how that reflects on their relationships and environments.

I understand that you love Horror films. What are some of your favorites?

Yes, I love the adrenaline rush. I enjoy horror mixed with thriller; it’s exhilarating. My favs have got to be Suspiria, The Wailing, Candyman.

What are some of your hobbies?

I enjoy reading and being absolutely transported to another world, it’s very special because you get to escape into a world you built. I also enjoy binge-watching Anime! Yes, I’m counting that as a hobby. I really feel at peace when I take my film camera out and capture moments of life.

Looking at your Instagram page and the red carpet, it appears you love fashion. What are some of your favorite designers? And, how would you describe your style?

Yes, I love fashion because it’s incredibly fun, I enjoy it. I love to play with fashion and clothes because it’s how we express ourselves, how we present ourselves before we have even spoken. Clothes are such a statement of the time, of life, of feeling so my style adapts to how I feel and how I grow and change. Some of my favorite designers are Alexander McQueen – I remember being 10 and seeing McQueen’s spring/summer 1988 show and just being absolutely in love I never looked at so many google images and it was an absolute honour to work with them and the incredible Sarah Burton. My other favorites are Pier Paolo Piccioli, Virgil Abloh, Vivienne Westwood, and Donatella Versace.

Do you have any actors you dream of working with?

There are so many honestly, and I really hope I get to work with them all one day.

What kind of projects would you like to work on in the future?

I want to do more films that are heartfelt and tell gripping stories but I also want to explore different worlds and characters. I try not to limit myself.