Jon Stojan
Image credit: Pamela Torres
To say Liora Kats has led a busy, filled life is an understatement. The actress/performer was a former Nickelodeon star in Hunter Street, was in her first feature film at age twelve, is the former vice-champion of Latin dancing of the Netherlands, graduated from the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute in NYC, is fluent in three languages and has traveled to thirty-six different countries across five continents.
Growing Up
Kats was born in the Netherlands to a Dutch father and a Ukrainian mother, growing up in a rich multicultural environment that shaped her worldview. From a young age, acting kept reappearing in her life, even without her actively pursuing it. As she describes it, “I was passionate about so many things growing up—competitive Latin dancing, cooking, baking, Krav Maga, and more. It was actually through my Latin dancing career that I landed my first role in a feature film, and I still vividly remember being 12 years old, absolutely mesmerized by the energy of a film set.”
A few years after her feature film debut, her high school drama teacher encouraged her to audition for a Nickelodeon casting call for Hunter Street. That casting call led to Kats’ acting career truly taking off.
Image credit: Jeremy Christian
Falling in Love with Acting
As for what inspired her to pursue acting, Kats says there wasn’t one specific moment. “Acting was something that kept coming up in my life, and whenever I was involved in it, it felt natural. When I chose to attend the Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute, I was driven to explore a specific technique and equip myself with the tools to deepen my craft,” she details.
She immersed herself in the completely new environment at the Strasberg Institute, and she says she quickly fell in love with the work. “Whether between ‘action’ and ‘cut’ or from the beginning to the end of a scene, that magic keeps me inspired,” she says.
Kats lives in New York City and recently wrapped production on a comedy-horror feature set to be distributed by Troma Entertainment. She also recently made her NYC stage debut, playing “Vanessa” in Significant Other by Joshua Harmon, directed by Ilana Stein.
Looking Forward
Looking toward the future, Liora Kats wants to keep acting, keep telling stories, and work on more diverse and challenging roles that allow her to explore different aspects of the human experience. “My dream is to take on big, challenging but also fun ones. Honestly, I’m open to exploring any roles that allow me to explore the human experience and life in general and push myself to grow as an artist.”
Through her extensive history, Kats has accumulated a wealth of first-hand experiential knowledge, which she now incorporates into her work. From being a Latin dance champion to being a Nickelodeon star to enrolling in the Strasberg Institute, Kats’ journey is an inspirational one that shows the value of hard work and belief in oneself. For her part, Kats says that she wants “to tell impactful stories while continuing to grow and one day even create my own work. I want to be in a position where I can help others and stand up for those who can’t stand up for themselves.”