Tuva Novotny: Danish Maria
Copenhagen resident Tuva Novotny is one of Europe’s most successful and prolific young actresses – after only a decade in the industry, Naming Number Two represents her eighteenth film.
Ms. Novotny plays Danish Maria, the girlfriend of Nanna Maria’s grandson Tyson and thereby an outsider at the feast. Though Nanna Maria states explicitly that she wants no outsiders, Danish Maria quickly wins her heart and is welcomed as a part of the family, throwing herself into the chaotic feast preparation.
“The script arrived by email about ten days before we started shooting. What immediately struck me was the fact that I could relate to all those specific traditions and specific stories of this Fijian lady and her family. I thought it was amazing that on the other side of the world I could still laugh and cry at the same things, and recognize things from my own family and my own culture,” explains Tuva. “I didn’t have much time to prepare, which kind of scared but also attracted me. Maria has no big fears. She arrives to meet the family and it looks like a total snake pit. But because she is in love with this man and she wants to be with him – she accepts everything. Being fearless is the fun thing about this role.”
Born and raised in Armot, Sweden, near the Norwegian border, Ms. Novotny’s family later moved to Stockholm. At sixteen, she became a core cast member in Sweden’s first-ever television soap, Skilda Varldar (Separate Worlds) for two years. A lover of independent cinema, Tuva’s favorite roles to date include the lead in Anja (directed by Jesper Klevenas) and her role as Desiree in Day And Night directed by Simon Staho for Lars Von Trier’s Zentropa Films.
Her most recent film work includes: Bang Bang Orangutang (Dir: Simon Staho, Zentropa Film, 2005), Stoned (Dir: Steven Woolley, 2004), and Close To Heaven (Dir. Dan Svatek, 2004). She can be seen in the upcoming Addicted (Dir: Joel Bergvall, 2007) alongside Sarah Michelle Gellar.