Rebecca Dimech: The actress, model, artist and animal lover

She has played a range of roles in one of the most well-known productions both locally and abroad amongst which include Deċeduti, God’s Soldiers – Siege of Malta and Epic Warrior Women to name just a few. More recently, she’s been on our screens every Thursday as Georgia in the much-loved local crime series Noli.

Here she talks to us about her career, her profound love for animals and so much more.

When did you begin your acting career and what drove you to take this path?

It began over a decade ago on TV. It actually happened randomly as I was asked to audition for a TV series at the time, Deċeduti by Take 2. I had no TV experience and in fact, I was shy to go and audition, but I went for it as it has always been in the back of my mind to try my luck as an actor. I auditioned and got the part.

I always had acting in me. I use to write little plays and perform in front of my family. They had to sit and watch whatever I had planned. This used to happen especially during Christmas dinners when all my aunties and cousins were home. I guess I got it from my mother, she use to direct and write plays and I was brought up on stage always with her, watching, being backstage and sometimes, I even used to perform in one of her plays.

You’ve also worked as a model and you often upload videos of yourself applying make-up on your social media channels. What do you enjoy most about doing so and do you find a correlation between acting and modelling?

Like acting, everything can be art. I love anything that allows you to express yourself. Modelling is one of them – how to pose, how the light hits you, how you carry the outfit you are wearing. Make up is the same. It all depends on what I want to express on that particular day, the colours used, the hair combination, everything. Also, I take it as a challenge to transform myself into other characters, other female actors or celebrities. Make up allows me to do just that.

And I enjoy this because it’s a huge challenge transforming your face with make up and wigs. This can be very helpful in the movie industry. Being a chameleon, meaning being versatile to change into anything the production and writer needs you to be. It’s all a form of art, where I can express my creative side and use my face and body as a canvas.

The same applies when painting on canvas, furniture sculpting with gypsum and creating things with resin. Art is limitless and I do not like limiting myself. I am always inventing and doing stuff that I had no idea I could do.

You currently star in the second season of much-loved crime TV series Noli. What do you think has made this series so popular and sets it apart from other local productions?

First of all I don’t think something like this has ever been written for our local TV. I was so sure I was going to take a break from TV in 2021. Then, when I was approached to play Georgia after reading the first 3 episodes and got to know the synopsis, I just couldn’t say no. Apart from the fact that playing a police sergeant and having a forensic team was always on my characters’ bucket list. The story was too good. And secondly, the strong bond we have between us as actors. We seriously love each other and care for each other. We feel we are a real team, a real police team. That’s so beautiful and it’s something you can clearly see on screen. The chemistry between all of us is real.

What are the challenges of filming this type of production?

Ohh where do I start. So do not forget that Maltese actors unfortunately cannot work as actors full-time, so we all have a full-time job. Imagine after a whole day of work, you have to do another “day” of work, only it’s night and basically it’s like having 2 full-time jobs. Plus the housework, the family, while we also have to study the scripts before filming. Sometimes we do not have time to do so, so that adds even more stress to the actors, especially when you have never-ending scenes and lines.

How is season 2 different from season 1 and what should we expect this time around?

I mean the plot keeps getting thicker and we are getting to know the characters more, their back story and where they come from. But that’s all I can say as it’s up to the viewers to guess what’s going to happen.

What can you tell us about the character you portray – Spettur Georgia?

I think Georgia is easy to play as she’s one of my hidden characters. I have a lot of characters within my personality and all I have to do is bring her out when I need to play Georgia.

She’s a mother who is hurt. She wants her son back, she lost her father, her husband and her family is the police squad. All she does is work. She has no social life whatsoever. So having a serious character like Georgia doesn’t mean that she was born this way, but circumstances in her life made her that way.

What’s your relationship like with other cast members? Are you close beyond the set?

Like I explained previously, yes definitely. We love each other and are very close off set as well. I do not think that once Noli is over we will stop seeing each other, that’s for sure. The Noli squad will be for life.

You’ve played a range of characters both on local TV and abroad. Which character has been your favourite so far and which one has been the most difficult to portray and why?

I honestly can say that Georgia is my favourite. As for the most challenging role I would say was Ardala. I played a gladiatrix for a docudrama for The History channel. It was and still is broadcasted all around the world and on other channels too. The challenge was that I had to fight with real armour, which was as close to reality as possible. It was heavy just as it was back in the day and it had to be so, so that the moves looked realistic. It was all filmed in August in our beautiful but blazing sun, so I was getting roasted while fighting other gladiatrices in the dusty arena barefoot, with tiny stones stuck in the soles of my feet. But I enjoyed every minute and would definitely do it all over again.

You’re also very passionate about animals, often championing those who take care of strays. What drove you to be so keen on this topic?

Animals are my life. I was brought up with lots of animals, every type. We used to live next to fields so even when our cats would grab a mouse, the house would be on lockdown trying the get it from our cat’s mouth without hurting it and setting it free. I remember mum when she use to cook pasta and needed to drain the water in the sink, she used to run a lot of cold water before, so if any would be in the pipes, they would not boil alive.

I thank my mum and dad for the values they instilled in me and my sister. Animals are as part as this world as we are. We are living with them and we have no right to take over and remove them from their natural habitat. We co-exist, we do not own the world. I try to feed, help and do what I can.

I have a special bond with them and animals feel that. It’s crazy but even if I encounter a stray animal, it would walk up directly towards me. They feel they can trust me so if I can at least help or fill up their belly with food why not? Everyone needs love and a full stomach.

Watch Rebecca Dimech on Noli every Thursday at 20:40 on Tokis (channel 100). Don’t have GO TV yet? Follow the steps below.

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