There is a new HBO production that’s 100% Romanian and will launch soon and that’s very good news. You know why? Because we need diversity in the Romanian cinema industry and in the last two or three years, it seems various and different productions appear both on the big and little screens. We didn’t want to miss this moment so we invited the four main characters from RUXX for a talk. 

Raluca Aprodu (Rux), Alina Chivulescu (Liliana Moscu), Ioana Bugarin (Denisa Moscu) and Mădălina Craiu (Cristina) are the main protagonists of RUXX – an HBO Max original show, which will launch on the 8th of March and presents the dramas and lives of the young generation living in Bucharest, a city caught between the past and its present. The main character, Ruxx (Raluca Aprodu) tries to build a balance in life, juggling with her demanding career, financially supporting her family and trying to build her personal life. Throughout the series, Ruxx interacts with a lot of characters that change the course of her actions.

They 4 protagonists agreed to meet with me online, as it is quite hard to set up a face to face meeting nowadays, especially during the pandemic. It took us a while to get our internet, or our laptops working but everyone was happy and patient. They kept reminiscing about their time on set, shooting for RUXX and were very excited to see each other again, even if it was on a screen. And athough they have such different personalities, it’s amazing to see how they support each other – something we should encourage more. We talked about politics, the woman of the 21st century, revelations, their characters in the TV series and there was no moment when I felt one is offended by the other one’s point of view. 

I hope you’ll enjoy reading it. I surely enjoyed talking to them.

I imagine you all had to audition, but I’m curious if you remember any of the more particular moments, such as the first time you heard about the series or when you found out you got the part?

Raluca: Good question. For me it’s a bit blurry how it all started. It happened at the end of 2019 and then a pandemic followed. And very confusing year, so I wasn’t sure whether it would still be made or not, or if it was going to be made later on, in a few years. Everything was so uncertain that I can’t remember enjoying the news.

Alina: I didn’t answer Domnica’s call (i.e. casting director Domnica Cîrciumaru). She then sent me a message asking if I was up for some good news – it was a great gift.

Madalina: In my case, it was a bit different, I entered the project much later, although I initially auditioned for a different part – that of Nicoleta Lefter. About a month and a half later, Domnica called to let me know I would audition for Cristina and that it would take place on Zoom. It was a video call with about 5 people.

But to answer your question, my first contact with the series was when I auditioned for the part of Nicoleta.

Let’s play a game – describe each other’s characters.

Alina: Reading the script, I thought Cristina (played by Mădălina Craiu) was the coolest character. She is colorful, nuanced. Rux (played by Raluca Aprodu), on the other hand, seemed like a difficult character, being present 90% of the time. Cristina seems full of life, jovial, colorful. 

Raluca: To me, Liliana – or Lilișor (played by Alina Chivulescu) seemed exactly the kind of woman that Rux would admire a lot, simply because she has a certain femininity that Rux hasn’t discovered in herself yet. She is a woman who is doing amazingly in a men’s world and in this family (i.e. the Moscu family) – which my character knows just as well as she does. I think Alina was the perfect choice for this part, she is an extremely beautiful and feminine woman. And I think it was important for that role to convey warmth, kindness and determination.

Mădălina: Cristina (i.e. her character) doesn’t interact much with Denisa this season (i.e. Ioana Bugarin’s character). I think she sees in Denisa a younger version of herself – she has a difficult relationship with her father, she is rebellious. I think she feels the need to take her under her wing; in the few scenes they have together, they seem to be connected by some kind of solidarity.

Ioana: Depending on Denisa’s mood, Rux seems either incisive-abrasive or an ally in tribulations and the person she goes to whenever she feels lost. I think Denisa is somewhat ambivalent towards Rux, depending on her needs. Although she has some ill feelings towards her, because she is her father’s right-hand man, I feel that she admires and respects her quite a lot for the way she handles her relationship with her father and his entire business.

I guess there are some less pleasant aspects to your characters. What would those be, what advice would you give them if you could?

Raluca: Rux should stop putting everyone else first, care less about what others do, or how to save them. Focus more on her life, which is just as problematic as the lives of those she tries to save.

Ioana: I would tell Denisa to work a little on her impulsive side, although it is a natural reaction at that stage of her life. She is trying to define herself. And I would also tell her to learn to set boundaries, I feel she tends to let others push her until she can no longer take it and explodes, and some things could easily be avoided.

Mădălina: Now, where’s the fun in that?! (laughs)

Ioana: What kind of TV series would it be then?! (laughs)

Mădălina: Well, I would also tell Cristina to be more responsible about her life and to adopt a more mature position. I think if I met her, I would recommend her to go to therapy.

Alina: I think that each character, as they’re portrayed at the beginning of the series, is at a point of major transition. Everyone goes through a situation that leads to change – especially as far as my character is concerned. Liliana has to leave her cozy bubble, one day she wakes up that she has to do something she is not familiar with and trust people she wasn’t necessarily close to. It seems like an important step, I don’t know what advice I would give her. She is a woman who has almost everything and who still wishes to get out of her comfort zone.

Do you remember what was the most overwhelming experience you had to go through in your life to get closer to who you are now?

Raluca: Yes, but I don’t want to talk about it. I understand the question very well and I will avoid the answer because I care a lot about my privacy. It wasn’t a sole moment for me, but a series of moments that got me thinking about things like: how did I get here, why did this happen to me, how can I have a more balanced life and more in tune with my needs. At some point, life happens and you pretty much run into a brick wall.

Mădălina: You may be interviewing some of the most private beings from this point of view, we won’t spill the beans (laughs). But what Raluca says is important, at some point in your life you realize that you want to lead a certain life – one worth living, and when you understand you don’t have that life and that’s because of you, you have to change fundamental things about the way you act and at the same time understand why you act that way. It’s a difficult path, whoever says that healing is beautiful and all sunshine and butterflies is in for a big surprise. In fact, it’s very violent; but once you build up the courage to fight for that life that is worth living, then you get to that overwhelming moment that you are talking about.

Alina: I don’t know how to answer this question, probably because I feel exposed. It’s frustrating to know that everything you say may turn against you, so it’s hard to give you a the right answer that won’t harm me in the process.

My first step towards progress was when I decided not to take myself so seriously anymore. Accept that you always live on the edge and lower my expectations – Oana Pellea had a cool saying, in fact, it was her mother – “Living one day at a time” – I think it’s important to take both mess and happiness as they come.

Ioana: Well, you’ve said everything there was to say. (laughs)

I try not to look at things as “good or bad” anymore, it makes no sense. It’s a constant process, you take steps forward, then a few steps back. Perhaps, the big lesson is to be kinder to myself. You never get “there”, whatever “there” means.

What does it mean to be a woman in 2022? How do you relate to who you are and how do you feel about how others relate to that?

Raluca: I think it’s important to talk about women at a global level, about the woman of this very century. Right now, I think we’re in the trial & error stage – I think it takes time for things to really change and men shouldn’t be crucified by default simply because of their past and the things they’ve done, which might have not been politically correct.

For me, being a woman in 2022 is an evolution process.

When I was younger, I thought I had to constantly defend myself and prove that I was smart enough and deserved my place. Everything was a struggle. In time, I realized that I was exhausted and  I didn’t know exactly who I was fighting and that there is no need to carry on like that. This is how I slowly rediscovered my femininity (at least the way I understand it) trying to put aside everything that was expected of me, as a woman: my social status, whether or not I want to have children, all these preconceptions. As Alina said, I stopped taking myself so seriously. Everything comes with the life experience and the things you live. For example, when I turned 30, I made a promise to myself that I would wear more skirts in the summer – until then I had only one skirt, hidden somewhere in the closet. Sitting in a skirt at the decision-making table and show strength, I saw that as impossible. I finally understood that it’s okay to have pink nails and people would still see that I’m competent. There are small negotiations you conduct with yourself day by day and at a certain time.

Alina: This whole femininity thing is getting in my way. It seems like a must from the very start, something else you need to achieve. I don’t think I have anything to prove and I’m not interested in what others have to say – even though sometimes there are comments that might affect me, but at least now I feel free to enjoy the way I choose to think. At the same time, I think there’s greater pressure when you’re young. I went to a casting last week and one of my first thoughts, when I came out, was, “Hell, I’m glad I’m not young anymore.”

There is a pressure when you are young but I think it’s important to live your life and carry on as you like.

Ioana: I look around and it seems like I’m living in a world where there’s a clear focus on this division between men and women and the new trends of thought are starting to criticize statements such as “you have to be like this to be a woman” or “you have to be like that to be a man”, and I’m glad, it feels liberating. For me, being a woman means getting rid of what I “have to” do, just because I have a certain gender and there are certain expectations of me.

Mădălina: It’s very cool how different we all are. I think we are in a time of transition, but an interesting one. We forget that, until recently, at least, we have been living in the most peaceful and best period in human history, when women’s rights are at an unprecedented level. The people who are truly anchored in the present are those who understand the times in which we live, and these are times in which we have rights and are encouraged to have an active professional life, to choose whether we want family or not, to define our femininity exactly as we want.

We evolve at the pace we can, humanity’s problem has always been the extremes – this is where we tend to make mistakes. Neither extreme feminism nor extreme misogyny is okay, everything becomes conflictual. I hope the lesson we all learn now is moderation, or so I wish it is. I see myself as a woman and I think  I’m discovering my femininity now. I’ve also had a tendency to be more masculine and I find it interesting that all four of us have experienced that, but I am starting to be kinder to myself, more caring.

Raluca: Have you also bought some nice skirts? (laughs)

Mădălina: Yeah, I’ve also bought some lovely dresses (laughs). And there is nothing wrong with that. As long as we relate coherently and Cartesian to the age in which we live.

Mădălina, you play Cristina, RUXX’s sister, a young film journalist, a divorced woman, who seems very lonely and empty inside and who constantly runs away from the things that haunt her. I really like the way you play your character. Do you see yourself in her, what do you have in common with Cristina?

I’ve also had periods in my life when I felt lonely and empty inside – I’m glad I got over them, but Cristina isn’t there yet. She moves at a different pace, she goes through a more difficult process of discovering herself – this emptiness inside her, she can’t seem to fill it with anything, nor people, nor alcohol, nor the extreme behaviors she resorts to, but during this first season she finds a purpose in life and a different way of relating to people and to herself. When she realizes she can do things that are relevant to her.

In the series, every catcall, move, or misogynistic comment that comes from a man, you take them all lightly – it seems like these things don’t affect you at all, that you’ve quickly figured out how things work in a male-dominated world.

Absolutely, and I like that she’s very confident and cool about it.

What’s the situation in real life, what’s your reaction to misogynist?

In recent years, I have started to react quite similarly with Cristina. It’s quite funny, actually but I must confess I have a malicious pleasure – you know how it is, when a person misjudges you, considering you less intelligent, or less professional? Well, I sometimes have this pleasure of acting like they’re right and then, all of a sudden, change the tone. That moment when the person in front of you blocks and realizes they can’t take back what they said, or how they acted, it’s priceless. When we talk about misogynist, we talk about people that are not anchored in the present. And that’s also because they find it very hard apologizing for being wrong. I will probably let go of this pettiness soon, when I won’t feel the need to fine people for that.

How about you ladies, Alina & Ioana?

Alina: I just ignore it, it’s not worth the effort so the first protection measure I apply is turning my back.

Ioana: For me it depends on the person in front of me. Sometimes I start debating but most times I just ignore them, I act like I don’t understand and move on.

Ioana, you are the only one who’s on her first TV series. What have you learned from the more experienced of your colleagues? 

My greatest joy is the people, no matter the project. I observe them with a lot of curiosity and openness, it’s always a pleasure to collaborate. At this particular project, the most important lesson was the rhythm – I have never worked like this and it took me a few days to catch the rhythm and get in tune. 

You filmed at the beginning of the pandemic for 6 months, right after the lockdown ended. We’re talking about a big-budget production with dozens of people involved so I assume you were not allowed to do anything else other than shoot, then go home. Your psychic can become quite unstable in such conditions.

Raluca: Totally. And even if I was grateful every single morning for the privilege of having to work in those times, I couldn’t help but cry almost every night, at the end of the day. However, we were all there to work and we knew it, we are all professionals. I was feeling a constant pressure that if I get sick, a lot of people may become jobless. 

Ioana: I was hooked on the privilege I knew I had, working when so many of my colleagues were desperately looking for other jobs so they could pay their rent. I felt I didn’t have the right to cry or whine, I had no reason to. But I was paranoid, I started disinfecting even my masks and had everyone around me test regularly. I felt responsible, just like Raluca was saying.

Mădălina: Journalists always ask us how it was for us, filming during the pandemic and the answer is so counter-intuitive, everyone thinks it must have been awful. No, man, it was incredible. We were working and having the opportunity to meet with dozens of people daily at a time when you were not allowed to see more than 4 people at once – and that’s good for your well-being. And we had the money to pay our rent, while most of our colleagues were desperate and unstable.

However you put it, that time for us had more good than bad. 

Alina: For me it was great, time passed so fast. If I knew a pandemic would break out when I was called to audition, I would have never gotten into this, but life has its ways and this feels like a gift from life. The fact that we knew we had a schedule to respect – rehearsals, shootings, going here and there, everything helped me stay grounded and anchored in the present moment. 

We live in a crazy world and the last two years and a half have been muddling. If you could pick another era to live in, would you still choose the present time?

Everyone: Absolutely yes!

Alina: Of course I would choose something I know. The unknown gives me panic attacks.

Raluca: But seriously now, we have tissue paper and toilets in the house (laughs)

Alina: But maybe you don’t have to think about going back in time, let’s imagine going into the future.

Raluca: No, that, no. So let’s all vote for the present, yes?

Everyone: Yes.

Politics is a present theme in the first season of Ruxx – as it is in our daily lives, especially in recent days. What do you need from our political class?

Ioana: Less corruption.

Alina: I would very much want to live in a Bucharest where it’s possible to open your windows. The right to fresh, clean air. It upsets me!

Raluca: I’m totally apolitical, I’m sorry. But I would like more empathy and compassion for the citizens of this country. And if they don’t know what that is, they could look for it in a dictionary.

Mădălina: I also find it hard to talk about it, not a fan of politics either. Recently I have been more aware about what’s going on, not only in politics, but around me. I would appreciate it if each of us lived his life taking into account the welfare of others. Of course I want that the most from the people ruling us – they should be the best, intellectually and professionally but unfortunately that’s not the case. And it’s quite painful.

What’s the best thing about RUXX – the TV series? And what have you taken with you from this experience?

Raluca: A wagon full of money (laughs)

The best thing about RUXX is that it’s been made. It’s a Romanian production. We’re trying new things and people get the chance to see something else, an opportunity they didn’t have a while back. What have I taken from this? Gratitude. And a lot of experience – it was like a school of resistance, acting and professionalism. 

Mădălina: The best thing about it is Raluca Aprodu, who plays Rux. (applauding and laughs)

Alina: That’s it Mădă! You deserve an A!

Mădălina: I subscribe to what Raluca said. I’m happy more light-hearted productions are being produced, films and TV series you can watch just to relax, without asking yourself 25.000 questions – of course, those films are necessary, too but when we make too many of them, we forget that life is also about joy and beauty. I’m excited I took part in this, I left with some important things. First of all, with the pijamas (laughs) – I loved them and the costume department let me have them. But besides this, I was going through some hard times when we were shooting and a lot of the people from the set turned out to be a great help. Compassion was the biggest revelation I had during this project.

Ioana: I think it’s so cool that all the main characters from a Romanian TV series are women. They are not the same age and each tries to discover herself. It’s nice to take all of that and put it on screen. Personally, I have enjoyed the team a lot. I feel I grew professionally while working on it.

Alina: I’m looking at you all and what I feel for you and our connection is amazing. I think every actor needs this kind of closeness. In the end, it’s all about people and I think that one thing I will be left with is the memory of everyone I worked with during this time.

Raluca: So no one kept the money, apparently we all spent it. (laughs)

RUXX will be available on HBO Max starting with the 8th of March.

A big thank you goes to all the Romanian brands who made this shoot possible: Alina Cernătescu, Obsidian, MURMUR Clothing, Lune at Midnight și Romeo and Juelier.

Laura Mușat

Film producer and founder of ADFR, she dreamed since she was little of having a magazine one day. Alongside her job as editor-in-chief, she writes the interview of the month. She loves animals, jazz music and films festivals.