Interview with Michelle Lukes from Strike Back

WLB:

How much time did you spend in Budapest? Did you have the chance to discover the city?
Michelle: I was in Budapest for 3 months at the beginning of the year filming Strike Back. It's a challenging shooting schedule with 2 episodes to complete every 28 days, so time off is rare. Having said that, I really believe that a life outside of work is vital and so I made sure I took every opportunity to meet new people and really explore the city.

WLB:

Was it your first time here?
Michelle:
This wasn't my first trip to Budapest as we shot part of the first series here back in 2011. It's funny, a lot of the Hungarian crew from the first year came back to work on the show again, so this time it felt a little bit like coming home.

WLB:

Do you have any memorable story that you’d like to share with us?
Michelle:

Every year the show gets more ambitious and with that comes a whole bunch of memorable stories. Hanging out the side of a chopper with a snipers rifle and reversing out of a moving plane are both up there with my most memorable moments. There's also a lot of laughter on set but I suspect those stories are only really funny for us.
WLB:

How do you prepare for the shootings?


Michelle:

The largest part of out preparation is physical. We're playing special ops soldiers and I know I can speak for everyone when I say that authenticity is super important to all of us. We have to look like soldiers and move like soldiers and a great deal of time and patience is invested into making that transformation happen. We have a personal trainer and a military advisor as well as weapons specialists and a brilliant stunt team who continue to work us hard throughout the shoot.

WLB:

Did Budapest meet your previous expectations?
Michelle:

I have to say I really came with no expectations. The only thing I'd heard was that the sex industry was 'booming', but I'm happy to report that Budapest is infinitely more than that.
WLB:

And how did you like it?
Michelle:
I've really grown to love Budapest and I think that's evident in the article. It's an exceptionally beautiful city and I challenge anyone to come here and not get lost in the romance.
WLB:

If you had superpowers what would you change here?
Michelle:
I would use my superhero powers to find a decent chai latte. Believe me, I've tried absolutely everywhere and it doesn't exist in Budapest.
WLB:

Favorite places?
Michelle:
I would say the view from Gellert Hill. It's magic, especially at night.
WLB:

If Budapest was a person what would he/she be like?
Michelle:

Budapest for me is a beautiful, elegant old lady with a dignified wisdom etched across her face. WLB: So are you planning to come back in the future? Michelle:

Absolutely. I have a strong connection with Budapest personally and as an artist so I'll continue to revisit the city for as long as it welcomes me.

WLB:

You wrote an article about Budapest. Can you please tell us about it?
Michelle:

I've been thinking a lot lately about how I can channel my creativity when I'm not acting. I've always enjoyed writing but never really pursued it past a few random thoughts jotted down on the back of a script. Then one day, I was sitting by the Danube and I suddenly thought, just write what you know. And so I started writing about my relationship with the city. It began as something just for me and very quickly became something I wanted to share. I hope you like it.

WLB: Do you have a message for the Budapestians?


Michelle:
I met a group of people on my first night in Budapest and was invited to a dinner party the following day. I didn't know anyone but I went along anyway and it was the start of my amazing Hungarian adventure. I guess the message would be thank you. Thank you for being a city that offers such kindness and acceptance to it's visitors. I really appreciate having the opportunity to discover Budapest through the people that live here, and it's really the people that live here who have made the experience what it is.Michelle's Budapest article:
My BudapestI've worked in the film industry for several years and during that time have found myself in Budapest twice. Travel for actors is often an attractive part of the package (location dependent), and this nomadic lifestyle has gifted me with a life of adventure and privilege. Ioften wrestle with my desire to revisit a place that's stolen my heart, but curiosity prevails and the undiscovered beckons. Budapest however is one of the few places to entice me back with the promise of new adventures, and I return here time and time again only now, on my terms. As a visitor to the city my perspective is undoubtedly different, but I felt it important to share my experience and how it's influenced my life as an actress. For me, Budapest is a city full of contradictions where innovation is born from an elegant yet faded beauty. Time stands still here in the suspicious faces of a generation still marked by Communist rule. Bullet holes ridicule the facades of story book architecture and yet, the majestic Danube still dominates this city and with it's flow comes the current of change. Budapest is far from static and anyone with a curious and pioneering spirit need only ask "which way to the rabbit hole?" In the heart of Budapest is a sub culture nurturing the bravest artists and inspiring critical change. It's a safe house for new thinkers to ask questions and challenge mediocrity. It's International, it's political, it's experimental, it's eccentric, it's dramatic and it's fun. It's a new dawn, it's a new day, and at the helm of this ship are the bold souls who aren't afraid to fail. I was introduced to maverick musician Javor Delov and his world of Random Trip. His brand of music shouts exactly this message that 'anything is possible', and every Tuesday night you can find yourself privy to a musical adventure, destination unknown. What is guaranteed is an International collective of world class musicians. There's no rehearsal and the outcome is a product of whoever chooses to play. It's musical Russian roulette and it's about the journey rather than the product that defines the experience for both the artists and the audience. I've learnt that with freedom comes growth and with risk (sometimes) comes magic. Applying this to my own work is an ongoing challenge but working courageously is what I believe is important.So where in Budapest would I find the similarly inspired? Well, I was fortunate enough to stumble upon Brody Studios on my first night in the city and this was my 'rabbit hole'. A gateway to a meeting of like minded people, passionate about their missions and open to sharing life's experiences along the way. Aside from the club rooms, Brody is home to six artist's studios including Hungarian graphic designer Zsofi Fenyvesi. Co founder of the achingly cool Faun project and attracting International contracts for her work in animation and brand design, this is a Hungarian artist with a finger in every pie. She is living proof that the creative process is limitless, it's diverse and that we are never really defined by just one thing. Inspiration indeed for me dipping a toe into the writing arena. What Will and Peter have created at the Studios, is a visual feast peppered with the ironic and finished (in it's unfinished way) with it's own brand of quietly confident class. The mood is inclusive and fun is inevitable. Once nestled in the Brody bosom you find yourself trusting that the night will take you somewhere unexpected and infinitely more enjoyable than the place you checked at the door. The programme is as diverse as the punters and whether you want to indulge in the Arts or simply play parlour games with a fascinating new friend, Brody ticks all the boxes. This is a business built on love. A love of architecture, a love of history, a love of design, a love of story telling, a love of community and a love of fun. Always surprising, my time in Budapest was certainly enriched by this lucky find, and whenever I return to the city I look forward to whatever they might have up their sleeve for me.It was on one of these nights that I met an intelligent and wickedly funny man with a personal style that seemed effortless and quite modern against the conservative Hungarian pallet I had experienced thus far. He told me his story with such enthusiasm that I had to find out what all the fuss was about. The night ended with a fashion drive by and this was time well spent as my love affair with Nanushka was born. Nanushka is the creation of gifted young Hungarian designer Sandra Sandor. The guy? Director and co-owner of this fashion forward oasis. The brand which hosts it's flagship store on Deak Ferenc St crosses the boundary between fashion and art. What I love about her clothes is that many of them are reminiscent of vintage designs which she mocks by frivolously playing with modern patterns and textiles. Nanushka is clearly a dreamer and her clothes all tell a story with a palpable wit and sense of fun in each tale. The shop itself could easily be confused with gallery space and the girls always ensure that your experience is 'luxury' at it's most intimate. This tiny store deserves a detour and is a perfect example of Hungarian design at it's richest. It's not just a clothes shop and Nanushka's bold refusal to conform is a vital step into a new era of expression.

Coming from London I'm no stranger to diversity and reinvention but what Budapest offers which is unique, particularly to visiting artists, is freedom and support side by side. A place to play without being judged, an ever changing environment inspired by what has existed for years. With this in mind I believe Budapest is quietly becoming a cultural epicentre. A pit stop for writers, musicians, actors, artists, designers and their fans. Everyone loves an underdog and I believe this town is definitely one to watch. And where better to watch it than from the city itself.