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Ella Balinska has been in the industry for quite some time, as she appeared in the 2019 flick Charlie’s Angels alongside Kristen Stewart and Naomi Scott, but she is now making waves as Cherie in Amazon Studios’ Run Sweetheart Run, which released globally on Friday, October 28.

The flick, which is inspired by a blind date gone wrong and produced by Blumhouse, follows a woman named Cherie who is being chased through Los Angeles by her crazy date, and it takes on a new approach to the horror/thriller genre — something she was immediately intrigued by. “I really felt connected with this character,” the 26-year-old exclusively tells GRAZIA USA. “I felt like I needed to meet whoever penned the script, which was Shana Feste. She was telling me about the character, and I was new in the industry, and I really aligned with the fact that the character was doing the same.”

“I wasn’t experiencing what Cherie was going through, but I read it and felt like this is something I would want. This is a story that’s important for someone like my little sisters to see,” she adds.

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The brunette beauty did a couple of Zoom reads and nabbed the part. The film originally premiered in 2020 at Sundance Film Festival, but the pandemic hit and the world stopped, but enter Amazon, who came in and bought the film. Now, the world finally gets to see Balinska show off her acting chops. “It’s a horror movie, but there is a story. We didn’t want to glorify anything that happens in the film. We wanted to stay true to each moment and be honest with ourselves as creatives,” she explains. “I would say, ‘Is this how I would react in a horror movie?’ We were really just moment by moment going back to the authenticity of everything.”

One of the star’s highlights from being part of the flick is getting to experience Los Angeles. “We went to the best sushi in L.A. and the view is amazing! We also filmed in a dumpster in downtown L.A. — barefoot. I got to see the full spectrum of the place that is otherwise very glamorized,” she states. “It was the first time in my career that I was able to put all of my training to work. I was really yearning to just let it out. The character has a lot of range of emotions and experiences, and I kind of unlocked that in myself. I’m really proud of letting go and trusting the director. Cherie’s mission is to protect her family, which is something I can really relate to.”

Balinska’s resume is quickly filling up — something she is still in shock over. “It’s pretty wild,” she says of her accolades. “It’s funny because with the audition tape for Charlie’s Angels, I didn’t think anyone was going to see it. I was like, ‘It’s going to land on a desk or an inbox and they’ll say next!’ When I auditioned, I didn’t have a care in the world. I just went for it,” she recalls. “I met Kristen and Naomi on the set in Berlin. It was surprisingly relaxing. From there, I came bursting into the fashion scene and got some amazing ambassadorships, which was a drastic change.”

courtesy Prime Video

Balinska always knew she wanted to be an actor, but her obligations started to stack up, which is why she turned to DJing (she goes by the stage name BAX), another passion of hers. “It’s so funny — I learned how to DJ years ago. I’ll DJ a party and always play a Spotify playlist, but when I went to Europe on vacation, I brought these mini pair of travel size decks with me. I was just playing everywhere — hotel rooms and then rooftops. It’s a fun little hobby. There’s no expectation, no ulterior motives or anything. I get to throw parties with my friends and hopefully bring some sort of joy to people through music.”

Ultimately, Balinska is now “focusing on what makes me happy.”

“I think when you’re younger, you spend so much time making others happy. You have to get a good grade, you have to get into a good school. I want to be in a position where I can set my own goals and strive to achieve them because they make me happy. I hope people can look at my career choices and path and see that stuff I might work on might not work out the way I want it to — or it might work out in the best way with the best outcome possible,” she notes. “I’m always trying to treat every situation with kindness, care and compassion, and the worst anyone can say is no!”

Naturally, Balinska’s positive attitude is what makes her unique and beloved by so many people. “It’s cool to do s**t that resonates with people,” she says. “It’s heartwarming to know you’ve done something that means something to someone. I’m giving the gift of my creativity to people and that’s really fulfilling.”

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The Resident Evil alum already has a few things in the pipeline, but she hopes to do a comedy and rom-com one day, in addition to a few other ideas she hopes will come to fruition. “I wouldn’t mind DJing a festival. I’m in so many different fields. It’s really cool to be a multihyphenate!” she declares.

To watch Run Sweetheart Run, click here.