Inspirational Women In Hollywood: How Kristina Lorent Goztola of Gold Wood Pictures Is Helping To Shake Up The Entertainment Industry
An Interview With Diane Strand
As a child I was always an artistic soul, and although every subject came easily to me, I never liked math. My father used to tell me that math isn’t really about numbers — it’s about logic, and about learning how not to be fooled in life. Back then his words went straight past me. I went to an arts high school, and even though I was a good student, I practically skipped my math classes, thinking I’d never need them as an actress.
As a part of our series about Inspirational Women In Hollywood, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Kristina Lorent Goztola.
Kristina Lorent Goztola is a French-Hungarian actress and producer who began her career in the United States, studying with renowned American masters and later working alongside internationally acclaimed actors. A multilingual performer fluent in four languages, she has built much of her career in English-language productions; in recent years, however, her film work has consciously shifted toward the traditions of French arthouse cinema. Together with director Peter Korday, she founded a Paris-based film production company, of which she remains president, focusing on the creation of original, auteur-driven films.
Soft Floating in the Fields of Spheres / Flottant légèrement dans les Champs des Sphères, in which she took part as lead actress and co-producer, premiered in November 2025 at the International Film Festival The Hague and immediately attracted international attention. Kristina moves effortlessly between genres, countries, and cinematic traditions — building a career in which creative depth meets a global perspective.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Our readers would love to get to know you a bit better. Can you tell us the story of how you grew up?
I was born in Hungary, in a small town near the Austrian border, and on my mother’s side I have Austrian roots.
My mother worked in healthcare as an assistant to a doctor, and my father was an engineer-physicist and mathematician. He was one of those incredibly curious, brilliant people who designed airplanes in his spare time — literally as a hobby. One of his planes is still exhibited in the Hungarian Museum of Transportation.
I grew up in a very loving family. I have beautiful childhood memories — we were like a big Italian family with long weekend lunches, big holiday gatherings, lots of laughter, and everyone always helping each other. That warm, close family atmosphere really shaped me and gave me a strong foundation for life.
My parents tried to give everything they could to me and my sibling, but they raised us with just the right amount of discipline, too. In our home, rules existed for a reason, and you were expected to follow them.
I loved learning from an early age — especially literature, history, and languages — and in our family it was completely natural that a child studies music and foreign languages. It was simply part of life.
No one in my family had any artistic background. My father wasn’t exactly thrilled when I told him I wanted to be an actress, but he still supported me in everything. He used to say: “If you’re going to build castles in the sky, don’t be stingy with the bricks.” If you dream, dream big — and then work for it with your whole heart.
From childhood I studied ballet, folk dance, piano, and music theory, and later I graduated from a music conservatory high school as a classical singer.
For a long time I thought I would spend my whole life on the musical theatre stage. By the time I was nineteen, I was already performing leading roles — singing, dancing, and loving every minute of it.
Then, a few years later, I discovered the world of film, and everything changed. I began studying screen acting very intentionally — first in London, and later in Los Angeles at the New York Film Academy.
Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this specific career path?
Ever since I was a child, I was completely drawn to the magic of the stage — the music, the lights, the movement, the moment when the curtain rises. There was always something special about walking into a theater. That familiar theater smell, the hush before the music starts… even as a little girl, it felt like stepping into another world.
I also adored the great old film classics. I watched Audrey Hepburn, Vivien Leigh, Sophia Loren, Claudia Cardinale, and Brigitte Bardot over and over again. The films of the 50s, 60s and 70s — the Italian, French, and Hollywood classics — had a huge influence on me. I must have seen Roman Holiday and Breakfast at Tiffany’s dozens of times, and I fell in love with Jacques Demy’s films, especially The Umbrellas of Cherbourg.
As a little girl, I secretly dreamed of acting in movies like those. But there was always a voice in my head saying:
“These are beautiful dreams, but a girl from a small town doesn’t end up in Hollywood…”
I hoped I might become a stage actress one day, but the idea of ever performing in English or French — or working in international films — felt so far away that I didn’t even dare to fully imagine it.
I remember moving to London at 26 to study acting. I already had an agent — a wonderful one who truly believed in me and encouraged me — but I was still full of doubts. I often asked myself whether I was on the right path, and what realistic chance I had so far away from home.
By then I had already been in London for months, working hard, taking classes, and seeing as much theater as I possibly could. I went beyond musicals and fell in love with straight plays and the world of fringe theatre — those small, intimate performances where you feel every breath of the actors.
And then came two nights I will never forget.
One evening, I saw Jessica Lange on stage in a West End drama. The very next night, I saw Rowan Atkinson perform. I sat there watching these incredible artists — people I had only ever seen on a movie screen or on TV, back home in Hungary — and now they were just a few meters away from me, performing live.
It hit me so strongly that I still remember the feeling. Something shifted inside me.
Seeing those icons so close suddenly made everything that once felt impossible seem, for the very first time, just a little bit real… a little bit within reach.
Not a fantasy anymore — but something that, with enough work and courage, might one day actually happen.
Can you tell us the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?
One of the most interesting — and ultimately most defining — moments in my career happened in early spring of 2015. At the time, I was filming in Rome, and my agent sent me to audition for a well-known, very popular Italian TV series. The role was a half-Italian woman, and it would have meant a long shoot in the south of Italy, in absolutely beautiful locations.
At the same time, I also had an audition in France for something completely different: the lead in Matei Vişniec’s powerful two-person play “Du sexe de la femme comme champ de bataille”, which takes place during the Yugoslav Wars. For the audition I had to learn several long monologues in French — and back then my French was definitely not strong. So I went into it with the calm of someone who has nothing to lose.
I returned to Rome, continued shooting, and honestly thought that was the end of it.
Then they called me back. And again.
And eventually, I found out I had been offered both roles.
The Italian series was a solid, safe opportunity — a steady job, great visibility, and a beautiful shoot in southern Italy.
The French play, on the other hand, was a real risk: a new language, an entirely new artistic environment, and an emotionally intense two-actor drama that would first premiere in Paris and then go to the Avignon Festival.
It was one of those moments actors secretly dread: when you have to choose between two amazing opportunities.
This is where professional clarity saved me. My entertainment lawyer told me very firmly that the French theater project was the one I should choose — that in the long run, that was the opportunity with real artistic weight and impact.
So I chose Avignon — and it turned out to be one of the best decisions of my life.
The play became a huge success. I performed with a wonderful Greek actress, and the production received remarkable attention. It completely changed the direction of my career: that was the moment the “French path” truly opened for me, and from there on, everything shifted.
Interestingly, it didn’t lead me deeper into theater — it eventually led me into French cinema.
But I know for certain that everything began with that one choice.
And on a personal level, it changed me profoundly: I fell in love with French culture, with French filmmaking, and it has been one of the most important parts of my life ever since.
It has been said that our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
One of the funniest — although at the time extremely embarrassing — stories from the beginning of my career goes back to when I was 19. I had just been cast in my very first major leading role, in a three-act historical musical theatre production called Lieutenant Maria.
It was a light-hearted show built on real historical events, and I played the title character, which meant I was practically on stage for the entire performance.
The role was special because Maria appeared sometimes dressed as a soldier — in full 1848 military uniform with a sword on her hip — and other times as a beautiful woman in long, elegant gowns. This meant the entire show was filled with frantic quick-changes backstage: three or four people working on me at once, one pulling a costume off, another putting layers on, someone fixing my hair, someone taking the sword, someone else handing me a fan… Every second of these changes was choreographed with military precision.
I had exactly one job during these quick-changes: stand still and let everyone work — plus one tiny additional task. I wore a small, elegant clip-on earring during the ballroom scenes, and it was my responsibility to remove it and hand it to one of the dressers.
Except once… during a dress rehearsal with a small audience, I completely forgot.
I rushed onstage for the military scene in full soldier’s uniform, sword on my side, ready to fight for freedom — and there it was, sparkling proudly on my ear: the delicate little earring from the previous scene.
At that moment I wished the floor would swallow me, but the director wasn’t upset — he handled it calmly. — it was only a dress rehearsal, after all, and these things are part of the job. Today it’s one of my favorite memories… and a sweet reminder of just how complex and how much concentration our work really requires.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
I absolutely have to mention two masters who had a huge impact on my life and my career:
Bernard Hiller and Jack Waltzer, two legendary American acting coaches.
Jack Waltzer was the one who taught me the foundations of the Meisner technique.
He trained icons like Dustin Hoffman, Sharon Stone, Sigourney Weaver, Julie Gayet — so even our very first session together was unforgettable. He didn’t just give me an incredible amount of professional knowledge; he also gave me something just as important: kindness, patience, trustt. And when someone of his stature believes in you… that gives you a strength you can’t even describe.
I still remember our very first meeting. I told him that at the time I had mostly worked in musical theatre. He smiled and said:
“Christine, you’re a dramatic actress. A straight actress.”
I was shocked. Up to that point I had only done musicals and some light comedy. Deep down, I was afraid I’d never be able to “unlearn” my musical-theatre habits.
Jack, however, knew exactly how much work it would take to let go of the big gestures and find the subtle, truthful, camera-friendly acting tools I would need.
The other person who shaped me just as deeply was Bernard Hiller.
Working with him changed me not only as an actress, but as a person.
He was the first who made me truly understand that Hollywood is not some distant, pink-fog fantasy — it’s a real neighborhood in Los Angeles, the heart of the film world — and that it is possible to get there. If you approach it realistically, step by step, with clarity and courage, it can become a very real part of your life.
And there is something else that feels especially meaningful to me: the French connection kept returning to my life long before I understood why — almost as if it were written somewhere.
When I was cast in a major American–French–Belgian co-production — alongside Jason Clarke, Rosamund Pike, and Mia Wasikowska — life once again led me back to that world. How symbolic that the opportunity to work with major Hollywood stars came to me from a French director: Cédric Jimenez. He trusted me with the role of Christine Weigel in HHhH (The Man with the Iron Heart), where Jason Clarke played Heinrich Himmler.
Sometimes I feel that everything I do today somehow started with these encounters — with the love, the faith, and the wisdom these two masters shared with me, and with the unexpected gifts the French film world brought into my life.
You have been blessed with great success in a career path that can be challenging. Do you have any words of advice for others who may want to embark on this career path, but seem daunted by the prospect of failure?
I absolutely do have a message for anyone who wants to step into this profession but feels scared of failing.
When I first left my little home country, my parents were terrified.
I was already successful on stage at a very young age, playing leading roles, and they felt I was “tempting fate” by trying to move into a much bigger league.
They were afraid I was giving up something secure for something completely uncertain. But I was driven by my dreams. I simply couldn’t not go.
And then, once I was already abroad and still at the very beginning of my journey, I heard an enormous amount of negativity — not from my family, but from acquaintances and colleagues back home.
People kept saying things like, “So many have tried.”, “Why would you be the one who succeeds?”, “Others tried and came home. You will too.”
They brought up examples of people who had given up along the way.
Hearing all of that was incredibly discouraging — even though they couldn’t stop me.
What saved me was that I believed in my masters, I believed in my agent, and I believed the positive feedback I was already starting to receive from England and America.
I felt, somehow, that I belonged to that world. And I felt welcomed — with kindness, curiosity, and openness. I loved the work so much, and that gave me strength.
But I learned something very important:
Never let other people’s fears shape your life. Someone else’s failure does not mean you will fail. Selse’s success does not mean your path must look like theirs.
We each have our own journey. If you feel that deep calling inside you — go. Follow your own dream.
My acting masters always told me something I now pass on to everyone starting out:
Don’t approach this profession with the mindset of “I want to be a Hollywood star.”
That pressure will destroy you.
The real focus should be: love the craft, love the work itself, learn, stay curious, and strive to become the best artist you can be.
And if life wants to take you very high, it will — but even if you never become a global star, you can still have a rich, fulfilling, successful career.
Another lesson I carry with me is this:
If someone is talented, works hard, stays curious, and doesn’t give up — they will get somewhere.
And honestly, being able to make a living doing the thing you love — that alone is one of the greatest gifts life can give you.
If your passion becomes your profession…that is already success.
Every industry iterates and seeks improvement. What changes would you like to see in the industry going forward?
Over the past years, I founded our own film production company in Paris, France, together with director Peter Korday. As the president of the company, my aim is to create original auteur films with a distinctive voice, rooted in French arthouse traditions.
As I began to explore screenwriting — and one of our scripts is now moving through different stages of creative development and pre-production — I’ve started to feel the weight of this responsibility more and more. I am no longer present in the process only as an actress, but also as a creator. And I believe that as filmmakers we carry a significant responsibility: what we create can influence the way people think, feel, and even how they engage in social conversations.
I truly hope that in the future more first-time and independent filmmakers will receive the opportunity, support, and space to express themselves in their own voice. I believe the film industry can only truly renew and evolve if fresh perspectives, independent visions, and auteur films are given as much room as larger productions. I would love to see the industry open further in this direction.
You have such impressive work. What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now? Where do you see yourself heading from here?
In May of this year, we completed our first feature film, Soft Floating in the Fields of Spheres / Flottant légèrement dans les Champs des Sphères, directed by Peter Korday. The French film is a psychological drama with meditative elements.
Interweaving past, present, and imagined futures, this film traces Rebecca’s spiritual journey through love, loss, and forgiveness, questioning whether time itself is only an illusion.
The film had its international premiere in November 2025 at the International Film Festival in The Hague, where it received an award. We also recently learned that it won Best Cinematography at the Red Movie Awards in France, and I received the Best Actress award for my performance. It’s a great joy for us that the film has only just begun its festival journey, and it is already receiving such wonderful recognition.
We are currently working on two very different projects, both of which are very close to me.
One is a psychological drama with a more romantic tone, also rooted in the French arthouse tradition, and the other is a comedy woven with vaudeville elements, set on the French Riviera (Côte d’Azur).
These two stories are my main focus at the moment, and it is an exciting process to watch them take shape.
We are very interested in looking at diversity in the entertainment industry. Can you share three reasons with our readers why you think it’s important to have diversity represented in film and television? How can that potentially affect our culture and our youth growing up today?
One of the things I love most about my work is that I get to meet so many different people and cultures. In our field it’s especially important to show as many perspectives as we can, because that’s how stories can really reach a wide audience — across age, identity, and background. The more people a story can speak to, the more honest it feels, the more it can inspire, and the more it helps break down stereotypes.
I think it’s essential for us, as human beings, to stay open, curious, and empathetic toward each other. We’re all different, but we’re connected by the same joys, pains, and emotions. In our latest film, Soft Floating in the Fields of Spheres, we tried to keep that in mind. We wanted the story to speak to everyone, no matter their age, gender, or background.
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why? Please share a story or example for each.
1. — As a child I was always an artistic soul, and although every subject came easily to me, I never liked math. My father used to tell me that math isn’t really about numbers — it’s about logic, and about learning how not to be fooled in life. Back then his words went straight past me. I went to an arts high school, and even though I was a good student, I practically skipped my math classes, thinking I’d never need them as an actress.
Now, as a producer, I finally understand how important those lessons would have been. Filmmaking isn’t only emotion and creativity — it’s responsibility, structure, and countless decisions where logic is just as important as intuition.
2. — I’ve always been a perfectionist, and now I see that it doesn’t always help. So many people told me over the years that I don’t have to be perfect all the time — that it’s okay to make mistakes, and that my work is still valuable. Perfectionism often holds me back more than it helps me, and today I understand that much better.
3. — My grandmother always warned me not to give space to negative thoughts or draining energies. I can handle real criticism, but the hurtful, unnecessary comments aren’t worth paying attention to — and yet, years ago, I often let them make me feel bad. Many people tried to pull me off my path, and even though they never managed to stop me, I know now that it wasn’t worth giving them even a single moment of my energy.
4. — I used to worry constantly about whether I was in the right place, on the right path, or missing out on something important. Today I know that all that anxiety was pointless: what is truly meant for you will find you, and what doesn’t work shouldn’t be forced. A few times I tried to fight hard for roles or opportunities that felt crucial in the moment — and later realized they weren’t that important at all. Often the best things are exactly the ones that actually happen, even if it’s not how we imagined them.
5. — Early in my career, I was always focused on getting through the next exam, the next audition, the next challenge. I kept rushing forward, as if the only thing that mattered was reaching the next milestone. My father often told me not to rush time, because one day I might look back longingly on the very moments I wanted to skip — and I only truly understood that much later.
Now I know that it’s not the awards or the roles that matter most, but the journey that leads to them. That’s my Carpe Diem.
Can you share with our readers any self-care routines, practices or treatments that you do to help your body, mind or heart to thrive? Please share a story for each one if you can.
In our profession — and honestly, in any profession — it’s so important to take care of both your body and your mind. I’ve always loved moving; it’s just part of who I am. I used to swim regularly, and although traveling makes that harder now, I still do Pilates and yoga. And recently I discovered hula hooping, which sounds playful, but it’s surprisingly intense — once I start, I can go for almost an hour, and it’s become a real workout for me.
The mental side is just as important. I meditate, I listen to mantras and calming music — they completely reset my mind. And wherever work takes me, I always try to spend time in nature, or by the sea if I can. I feel deeply connected to trees, plants, and birdsong. Yes, I’m one of those people who actually hugs trees when I arrive somewhere — it grounds me instantly. Years ago, when I still had my dog, we spent hours walking by the water or in the woods, and I loved that sense of presence and peace. I don’t have a dog anymore, but being close to nature still fills me up in the same way.
For me, self-care means movement, quiet focus, and getting back into nature again and again — that’s where I can really switch off and recharge.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
One of my favorite contemporary writers is Paulo Coelho, and I’ve read almost all of his books. The Alchemist is especially close to my heart — I’ve read it several times, in four different languages: English, French, Italian, and Hungarian. Somehow it always gives me something new; every time it goes a little deeper.
There’s a line in the book that had a huge impact on me: “And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.”
The first time I read it was in English, in London, at the very beginning of my time there, when I was still full of doubts and fears. When I came across that sentence, it felt as if Coelho had written it directly to me, right there, in that little attic room. It found me in a moment of my life when I truly needed it — and it genuinely shifted something in me.
You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be?
If I could inspire a movement, it wouldn’t be just one — there are several things that are deeply close to my heart. The first would definitely be something centered around children. I believe they are our most important responsibility, and every child deserves love, safety, and real support.
Another movement I would love to see is one that protects animals and reminds us how precious they are. I feel a very strong connection to them — even to the little birds I feed in winter. I watch the robins, the blackbirds, the tiny blue tits, and I see how each one has its own personality. One is bold, another is shy… and these small moments remind me how much they matter, and how much we owe them. And the same is true for nature itself: if we slow down and really pay attention, it gives us a sense of presence and peace that nothing else can.
I would also love to encourage a movement around movement itself — staying active, taking care of our bodies, and treating physical and mental well-being as something inseparable.
And maybe the strongest wish in me would be a movement where women truly support each other. Not with jealousy or competition, but with generosity and encouragement. I genuinely believe that another woman’s success doesn’t take anything away from my own. In fact, it inspires me. I love being around women who thrive — it lifts me up, not the opposite. I think we could achieve so much more if we learned to see each other this way.
Is there a person in the world whom you would love to have lunch with, and why? Maybe we can tag them and see what happens!
I would love to sit down for a coffee with Quentin Tarantino. I think he’s absolutely brilliant — I adore his films, and I’m fascinated by the freedom with which he approaches his stories.
Are you on social media? How can our readers follow you online?
Yes, absolutely — I’m active on social media. You can find me on IMDb, and I also have my own website as well as a separate page for our production company. I’m on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and X as well. Here are the links:
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3181081
- My website: https://kristinagoztola.com
- Production company website: https://goldwoodpictures.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/lorentgoztola
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/lorentgoztola
- YouTube: https://youtube.com/@kristinalorent
- X: https://x.com/kristinalorent
- Linked in: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristinalorent/
This was so informative, thank you so much! We wish you continued success!
About the Interviewer: Diane Strand is a multi-award-winning serial entrepreneur, executive producer, best-selling author, nonprofit founder, TEDx and national speaker with more than two decades of success in media, education, and creative entrepreneurship. She is the majority owner of JDS Video & Media Productions, Inc. and JDS Actors Studio, and the founder of the nonprofit JDS Creative Academy (JDSCA) — a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to advancing education, inclusion, and workforce development through the arts. As the creator and executive producer of Spirit of Innovation: Arts Across America — a nationally streamed and locally broadcast ABC TV series — Diane continues to break new ground in creative media, producing the first magazine-style news and information show of its kind in Riverside County. A trailblazer in inclusive education, Diane has authored two state-approved training programs — a Title 17 video production job-training day program for adults with developmental disabilities and a California State Apprenticeship program in media and the arts.
Diane has helped launch more than 100 creative careers, as actors, writers, directors, and producers transforming lives and strengthening the creative workforce pipeline in Southern California and beyond. In 2017, Diane founded DigiFest® Temecula, an award-winning annual festival that celebrates digital media, storytelling, and innovation across all creative disciplines. Now entering its 10th year, DigiFest® has evolved into a nationally recognized event uniting students, professionals, and thought leaders from film, television, gaming, design, podcasting, and emerging technologies. The festival embodies Diane’s mission to merge creativity, community, and opportunity — showcasing how the arts can drive education, empowerment, and industry growth. Diane’s Hollywood career includes credits on Friends, General Hospital, and Veronica’s Closet, as well as producing for Barbra Streisand, Disney Channel, and Universal Creative, where she helped launch Playhouse Disney and Toon Disney and contributed to the high-definition control room build at Staples Center (now Crypto.com Arena).
As a Lead Columnist for Authority Magazine, Diane now shines a national spotlight on visionary thought leaders, entertainers, changemakers, and philanthropists who are shaping the future of creativity, inclusion, and social impact. If you’re a celebrity, industry innovator, or business leader passionate about using the arts to transform lives, Diane invites you to connect, collaborate, and share your story to help inspire the next generation of innovators.
Inspirational Women In Hollywood: How Kristina Lorent Goztola of Gold Wood Pictures Is Helping To… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.