Alina Aliluykina Can Keep A Secret

Alina Aliluykina knows that loose lips sink ships. And it’s obvious that she’s been reminded of it again and again. The Russian actress/model is starring in the upcoming film The Bad Batch with Keanu Reeves, Jim Carrey and Jason Momoa, but that’s pretty much all she can say about it. The romantic thriller is under tight wraps until its early 2016 release. Until then, Aliluykina chooses her words carefully and won’t give much away. Unless you’re talking about her insatiable work ethic, that is. Then, she can’t say enough.

What, if anything, can you say about your character in The Bad Batch?

The whole project is a bit of a secret, so I can’t speak to a lot of what’s going on. What I can say is that I play Keanu Reeves’ wife. Hmmm, that might be all I can say! [Laughs.] I’m so sorry! I was sworn to secrecy. It’s a really interesting, unusual story. It’s a love story, but there are cannibals. There!

Cannibals? I don’t know what I was expecting, but that wasn’t it!

It’s about a “bad batch” of people who went against the rules, against the norm. That’s it, I’m done, that’s all I can say.

Fair enough. How was working with Keanu Reeves and Jim Carrey?

It was fantastic. Honestly, it was a dream come true. It was pretty inspiring to work with them and watch them act. An incredible experience.

It sounds like it’s going to be a little darker in terms of subject matter than your typical Jim Carrey movie.

Actually, it’s really not that dark and scary. It’s just life. They’re still human beings: they fall in love, they feel all the same feelings. It wasn’t scary. I never needed to walk away from a scene or take a minute to myself to recover.

How did you first get into acting?

I grew up a very artistic child. I would perform skits for my parents in the mornings before school, and then once I got to school I would perform there, too. I did a lot of singing, theatre and modeling. It just felt totally natural that I would be doing those things. Being onstage just made me happy. When I came to America from Russia, it was just a given that I would continue performing.

How do you divide your time between acting, singing and modeling?

It usually comes down to how I’m feeling when I choose what projects to take on. I try to stay busy and work on as many things as I can, though. I actually just got back from recording my album in San Fransisco. I compose, sing and play piano on it. Which, of course, means making time for all of that as well. Modeling is different from acting or singing in the sense that it’s not as exciting, it’s not as advanced. After modeling for a bit, you start to want something more than just posing. Acting and singing make me feel free, in a sense. It’s cheesy, but that’s the feeling I get.

What do you like to do when you’re not working?

Work is honestly my favourite way to spend time. I swear! I’m trying to work all the time. If I’m not acting, doing a photo shoot or writing songs, then I’m thinking about all the ideas I want to flesh out when I get back to work. I travel, I exercise, I see friends as much as I can, but my mind is always going back to the work I want to do.