Reality on a Plate with Răzvan Corneci

Oct 10

5 min read

reality on a plate is a new publishing feature series that, in response to member requests, allows individuals to dive deeper into the experiences of others before attending our events, fostering a sense of familiarity and connection.

Actor, storyteller, and a drummer at heart, he moves between film, theatre, and music, with a particular love for the unpredictability of the stage. From childhood treasure hunts and his mother’s everything-fries to black coffee and baking cookies to Wu-Tang Clan, a little bit of everything that makes him tick.

tell us about your background — where you grew up, what food looked like in your home, and the memories that shaped who you are today

I grew up in a tiny household with my mother and older sister. We didn’t have much, but we had books, a love for late-night TV and for making our own little games. Mom had two jobs and two kids who kindly looked after each other. My sister would teach me how to read, she’d draw little comics for me and design ample treasure hunts in our little apartment. It was there I’d see her write her short stories and plays and there I’d learn to tell a good story and become the odd goof I am today.

Our meals were not glorious, our meals were not plentiful, but there would always be soup and there would always be the occasional mom’s everything-fries (almost like a rich poutine) that would draw us around the table.

what does your morning routine look like from the moment you wake up until you leave the house

Never been a morning person so I usually spend the first hour of my day cursing and pouting and brewing a few coffees. I read, I try to fit a little workout in and I diligently refuse to check my inbox.

are you a breakfast person, or is coffee enough to get you through the morning

Never have breakfast. I will only disappoint my body with a meal after 4-6 black coffees.

what’s always in your fridge and cupboard

Rice. It’s always been rice.

what’s your food shopping strategy — list, instinct, or whatever looks good that day

I feel most myself when I walk into a supermarket with a two item list and end up leaving with whatever I can fit in my arms. Never carry a basket. That’s my little way to avoid financial ruin.

a meal that stayed with you for the company as much as the food

I remember just having moved to Bucharest in a huge, shared apartment with way too many roommates. I remember introducing them to mom’s everything-fries, a recipe they still ask for to this day. It soon became the meal that would hold the place together. It was a good crowd, it was a good few years.

when you cook, what’s usually on

music, a podcast, something playing in the background, or silence

It has to be either Jennifer Charles, maybe Nathaniel Merriweather, or the weekly seminars of Julian de Medeiros or, lately, @ripthatpageout on YouTube. Except if I’m baking. Baking only goes with Wu Tang Clan.

I am who I am.

what do you serve when you have people over

I try to have fresh crinkle cookies. They’re the best!

a table you always go back to

It’s gonna be Le Pho, down in Vienna.

Best Vietnamese food I’ve ever had, thank you, Marina.

It’s also gonna be the couch seat in the billiards room at Café Kriemhild.

Sometimes I book a flight just to go back to these two spots.

what’s something you’re very particular about when it comes to food

Hate me if you must, but having a shawarma while the sun is up in the sky should be illegal. It’s a midnight meal, end of discussion.

you’ve worked across film and theatre — where do you feel most at home today

At heart I am a failed musician.

My experiments with the stage and the camera were odd attempts at recreating the feeling I had while playing the drums in my high school rock band.

If I were to pick, it would always be the stage.

Film is an editor’s playground. The stage knows no cutting and pasting. It’s brutal, immediate and unforgiving. Like most actors.

from Rocker and Tempo to Veronica Now which role has stayed with you the longest, and why

It’s gonna be Rocker. It was my first feature film and it was my playing drums that got me in. I got to record some grooves for the film promo and I’m especially fond of the moment the director decided to change his mind mid-shooting and give my character the pivotal scene of the film. Go watch it!

has a character ever changed something about the way you live your own life

Not one that I played. But George Smith of J. P. Donleavy’s A Singular Man changed everything for me.

what does the day before starting a new role look like for you

I just try to keep away from most mirrors.

is there something you always do before going on stage or stepping in front of a camera

Yes. One quick blasting of Keep Your Eyes Peeled, by Queens of the Stone Age, video and all.

for someone who wants to follow what you’re doing right now — where can we find you

Stoked for the upcoming visit to Cluj-Napoca, as a guest speaker together with Octav Ojog and Dan Nădășan at the Festival of Philosophy, October 14th. I’m also moderating a huge panel on November 6th for CivicON, in Alba-Iulia. I’m doing quite a lot of public speaking at the moment, which is as flattering as it is terrifying, so keep an eye peeled for those events. I’ll be announcing them all on my IG.

if you had to choose two plays or performances that tell the story of you as an actor so far — which would make the list

Bertolt Brecht’s The Threepenny Opera. Polly Peachum’s terribly resourceful when she’s bored.

what’s the most worn thing in your wardrobe

I will love a good pair of jeans to threads. Hanging on to a dear one right now.

what’s always in your pockets or bag

I always have with me my last ever tip as a bartender. All wrapped up in duct tape by a dear, dear friend.

a film you wish you could watch again for the first time

Nolan’s Memento.

a performance by another actor that you still think about

Louise Roux as one of the two misguided characters of Le Cid in Spectactre 1 by Le Villain Petit Theatre. It was july 2008 in a parking lot in Grenoble, France. The compagnie performed for us kids at 4am as a reprise for those who hadn’t seen their show in the festival run. No lights, no music, no stage. Just two people, two voices, two bodies. Made me wanna do that every day.

what are you watching, reading or listening to right now

Watching the first season of Survivor US (Borneo). Reading Gore Vidal’s Burr. Listening to Wu Tang Clan, as I’m, of course, baking cookies.

what’s a tiny ritual in your life you hope never disappears

Putting up weird post-its all around my workplace.

what’s something slightly questionable that you secretly love

That’ll be 6am flights. I know. I know.

what have you changed your mind about recently

I think Rosalía was onto something when reading lives of the saints. They’re bonkers.

describe your lock screen

It’s always been a still of Versace’s 1995 FW Campaign shot by Richard Avedon.

last photo you took

My f*cked up knee in a medical office. Followed by my best friend making me pancakes.