Originally Posted by
RAMONA SHELBURNE
Skating with the real stars
BY RAMONA SHELBURNE, Staff Writer For the Daily News
But this was no time for regret. With the exception of those who'd won Oscars' earlier in the evening, Cohen quickly realized she was one of the most decorated people in the room that night in early March.
That Cohen would be at home in a room or actresses and actors doesn't come as much of a surprise to anyone who has seen her skate.
She's regarded as one of the most artistic figure skaters ever, with routines as emotionally compelling as they are technically brilliant.
During her tragically flawed, but courageous long program in Turin, NBC announcer Peggy Flemming remarked: "Other skaters just skate to Romeo and Juliet, but Sasha is Juliet."
Michael Damian remembers thinking the same thing.
"We both just thought, `I bet the film camera would love her,' " he said. "There's just something dynamic and special about her. She's a showman on the ice, it's very clear."
About a month later, Damian and Cohen's worlds would collide. He was in Calgary in pre-production on a movie called, "Moondance Alexander," and heard that Cohen was looking to get into acting. She just happened to be in town competing at the World Championships, so he arranged a meeting.
Damian immediately cast her as sassy equestrian diva Fiona Hughes in "Moondance Alexander," which is tentatively scheduled for release in 2007.
"I had a feeling she'd be great out of the box, but you never know," Damian said. "You have to make make sure she had the chops."
Cohen took acting classes and riding lessons to prepare. On set, Damian said she was a consummate professional.
"She takes direction beautifully. You could tell she'd worked with a lot of coaches before," he joked.
Her mother, Galina, said Sasha has been flooded with scripts and appearance requests.
In between tour stops, the family has been meeting with agents eager to represent her.
In May, she appeared in the TV drama "Las Vegas," and later this year she's scheduled to appear in an episode of "CSI:NY." She is also planning a cameo appearance in a movie with Will Ferrell.
No one would blame her if she basked in the Hollywood scene for a while. As a 21-year-old, two-time Olympian, it wouldn't be surprising to see her retire from competitive skating. But Cohen insists she still loves the sport and intends on competing in the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver.
"I still love being an athlete," she said. "I love the amazing high you get when you perform live in front of so many people. ... Of course I was disappointed (in not winning the gold in Turin). But it's not going to do any good to focus on the negative and dwell on it. You have to live to your own expectations, do what you want and love what you do. I want to just play it by the moment and see what's out there for me," she said.
"There's just so much to her," said her younger sister Natasha, who will be a freshman at Barnard (N.Y.) College in the fall. "That's why, when people ask her what she wants to do, she can't always give an answer. She has a lot of interests. When she's done skating, you're still going to hear a lot from her."
ramona.shelburne@dailynews.com
Posting Permissions
Bookmarks