IDENTITY & TRANSFORMATION

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Nova Despov (fka Marilyn Nova White) (they/them) is German-Bulgarian, originally from Mannheim, and was born into a non-artistic background. Nova works in Berlin at the intersection of acting, performance, Drag Kinging, and intimacy coordination. Specializing in gender-bending arts, physical storytelling, and embodied transformation, Nova combines artistic radicalism with professional precision and humor—whether in international productions, as Drag alter ego Marilyn Moustache, or in guiding intimacy processes on stage and screen.

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Nova is represented by the agency public heroes.

 

CURRENT SUCCESSES

Nova’s work is attracting international attention: As a 2026 Fellow at the School of Commons (Zurich University of the Arts – ZHdK), Nova is researching the project MALED IT! – Body Rebellion and Flowing Knowledge: Drag Kinging as a Collective Utopia. For the lead role in the film ZAHNBÜRSTE (2026), Nova was named an Award Finalist & Nominee ('Best Supporting Actress') at the Film Olympiad. Previously, Nova was awarded 'Most Organised Artist' (Clown Slam) in 2024.

 

CAREER

From a "ballet bear" at the age of seven to the international stage: Following training as a medical assistant and seven years of full-time commercial employment, 2012 marked a turning point. Graduating with a degree in Theater Pedagogy BuT® (Theaterwerkstatt Heidelberg) signaled the beginning of an international, largely self-taught career driven by continuous transformation and interdisciplinary practice.

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DRAG KINGING & COMMUNITY

Since 2017, Nova has been creating performances as Drag King Marilyn Moustache that oscillate between glam, trash, and political resistance. This work views drag not merely as an aesthetic practice, but as embodied research into gender, power, and societal attributions. This expertise directly feeds into the international MALED IT! Drag King workshops (including at HfS Ernst Busch, UdK Berlin, Kaserne Basel).

 

INTIMACY & BODY PRACTICE

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A central component of Nova’s work is the exploration of intimacy, consent, and embodied power structures. As an Intimacy Coordinator, Nova guides film, theater, and performance productions in staging intimate scenes—with a focus on clear communication, safety, and choreographic precision. Through experience working with BDSM, bondage, and complex intimacy dynamics in an artistic context, Nova creates nuanced, non-stereotypical approaches to desire, control, and vulnerability on stage and in front of the camera.

BODY & STAGE

The performative foundation is built on continuously deepened studies (including at Schauspielfabrik Berlin, Actors Space Berlin). Today, Nova looks back on over 15 years of experience across stage, dance, education, and self-directed practice—a journey from classical discipline to radical performance art.