There are actors who simply play roles. There are those who leave something of themselves in every image.
Pepa Nikolova was one of the latter.
She had that rare quality that is not acquired in an academy and cannot be learned from a textbook — presence. She could be funny, daring, temperamental, vulnerable and at the same time completely natural. On screen, she did not look like a person trying to play someone. Rather, she created the feeling that she was simply living in the image.
On September 22, 2006, Pepa Nikolova died in Sofia. She was only 59 years old.
Today, 20 years later, her name continues to be associated with some of the most memorable images in Bulgarian cinema and theater.
The Girl from Harmanli
Pepa Nikolova was born on December 23, 1946 in Harmanli. Interestingly, her path to acting did not begin with traditional training at a theater academy.
In 1965, she applied to the School for Variety Singers at the Radio and Television. It was there that her talent was noticed by people from the theater and cinema. Director Vili Tsankov invites her to the Youth Theater, and at the same time Irina Aktasheva and Hristo Piskov see in the young girl the potential for a leading role.
This is how Pepa Nikolova's first big encounter with cinema comes.
And she is anything but ordinary.
“Monday Morning“ — the film that has been waiting for more than two decades
In 1966, Pepa Nikolova received the main role of Tony in the film “Monday Morning“ by Irina Aktasheva and Hristo Piskov.
For the young actress, this was an exceptional chance. However, the film turned out to be inconvenient for the then authorities and did not reach the general public.
The film remained banned for more than two decades. Its official premiere did not come until 1988.
Thus, something almost paradoxical happened — Pepa Nikolova plays one of her most important early roles, but viewers have to wait years to see her.
When the film finally comes out, her performance is recognized. Nikolova is awarded the Union of Bulgarian Filmmakers Award for Best Actress.
However, another life has already begun for her in the meantime — that of an actress known throughout Bulgaria.
Dzhalma and “Na vodi kilometr“
One of the roles with which Pepa Nikolova became a favorite of the television audience was that of Dzhalma in “Na vodi kilometr“.
There she played alongside Stefan Danailov, and her image remains among the memorable female characters in the popular series. BNR also points to the role of Dzhalma as one of those that make Nikolova a familiar and beloved face for the audience.
She has something that the camera likes.
But there is also something else - naturalness.
Pepa Nikolova does not seem like someone who tries to impress the viewer. That's exactly why she wins it.
The actress who couldn't go unnoticed
Her career continues with roles in film, television and theatre.
Among the films she has starred in are “Running on the Waves“, “There's Nothing Better Than Bad Weather“, “The Great Victory“, “The Best Man I Know!“, “The White Odyssey“, “The Samodiv Dance“, “The Daughter-in-Law“, “War of the Hedgehogs“ and others.
But even the long list of roles can hardly explain why Pepa Nikolova remains so recognizable.
The reason probably lies in her character.
She is not one of those actresses who strives to seem untouchable. On the contrary — in her public appearances she is direct, energetic and genuine.
It is this directness that becomes part of her image.
The Theater
Cinema made her popular, but theater occupies a huge place in her professional life.
After working at the Haskovo Drama Theater, Pepa Nikolova became part of the Satire Theater troupe in Sofia. There she met some of the biggest names on the Bulgarian comedy and satire scene.
The Satire Theater turned out to be a natural place for her energy.
But to define her solely as a comedic actress would be unfair to the scale of her talent. Nikolova knows how to move from the comic to the dramatic and give character even to characters that at first glance seem secondary.
In May 2025, her bas-relief was placed in the lobby of the Satire Theater next to that of Grigor Vachkov. The initiative is part of a project to preserve the memory of the iconic actors of the theater.
Decades after her death, this is another reminder that her place in the history of the Bulgarian stage has not been forgotten.
Not just an actress
Pepa Nikolova has another side, which today often remains in the shadow of her acting career.
She sings and participates in the “Golden Hair“ festival. The Bulgarian National Radio archive has preserved her recordings, including an interview and a performance of the song "Horoscope".
This is another detail that shows how difficult it is to place her in a single category.
Actress.
Singer.
Television personality.
Theatrical figure.
But above all - a person with character.
The mother of Alexandra Sarchadzhieva
Pepa Nikolova is the mother of actress Alexandra Sarchadzhieva, who also chooses the stage and the camera.
Thus, an artistic line continues into the next generation.
Sarchadzhieva has repeatedly spoken about the influence of her mother and the lessons she received from her. Among the words she remembers is a particularly powerful phrase: “To be great on stage, you have to be a great person.“
There seems to be a lot of Pepa Nikolova herself in this sentence.
Because for her, acting has never seemed like just posing in front of the camera. She comes with character, attitude and personality.
The last years
Pepa Nikolova continued to work until the last years of her life.
She remained connected to theater, cinema and television and did not give up public life.
However, on September 22, 2006, everything ended too soon.
Pepa Nikolova died at the age of 59.
For her colleagues, it's a loss of someone with a huge presence. For the audience — the end of a career that left dozens of images.
Twenty years later
Time has the strange property of erasing faces that were once everywhere.
With Pepa Nikolova, the opposite happens.
The more years pass, the more clearly it becomes clear how different her presence was.
She is not just a name on the list of famous Bulgarian actors from the second half of the 20th century. She is part of an era in which Bulgarian cinema, television and theater create images that remain in the collective memory.
And Pepa Nikolova has the rare ability to be recognized not only by her name, but by the way she speaks, by her smile, by her temperament and by the feeling that a real person is standing in front of the camera.
Maybe that's why 20 years are not enough for her to be forgotten.
In 2025, the Satirical Theater placed her bas-relief among those of its other iconic actors.
And the roles her still exist.
Tony from “Monday Morning“.
Djalma from “Every Kilometer“.
The dozens of images from cinema and theater.
And a character that can hardly be mistaken for someone else.
Twenty years after the death of Pepa Nikolova, the feeling remains that the Bulgarian stage has lost not just a talented actress, but an authentic personality.
And time has a hard time erasing such people.