A multiethnic Russianborn American actress Bokova was born into an artistic family that allowed her to participate in the arts which shaped her love and understanding of the field At age eight Bokova hosted a childrens television show called Nezhniy Vozrast and later as a teenager moved to the United States to pursue her other passion for human rights After earning a Political Science degree from San Francisco State University Bokova reentered the arts and landed the lead in Mermaid Down