Rachel Resheff with Larry David in Broadway's Fish in the Dark, playing at the Cort Theatre in NYC. Rachel's Twitter: @rachelresheff
Actress Rachel Resheff is, um, amazing. That's the word fits the bill! She already has five Broadway shows under her belt and will now be performing at 54 Below in NYC.
Part I of my candid interview with Rachel breaks down Rachel's life, which I must say, is quite interesting for a teenager.
For you Orange is the New Black fans, you will recognize Rachel as young Alex Vause!
What was it like working on Netflix's Orange is the New Black?
I loved every second of working on Orange is the New Black. The director, Michael Trim, is such a smart and chill person. The writer, Sian Heder, who was also on set, was so clear in her vision. In one scene, I had to take off my shoes and fling them out the window of a car while it was driving. The temperature outside was subzero and my toes were freezing. The director kept stopping the shoot because he was so concerned about my freezing toes. The set of the prison was so real it was eerie. When we drove there, I felt that I was lost in a place that was right out of the institution in One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest, which my drama class watched in school this year.
What are your favorite games?
I like Wii games such as "Just Dance" which I play with my sister a lot. I LOVE Boggle, and card games like Egyptian Rat Screw. I'm usually on my laptop or iPhone to connect with friends on social media during down times.
What type of music do you listen to?
Anything by Beyoncé, Sam Smith, Ed Sheeran or Sara Bareilles is my jam. The singer/songwriters usually produce my favorite songs because the songs seem to really mean something to them in a different way. My favorite genres are folk, pop, jazz, and of course I'm always in the mood for anything Broadway.
What do you do in your spare time?
In my spare time, I read a lot, spend time with friends, play basketball with my brother and sing and harmonize with my sister while she plays ukulele. I also love to work on my music, and write (I wrote a feature screenplay over the past two years which is in its 28th re-write), I procrastinate and sleep especially in the summertime when I try not to have any structured programs so I can just be free and take it easy!
What do your friends think about your career?
My friends are supportive of my career. Sometimes they don't understand why I would want to do what I do because it involves a lot of hard work and dedication in addition to homework, and trying to maintain a social existence. Since I go to a performing arts high school now, a lot of my friends there share my passion for the arts. In the business, I have some stories to tell about reality show type behavior but I am saving those for my grandkids because right now I can't let negative energy define my path or stop my positive energy.
What's your current typical working day like?
My current typical working day is getting up at 6:00 a.m., stretch and warm up my voice, go running, and finish my homework while having breakfast. Then I go to school until 4:00 p.m. After school I either go to dance or a cycling class, work on my homework or go to auditions or self-tape for TV or film projects. At 7:20 p.m., I go to the theater, go down to hair and makeup, get in costume, hang with the ladies in my dressing room and on my floor. We have so much fun and are always laughing. In Fish in the Dark, I perform eight shows a week. Theater is an every day, ongoing life with a family of cast members so it often doesn't feel like work at all.
Anything else you'd like to say?
Come and see my 54 Below debut on Sunday, July 26th. We are going to have a blast!