For nearly 30 years, Rya Kihlstedt has been lighting up big and small screens with her acting abilities. Since making her debut in the TV series, Tribeca, Rya has gone on to have several significant roles. TV fans will recognize her from shows like Nashville and Dexter. Movie fans will recognize her from films like Home Alone 3 and The Atticus Institute. Whether the role she plays is big or small, Rya always puts on her best performance. Her role in the new series Love in the time of Corona will give fans a chance to see the more intimate side of her work. Due to the pandemic the entire series shot in the actors’ houses. However, the two night series certainly doesn’t disappoint. Keep reading for 10 things you didn’t know about Rya Kihlstedt.
1. She’s A Wife And Mother
Rya’s career has always been important to her, but not as important as her personal life. She married fellow actor, Gil Bellows, in 1994 after the two met at the Williamstown Theater Festival. They have two children together: a daughter named Ava and a son named Giovanni.
2. She’s A Skindmore Alum
Rya was born and raised in Pennsylvania but decided to head to New York for college. She attended Skidmore College where she majored in Theater and English. Other successful actors to graduate from Skidemore’s theater program include Zazie Beetz and Holter Graham.
3. She Loves Working On Story Driven Projects
Rya knows what kind of work she likes to do and she is selective about the types of roles she plays. She told Starburst Magazine, “I love story driven projects. The stuff I fall in love with are the smaller things; the human stories. I like to create my own and explore that way.”
4. She Encourages Up And Coming Actors To Do Theater
For many actors, earning an on screen role is a dream come true. After all, being in a TV show or movie can lead to superstardom. However, Rya encourages young actors to do theater as well. Although theater work may not result in as much fame, many actors believe that being on stage is the purist form of acting.
5. She Is Also An Artist
Acting isn’t the only way Rya likes to express her creative side. She is also a visual artist who loves to create collages. Not only is her work extremely creative, but she uses her art to express powerful messages. She loves sharing her work on social media and her Instagram is almost entirely dedicated to it.
6. She Used To Run A Theater Company
Even though she has always loved to act, she’s also interested in the behind the scenes work as well. Like her husband, she hopes to get more involved with the directing and producing aspects. At one point in time, she even ran a theater company as a way to allow herself to be more hands on.
7. She Took A Break From Acting For Over A Decade
If you take a look at Rya’s resume, you’ll probably notice a big gap. However, that time away from acting was entirely intentional. After having her children, she made the choice to stop taking acting roles so that she could be at home to raise them. She decided to return to acting after 12 years, but still only takes roles that are important to her.
8. She Is Frustrated By The Lack Of Control In Acting
There are lots of things Rya loves about acting, but the lack of control isn’t one of them. Actors have some freedom when it comes to their roles, but it’s not nearly enough for Rya. She told The Mary Sue, “One of the hardest things for me about being an actress is the lack of control. You have very little say of how, when, and where you’ll get to do the thing you do. And it can be very frustrating.”
9. She’s Grew Up Playing Sports
Acting and art are certainly Rya’s callings, but they aren’t the only things she’s even been interested in. Rya has always been the type of person who likes to be active. Growing up, she was a dancer and also ran track. It’s unclear exactly when she stopped doing these activities.
10. She Loves Roles That Allow Her To Be Physical
As someone who enjoys being active, this is something Rya also likes to incorporate into her acting roles whenever she can. During her interview with The Mary Sue, she said, “I would love nothing more than to do a really physical role. Kill Bill really did it for me, more than the superhero films now.”
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