If you are up to date with whatever goes on in the world of entertainment, then you must be aware that a new romantic comedy, “Love, Simon,” will premiere sometime this year. One of the people you will come across is Rachel Hilson, who will be cast as Mia. However, she was not the first choice for the character; Johnny Sequoyah was, but Rachel got the part to enable the character to take a creative direction. She is famous for her role in “The Good Wife” and “This Is Us.” Get to know more about her as we await her performance in the upcoming series.
1. She met her idol on the set of “Kings.”
“Kings” stars Daniel Craig and Halle Berry, and Rachel was fortunate to act alongside these renowned actors. While the experience was exciting, she still was nervous being around them most of all because of how much she idolized Halle Berry. Consequently, the young actress nearly lost consciousness when she came face to face with Halle Berry. The fact that her face was not at its best due to an allergic reaction she was having from the makeup she had used did not help. Still, it made her realize what kind of person Halle is because after being with Halle for a day, the Oscar-Award winning actress was kind enough to gift her a facial kit.
2. Theater helped her overcome her shy nature
Being in front of a crowd can be a nerve-wracking experience for shy people, but Rachel found a way to overcome her timid nature. The actress credits Baltimore School for The Arts for enabling her to become a bit more confident on stage. She told Baltimore Sun that she has always been shy, but by being in the theater, she was able to crack open her shell to not only use her body but her voice as well to tell a story.
3. She is a writer
Rachel is more than just a dancer, actor and singer; she also prides herself as a writer. In her interview with Essence, she said that she enjoys writing about what she is passionate about; at the time she was writing a short film about gentrification. She also wrote a play “Seventh Date” that was produced by Gallatin Arts Festival. Since she is passionate about race, the play also explored the issues of micro-aggressions and race.
4. Storyline she would like explored more
As a writer, Rachel aims to write about roles that are yet to be fully explored. She said that the Black Community barely talks about mental health despite it being an issue in society. She was speaking from her own experience of struggling with mental health, although she does not divulge what she went through. Rachel, however, said that the storyline she would like to create would be regarding a teenage girl dealing with a mental health issue.
5. Her dream role for a theater
If you have ever heard “to be, or not to be,” then you most probably know it is from William Shakespeare’s play titled “Hamlet.” The play was first performed in 1600, and through the years, it has continued to grace different theaters. Rachel also wants to be involved in the classics, and top of the list is this play in which she hopes to book the role of Ophelia. However, she still does not cite it as her dream role. Instead, she says that she will know her dream role when the chance comes to play or write it.
6. She got a TV after booking her role in “This Is Us.”
Most of us think of a television set as a mandatory thing in our homes, but Rachel has proven that you can live without one. She never saw the need for a TV because it would have distracted her from reaching her goal. However, after she had her auditions and booked the part, Rachel watched the series and learned as much as she could about it.
7. Why she felt great about being on “This Is Us.”
When you are starting in entertainment, you will likely be not choosy with whatever role you land as you try to create a foundation for your career. Consequently, Rachel maybe a dancer and singer, but the roles she had played never utilized her other skills. However, everything changed when she booked a part in “This Is Us” because the opportunity to make use of her two passions presented itself, and she could not have been happier.
8. She was star-struck after meeting Phylicia Rashad
People have been known to do weird things when in the presence of celebrities, they adore; Camila Cabello bent her knee as she approached Emilia Clarke of “Game of Thrones.” For Rachel, she did not do anything she would consider embarrassing but admits she was a bit star-struck after meeting Phylicia Rashad. She says Phylicia is a legend, and indeed she is considering she is the first African American woman ever to win a Tony award. Rachel was, however, impressed by more than Phylicia’s celebrity status as she recalls how Phylicia was kind and patient with her.
9. She wore contact lenses to resemble Susan Kelechi Watson
“This Is Us” shows three stages of Beth’s life, and Rachel gets to play the teenage part while Susan plays the adult. Since Beth’s early life is usually mostly through flashbacks, Rachel ensured that she got how Susan acted right. Her binge-watching helped because even Susan was surprised to see Rachel act exactly like her. To further get to be an ideal Beth in her teenage years, Rachel had to wear special contact lenses to look like Susan, who has a mole in her eye.
10. She appreciates privacy
Browsing through the internet, you will barely find anything about Rachel’s family background. In the interviews she has, the actress does not divulge anything personal and instead focuses on her professional life. Her social media pages also do not disclose much about her, and her Twitter account is set to private. Of course, since the public prefers following someone they can interact with freely, it has cost her a good social media presence; her Twitter account only has 359 followers.
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