When Roslyn Ruff told her parents that she wanted to become an actress, they wondered why she chose that career. They knew it could take a while before becoming the most sought-after actor; hence they did not understand why she picked to work in such an industry. With time they came to learn what it all meant and for Roslyn, all her sleepless nights have eventually resulted in an impressive career. It has, however, been an uphill climb as revealed by these facts.
1. Her father was disappointed that her career took long to take off
Some actors have had quite a long journey before they could become famous, and Roslyn is on that list. She had done everything needed to become an accomplished actress, including attending the American Repertory Theater. Still, her doors were not opening, and it worried her father. He therefore once told her that as good as she is and considering the efforts she had put in, he thought she would have made it like the rest of the actors.
2. She at one time could not get any steady job
Roslyn’s father had every reason to be concerned about his daughter’s future. Although the actress kept delivering a fantastic performance through her various roles, she still could not get any regular role. Therefore as soon as she was done with one job, she would attend other auditions in the hopes of making enough money to pay her bills. Unfortunately being a black actress only made her search for a job harder.
3. She had no hope of having a family
Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs dictates that one must first fulfill particular needs before others. For a person who is barely having enough money to pay for her necessities, starting a family would not be the right move; thus, Roslyn’s lack of job security interfered with her plans. As per The New York Times interview, the actress could only watch as her childhood friends got married and invest in property. For her, money was not enough to even think about saving in the bank, let alone buy property. Instead, she was accumulating debt as she kept her dreams of prosperity alive.
4. She was Viola Davis’s understudy in “Fences” remake
Most people have made it big in the acting industry, thanks to being understudies and standbys. Mathew Morrison and Lea Michele of “Glee” both got their starts by understudying the roles of Chuck Cranston and Gavroche in “Footloose” and “Les Misérables” respectively. When the remake of “Fences” was first done in Broadway in 2010, Denzel Washington and Viola Davis were cast as Troy and Rose. Roslyn, therefore, went to the set whenever she could spare time since she and Viola did not share any scene.
5. To her, plays are like music
Roslyn Ruff admitted that she is not musical at all but still uses music in her analogy of play since she says plays are like a piece of music. For any music to make sense, all the notes must be hit at the right time lest the song becomes noise instead. Similarly, whenever she goes on stage, she tries to find whatever she thinks will fit the context to make the play more realistic but still entertaining.
6. She has become picky with her characters
Beggars cannot afford to be choosers; hence when Roslyn was starting her career in theater and television, she would take on any role offered to her. However, with time, she has learned to preserve her energy for only those roles that are worth it. As she tells Broadway Box, theater is hard work, and one can have the toughest of days. Therefore for Roslyn, she has come to learn that she should only audition for characters that will enable her to enjoy her time onset, and still inspire and challenge her.
7. She is a feminist
When Roslyn talked to Broadway, she revealed her excitement in the revolutionizing of the film industry. She said that it is rare to see the voices of women, especially those of the African —American women fully realized. However, it is more than just actresses that impress her; Roslyn would want to see more women of color in production and directing films as well as plays. Moreover, she hopes that there will come a day when women of color will book roles that portray the talent they have.
8. Her awards and nominations
The jewel in any actor’s crown is the awards in recognition for a job well done. In 2006, the complete cast for “Seven Guitars” was announced and Roslyn was set to take on the role of Vera. Her performance in the production was so good that it earned her an Obie Award in 2007. Six years later she was nominated in two categories for her performance in “The Piano Lesson;” she won the Lortels awards for being the outstanding lead actress but did not manage to bag the Drama League Awards for distinguished performance. In 2018, the actress was nominated for the Drama League Awards for her exceptional performance in “X: Or, Betty Shabazz v. The Nation.”
9. She is an inspiration to students
While most stars will use every opportunity to make more money, Roslyn has proven that she is all about helping others become the best they can be. Therefore in April 2016, she went to speak to the students of SUNY Buffalo State College at the Savage Theater and Flexible Theater. However, since her talk was free and open to all, the general public could attend too. She conducted a master’s class in different programs related to entertainment. According to Aaron Moss, Roslyn’s career served as an inspiration to those students who wanted to follow in her footsteps.
10. Her net worth
Roslyn’s career never seemed like it would take off; hence she even delayed in doing everything else that her peers were doing including settling down. However, now that her net worth has grown to $1.5 million, she does not have any excuse not to start a family. Although it is not much for a person who has been in the industry for years, it is still enough to live on comfortably.
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