Celebrity Interview | Entertainment & Film Industry - Rachel Stubington: From Stage to Screen & Apple TV+ Show Shrinking

Greg Staffa 0:00

You're listening to the Staffa Corner Podcast, a Staffatarian look at entertainment and life with your host, greg Staffa. My guest this episode is talented actress Rachel Stubbington, who appears as Summer in the Apple series Shrinking Rachel. Thanks for joining us today.

Rachel Stubington 0:36

Hi hello.

Greg Staffa 0:38

You have a storyline that I don't think many shows would give that to. I don't want to say you're a minor character, you're kind of on the outside circles of characters and we just saw the whole hubbub over. You know Alice and Connor and you Tell us a little bit about what brought you to Shrinking to begin with.

Rachel Stubington 0:56

Oh, my goodness, I know I feel so lucky. I feel like that's Bill Lawrence's superpower, is he just like? You watch Ted Lasso and you see these characters who, season one, you know, were like in the background and now they have their own plots and their own side quests. And yeah, when I started on with Shrinking it was totally like a Alice's best friend. You know, you're maybe will be in a few episodes if that and I feel so lucky to have gotten to come back to season two and to have watched the role, the role grow with me and it's just kind of become its own thing and it's the coolest opportunity in the entire world now following season one?

Greg Staffa 1:36

do they, do they tell you you know you have a bigger role this season, or this is the direction we're looking at taking summer, or is it just kind of you'll be back and you'll see what happens when you get the scripts?

Rachel Stubington 1:48

I mean, you don't really, what was really nice is, at the premiere, a few of the producers were like we'll be seeing you again, and so I, you know, during the strike, I just kept sitting with I'm coming back in some way. But, like you know, as an anxious person, I'm always like what if they kill off summer, which they won't? But, um, hopefully, um, but yeah, I, I think, in approaching this season, I I would kind of you know, once you get a script, you know that the story has to go a certain way. You know, for fighting, you would hope that we would make up. But a lot of these scripts I would get. I would be like you know, like I hope we, I hope we make up soon. But, yeah, a lot of the times I would get. I would be, like you know, like I hope we, I hope we make up soon. But, yeah, a lot of the times I don't really know until I see it be thankful that the storyline for this season overall is forgiveness.

Greg Staffa 2:33

So I think you got lucky with having the fight being this year when you go back as a I mean, you're a young woman just getting involved in acting. Tell us a little bit about how that got started.

Rachel Stubington 2:53

Yeah, I was really bad at sports as a kid and so my other option was plays and child theater and I loved it so much and one of the teachers kind of helped me get an agent from that and then I was really bad for all of my adolescence. And then I went to college for theater and I started to kind of come into my own as a performer and figure out like what made me me and what I could use and what I wanted to share with the world. And I feel like I kind of started to figure it out when shrinking came around and it was just one of those perfect moments and the perfect opportunity at the perfect time.

Greg Staffa 3:22

Now you had done some teaching before this, hadn't you? Oh yeah, I teach preschool the perfect opportunity at the perfect time.

Rachel Stubington 3:24

Now you had done some teaching before this, hadn't you? Oh yeah, I teach preschool.

Greg Staffa 3:28

Is that something you're still doing?

Rachel Stubington 3:31

Not as much anymore. I know I get a little nervous with this season airing how much longer I have to be able to go back to that.

Greg Staffa 3:39

You've also done a few other things. In fact, you just had Dr Odyssey earlier this year. Tell us a little bit about how you got involved in that.

Rachel Stubington 3:47

Yeah, that was right after Shrinking and, as any actor knows, it's kind of like when you stop doing one project you're like I'm never going to work again. So it really did come at an incredible time and it was such a fun show to be on a boat. I felt like I was on vacation. You know, I played a character similar to Summer in that she's doing drugs, she's kissing boys, so I'm kind of building a brand for myself, I guess. But it was like the most incredible experience.

Greg Staffa 4:13

Is that something you auditioned for? Is that something they say on Shrinking and give you?

Rachel Stubington 4:18

Yeah, you know what it's. You got these auditions, like the Shrinking one, the Dr Odyssey one, you see these names, you know. It's like, oh, you're auditioning for a Ryan Murphy or a Bill Lawrence project and like I get so nervous that I kind of like my anxiety shuts down a little bit. So I feel like I locked in. But they were both self-tapes.

Greg Staffa 4:38

You came up at a perfect timing. I mean, especially with Sh. We had COVID, which locked everything down. So as an actress it must have been hard. And then the strike happened, so that passed, but then shrinking came and that opened the door. Are you seeing more opportunities now that shrinking is out there, or do you think after these latest episodes that will open the door for you more?

Rachel Stubington 5:03

I mean, you know it's slow right now because of the holidays. I think that the industry as a whole has kind of slowed down post-Strike and trying to figure out what the new normal is in Hollywood. I'm hoping you know Dr Odyssey was after shrinking. I feel like I'm trying to focus on the now of things and just getting to see everyone's current reaction to shrinking and like I'm so deep in the Reddit comments about every episode. So like just you know seeing how many people are loving this season and like like seeing summer, I think that for me feels like such a career high.

Greg Staffa 5:39

You're filming with a bunch of, I mean, harrison Ford and and all those. It's a high caliber cast. But you also have the actress that plays Alice and you have the actress that plays Connor. So you have a wide kind of gap in between the main actors and then the younger high school students. Is that something that you feel that you know after in-between takes? Is there kind of like you guys divide up into your own little groups, or is that a welcoming atmosphere for a young actress to be able to hang out with a harrison ford or others like that, or are you kind of treated as the new young kids?

Rachel Stubington 6:14

so this, the the hard thing is, I feel like this show has really spoiled me and that you're working with like you know you're working with harrison ford. You're working with like you know you're working with Harrison Ford, you're working with Jason Siegel, and they go so far beyond, out of the way to make you feel welcomed and to include you in everything. I feel, like between takes, where we were all in together, we all sat together and like everyone's joking around with each other and like to the point where now I don't think I could accept anyone ever being rude to me ever because of Harrison Ford can be nice, like so can you, but no, it is the most welcoming, kind cast that I've ever had the pleasure of working with. And you know Lukita like I don't have words for how lucky I feel that I have her with me, because when I first joined, it was like the first thing I really ever did.

Rachel Stubington 7:07

And you want to look like you know what you're doing, but like between takes, I kind of be like where do I go? And she was so helpful in like you know, making it look cool, but also being like, oh, you sit over here on the side, you know. So I think it's that great mix of. It's so cool working with all calibers of people and ages, but also having a friend that I feel like I can talk to. Well, I mean, I could talk to anyone, but just having someone your age that you know you can talk to.

Greg Staffa 7:39

I mean, you're a very young actress, You've only done a few things, but you're really making a name for yourselves. Are you getting a lot of great advice from like the harrisons and the rest of those, or is it just through watching them and how they act and treat people?

Rachel Stubington 7:54

I, I mean they, yeah, seeing how they treat people is really like like jason goes out of his way to like introduce himself to everyone. I'm like harrison ford is so polite, like everyone's so nice, that I just kind of think it reinforces. You know, the people who are going to work are people that you want to work with, and seeing these pros who have been working for so long be so kind to everyone just kind of reinstates how important it is to like show up and do your job but also be enjoyable to work with.

Greg Staffa 8:25

Yeah, was there any point that you kind of had like a fangirl moment, that just for a moment you kind of were like I can't believe I'm I'm doing this?

Rachel Stubington 8:33

Oh, literally it's a weird.

Rachel Stubington 8:35

it's a weird combination, because every time I'm there, you know you're on the Warner brothers lot, like it's all I've ever dreamed of and like I've been such huge fans of everyone in this cast, but then also like I want to be normal, so it's such a. It's a weird thing in my body to try and like push aside where I am and who I'm with and like try and just let myself feel like this oh, I'm just at work for the. You know it's a weird combination, but I fangirl all the time you appear in, I think, five episodes a season.

Greg Staffa 9:08

How many days of filming is that? I mean, are you just here for a day and you're filming several different episodes, or do you? Are you there for a day or two and then come back?

Rachel Stubington 9:16

yeah, the weird thing is like whenever I'm wearing a different outfit, it's probably a different day. But there's also a difference in when you see a scene shot inside the house versus when we're outside the house, like in episode two. There's a shot where, like, I'm like, oh my God, introduce me to your neighbor. And then we go outside and you would assume like, oh, they shot that in the span of two minutes, but they have to do different days because it's interior versus exterior. So it's, it's weird. It's weird watching things and being like, oh, that looks like it took five minutes and I'm like, nope, I was there 12 hours. That you know. Like things take longer. But yeah, I. What was nice is I would come like once or twice a week, I'd get a hang out with everybody and like I gotta rely on that as my schedule and it was the coolest thing in the entire world.

Greg Staffa 10:06

Now, how much of the story are you given outside your own story, are you? Are you watching each episode as they're released, going Holy crap, I can't believe that was going on while I was doing this. Or are you given the whole picture when you get a script?

Rachel Stubington 10:21

So last season I was only in four episodes. You get a script. So last season I was only in four episodes. So like literally, like when the boop happened, I was like, oh my god, because I'm a fan of the show too, but this one because I'm in nine, like I get the scripts for all the episodes and I'm you know, I'm so excited to figure out what happens in everyone else's life that I get to read it beforehand. But in the episodes I'm not, and I know like I didn't know what happened in the episodes I'm not in. I know like I didn't know what happened in the pilot at all.

Greg Staffa 10:47

So now I have a little bit of a spoiler question. The episode's already aired, but I would, deep inside Hollywood, question the fight where you attack Ellis was that you making that dive or was that someone else?

Rachel Stubington 11:03

So in the final cut I don't know, I actually know I'm not going to take credit, I am sure it's we had stunt doubles but at the same time we did it so many times too. It didn't look as good. But you know they want to make sure they get shots of you doing it as well, because if they have to cut back and see your face can't have someone else. But it was the trippiest experience because they have to cut back and see your face, can't have someone else. But it was the trippiest experience because they have these two women that one of them's wearing like this curly redhead wig, one of them's wearing exactly what lukita was wearing, and they would, you know, pause us and then they would tap in and do the jump to a more extreme level. So I feel it looks really good to them.

Actress Discusses Playing Younger Characters

Rachel Stubington 11:44

If there's parts where you're like that looks like the wimpiest slap I've ever seen, that was me.

Greg Staffa 11:49

I hate to ruin it for anyone out there that was overly excited, but I had to ask and since it's already aired, I figured I'd ask how fun is it to play Summer? Because Summer, I mean, I get the feeling from talking to you you're not as ditzy as Summer is, and I mean that in the politest ways, that attitude that she carries with herself, and how much of that do you see in your own self? Not necessarily the ditziness, but just kind of that free-spiritedness.

Rachel Stubington 12:17

Yeah, I think my favorite thing about playing Summer is the thing she says Like every time I get a script, I know that I'm going to have funny jokes. You know which is the best feeling ever to feel so confident about the things you get to say. But you know, being 24 and playing a younger character, I think I get to tap back into how confident I felt my senior year of high school. You know, you're in school, you haven't paid taxes yet. Like I just feel, like I felt so confident about my future and getting to tap back into that feeling of confidence and you know, like not dealing with my quarter life crisis, it's just, it's such a fun flip and such a cool switch to the anxiety I feel now.

Greg Staffa 13:03

One of the things I want to deviate a little bit from from shrinking is you brought it up that you're 24 and you're playing a much younger woman In Hollywood. Are you seeing that as you grow as an actress and you're getting more scripts and getting more recognized, is there a pull to bring you into adulthood? Do you feel that you kind of still at that kind of balancing point where you could go either way and the roles really depend on what you're feeling?

Rachel Stubington 13:27

Yeah, I think at the moment I'm still doing more of the younger At least that's what I've noticed is I feel like I still go out a lot for high school age. Again, I love reminiscing on how I felt in high school. I'd much rather worry about a math test than the parking tickets I have to pay off. So I still think for now, I don't know, I sometimes see the wrinkles on my forehead and I'm like maybe I should start using retinol, but I think for now I'm still playing younger. I really do feel like I, through playing Summer, we're just seeing this switch overall in the kind of material they're giving younger girls and I think they're making characters so much more complex and deeper and I like really love getting to play in that space. So I think for now I'm hopefully going to try and stay in high school as long as I can.

Greg Staffa 14:23

I think a lot of it too has to do with the producers and the writers and everything like that. I mean Ted Lasso, you brought it up. This is the same group that did Ted Lasso.

Greg Staffa 14:32

And you look at some of the women, the characters on that show and how they were, I mean, so many of those characters could have been older, ditzier, summers, and yet they were strong, smart, articulate women that were given great storylines and I think we're really seeing shows like Ted Lasso and shrinking, given women real strong roles that are that are not sexualized as much as they might've been a few years ago but treated with, you know, great respect and great character arcs and like yeah, and I think that has to do too with like women in the right.

Rachel Stubington 15:07

you know, I think there's so many talented writers on this show and so many talented female writers who, like you know, understand the nuances of being in high school deeper than like oh, I'm going to a part you know, into these episodes. So it's fun playing a character that you know has deeper substance than just, like you know, trying to get her to drink Like I. I really think they put a lot of thought into summer and like you get so much more of that in this season and you know it helps me and it makes my job so much easier to be like oh, she thinks this way because this part of her childhood and you learn so much about her home life and why she doesn't like being home.

Greg Staffa 15:54

How much time are you given before you know if you're going to be involved in season three? Is it something that you just have to sit and wait, or is there kind of like a wink, wink, nudge, nudge You're going to be back?

Rachel Stubington 16:06

I'm hoping it's a wink. Wink a little bit, I don't you, but like again, like I'm such an anxious person, I'm like they're going to open on summer being dead, but no, you know I I would hope we'll see. We'll see what happens.

Greg Staffa 16:19

You mean too many dryer sheets to get out of a DWI. That is what took her out yeah, I'm not an actor, but watching Harrison Ford not only talking about you, your character, but also singing the Cheater Bitch song, and just watching how much he's not necessarily interacting with your character, but bringing up your character and liking the Cheater Bitch song, it's just been hilarious and I'd be like God if that was me, if that was the character I'd be, so just holy crap. Harrison Ford is acknowledging me.

Rachel Stubington 16:55

Oh, it's the coolest ever.

Greg Staffa 16:57

The Cheater Bitch had a TikTok video made that they show briefly. Is that the extent of the video or is there a longer version out there?

Rachel Stubington 17:08

Oh, so a little hollywood insider secret I was expecting, because they sent me the song and they were like you know, we're gonna have you record it while you're there on a day. And I kind of like assumed I would just get a phone and like record a few on my own and send it to them. But they shot it like they shoot other scenes. You know, they have everyone in the crew there Brett was there too and they were like, yeah, just show us what you got. So I had to do it in front of like the entire crew and they're like, just like, throw in whatever dance you'd want to do. The song is so great in itself. But yeah, we did. There's like a I mean, it's not so so much longer. There's no more like lyrical, there's no more lyrics in it. But yeah, I I had to do a bunch of takes of. It was probably like a 15 second, just cheater bitch, cheater, cheater bitch, but it's pretty magical well, hopefully they give it to you to put on your instagram or something like that.

Greg Staffa 18:04

Where you can can share it to everyone else, although I don't know how they would take it not knowing the context, so you have to be a little bit of a warning. Speaking of Brett, what was it like? I mean you mentioned Ted Lasso, so I assume you've seen the show. What was it like seeing his character there versus his character in this series?

Rachel Stubington 18:23

Yeah, it was.

Greg Staffa 18:25

Which is closer to the real him.

Rachel Stubington 18:28

Yeah, that's a good question. You know, he's not mean Like, he's not like. I know. When I watched Ted Lasso and then I met him I was like oh no, he's going to be like fuck off, but he's the nicest guy ever and he's so funny. I don't know which one is closer. I think he's such a good actor that he plays these roles so far from him. I think he's such a good actor that he plays these roles so far from him. But you know, getting to work with him was so exciting, especially because he was there last season, but more in the background and getting to like you know interact with him as an actor was so exciting.

Greg Staffa 19:07

His story is simply amazing. I mean, not just because of the success of Ted Lasso, but from what I understand from interviews and stuff like that and I haven't interviewed him personally but he was writing Ted Lasso and he was writing the Roy Kent character and as he was doing it he was saying to himself I could do this role, this sounds like a role that I could pull off. And so he sent in an audition and he's like, if you guys think this is stupid, just ignore it, but I think I can do this. And it turned into one of the great characters of the series.

Greg Staffa 19:41

Just by taking that chance, I think not a lot of us in life and in our work kind I see an opportunity to say I want to take a chance at work and do something out of my my box a little bit, because I think this is for me. And he ended up doing it and they loved it and it created one of one of my favorite characters on television in years and so kudos to him. But then to play, see him play the complete opposite. I mean he looks. He looks 20 years younger, he's timid and it just it's a great when we forget these people are acting, and so to see that differential between those two is is simply amazing oh 100.

Rachel Stubington 20:24

and the fact that he does like, in between these heavy, dark, dark roles, he's like touring with his stand up, it just speaks volumes to how talented of a person he is.

Greg Staffa 20:36

Is there someone on the set that you cling to or made you know surprisingly friends with? Or who's someone that you're closest to on the set that you're like wow, you know, this is a friendship that I've made that will last beyond shrinking oh, I love everyone there, like at the premiere.

Rachel Stubington 20:53

I just getting to you know it feels like seeing old friends. I love jason he is the kindest and funniest person to be around. I think, michael uri, I mean I like I could literally list all of them. It is fun, though. You mentioned the age dynamic. There's a lot of younger people in this season and so it felt kind of cool to get to. You know, like, when I came and I didn't really know anyone, lupita was so friendly and showing me around, so it's been kind of fun to have newer people come along and getting to feel like I can take on that role a little bit. I don't know if you're going to meet them by the time this comes out, but there's a lot of great cameos and exciting stuff to come.

Greg Staffa 21:38

Yes, there are. I've seen right now we're on episode seven going to be released when this airs, and I've seen 11, so there are some fun candy meals coming up. So you worked as a teacher. You've done a lot of commercials. You also are producing your first short film. How is that going?

Rachel Stubington 21:58

oh my goodness, yes, you do your research. It has been so like fun and rewarding, but it has also made me question the sanity of anyone who produces. It's very difficult, but we're editing now. Getting to write with my best friend something that we're so proud of and making that vision come to life has been so rewarding. I'm really hoping to continue writing. Getting to do this while doing Shrinking has just shown me how many opportunities there are to like you, like Brett, you can be a writer, but then you can also decide you want to act and you can kind of take on all these different roles, and that's so welcomed in Hollywood. So I hope to continue with that.

Greg Staffa 22:42

Without giving too much away. Can you tell us a little bit about what the short film is about?

Rachel Stubington 22:47

Yeah, it's about these. My friend and I went to UCLA together and we found ourselves doing a lot of student films that felt like so chaotic and you weren't getting paid and you'd be staying all these crazy late hours. So it's just about these two misguided directors who want to make the next Oscar winning movie with like a $200 budget and an iPhone camera and all the chaos that ensues from that.

Greg Staffa 23:14

Going from UCLA.

Navigating Fame and the Industry

Greg Staffa 23:16

I mean, I'm sure that as a student there's a lot of things that are kind of imprinted and embedded in you of what to expect as you grow as an actor and actresses.

Rachel Stubington 23:25

What's kind of been the biggest misconception that maybe school not necessarily taught you but imprinted, or had you worried about that when you got onto a set, like shrinking and you know had a character that you were able to kind of evolve over two seasons, was surprising to you yeah, I mean, I think the biggest difference between what I was learning in school because I was a theater major is that that when you're, you know you spend weeks and weeks perfecting a monologue and you do it once and then you're done, like you get one good take of that monologue and you finish and you think, oh, I've done it as an actor, like that is good acting.

Rachel Stubington 24:04

But with a TV show, you know you do it so many times and you do it so many different ways and you have to be quick and on your feet and there's not as much time to think. So I think I'm trying to learn through doing shrinking how to make my process so much faster and how to absorb things quicker and how to keep things fresh after several different takes. But you know, when you have actors as good as the actors on Shrinking, like it's so easy to like forget about what you're doing at all and just watch. You know the people in front of you that it helps you keep things fresh, which is good, but yeah, just learning how to keep the stamina to keep going.

Greg Staffa 24:44

Is there much improv on Shrinking for either your character or other characters, or is it so well written that you just trust what the writers have you saying?

Rachel Stubington 24:54

It's a mix. It's, you know, first of all we get these scripts that are fantastic, and then sometimes I still teeter on what's better to do. What's great is. A lot of times they'll say like, will come and say, okay, right here after you say this line, like we just kind of want to see what would happen, like, just talk about, and he'll give you a subject, and that's been really fun. You get the freedom to improv, but then, at the same time, there's never so much pressure like, oh, I need to think of the funniest line right now, because if you can't think of anything, you have the joke in the script, which is already such a good joke, but there's a ton of freedom to improv, which is, you know, such a dream on a comedy set now you've done.

Greg Staffa 25:41

I mean, your star is quickly rising. Uh, you're becoming more and more well known and things like shrinking and and dr odys Odyssey are helping expose you out there to audiences. You're no stranger to doing red carpets and stuff like this, which, again, I greatly appreciate. Is there any question that you wish more people would ask about you? That no one ever does. I mean, we're obviously going to say you know, tell us what drew you to the role. Some of these questions are just you've answered before. Is there anything that you wish people would have wanted to know this a little bit more?

Rachel Stubington 26:14

Yeah, that's a really good question. I got to think, I mean, you've been asking great questions. I don't know.

Greg Staffa 26:28

What's something about you that would surprise other people? I mean because a lot of the roles that we take I mean, we look at Harrison Ford, who's had a growth of career, a well-known career, but we think of him as Han Solo, we go back to him as Indiana Jones, even though these are roles he played 20, 30 years ago. But that's how we identify him. When we're looking at you because summer is the closest thing that you've done or the biggest thing that you've done, I'd say we look to you as summer, but you're not summer. What's something that's totally separate from you, from summer, that would surprise someone to learn about you?

Rachel Stubington 27:07

You know, the weird thing is, I mean I feel like this fits with summer, but I love comedy, like all I've ever wanted to do in my entire life is to make people laugh and to play a role that would fit in like an ensemble comedy. So sometimes I do think people, you know, like I, I'm much older. No, no, I'm not kidding, I'm a little bit older than Summer. You know I have more adult responsibilities than Summer.

Rachel Stubington 27:34

I, I cannot drink as much as Summer, but I I don't mind being so closely aligned with her and people quoting, like my friends quoting her to me, just because she's so funny. I feel like she's a great friend to Alice and she says the craziest stuff and I just I love being associated with someone who brings joy to the show and who gets to say all these funny things. So I mean, like I, I'm not, you know, like that, but I, I I feel so much room within her to like get to make jokes and she has such a niche sense of humor that it's such an honor you know, someone who wants to be a comedian, to get to play inside of that now I'm old enough to be your dad.

Greg Staffa 28:29

Uh, the thought of having a younger child your age is frightening to me. I can't imagine raising a daughter in this day and age. You know I I joked earlier that it seems like a lot of you know younger women have only you know only fans page you go to, to their instagram and it's like check out my only fans page.

Greg Staffa 28:47

Um, as an actress, I mean you're a young, beautiful woman, you're you're making that transition. Is there steps that you've taken? I mean, you sound like your head's on you know, screwed on right. Is there steps that you're taking? As you grow as an actress, you become a little bit more famous, you become a little bit more recognizable. Is there things that you're doing to I don't want to say protect yourself, but adjust as your fame and popularity grow that you have to be more mindful of?

Rachel Stubington 29:16

I think, over. I mean like I joke about reading the reddit comments, but at the same time I think just as an in general, no matter where you are in your career, learning to find certain people that you really trust. And you know, I can ask my mom if I was good in an episode and then not care about what anyone else says or anything else I see online or any DM I get. I think I've just kind of learned that there are people in my life that I love very much and whose opinions I trust and respect and whose voices I think need to be heard, and then you just kind of have to learn how to tune out anything that doesn't feel like you, or any pressure you might feel or any you know criticism or like push in a direction that doesn't feel true to yourself, because I, like you know, I'm not big enough to compromise how I feel about myself and to not do the things that make me happy well said, tom holland, who played spider-man in the mcu.

Greg Staffa 30:21

He had a quote and he's actually quoting someone else and I'm gonna completely butcher this quote, but I got, I got the gist of the quote from him, but he had talked about fame and he said you know, if you have a problem with anything I'm doing, call me. And if you don't have your number.

Greg Staffa 30:36

If you don't have my number then you're not important enough to me to care about what you think. I kind of thought that was a well said thing If it was kind of what he said. I I'm sure I botched up a little bit, but it was basically. Why may let some guy in his basement you want to read it thing make a comment? That hurts my feelings when that guy has never met me and never.

Greg Staffa 30:58

But I think there is that that feel of you know being toxic, of you know, when you say you read all your Reddit comments, I mean I can't believe I would want to see a shrink after doing that if that was me, just because of everything that's out there and you know, guys are creeps and people are mean and no one can find positivity these days, and so kudos to you for kind of having your head on straight and it just has to be rough out there, not only as an actress but as a woman. But, uh, I applaud you for that. Uh, what's coming up next for you? Anything that we can look forward to with shrinking winding down?

Rachel Stubington 31:35

Yeah, that's it. I'm like who knows? I'm like who knows, nothing fully set in stone yet I might be doing a movie in a little bit. Season three of Shrinking, I think, starts in January. Maybe is what I'm reading. I think Don't quote me on that one, but yeah, I think I really want to see Shrinking to the end and then figure out where to go from there.

Greg Staffa 32:00

Now you do a lot of commercials. Are you still doing? You've done, like IHOP and other stuff. Are you still doing a lot of commercials?

Rachel Stubington 32:06

Yeah, I have a commercial callback tomorrow. I'm actually right after this. I auditioned for a commercial and then the tape got corrupted. I don't know what that means, but I have to go back and reshoot it after this, so yeah, it happens.

Greg Staffa 32:23

That means, but I have to go back and reshoot it after this. So yeah, you know, it happens. I just had that happen to me. Uh, a couple episodes ago I recorded something and went to play it back and there was nothing. Her, she was completely silent, just her lips were moving and nothing was there do you ever get?

Greg Staffa 32:35

I mean, I doubt this, but do you ever kind of go to these one of these auditions for a commercial for ihop and say I just had a scene with Harrison Ford, I think I can sell your pancakes.

Rachel Stubington 32:47

What's funny is this literally wasn't so I for the table read. We did a table read for episode two of this season and it was the first time I'd been back post-strike, so you kind of forget. I'm in a room with all these people again and it's like how lucky am I? And I left that table read, being like I am the biggest thing in the world, and then I drove to Denny's no, maybe it was IHOP auditioned to play party girl number two. You know, acting as such a way of humbling you so quickly.

Greg Staffa 33:17

I mean, hey, if it pays the bills, it pays the bills.

Rachel Stubington 33:19

It pays the bills Exactly.

Greg Staffa 33:21

So, finally, I want to follow up with some quick speed round questions and, if you don't mind doing that, and other than that, I probably thank you for coming on and really enjoyed it and it's it's been a blast watching your character grow and and one of the things I enjoy about doing this I mean I've been doing reviews and this kind of stuff since 2012.

Greg Staffa 33:43

But what I've learned is that you know you write about writers and those writers go on to be showrunners and the showrunners become you know, next thing they're doing, they're producing great TV shows, and so people are always kind of moving up and so it's kind of fun to get them in when they're younger and just getting started. So five years from now, maybe I'll have you back on, maybe sooner than that, um, but talking about you know the successful movie that you were just in, and it's also kind of fun watching these people grow and and being there saying, well, you were kind of part of that. But let's do some speed round questions. Uh, see, the first thing that comes to mind, or first answer. Don't do too deep, but there's about 12 of them here. Okay, texting versus talking.

Rachel Stubington 34:31

Texting, talking, talking, talking.

Greg Staffa 34:33

Favorite city in the US, besides the one you live in?

Rachel Stubington 34:37

New York City.

Greg Staffa 34:38

Nickname your parents used to call you.

Rachel Stubington 34:41

Rach.

Greg Staffa 34:43

Last song you downloaded.

Rachel Stubington 34:45

Downloaded. Oh my goodness, I've been in a Bowie kick right now.

Greg Staffa 34:50

Any particular song or just him in general.

Rachel Stubington 34:53

Blue Jean.

Greg Staffa 34:55

Favorite holiday.

Rachel Stubington 34:57

Ah Halloween.

Greg Staffa 34:59

Is it wrong for a vegetarian to eat animal crackers?

Rachel Stubington 35:05

No, I don't think so.

Greg Staffa 35:06

Scale of 1 to 10,. How good are you at keeping secrets?

Rachel Stubington 35:10

7.

Greg Staffa 35:11

First celebrity crush.

Rachel Stubington 35:14

Zac Efron.

Greg Staffa 35:15

Place you want to most travel.

Rachel Stubington 35:18

I really want to go to Japan.

Greg Staffa 35:19

Favorite junk food.

Rachel Stubington 35:20

Uh um gummies.

Greg Staffa 35:27

Cake or pie Cake, favorite ice cream flavor Strawberry. There we go. Final last question you know, what advice do you have to young women that are looking up to you, seeing? You know you're starting off, you're doing commercials, you're a successful character on a tv show, but you're really at the I mean, I hate to say it, but you're really at the beginning of your career and you have a lot of room to grow and I I fully think that you are going to do that. But what advice do you have to a young woman that's looking at you? Do you feel like you are a role model to younger women that are looking at either becoming an actress or just being a woman in general?

Rachel Stubington 36:09

I don't know if anyone's looking to me, but I think for me, success I used to think was just like oh, you every day grow a little bit. But I think success is so up and down, and just trying to figure out what in your life truly matters to you outside of your career is so important, and finding hobbies that fulfill you and surrounding yourself with people that really care about you, because that's only going to make your work and everything you want to do so much better.

Greg Staffa 36:37

And do you plan on doing more producing or writing in the future?

Rachel Stubington 36:41

Oh, yes, I really hope to keep writing and maybe less producing. I love writing.

Greg Staffa 36:46

Any interest in directing.

Rachel Stubington 36:48

No, none at all. Isn't that fine. I feel like every actor. All they want to do is direct. You know, we have Zach Braff directing, who's fantastic at it. I just have no interest.

Bringing Sunshine to Character Roles

Greg Staffa 36:57

Well, rachel, thank you so much for coming on. Well, rachel, thank you so much for coming on. I really appreciate it. I hope to have you on in the future Talking about something else, but I really enjoyed your character. I mean you are kind of the younger humor, because Alice isn't really given much humor For her role, given what her character is going through this season. So you kind of are the sunshine For her character, which is a blast to see, but it's very entertaining. I look forward to seeing where your future goes and sincerely appreciate you coming on.

Rachel Stubington 37:29

Oh, thank you so much. You asked such fantastic questions. It was so nice talking to you, thank you.

Greg Staffa 37:34

That does it for this episode. Thank you for listening to the Stafford Corner.