Actor, activist and versatile adult

Written By: Sierra Lyons

There are some people you talk to and you know they are bound to be very successful.

Actress and activist Rita Rucker has already accomplished great things professionally and personally, but this is only the beginning for her. You can recognize his face in lucrative shows like BET Become Mary Jane with Gabrielle Union or FXs Snowfall with Damson Idris.

Ruckers last role is in new BETs show Around twenty (created by Lena Waithe), in which she can participate in the telling of such an important story with which many viewers can relate. Not only is Rucker a phenomenal actor, he is also a truly phenomenal human. Rucker is committed to raising awareness about human trafficking. She combines her two passions of acting and activism together as often as she can, especially when she volunteers with the charity Artists for Change.

Fans
you saw begin Become Mary
Jeanne on BET and Snowfall on FX,
but you’ve been playing since childhood. What made you decide
you wanted a career?

Great question. Child, I never thought that
I would like to continue this as an adult. I was really more in gymnastics and
cheerleading and Girl Scouts and all those other extracurricular activities.
I never really thought about it when I was a kid. But I took a drama class when I was
16 or 17 with Actors Breakthrough. Gregory Alan Williams taught it. You
probably remember his shows, like Green leaf
and Remember the titans. I come
I wanted to see if I was good at all. And yeah after that, I liked it. I was
like, it’s cool to be able to see all the different things that can
come up with the same set of words, all the different emotions i can experience
using just the same words, how the text came to life. And I was like, I
want to pursue this as a career. From there I started to think about it
a more professional point of view. I went to Cal State in San Bernardino and finished
until you get a theater scholarship. I was like, okay, well, I have to be good. he
gave me a little confidence to pursue it professionally. Obtain a
purse, I was like, okay I’ll try.

Now you
play Carrina in Lena Waithes BET show Around twenty.
What do you like playing Carrina? You see yourself in it
it at all?

I would certainly say that before, perhaps a few years ago, being part of the clear LGBTQIA community was not as open as it is today. My character is really, really short and sweet, but basically the theme is that I play a writer who works in the writer’s room with the series director, Hattie [played by Jonica (Jojo) T. Gibbs]. We apparently work together at You Go Girl Productions. The scene takes place at the top of the meeting. As writers, we are at the table to brainstorm ideas for potential stories. The idea arises that we add a sassy, ​​flamboyant and gay stereotypical character to the show. Hattie objects to this idea and suggests that we write a story about a black queer woman, “and you know, write her like she is a person.” It doesn’t go well with other writers. They insist on having already written this character; Hattie raises the fact that we don’t even know the character of a lesbian because we’ve never seen her kiss a woman. You might see my character come back, but I thought it was pretty cool to play my character because I think some people are now making comments like this in the past.

Around twenty is a comedy but
always touches on real problems. A big point in the show’s plot is Hattie
wanting to become a writer but having to climb the ladder to this point.
Often, millennials are labeled as lazy or not committed to work.
What is your personal opinion on this story? Do you think millennials should
focus more on unconventional jobs that make less money but make them more
satisfied or working for security?

I don’t know how the millennials got this label. We taught our parents that we have to fit in these boxes. Life is not like that. But I don’t necessarily believe in a safe route or a conventional route. After pursuing one of these routes, nothing is certain, nothing is promised. You have to give your best shot on everything you want to do, whether it is financially secure or not. I totally agree to go the unconventional way, follow your dream, work whatever secondary work you work to get where you need to go. Because it is passion that will really determine whether you succeed or not, not financial security or title or things that our parents may have (all well-meaning, of course). I think Around twenty does such a good job of showing the tribulations of a millennial generation trying to follow their dreams of being a writer in Hollywood and trying to break through the labels that may have been passed on to them without their permission and find their way through this.

Tell me about working with Lena Waithe. She is obviously a great producer and writer. What was it like working with her?

Working with Lena was really cool. Because my share was so small, I didn’t know I would be invited to a table reading. But it’s the first season in the series, and most of the time, when the writers write this stuff, they have to hear it out loud from the actors they perform. Even being invited to read the table was a great experience. Lena was there, the casting directors were there, the writers, the producers were there. And I’m just going to say that just having the opportunity to sit at the same table with her, she is very cold, very down to earth and kind. I had the opportunity to meet her at various events after that, and she is really a very family person. She is really for us blacks, and she really has this passion for creating this family environment and raising another person. It’s something I really respect about her. Then hear the story of how she gave Jonica[Hattiesur[Hattieon[Hattiesur[HattieonAround twenty]his chance. You know, Jonica never had an agent to be represented. I mean, she’s done some comedy and comedy before, but it’s really her first big hit, and Lena just gave it to her. So I respect her for that. To be ready to take a chance on people, be ready to take a chance on me for my small part. I really appreciate it. She is awesome.

Next to
to act, activism is another great passion of yours. You play in the next
movie Lost Girls: Angies Story, a
film on trafficking in human beings. Why do we raise awareness about human trafficking?
important to you?

When we think of the words trafficking in human beings
or sex trafficking, we think it’s happening there, abroad in the third world
countries. You don’t think this is happening here in America. I think it is
important to know that this is happening today. Educate us, even just
knowing this makes the biggest difference. Once you know, you have
the power to do something. This is one of the things that I really like Lost girls. It’s not just entertainment.
It really inspires you to think about these girls, it’s their reality. I am
really grateful to have been part of such a great movie and I can’t wait for it
exit. I also volunteer with Artists for Change from time to time. It’s a
nonprofit organization focused on creating the type of media that brings this
call to action. It’s really a great organization.

Do you
believe that everyone with a platform or next should use their space to
talk about the problems?

Absolutely! We are in a time when everyone has the opportunity to create a platform for themselves. Everyone has the opportunity to talk about whatever they feel or are passionate about. It doesn’t have to be human trafficking; this may be all that is important to you. But I think, if you have something that you are passionate about, it is important to talk. Because if you keep quiet, then you are hurting yourself and everyone else who might appreciate and hear your voice. They are called influencers for a reason. When we look at their business, we feel something. We should certainly take advantage of it, in those days which were past.

So what
other roles would you like to play in the future? If it’s time to
dream big and speak out loud, what would you like to do?

Thank you for asking this question! honestly i
really have a passion for making historical pieces, different stories throughout
The history of blacks, unpublished stories, those which are history but which are not taught
at school. Those who, you know, are forgotten or perhaps we never had any
lucky to hear because we had the impression for so long that Black
the stories weren’t as important. I just love this rebirth, this awakening
period in which we find ourselves, where we see all this on social networks, on
Internet through black history, it was like, Wow, I never heard of that
at school. I want to play a character who really shows that in a beautiful
light. I actually have a story about my grandmother. My grandmother was a civil rights activist.
I would like to tell her story when she worked in a telephone company and she was
fight for equal wages and fight for our rights. I would like to tell him
story via a feature film so people can learn more. The attention spans are
so short these days, we may not read it. Course look
the film. Of course go watch it and watch Harrietand we will discover our history. So i want to be part
this side. But it’s something that really touches me near my home.

Are
Are there any projects you have coming that you want to auto-hook up? All you
are coming that people can look for?

Yes of course! I just released both a short film and a feature film. The short film is called In danger, written by Nakia Stephens and directed by Kiana Woodson. Nakia is also an executive producer and Shanay J. Campbell is a producer. In danger will be broadcast on April 25 on aspireTV. The film shows the journey of waiting for a first child. It’s just a short film that takes place at the baby shower, and we just see them going through the different thoughts and worries that a black couple may feel while waiting for their first child which is unique to black couples having a black boy . I play a famous nutritionist. It will be presented at the American Black Film Festival.

The feature film is Young wild free, and it’s a story of transition to adulthood. I don’t really have many. I can’t really talk about all of this. Its produced by Baron Davis, Charles King, Kim Roth. Ex Prods. Mark Wright, Jenna Cavelle, Jo Henriquez, Mark O’Connor, John Penotti. My character was Mrs. Auckland, the main English teacher in high school. Fortunately, I was able to work on this film before the rest of the shooting was postponed due to COVID 19. I can’t wait to see the release of the films!

Sure to catch Around twenty on BET on Wednesday evening 10 / 9c.