Meet Sophie Arrick-Lewis | Actor, Director, Creator, Coach

We had the good fortune of connecting with Sophie Arrick-Lewis and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sophie, can you tell us more about your background and the role it’s played in shaping who you are today?
Thanks so much for having me!

My background and upbringing were major contributors to my story.

I was born and raised in Manhattan and consider myself very lucky. Not just because I was raised in NY, but because I was raised in NY by artists. I was exposed to museums, theatre, music, the ballet. My mother was an actor and my father was a director. Their histories are filled with amazing people and places, so I was always surrounded by incredible, creative minds. It just served to nurture my own talent and knowledge. It definitely had an effect on the actor I am today. It’s like the universe put me in the best place it could find for me.

I always knew I was going to be an actor. I wanted to pursue it as a child, but my parents wouldn’t allow it. They definitely instilled in me the knowledge of how hard a career in the arts can be and how your soul should really need it…it’s not something to go into because you want fame or fortune. I believe that’s where my great love and deep respect for the art comes from. And they were right! It has not been easy, but the work feeds me like nothing else does, so despite the struggle, it’s worth it for me.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Although my plan was always to go back to New York after college, due to a series of events and life happenings, I ended up in Frederick, Maryland, where I stayed for over 20 years. It was in Frederick that I, and a small group of friends from college, opened Maryland Ensemble Theatre, a 100 seat black box theatre that we, literally, built with our own hands in the middle of an abandoned five and dime building. It was at the MET that I really became an actor.

We worked all the time. We had an improv troupe, a new acting school, the theatre, our “money jobs” and, in my case, two small children. I’m sure I constantly complained about how busy I was, but I loved it. I had the incredible good fortune of playing some incredible roles there. Lenny in Crimes of the Heart, Germaine in Picasso at the Lapin Agile, Wanda in The Baby Dance, Prudence in Beyond Therapy, Rachel in Craig Lucas’ Reckless. Dream roles.

After a good long stint in Maryland, meeting and marrying my husband, Bubby and seeing our kids grow up and pursue their own dreams, we decided to move to Los Angeles where my dad, Director Larry Arrick, had lived for over 20 years. We were very close. I was an only child and he was my hero, and living a few miles away, as opposed to 3000, was pretty spiffy. But then a new problem…L.A. may not be the best choice for an Equity stage actor to make a living…and so, for the past year, I have been reinventing myself as a film and television actor! I’ve had to be very aggressive in my pursuit, which is very out of character for me, but after the pandemic (and losing my father), I felt I had no time to waste. Also, I’m not the typical age one starts such a journey, but I hope that helps inspire someone else to throw caution to the wind and do their life. In a relatively short period of time, I have managed to secure an amazing manager and two phenomenal agents that keep me auditioning almost everyday, I just shot my third national commercial, went to the premier of my first feature film, Looking for Her (look for it, streaming, this holiday season!) and am about to start work on my second feature film with the, amazing, Alexandra Swarens who also wrote and directed Looking for Her. She’s a force. Keep your eyes peeled for her!

And what sets me apart? Out here, I think it’s my theatre background…or maybe my ensemble theatre background? My philosophy after being raised by Rose and Larry Arrick, studying acting in conservatories, and being part of an ensemble theatre company, is that everyone should do grunt work…everyone should do all kinds of work! We would go from scrubbing a toilet to playing the lead in a show within the span of an hour. We built the sets we acted on. We made the costumes, designed and ran lights and sound, swept up, everything. It gives you a deep respect for everyone’s part. I’ve never really understood why the actor gets fawned over more than the sound guy or the costume person or the background actor. Without everyone’s contribution, you have nothing! I could be the greatest actor on earth, but if our sound sucks, you won’t know it. The restaurant scene where your hero couple gets engaged looks like garbage without any background actors playing the waiters and other patrons. It’s a collaborative art. So, when I was on set shooting the feature, I kept trying to wash the dishes, or wipe off a counter. They kept stopping me! By the fourth day, they allowed me to vacuum the house…I can be relentless…lol. I guess I’m just a team player.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I think I would have to refer you to anyone else! I have a shockingly bad sense of direction and I have no idea where I’ve been…lol. Then, of course, the pandemic kept me home for a little while!

Buuuuuut…We’ve spent a good deal of time at LACMA, The Getty, The Broad and The Hammer, so we can do a museum day or two. Let’s visit the Hollywood sign, because it’s the Hollywood sign! Then off to any movie theatre where the chairs recline. We’d drive to Santa Barbara and see a concert at the Santa Barbara Bowl because a concert with a view of the ocean is insane, and visit one of the quiet beaches in Montecito that allow dogs to run freely. We’d visit Point Dume beach because Planet of the Apes was filmed there, and if the friend is morbid, we can drive by Spahn Ranch, where Charles Manson and his “family” stayed, or 10050 Cielo Drive, where the Tate murders were committed. Hey, I have some morbid friends so you gotta plan for these things! We’d also have to hit the Acasa Food Truck which has the best shrimp quesadilla’s on earth!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would be remiss if I didn’t send this shoutout to my husband, Bubby Lewis. This is not an easy journey. In fact, it can be and often is brutal. Although I have been an actor for many years, this is the first time in my life that I have not had a “survival job”. I’m out there auditioning and trying to create opportunities, and it’s going really well, but with no guarantees or backup plans. Its terrifying! It’s risky as hell financially, but Bubby has been completely supportive of this insanity and has such faith in me. There is no way I could be doing this without his support. He’s also an actor and has put his ambitions aside for me to pursue mine. Hopefully, he will be back to it soon! That’s the way it goes for us…sometimes his career is soaring and I’m bartending or sometimes mine is and he’s driving for Uber. We just support each other in any way we can. He’s been amazing.

Website: www.sophiearricklewis.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sophiearrick/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sophiearrick

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIeuPwt38q0pA7Uo6UWi-ow

Image Credits
Matt Stasi