Meet Rachel Edelstein | Actor & Comedian

We had the good fortune of connecting with Rachel Edelstein and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Rachel, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking.
I think the choice to be an artist, especially in this climate, is a risk in and of itself. Every time I enter an audition room or get onstage to tell a joke, I am taking a small risk. With stand-up comedy specifically, every night spent at an open mic or a show is a risk because you never know how a joke will resonate with an audience. My whole artistic life has been built on risk. From the choice to transfer to the California Institute of the Arts to study theater to the choice to start performing on my own, I consider risk baked into my artistic identity. I would be nothing without the choice to take leaps and try new things. My decision to do stand-up came from my inability to be cast in conventional projects. I knew I had a voice but I also knew that I would have to take a risk and start creating and performing my own work in order to be heard. With great risk comes great reward and I have been constantly rewarded by my community for my risks as an artist.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
From the minute I was conscious, I loved to perform. Growing up as the youngest of three children, I learned quickly that the best way to get attention was to perform and tell jokes. I started doing theater in elementary school and never looked back. I recently found a worksheet I filled out in third grade where I wrote that I wanted to be an actress when I grew up. There was never a doubt in my mind that this was what I would do. But the road to success as an artist has been bumpy. I graduated with my BFA in Acting from the California Institute of the Arts and struggled to find commercial success as a working actor. So, I decided to start doing stand-up as a way to get onstage and I quickly fell in love with the form. I think what sets me apart as a comedian is my ability to couple vulnerability with wit. My background in theater allows me to be comfortable being honest onstage while also delivering a fun show for the audience. I am new to stand-up but I have met some incredible people who have taught me so much and I am very excited for the future.

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 would start the morning in my hometown of Palos Verdes with a hike at Terranea Resort or a trip to the beach. Then, we could grab coffee at Hi-Fi Espresso and burritos at Phanny’s in Redondo Beach. Later I would bring my friend into the city for a night out where we would have lots of options in different parts of town. We could see a comedy show at Dynasty Typewriter or The Lyric Hyperion or maybe check out the awesome lineup of movies playing at Vidiots. I also love live music and we could check out a concert at one of LA’s historic music venues. Lastly, we could finish the night with drinks at El Prado in Silverlake and a late-night order of animal fries at In-N-Out (basic but the best).

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would be nowhere without the incredible support of my family. My family has been there for every one of my artistic endeavors from a fashion show in the living room as a kid to my first regional theater production. My mom and dad are always willing to go the extra mile to help me succeed. They drove me to every rehearsal and sat through eight performances of the same middle school production just to show me how much they believed in me. I am constantly in awe of my parent’s ability to drop everything to be there for me and help me through difficult times. I also owe so much of my success to my siblings whose drive and passion for their own careers make me strive to be better every day. I have the most wonderful family and I know that no matter what happens they will always have my back.

Website: https://www.racheledelstein.com/

Instagram: @rachel.miriam

Other: IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm11290756/?ref_=ext_shr_lnk

Image Credits
Headshot by Ted Ely
Photos by Zoe Hertzberg, Alejandro D. Caminos