Meet Raquel Woodruff | Actor, Singer & Writer

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

Hi Raquel, why did you pursue a creative career?
Because it’s fun! And freeing and fulfilling and collaborative. The real currency of life is time, and I want to have fun the rest of my life! I want my weekdays just as exciting as my weekends. And while that’s certainly a privilege, this outlook makes the hardships of this career a lot more tolerable too. Even when the industry is slow and auditions are few and far between, I know that my time is well spent in pursuit of the thing that I love.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally? 

I feel like I’m just getting started in a lot of ways, but I’ve reached some career milestones recently that I’m proud of. I became a SAG member in December and recently booked my first theatrical and commercial jobs since joining the union. I even got to work with Mike Diva, the SNL Digital Shorts director, which was a fantastic experience. Commercials have kept me busy over the last few years, and I’ve been lucky to get to shoot in locations like Mexico City, Dallas, Orlando, and all over Los Angeles. On the writing side, I’m currently working on a graphic novel with my creative partner Matthew Medney titled “Citizen Science” for his publishing company Gungnir Books and we’ll have some exciting news to share soon. I’m also venturing into hosting with the soon-to-be-released podcast, “The Study Pod,” in collaboration with FOUND Study, where I interview the best of the best in their fields and how they got to where they are.

How did you get to where you are? Has it been challenging?

I was a big theater kid in middle school and high school, and always knew I wanted to be an actor. But over the last 10 years since graduating from NYU as a Media Communications major and making the move to LA, I’ve held many different jobs: MSNBC Anchor Producer, E! News Associate Producer, Assistant to a Literary Manager and Producer, Personal Assistant and Editor for comedian Drew Lynch, and Chief of Staff to the CEO at Heavy Metal Magazine. I could have stayed at a couple of these jobs out of fear that I was passing up a really good gig, but I knew I would never be truly fulfilled until I gave acting a real shot.

My first few years in LA while I was working at E!, I was actually focused on singing and songwriting (I even headlined a couple shows and had a couple songs produced). I was attracted to it because I had a full-time job in an office and it was something I could largely do on my own; I could write a song and go perform it that same night with a guitar. I knew I wanted to pursue acting, but it required big lifestyle changes I wasn’t willing to make yet. I knew I wouldn’t be able to have the kind of day jobs I had up until that point. Once I fully confronted what it would take to have a career as an actor and broke it down into smaller, more manageable steps, I was able to start making meaningful moves.

Being an actor isn’t easy. But neither is living a life you don’t love. Pursuing this career requires a lot of patience. And I don’t mean patience like sitting around and waiting for something to happen to you. I mean choosing to go after it again and again, for years and years, all while continually facing rejection. People who give themselves deadlines are missing the point. For me, the key to this patience is making sure you are financially stable and enjoying your life outside of your career. I’ve made it a point to have multiple streams of income so that if one falls through, I’ll be okay. It took time to build that. I was stuck on the full-time-in-person-day job-hamster wheel for my first five years in LA. It was scary jumping off, but once I did, I rose to the occasion. And to my other point, I love my life! I love my life right now. I love my life regardless of where I’m at in my career. I have the most amazing friends and family, and we are always planning fun trips and concerts and events. There’s always something to look forward to. If I solely relied on how successful my career is going to make me happy, I would be quite miserable.

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?

Full warning they will be very tired. In no particular order:

We’d see Stamptown at The Bourbon Room (an LA staple and the best, craziest comedy variety show I’ve ever seen). We’d see a show at The Comedy Store. I’d take them to see a DJ set at Exposition Park or The Forum (Four Tet in an ideal world) and then a Hollywood Bowl show later in the week (Khruangbin if I had my pick). We’d go to Sugarfish followed by the Magic Castle. We’d explore Little Tokyo and the Arts District, get a coffee latte at Yoboseyo, and go to a hot yoga class at Sweat Yoga. We’d head over to Silverlake, walk along the Reservoir and get a meal at Bacari. I’d show them The Grove, and an exhibit at LACMA or The Getty. We’d go to Abbot Kinney and stop for ice cream at Salt & Straw, and then Jeni’s the next night to compare (you have to!). Maybe we’d enjoy a meal at Momed in Atwater or splurge at the Michelin star restaurant n/naka. We’d hike the Hollywood sign and Runyon, go out for KBBQ and In-N-Out, and end with a road trip along Big Sur for a few days. And so. many. coffee shops.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?

Thank you to my favorite reader, my Mom, for loving me and supporting me always. Thank you for helping me memorize countless scenes for auditions and class, for always rooting for me, and for always having my back. I get my work ethic from her, and she inspires me to keep going when things are hard. Thank you Dad for being my biggest fan! When I told him I was moving across the country to LA, he said go for it. He did the drive with me from Pennsylvania to LA, and I’ll never forget all the phone calls we had the first couple years when things were rough and I was finding my footing. He also introduced me to comedy and gave me my sense of humor, and it’s one of the things I love most about myself. I’m so lucky to have very close relationships with both my parents, and I believe it’s because of the love I feel from them that I’ve always felt I can do anything. I love you Mom and Dad!

Thank you to my acting teacher, director Adam Marcus and his wife/writing partner Debra Sullivan Marcus (who is also a talented actor). I joined his ongoing scene study class five years ago (thank you Mesa Kronhaus for bringing me!) and not only is he an amazing coach, but because of the community he and Deb have built, I’ve inherited an entire family of incredible actors who have become some of my best friends. I didn’t know anything about the business when I joined, and it’s because of this class that I learned how to get repped, where to meet casting directors, and how to navigate the industry. I’d also like to thank Ogy Durham, my fierce actor big sis who has been an amazing mentor to me and always looks out for me, and Amber Wegner, who never passes on an opportunity to amplify me and those around her, and who recommended me to Shoutout LA. Last but not least, thank you to Dara Naomi Gallagher, my best friend and soul sister. We talk almost every day despite living on opposite sides of the country for the last 10 years. I feel so lucky that we get to share the experience of going after our dreams together, and we are there for each other for all of it – the high highs, the low lows, and the in between. I’ll never stop believing in you!

Instagram: https://instagram.com/raquelwoodruff

Other: https://imdb.me/raquelwoodruff

Image Credits
Mo Studio, Hello Scholar, Jonny Marlow.