One of the first projects I’d ever done was a pilot. I remember going through the scenes over and over in my own right. I did that before bed, and in my car when we had a break on set. Even at the gas station refueling on the way home. I was totally engrossed in making these scenes. It was as real for me as possible. Apart from filming, there isn’t a lot I remember about those two weeks of my life! When we were filming, every single person on set was on their job. We trusted each other to do our part. If something wasn’t going right, folks that had expertise stopped what they were doing to help out in good spirit.
That synergy and level of teamwork lit me up. When everybody knows what they’re doing as team players, there’s a level of trust and confidence you can thrive in. Being on the call sheet daily, witnessing production you gain a new appreciation for what gets a project finished. The actor really plays such a minuscule part when you realize how much else is going on.
I had the great fortune to work with a female director who was as collaborative as she was laser-focused. I made friends that I still keep in touch with. I’ve gone on to work with some of these folks in the cast and crew again too!
indieactivity: What acting technique do you use?
Raechel Wong (RW): I trained with many methods across various classes and studios I’ve worked in and with. The technique I’ve trained with the longest is Uta Hagen’s Foundations at Howard Fine. But I’ve also trained with methods from Checkov, Stanislavski, Meisner, etc. I’ve taken classes at UCB as well, so I’m quite proud to have that improv experience in my pocket! The thing about cross-training with various teachers is getting to pick up bits and pieces here and there. Now, I don’t use one single method or technique; I approach each scene differently, depending on what the moments call for.
Every director has his/her own approach to the work. So an actor must work with anything or learn to translate it into their method. I have worked with Directors like “Craig Gillespie”, “Jonathan Dayton”, “Valerie Faris”, and “Patrick Perez Vidauri”. They each have their own wonderful styles of communicating. As long as I can understand what moments they want to create, I trust that they’re 100% on the money. Let instinct do the rest, and trust when they put the final product together, it’s going to work on screen.
How did you get on “Free By Noon”?
Raechel Wong (RW): Well, that’s a fun story! I was asked by my colleague and friend John Eisen–who was casting. He also played the lead (Nate) in the film. I came in and read for a day player role of one of the police officers in Free By Noon. I prepared the scene, showed up at casting, and everyone and the town was reading for various parts. A benefit of your lead actor also casting the film is the audition can include “a chemistry read”. So they basically took care of first calls and callbacks in one fell swoop. We did scenes at different times with Lakpathy Wijesekara redirecting, and then Lakpathy asked for an improvised version. That’s not incredibly common, but I love the chance to put even more of my own spin on the scene.
I found out a few days later I booked it! Obviously, that’s not the part I ended up with. Rehearsals were getting scheduled and I was doing a bit of traveling before filming. Later, John reached out and asked I read for a lead role of “Mindy”. Because of scheduling conflicts with the original actress. I wasn’t in town, so I sent in an audition tape from Europe. While canoeing a call came in from John that I booked “Mindy”, the locksmith! The international call rate was well worth it.
Let’s take this project you did; how did you prepare for such a role: the cast, the physicality, and the demands of the project?
Raechel Wong (RW): I prepare for each role differently. I depend on how many similar life experiences I have had with each character. I do read and breakdown scenes multiple times however, that’s no different from project to project.
Playing “Mindy” was a challenge, but I’ll do my best to share without spoiling too much of “Free By Noon”! Mindy is complex, strong-willed, and imperfect. As I read the script for the first time, I realized she came with an interesting background. It flipped my idea of her onto its head. ‘Wow, she is NOT like me at all. Yet we share mannerisms, work ethic, spunk, and tenacity. I had a blast knowing her experiences and connecting to them. I could move freely within the scenes and feel like her words were my own spontaneous ideas and thoughts.
The climate was our standard, out-of-the-box, perfect Southern California climate. But the physicality was a whole other bucket of worms though!
Why’s that?
Raechel Wong (RW): I had one of the nastiest viruses I ever experienced before filming. I was recovering from a lost voice and fatigue (luckily, this was filmed over a year before COVID-19!) I do remember my head spinning a lot. And I had actually asked to be recast a few days out. John and Laky did try at the last minute (bless their hearts). But I’m told Laky insisted that none of the other reads were right. That only I could play Mindy. I muscled through on DayQuil, chugging my Beyonce juice. Drinking tea, and on vocal rest in between scenes. I barely remembered filming some of the scenes we watched at the premiere. I do recall it was a lot of fun and everyone was so kind and supportive while I was recovering.
Well, as one of the casts on the project, how did this ‘choice’ work for you?
Raechel Wong (RW): Mindy felt like a well-fitted glove that I could just slip into, to be honest. I had to go miles in my prep work, afterward, I felt like I’d known her for a long time. Laky was very complimentary, he insisted no one else was able to play her the way he envisioned Mindy. That’s a huge compliment to me so I think it worked out alright!
How do you create the character from a script into a person?
Raechel Wong (RW): We have a lot more in common with everyone than we realize. So when I’m breaking a script down, I find as many relatable moments and experiences empathize with the character. It’s very similar to making a new friend: you start with what similarities you share. For Mindy, she and I are both problem solvers so that’s where I got started. When I really started getting into the weeds, and I started tackling our differences, I had to find congruent moments, which really level the playing field for finding common ground.
What parts of the story challenged you when you read it?
Raechel Wong (RW): There are a lot of themes and choices that the characters made that challenged me and will probably challenge audiences when they see the film. Unfortunately, I can’t say much without spoiling the twist at the end, but I think the questions that Free By Noon asks can only make a person come to a more empathetic frame of mind.
Explain one creative choice you took at the onset of this production?
RW: I mentioned there was room for improv in the audition room, but Laky actually let us improvise on set, despite the intensely tight schedule we were on! I think early on, he’d seen that I was really comfortable with it when given the chance to improvise or let the scene run out. We had maybe 2 takes per shot, and if the AD said we had time, Laky would let us create a third take spontaneously. It was especially fun getting to improvise with our costar Eddy Lee, who played the rideshare driver! There are SO many great takes from our scene together that didn’t make the final cut. That guy has jokes for days!
You’re not new to show business, TV, or indie films. What do you enjoy about the work that keeps you working?
RW: Every project presents new challenges and different people to work with. I love the energy of a great set and getting to tell new stories. There is no other job I’d want to get up at 2 AM or 4 AM for!
Give an example of a direction you received from the director during the production?
RW: More often than not, Laky didn’t have any notes. He believed he and John cast well, got what he wanted, and didn’t waste any time.
But, once in a while, we did get a: “Forget the lines, just make it up this time!” Laky did this a few times to each of us and that kind of direction can excite or scare (or both) an actor depending on what they’re used to! I think directors sometimes take this approach to see a fresh performance or sometimes if they feel they’ve got everything they need in the can, they want to see if the actor can interpret the scene in a way that they hadn’t even conceived. It can be exciting for the actor as well because since you don’t have time to pre-plan, anything can happen!
How did you collaborate with your cast members from scene to scene?
RW: Our core cast forged a tight community being on set every day, as you do. John, Justine (Herron), and Melissa (Howell) are genuinely kind and nice people (all Midwesterners too!) so this wasn’t difficult at all. Because of time, we often rolled on rehearsals. The great technical qualities about this cast are that we all had the instinct or training to be in the moment and everyone came prepared every day. Collaborating was a slice of cake.
As the main cast in the film, describe your feeling of responsibility. Did it fire you up?
RW: It’s all about the team. There definitely is a responsibility you have as the main cast, but it’s not something that has ever scared me. Nerves! Sure! But I found if my mind is in the right place, there’s usually too much to do to have time to be worried or anxious, especially when you’re working with a good team. I’ve learned from more seasoned actors to embrace it all and accept the leadership and responsibility that comes with it.
What did you take away from the film production?
RW: The jumpsuit. Just kidding. I’ve always wanted one, but it did go back to the wardrobe, I promise!
What do you like most about the director and his/her collaboration with his/her team?
RW: I really felt that Laky trusted all of us, cast and crew, to do our jobs. Regarding the crew, we were working with a skeleton crew–everyone had 5 jobs–and they all had to be good at every one of them. You need special folks for that–and I don’t just mean trained or experienced. I mean, people you can rely on and trust to be meticulous, communicative, and responsible. Molvatu Sae-Ue, Nakorn Chaisri, Devin Dalool, Mladan Jurkovic… We were so lucky to have everyone that we had. Want to hear a fun fact? Most of our crew immigrated to the US to pursue film. There are half a dozen languages fired at the locations at any given time. I loved that.
What is next for you?
RW: I have a lot to look forward to, whether I can announce it or not! I’m so grateful! Here’s what I CAN share: Keeping Up with the Joneses, a three-part project I worked on with the stunning Vivica A. Fox released on Lifetime. I’m in Hulu’s new series Pam and Tommy! Even more recently, Life in LA, a musical feature I’m in, had its world premiere in LA. Two rom-com called Finding Love in Big Sky, Montana, and Divorce Bait, both of which I cannot wait to see, is being released very soon. And of course, I’ll be kept busy doing PR and helping promote Free By Noon!
What advice do you give actors regarding what you learned on the project?
RW: If you’ve got a good team, trust them. If you’ve prepared well, trust the process.
Tell us what you think of the interview with Raechel Wong. What do you think of it? What ideas did you get? Do you have any suggestions? Or did it help you? Let’s have your comments below and/or on Facebook or Instagram! Or join me on Twitter.
Follow Raechel Wong on Social Media
Website
IMDb
LinkedIn
Twitter
Instagram
MORE STORIES FOR YOU
The Key Facts Behind How Jeff Nichols Made The Indie Hit MUD
Jeff Nichols gives himself directorial challenges to master on every project.
In Conversation with Michael Oblowitz Director of Confidential Informant
Confidential Informant stars Mel Gibson, Dominic Purcell, and Kate Bosworth
