Today we’d like to introduce you to Rebecca Lines.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I’ve always been a creative/entertainer at heart. As a child, I loved performing on stage. I think growing up in a large family, (I’m one of 9 children) fueled my need to be seen. Of course, my performances were relegated to family and local community members but I didn’t care. I thought I was performing for the world and making everyone happy. It wasn’t until my move to Nashville, TN over 12 years ago that I even considered becoming a professional actor and being paid for what I love to do all while being in my 40’s!!! Oh my, talk about being gutsy to even consider such a thing. Now, here I am excited, humbled, and honored to play different characters for so many amazing projects and working hard to make this full-time.
About a year into living in Nashville, my old actor self-started crying “let me out!” and so I found an acting school which led to my first agent which led to my first acting gig, and so on and so on. It was about 5 years into exploring this world and honing my craft that the Southeast started to become the Hollywood South. You know that saying, “timing is everything”? Well, in my case, it’s the truth. Call it luck as well, but I just happened to be at the right spot at the right time and ready to go. Indie films, Netflix shows, other network shows, and then major franchise shows all now sit incredibly on my resume and in my heart.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
With all of that said, I’d be quite remiss not to acknowledge the challenges of what it takes or what it means to be an actor or specifically a working actor. First, let’s again address the topic of my age. I mean can anyone say “midlife crisis”?! However, truthfully, I am in midlife and I had to start from the bottom at this point in my life. For every audition, I had to and still have to compete with amazing women my age who have 20+ years on me in this business. Woah. I had to push that out of my head (I know, denial much?) and forge ahead. That meant I had to build trust with the casting directors who would bring me in for auditions. After years of consistent auditions, I built up a good reputation with the CDs in the Southeast. Thank God for them!
Another challenge was finding the right representation. I’ve been blessed with lovely agents along my journey so far, but I had to have the work to convince them of my abilities. So, the old-Which Came First: The Chicken or the Egg-thing came into play. I had to build my original resume on student films which may or may not have been the best of quality, etc. But that gave me a credit and footage to create a reel and then find representation so they could then find me acting gigs. I’m truly grateful for the film schools in Nashville and for the opportunities given to me by these young filmmakers!
When I’m not on a set or a stage, I have to keep my acting juices flowing and do so by continuing to take classes with acting coaches. I love exploring and getting to know my own self better by taking on new characters. Class is such a lovely place to play and figure out what I can bring to any given character. But I have to make the effort to do this… to challenge myself and push my craft. I mean one day I have to be ready when given the opportunity to work opposite Meryl Streep, duh!
Another challenge was how to get into the union where I was told actors are protected from all of the scary acting things out there. Woot! Simply becoming eligible to be in the actor’s union in a right-to-work state and area was definitely a challenge. In order to become part of the union, you have to book a union gig. Many projects shot in TN and other southern states film non-union. But after a few years, I was finally able to book a few union gigs and was able to join SAG-AFTRA. I have been a proud member now for over 5 years.
I’m so very grateful for all of the challenges I’ve faced along the way yet know that there are still more to come. It’s in the challenges that we find our own level of dedication to our passions. I will continue to take on the challenges or obstacles and know that it’ll only make my career decision sweeter and sweeter when I’ve faced them head-on and persevered.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a film and television actor currently represented by Stewart Talent Atlanta.
My first tv gig was on House of Cards on Netflix. I worked with Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright. Some other recent projects include working with Brendan Gleeson on Mr. Mercedes, Jason Patric in The Vanished on Prime Video, Sebastian Stan on The Falcon and The Winter Soldier on Disney+, and Peyton List on Cobra Kai on Netflix. For all of the Lifetime movie fans out there, I also had roles in 2 Lifetime original films: Hush Little Baby and A Welcome Home Christmas.
How do you define success?
Seeing your heart’s passion as your gift to this world and being able to express this passion as your career is a form of success. I also believe that living a compassionate, grateful, and charitable life is a life well-lived. Success comes in many forms and should never be diminished to a dollar value. Success is heart-driven and heart-defined.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rebeccalines/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rebeccalinesactor/
- Others: IMDb page https://www.imdb.me/rebeccalines
