I’m SO EXCITED to launch our Actors & Actresses Series, an ongoing Q&A Series that will feature some of our FAVORITE actors on both the stage & screen. Our first actress, well, she’s a legend. She orginated the role of Mimi in RENT, and she played Conchita in Anna in The Tropics, and BOTH performances gave her Tony Award Nominations. You’ve seen her as Fantine in Les Miserables, Lucy in Jack Goes Boating, and you can soon see her on NBC’s SMASH. She’s a wife. She’s a mother. We’re proud to call her our friend.
She’s Daphne Rubin-Vega, and she’s our first interview in the Actors & Actresses Q&A Series!
MM: When you were growing up, did you ever imagine that one day you would be considered one of Broadway’s greatest stars?
DRV: No. It always baffled me that I was in a musical that continues to inspire many. It’s like MasterCard…Priceless.
TWT: Your performances as Mimi Marquez in RENT and Conchita in Anna in the Tropics earned you two Tony Award nominations. What went through your mind when you first heard that you were nominated?
DRV: Well, the very first thing was…can I go back to sleep now? The nominations come early in the morning, and when you’re in a show, you need the sleep. My husband heard it announced on NY1 and came bounding into the bedroom shaking me with the news. He was more excited than I was! With RENT, it was my agent who called to wake me. In both cases I felt, Wow, this really means a lot to them. THEN I thought…A Tony award in my bathroom would look cool. Oh well.
TWT: What advice would you give to theater students in high school and in college?
DRV: Being truthful is always more important than being safe or being original. Everything has an origin in something else. I think what’s original is how You tell the truth (In your work, of course). Also, you’d be amazed at the wonders of repetition…study. Work hard and get discipline in your bones…it makes work easier later; in the big ball field of life. That’s a lot of advice right there.
TWT: Did anything influence you to become an actor in high school? If so, what was it?
DRV: I went into high school wanting to be a painter and came out wanting to be a Rock Star! I wanted to be Mick Jagger, Keith Haring, AND Madonna! In high school, I loved graffiti…disco, roller skating, Joni Mitchell, Talking Heads, Police, David Bowie; all rock stars went to art school. It made sense. Acting came later when I fell in love with stylized films by Fellini, Bergman, Spielberg, Hitchcock, Truffaut…I wanted to be Maya Deren, a female filmmaker from the 1940’s. I finally felt “at home” with acting after I had studied filmmaking at NYU.
TWT: What three things would you warn young actors to be careful of?
DRV: 1) DONT BELIEVE THE HYPE. 2) Try to be clear; is it the Ego or the Spirit that needs to do this? The answer is not as important as the clarity. It’s not a trick question, really…3) Try. To. Stay. Away. From. Drugs.
Acting is like life; it’s a journey and not a destination. Success is also not a destination; it is a relative concept based on hype. If you measure success by the standards of the media or anything other than what You Love To Do, you’re in for a bitter battle. It’s a tough road to hoe as it is.
TWT: Of all the roles you’ve played, do you have a favorite?
DRV: Difficult to answer because I’ve played some great characters! Mimi in RENT had the most “pop recognition”, but it’s always “the next role” that’s my favorite…
TWT: You’re an actress, a singer, a wife, a mother, and one of the greatest performers to hit Broadway. How do you juggle it all?
DRV: Wow..I breathe in and breathe out and try not to drop the balls! If I miss singing enough, I start writing something that has music involved. The test is having the courage/discipline to see a project through..I like to have my plate full. Happy mommy and a happy wife equals a happy life.
TWT: In today’s economy, arts programs in schools are being cut. What reasons would you give a politician for preserving the arts?
DRV: Wow, I don’t know how to answer that in the wake of a hurricane. Art reflects truth in some manner and that is not the forte of politicians, it seems. There are, unfortunately, greater priorities right now that I can think of. If I ruled the world, I would make rich people pay for Arts, Education, and weapons research. Basically Everything.
TWT: Just for fun, what’s your favorite movie and play?
DRV: Jean Cocteau’s Beauty and the Beast, and RENT.
TWT: Who is/was your greatest teacher?
DRV: There are different teachers for different lessons! I have had lots of teachers..more than I can name, and their lessons change as I continue to live. I try to be a good student. My fellows are my teachers. Life is the ultimate teacher..
Thank you, Daphne! And Happy New Year!
Live, Love, Learn,
Megan & The Write Teacher(s)