The actress Rayne Bidder (‘10), who is based out of Los Angeles, has landed major television and film roles in recent years. Her success in high-caliber productions hasn’t kept her from going back to the basics: the craft is alive and well. Bidder spoke with The Actors Society for a one-on-one “Pages” interview.
The conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
Can you tell me about something impactful you took away from your time at The Academy?
One of the most important things I got from The Academy was the group of actors and friends I made. We were thrust into the business and had to figure out how to compete. We were really great actors, but we had to figure out the navigate the industry. How do we make ourselves compete? For the first couple of years, it was a lot of self-producing, getting together with friends to write our own scenes, and getting into the independent film world before making it into the larger professional sphere.
And that next step of finding an agent or manager?
I was pretty lucky and able to find a manager right after graduating from The Academy. A lot of my friends weren’t as lucky as me in that regard. It’s definitely about finding the right match. It’s taken me a long time to find a team that I feel comfortable with, that understands my casting and where I’m going, and see what I want to do.
Can you say more?
As actors–coming from the world of theatre–we feel like we can play anything. We are given plays where we can create any character or role while we study at The Academy. Then you realize a lot of it comes down to marketing and branding. Learning how to properly market yourself in the industry, and figuring out your “niche,” is important.
And finding that niche and building up those credits?
It took…it took a long time. I like to work from a place of thinking that the current job I have is the last I’ll ever have. That has allowed me to fully immerse myself in the experience and enjoy whatever job I have. I don’t often look ahead, I try to get into the character and circumstances and really love the experience because this might be the last one.
Is there a favorite project you’ve worked on?
I think Rebel Moon was a very pivotal moment in my career. It was right after COVID. We came out of that feeling like the industry had changed. Not knowing whether or not there would be a place for actors in this new world…everything is virtual, you know? I didn’t meet with casting directors; everything was online. Is there going to be a space for us as performers? Maybe I need to look at something else or adjust my career, and stop focusing on acting.
I had done the first audition for Rebel Moon with a script that wasn’t what we filmed. It was from The King’s Speech, and I didn’t know what I was auditioning for, just that it was for Zack Snyder. I thought, “Good try, but this isn’t going to happen.” It was fun, and I loved doing that tape. A few months went by, and I hadn’t heard anything. Then I got a call from my agent with the new script from the film they would be shooting. I still thought there would be no way; I should just enjoy it. It was this intense scene where I played the queen of this planet being invaded, and my family was being ripped apart right in front of my eyes. I fully immersed myself in that experience and then sent it off, not thinking I’d get it.
And before we get to what happened next, can we look back at an early moment in your career that pushed you forward? I want to keep our readers on the edge of their seats.
My first professional experience was on an independent horror film. Working on that was one of those moments in my career where I felt like an actor. We filmed over the course of a month or so, spending nights in a house in Pasadena where we filmed. All the actors and the whole crew slept there, and then we would film during the day. I really felt like I was an actor–that I was doing it.
Do you jump back into stage work or an acting class?
Absolutely. I think the lovely thing about The Academy was this freedom there. You wake up, go to class, and have a full day of acting without any other worry, right? You fully immerse yourself in the work. I think for the rest of our careers, we’re seeking that.
No matter what my resumé looks like or what credits I have, I will always love to be in class. You can always learn more. That’s the lovely thing about being an actor, right? We’re never done learning. It’s about the human experience, and until we’re fully-fledged people–which will never happen–we can still learn.
Back to the idea of each job being my last, I always work on projects with friends. Just this past weekend, we met in Griffith Park and blocked out this scene we’re working on. I’ve been pretty immersed in the film and television world, but I would like to return to the stage.
Do you have a role that’s calling to you?
I love stage work. If I could tackle anything Shakespeare, that would be pretty incredible. When I was a little kid, I would spend summers in England, but I grew up mostly in East Africa.
Kenya?
Yeah, Kenya, Somalia, Ethiopia. My dad worked for the UN, my mom was a nurse. For my entire childhood, I was overseas. I think that’s how I first became interested in acting. I had the opportunity to meet so many people from different backgrounds and cultures. It opened my eyes to this. Coming out of high school and feeling like there are so many things I want to experience…acting gives us a chance to sample a bunch of different lives.
We've kept them waiting long enough. Let’s get to Rebel Moon and Frasier.
Rebel Moon was pretty incredible. I mean, Zack Snyder, right? My first time on set with the film was in the Santa Clarita area. I had to do some things with makeup, and they said, “We’re gonna cut and dye your hair.” I had no idea what character I was playing in the movie. It was kind of secretive and I hadn’t seen a script at that point. I was getting costumed and then told I would start stunt rehearsals soon. I thought they’d mixed me up with someone else. [Laughs.]
Doing a few days of stunt work was amazing–I had such an amazing experience with Zack. He has a reputation for being more focused on the action and not on acting, but he was so generous. He allows you the time on set to center yourself and get into the scene. That’s hard to do with cranes and these incredibly huge sets with 300 people working around you. On a soundstage, when you hear that buzzer go off and every single person drops what they’re doing, it becomes deadly silent. The camera focuses right on you, and you think to yourself, “This is it.”
That’s incredible. And Frasier?
I approached it like any other script. I did the first audition on tape and didn’t hear anything for a while. Then I was involved in this accident where I ended up with a huge black eye and a big gash–a cut across my eyebrow–that required a bandage from a doctor. Two days after that my agent called me and said I had an in-person callback.
I had this huge career moment where I went in looking like a mess. It was terrifying, but it unburdened me from the need to be perfect. I focused on playing the scene and hitting the emotional notes of what was happening. I figured if they cast me looking like that, I’d done something right. Joining Frasier was like being enveloped in this warm hug. People were again so warm and welcoming. You reach another level of confidence after those projects.
That’s wonderful. I think I speak for everyone when I say we’re very excited for you. Now, what’s next for you, and where might people find out more about you?
People can find me on Instagram. When people find out I have a thousand hobbies, I’m sure they’ll unfollow me. [Laughs.] I like to stay creative, and I get interested in everything.
I have dual citizenship, so I would like to work in Europe. I’m looking for the next challenge, something that will really push me, and that I’ll be happy to dig my teeth into. I’m not particular about what it is.
For a tour through Rayne Bidder's credits, check out her IMDb.