This Is Real, This Is Me

Hello! I'm Rachael. I don't really believe in astrology, but I do believe in Jane Austen.

I was born in a tiny northern New Jersey town to city folk who moved to the suburbs. My dad immigrated from Hong Kong to Manhattan as a kid, where he eventually met my mom, who was born in NYC. They both grew up in families of four with hardworking parents and not a lot of money. I believe the stories they've told me about their childhoods throughout my own adolescence have shaped me greatly. 

My exposure to acting didn't truly begin until I went to Bergen County Academies–a public magnet high school for smart kids–as a theatre major. During those years I learned how to act, continued singing and furthered my love of music, and even gained some confidence in my dancing. This burst of art and purpose led me to pursue acting in college as well. I graduated from NYU Tisch with a BFA in Drama (though I avoid drama in daily life) and a minor in the Business of Entertainment, Media, and Technology–the first college class to graduate in the pandemic. Fun!!

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Some of my favorite credits include Mrs. Gibbs in Our Town (Montclair State University Theatre Night Awards Winner for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama and Outstanding Live Music–I was the Music Director too!), Éponine in Les Misérables, Sally Bowles in Cabaret, Meiko in THIRTEEN/WNET's Mission US: Prisoner in My Homeland, and now, the femme Trailblazer Stelle in Honkai: Star Rail. One day very soon, I'd love to play a super-powered individual, a non-white version of a classic literary heroine, a femme Indiana Jones, or all of the above.