You play April Malloy in ABC’s Mistresses. Tell us a little about your character. Do you relate to her on any level?
April is a single mom and the nurturing, moral center of the group. However, this season she becomes a bit more free-spirited and daring ! I can relate to April’s endurance. No matter how much she has been through, April handles every shocking and heart-breaking situation with great strength.
Do you have an on-set bestie or favorite relationship on the show?
I don’t have an on-set bestie. I actually love working with everyone. Each of my relationships on the show brings out a different quality in April. Whether it’s her being a mom to Lucy, letting loose with her girlfriends or getting hot and steamy with my new love interest! I think that in itself is so much fun to explore every day.
Do you have any morning rituals to help prepare for a long day of filming?
My morning ritual is coffee, coffee, coffee!
One thing we noticed watching you on Mistresses was that radiant skin! What do you do to keep your skin so smooth and bright?
My favorite skin products are Face 4 Humanity’s organic face serum, and Arbonne products, especially their exfoliator and mask.
What is your ideal environment for studying lines and getting into character?
I just need to be alone in my home with peace and quiet to study.
If you could co-star with any actor or actress in the world, dead or alive, who would you choose?
If I could co-star with anyone in the world it would be with Meryl Streep.
You’ve done some public speaking about overcoming adversity. Is there a specific message you’d like to share with those having trouble on their path to success?
I would just encourage them to not give up. The ones who don’t make it are the ones who stopped pursuing their dream. Pursue it with a vengeance and do not be afraid to fail because that is where character is built.
Fill in the blank: After a long day on set, the first thing I want to do is _________.
Take a shower and have a glass of red wine.
What would be your dream role?
My dream role would be to combine my love for dance and acting together!
Do you have any other exciting projects coming up we should look out for?
I worked on a fun indie film called My Favorite Five, a romantic comedy written and directed by Paul Hannah.
Where can we go to keep up with your exciting adventures?
You can always stay in the loop with my adventures via Instagram (rochel- leaytes4real) or Twitter (rochelleaytes).
Photographer: Viktorija Pashuta
Photographer Assistant: David Ramirez
Wardrobe Stylist: Tiffani Chynel
Makeup: Ashley Gomila
Hair: Tre Major