Or Die Trying executive producers Sarah Hawkins and Myah Hollis caught up with actress Adrienne Rose White to talk about her experience playing "Camilla" in ODT Season 1.
ODT: Where are you from?
Adrienne Rose White: Chesterfield, Missouri - but I moved to LA from NYC.
ODT: What character do you play in Or Die Trying?
ARW: Camilla, Raegan's confidante and friend-turned-assistant.
ODT: What made you want to pursue acting?
ARW: I was studying yoga on an ashram in India - like you do - and the 'shram had a talent show. I didn't have a talent, but I wanted to be a part of it, so I offered to host. Long story short, nobody offered to share their talent, so I wrote a monologue the night before the show. When I performed it, I felt so present, like my best self, and the audience - these super-tired yogis - just lit up, applauding cheering. It was amazing. Then other yogis spontaneously started sharing their talents, and I just kept the crowd going between the acts. So I realized performing was a way for me to tap into my best, most present self, and to be generous and lift other people up. And for me, that took shape with acting.
Also, I did plays in high school.
ODT: What first drew you to this series?
ARW: When Chelsea first showed me the trailer, I was like, "That is a show I want to watch! That is a show I'll be a part of... or die trying." (Yeah, I'm corny as hell). So when they were casting the first season, I submitted for it, read the script, and saw the dynamic female characters Myah had crafted. And I was so into it.
ODT: Without giving too much away, what do you relate to most with your character?
ARW: Wanting to look out for my friends and do my best at my job. It can be hard to do both really well at the same time!
ODT: What was it like to work on a set with a predominately female crew?
ARW: Fucking phenomenal. So chill, so professional, so supportive.
ODT: What do you think is the best way for the industry to go about closing the gender gap?
ARW: Supporting series like these, so that there will be more of them.
ODT: What other projects are you working on?
ARW: I'm currently producing a short Myah wrote called "Couples Therapy," writing with my creative partner Aliee Chan, and directing a web series by Veronica Wylie, "Adventures in Online Dating."
