Rachel Hilson facts for kids

Rachel Naomi Hilson (born October 30, 1995) is an American actress. She began her acting journey in 2010. Her first big role was in the TV show The Good Wife, where she played Nisa Dalmar. Rachel has also had important roles in other popular shows like Rise and This Is Us. She is also well-known for her main role in the teen drama Love, Victor on Hulu.

About Rachel Hilson

Rachel Naomi Hilson was born on October 30, 1995, in Baltimore, Maryland. Her parents are Anita and Robert Hilson. She also has a sister named Kimberly.

Early Discoveries

Rachel started dancing when she was just three years old. Like many kids, she dreamed of being many things, such as a surgeon or even an astronaut, inspired by Mae Jemison. She also enjoyed writing and illustrating her own books. But her love for dance was special. She spent a lot of time practicing for dance shows and camps. She even loved acting out scenes from the movie Center Stage.

When Rachel was 12, an agent noticed her talent, and she started acting. That summer, her mom encouraged her to attend the Broadway Artist Alliance in New York. Rachel auditioned for dance, but also had to read lines and sing a song.

Soon after, an agent named Nancy Carson asked Rachel to dance in the children's musical show, LazyTown. After traveling to Iceland with her mom for filming, Rachel officially signed with Nancy. This led her to audition for the Baltimore School for the Arts (BSA).

High School Years

At BSA, Rachel continued to dance and act. She also played sports. She has said that her high school theater program helped her become more confident and less shy.

College Life

After high school, Rachel went to New York University. She studied at the Gallatin School of Individualized Study, where she could create her own unique study plan. During college, Rachel acted in several plays, including Hamlet. She graduated in 2018. Her studies focused on how race is shown in writing and performances. While in college, Rachel also worked as a bread salesperson. She even served the famous actress Lupita Nyong'o once!

Rachel's Acting Career

First Roles (2010–2018)

When Rachel lived in Baltimore, she and her mom would often take bus trips to New York for auditions. They were very happy when she got her first few roles. One was in a short film, and the other was her recurring role as Nisa in The Good Wife. This was her first TV appearance at 15 years old. The show starred Julianna Margulies and Josh Charles. Rachel has shared that getting roles wasn't always easy, and she faced many rejections.

However, over the next ten years, Rachel appeared as a guest star in many TV shows. These include Royal Pains, Elementary, Nurse Jackie, The Affair, Madam Secretary, The Americans, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, and First Wives Club.

Later, Rachel starred with Halle Berry in her first movie, Kings. The movie first showed at the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival and was released widely in April 2018. Rachel said that working on Kings was a "dream come true." In the same year, she played Harmony in the NBC musical drama Rise. Rachel was in all 10 episodes of the show, which required her to sing and act. This role reminded her a lot of her high school days.

Newer Roles (2019–Present)

In 2019, Rachel joined the cast of This Is Us. She played the teenage version of Beth Pearson, a character played by Susan Kelechi Watson. Rachel also worked alongside Phylicia Rashad, who played Beth's mother. Rachel watched the entire series after getting the role.

On August 30, 2019, Rachel took over the role of Mia in Love, Victor. This show is a follow-up to the 2018 movie Love, Simon. The writers changed the character of Mia to fit Rachel better. Rachel had previously auditioned for a different role in the Love, Simon movie. Mia became Rachel's first main role as a series regular. Rachel later found out that a producer from This Is Us had suggested her for the role of Mia. She watched Love, Simon for the first time right before she got the part. After getting the role, she read the book that inspired the movie, Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda. Rachel feels that playing Mia gave her a chance to tell a special story about a young Black teenage girl.

On August 21, 2021, Rachel joined the cast of HBO's Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty.

Film and Television Roles

Movies

Television Shows