Rachel Hilson facts for kids

Rachel Naomi Hilson is an American actress. She started her acting journey in 2010. Her first big role was on the TV show The Good Wife.

In 2025, Rachel played a main character, FBI agent Nina Hayes, in the crime thriller series Duster. She has also had important roles in other TV shows. These include Rise and This Is Us on NBC. She also played a lead role in the teen drama Love, Victor on Hulu.

About Rachel Hilson's Early Life

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

Rachel's Start in Dance and Acting

Rachel began dancing when she was just 3 years old. She loved dance very much. She spent a lot of time practicing for shows like The Nutcracker. She also enjoyed acting out scenes from the movie Center Stage.

When Rachel was 12, an agent discovered her talent. This led her to start acting. That summer, her mom encouraged her to attend the Broadway Artist Alliance in New York. There, she was noticed by Nancy Carson, who later became her agent. Nancy asked Rachel to dance in the children's musical series LazyTown. Rachel traveled to Iceland with her mom for the filming. A few months later, she officially signed with Nancy Carson.

Rachel then auditioned for the Baltimore School for the Arts (BSA). At BSA, she continued to dance and act. She also played sports. Rachel has said that her high school theater program helped her become less shy.

College Years and Studies

Rachel went to New York University's Gallatin School of Individualized Study. This school allowed her to create her own study plan. During college, Rachel acted in several theater plays, including Hamlet. She graduated in 2018. Her studies focused on writing and performing about race. While in college, she also worked part-time selling bread. She even served the famous actress Lupita Nyong'o once!

Rachel Hilson's Acting Career

When Rachel lived in Baltimore, she and her mother would often take buses to New York for auditions. One of her first successful auditions was for the TV show The Good Wife. She was 15 years old when she got the recurring role of Nisa.

Early TV Appearances

Over the next ten years, Rachel appeared in many TV shows. These included Royal Pains, Elementary, Nurse Jackie, The Affair, Madam Secretary, The Americans, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, and First Wives Club.

Film and Major TV Roles

Rachel starred alongside Halle Berry in her first movie, Kings. This film was shown at the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival. Rachel called this project a "dream come true." In the same year, she had a recurring role as Harmony in the NBC musical drama Rise.

In 2019, Rachel played the teenage version of Beth Pearson in the popular show This Is Us. The adult Beth was played by Susan Kelechi Watson. In August 2019, Rachel took over the role of Mia in Love, Victor. This show is a sequel to the 2018 movie Love, Simon. This was Rachel's first time as a regular cast member in a TV series.

On August 21, 2021, Rachel joined the cast of HBO's Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty. In 2025, she played a main role in the Max series Duster, acting alongside Josh Holloway.

Rachel Hilson's Filmography

Movies

Television Shows