“ THE WHOLE SHOOT STARTED OFF WITH THIS FEELING OF, ‘LET’S MAKE LEMONADE OUT OF LEMONS.’ IT WAS JUST SUCH A GOOD, SPONTANEOUS NOTE TO START ON.”

“ LET'S MAKE LEMONADE OUT OF LEMONS.”

OR __ I really liked the Elie Saab shot. I also loved the red Trussardi look. I think as I've gotten older, I've become more comfortable with my body, so the red look was fun for me because it was more sexy, and I haven't really done that too much. I have naturally curly hair, and I don't always wear it every day. So I'm always happy when I get an amazing hairstylist who knows how to make me love my curls again. I also loved how we kind of got crazy: "Oh, we have a bike here. Let's use the bike. Okay, let's smoke a cigarette in this corner." It was just the spontaneity of the shoot that made it really fun for me. I act for work, and on a set you move pretty quickly when you're not waiting around. There's a lot going on. There are 100 people and it can be very stimulating. So I liked the vibe and momentum that we had that day.

DG __ I remember during the shoot you mentioned that you grew up with six brothers. Growing up in such a lively household, do you think that gave you qualities that help you as an actor?

OR __ There was something humbling about growing up with so many brothers, especially with everyone being outside of the industry. I recently saw my family, who I hadn't seen in a long time, and they care the perfect amount. They're proud of me, but I'm also still just a sister, an aunt, a daughter. I have all these different positions in my life that bring out different sides of myself. I definitely think all of those life experiences help me with my range.

DG __ I never thought about it that way, but it's almost like walking into many different roles, which is similar to acting. So who were you before you started acting professionally?

OR __ It's funny, because before I even did it professionally, I would always put on plays at home, and I lived a lot in my imagination. I loved playing house, I loved playing with dolls, and one of my favorite things to do with my friends was write plays at home and put on shows for my parents. When I was a little older, I'd make movies on iMovie. I used to force my brothers to be in my plays before they got older and had a say [laughs]. I would dress them up as girls and stuff, and do their makeup before they could speak up for themselves. So I was kind of always this person, if I'm being honest, for as long as I can remember.

DG __ The title The Isolate Thief suggests themes of solitude. How did the isolation of this world influence the way you approached your character?

OR __ This was the hardest character I've ever played because there was nothing in my life I could draw from. It was a completely different time period, and I had to do an accent. I had to play someone who had been raped and kidnapped, lost her family, and committed extreme acts to survive. I felt very alone in it because Mackenzie was the only other woman, but she was going through a different experience with this movie. We were also shooting very quickly, so I had a lot of nights where I went back to the hotel and just felt alone. Going to sleep at night was hard. It's hard to shake off everything you did that day. Sometimes you need the validation that you were even doing a good job. We filmed in Arkansas, so I was far from home, family, and friends, and I kept thinking, "I really hope I did the character justice." I want people who have, God forbid, been through something like this to feel like I'm honoring their experience and portraying even a little bit of the pain they feel. Obviously, I can't match that, but it felt like a lot of pressure. There was a lot of newness to everything, which made it really scary.

DG __ Are you a method actor? I’m asking because what you just told me sounds intense, do you stay in character when you are off camera?

OR __ I did things that were a little bit method for this. Before a scene, I would definitely read stories of women who had been through similar things. I would journal a lot as my character in that time period. I also watched Red Dead Redemption. It's a video game, but I couldn't find a good reference for a very strong female character in a Western. I needed to watch movies and immerse myself in the time period, so sometimes before going to sleep I would just play the gameplay of Red Dead Redemption. I put a lot of work into my process.

“ MITHRIDATE HAS THIS AURA OF CONFIDENCE WHEN YOU WEAR THEIR CLOTHES.”

DG __ Once production was finished, what did you feel stayed with you from participating in this movie?

OR __ I think what stayed with me is that this movie gave me a lot of confidence. I was so scared at first, and the final product is subjective, but what was objective to me was that, in a short amount of time, I committed every second I had from my free time to serving this character as much justice as I could. Also, I learned to ride a horse. That's pretty cool. I also had fun shooting old guns. As someone who grew up always thinking I wasn’t athletic, anytime I do action and pull it off, I walk away with a ton of confidence.

OR __ I was also thinking about what you said about the accent. That must have been challenging.

OR __ I actually think a Southern accent might be easier for me than other accents because when I first moved to America, I moved to Alabama, and I did a Southern accent in Dumplin'. Doing an accent is always an added layer, and I think it helped my character a lot. If she didn't have that accent, she would be half of who she is.

DG __ The accent made the character feel realistic. The landscape was also beautiful. And I'm glad you learned horse riding. I hear it's a beautiful connection you have with the animal, and a lot of actors think very highly of it.

OR __ It's a very beautiful and sensitive animal. In the beginning, I was so nervous, and they felt that anxiety. It's kind of like being with a child, where I'm like, "Okay, I almost have to pretend that I'm confident in this to make them feel better." And that gets you out of your head in a very helpful way.

DG __ What values have become more important to you over time and why?

OR __ I value my personal health, and I value the importance of my family and the family I want to raise one day above my career. That's something I learned as I got older. I think the foundation of family is the most humbling and grounding thing you can have.

DG __ If you could capture this chapter of your life in a single photograph, what would we see in the frame?

OR __ I'm very inspired right now by Rosalía's album, and I just went to her performance, which was the best concert I've ever seen. So it would have to do something with light and me wanting to go toward light. I don't know exactly what it is, but I imagine some sort of opening with light shining in and me moving toward it. That's kind of how I see this next chapter of my life: going toward something higher than success, money, or ego. Something that helps me radiate on a higher level. 

DG __ What would you keep outside of the frame?

OR __ Low-vibration things. Gossip, ego, jealousy, putting people down. Not saying that I did that before, but just things that I associate with low vibration.

DG __ I hear a theme of energy, could you explain more?

Total look DSQUARED2, loafer BARED.

OR __ I believe in God, but I also have my own ways of looking at things. I think there are certain principles I've learned through the years. One of them is that when you make hard decisions, I feel like God rewards you, or the universe rewards you. I think it's very important to trust your gut with things that don't feel good, and with people that don't feel good, and to move toward the light. Being around people who inspire you, people you want to be like, and people who make you feel comfortable in your own skin. And above all, being kind. I think the easier you go on yourself, the easier you go on other people. A lot of times, when you're extremely judgmental of yourself, you end up being judgmental of others. So I'm learning to go easier on myself as a human being, allowing myself to make mistakes, allowing myself not to be happy 24/7, and allowing myself to have those instinctual reactions that aren't always "perfect." Just allowing the human in me to exist and letting go of some control.

“ THIS WAS THE HARDEST CHARACTER I’VE EVER PLAYED BECAUSE THERE WAS NOTHING IN MY LIFE I COULD DRAW FROM.”

—  ODEYA RUSH ON HER ROLE IN THE ISOLATE THIEF

BEHIND THE STORY: What began as a cover shoot quickly became something we never saw coming. As production trucks rolled up outside our building and crews got to work, everything shifted. Suddenly, we weren't just photographing Odeya Rush. We were in the middle of a city doing what it does best: telling stories. It was one of those rare days when timing, instinct, and opportunity aligned. You can't manufacture a moment like that. — Kevin Sinclair

“ I REALLY HOPE I DID HER JUSTICE. I WANT PEOPLE WHO HAVE, GOD FORBID, BEEN THROUGH SOMETHING LIKE THIS TO FEEL LIKE I’M HONORING THEIR EXPERIENCE.”

—  ODEYA RUSH ON HER ROLE IN THE ISOLATE THIEF

“ THE EASIER YOU GO ON YOURSELF, THE EASIER YOU GO ON OTHER PEOPLE.”

Editor-in-Chief Kevin Sinclair, Fashion Editor Oretta Corbelli (Honey Artists), Interview David Gargiulo, Hair Virginie Pineda (The Visionaries), Makeup Janice Daoud (The Wall Group), Talent Odeya Rush (Mgmt Entertainment), Documented in Los Angeles.