We were lucky to catch up with Raquel Lebish recently and have shared our conversation below.

Raquel, appreciate you joining us today. Have you signed with an agent or manager? Why or why not?

I currently have representation in Miami, North Carolina (commercially), Chicago (nationally) and a manager in Los Angeles. I had gotten one one of my reps through referral, but the rest were cold-submits — so those do work! But it took me a long time to get the team I have now. I remember self-submitting to agencies really young, thirteen or so, and never hearing back — and then one day the pieces began to naturally fall into place. I think agents can really sense when someone is ready to be sent out for opportunities/auditions, so I’m a firm believer that up until I was signed my material wasn’t a strong representation of the kind of actor I wanted to market myself as, and so I’m very grateful to have gained my rep when I did. I’ve only been with my team ranging from a couple of years to six months, but they’re truly such wonderful people to work with. I’m still getting used to working with professionals that care about both your career and individual self, but it’s been great so far. They’re all very understanding of my commitment to school right now, yet continue to bring me opportunities I otherwise wouldn’t receive.

Raquel, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My name is Raquel Lebish, I’m originally born and raised in Miami Florida, and I’m a performer currently training at the University of North Carolina School for the Arts! I’ve been professionally acting for around three years now, but basically grew up in the theater. My dad and mom were both artists at some point, and so I naturally became involved in that world from an early age. In 2023, When I was a senior in high school, I auditioned and booked my first ever film, “Becoming Vera”. Since then, I’ve had the opportunity to work on two additional films, work on commercials for brands such as McDonalds and Lenovo, and am now tackling my spring semester of my sophomore year of college!

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

There was a period in high school where I was convinced that being a great actor equated to losing myself in the art completely. My mindset was acting or nothing; If eating or sleeping got in the way of memorizing, it’d be put on the back burner. It was very unhealthy, obviously. However, my time in the acting program at UNCSA has taught me the importance of forming identity apart from my job. Over time, my commitment to the craft hasn’t strayed, but rather I’ve created a balance between what makes Raquel feel human and happy and at peace and let that translate into my work. I think that people who tend to isolate and lose sight of themselves in the process can fall into really dangerous territory — I have fallen into that, and it’s taken over a year and then some to heal from sacrificing my entire self for this work. NOTHING is above your wellbeing.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

From personal experience, what I’ve found difficult for non-creatives to wrap their head around is a) the dedication, and b) the intimacy. This job can be all consuming, requiring fast turnarounds and the ability to adjust at a minutes notice. Sometimes that means having to spend time away from family, or not being able to put full effort into relationships. That’s been difficult to communicate, for sure. But I always try to remind those people that actors, at least in my experience, are the ones who actually have to deal with all this change. It’s not easy for me, as someone who loves to be with my loved ones and wants to prioritize my time with them. But that’s not always the case.
Similar to intimacy — there’s a misconception that performers “enjoy” filming or staging intimate scenes, but it’s actually so technical and specific (in order to keep us actors safe) that its very far from enjoyment. It’s a component that’s apart of the job, but we don’t do the job because we get to be intimate with other people.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.becomingvera.com/
• Instagram: Raquellebishh
• Youtube: Raquel Lebish
• Other: IMDB Pro – https://m.imdb.com/name/nm14555484/?ref_=m_ttfcd_cl1

Image Credits

Zachary Ogle, Aaron Pagniano

Jamie Zhao