Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Rebi Paganini. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Rebi thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Are you happy as a creative professional? Do you sometimes wonder what it would be like to work for someone else?

This is a great question. Like so many actors in New York City, I am also a server. I recently received a promotion within the restaurant and excitedly told my parents of my new responsibilities and small raise. It was then my father asked me an earth shattering question: “Are you going to be a career waitress?”. I was stunned. Mostly because I had never considered it. I mean for god sakes, I’m a child of only 31 years! In my head, I would eventually get my big break and become a full time actor. Now, is there anything wrong with having a career as a waiter? No, of course not. A job is a job and every single one is necessary. And if you don’t think waiting tables is a real job, I invite you to stop dining out, or better yet try it for a single shift. It was simply that the thought of this job being in my life forever never entered my mind, whether that’s delusional or not.

The real question I had to answer was not if I would be a career waitress, but rather would it be enough. I don’t wait tables because I love it, or because it fuels me; I wait tables because when I get an audition, I can call out. Because when I book a play that runs for two months, I can make a smooth exit and return when the show closes. I wait tables because it affords me the freedom to do the thing I know I was born to do; act. I wait tables because it’s what pays my rent and head shots. All this to say, do I fantasize about being corporate and having disposable income? Absolutely. Do I get sad when my office job friends text about a 6pm happy hour that I can’t attend because I’m clocking in for the night shift? No doubt. But no office job, no after work drinks, can hold a candle to how it feels to be performing. If being a career waitress means that I can continue to feel that joy, even if it’s twice a year, once a year, then it is absolutely enough. This was a huge epiphany because I realized I wasn’t waiting for a big break; I’m living it. I am a working actor in one of the busiest cities in the world. I am an actor. I am a waiter. And that is enough for this 31 year old teenager.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

When I was in middle school, I auditioned to perform scenes from Shakespeare with the Semi Royal Shakespeare Company; at the time, it was the longest running Shakespeare troupe for teens and a massive honor for a 12 year old me. During my Merry Wives of Windsor scene, I had a brilliant idea; when the character of Falstaff, a talented teen in a crude fat suit, sat next to me, I would pop myself up from the couch, as if his weight made me bounce. My time came, and I executed; it was risky! Never practiced, and not planned, but in that moment, I got the gag. He sat, I bounced, and the room roared with laughter. I have been chasing that feeling ever since.

I later officially joined the troupe, playing characters from moody Hermia to mysterious First Witch in Macbeth. This solidified my love for the classics, and live theater in general. My time outside the Semi Royal Shakespeare Club was spent at P.A.C.E., my high school’s drama program, where I performed Thorton Wilder and learned contact improv, among other things. It was there that I learned about headshots and resumes and began to pursue acting fully. I was admitted to New York State Summer School of the Arts where I ate, slept, and breathed performing.

Needless to say, I’ve known from a young age where I belonged. I was thriving in these acting programs, being filled with confidence through excited teachers who saw my potential (thanks, Mr. Fred!). Which is why the countless rejections from College acting programs was so devastating. I was told no by several schools; how could this be? I was the lead in Pullman Car Hiawatha in my high school, was admitted to NYSSSA, my friends thought I was destined for the screen! This was a huge blow. However, it was also my first lesson in tenacity.

I decided I would spend a semester undeclared at Pace University and reaudition. And wouldn’t you know it, it worked. I was admitted and began to study the thing I loved again. I thought it would all be smooth sailing from here on out; I had finally made it. Boy, was I wrong. Here I was, coming into a tight-knit program a semester late, with cliques already established, and favorites already picked. This coupled with certain teachers who liked to comment on your weight or tell you things like, “you remind me of Julia Roberts. In a bad way. Your face, it’s just so much”. But despite all of that, through the teachers that taught with love of the craft (like the incredible Julie Fain Lawrence), I learned. I learned to fight. And I don’t just mean my stage combat class. I learned to fight for the thing I loved and the thing I wanted. I learned to quiet the nay-sayers, I learned to memorize pages quickly, I learned my strength as a comedian, I learned to be a small fish in a big pond, and how to grow.

At the end of my four years, I was finally cast in the end of year Main Stage play; a play that got you an off-Broadway credit, a play that had a professional director. It was here that I understood my type; I was playing Tyler in Labute’s Some Girl(s). She fit me like a glove; edgy, funny. and a little off the beaten path. Think Annie Murphy if she was from Manhattan. After four years of feeling I didn’t belong, I finally wrestled my way in. I made them see me.

I say all of this to illustrate how rejection is not a final no. I don’t see “no” as the end, but rather a new opportunity to find a different tactic. My highschool experience built me up, and my college experience taught me to fortify those walls, Since college, I have preformed off-Broadway again (I Carry Your Heart, by Georgette Kelly), have been in major films (Trial of The Chicago Seven), Netflix series (Times Square Killer), have filmed pilots, commercials, and short films of every genre. I have performed stand up and crushed it! After cold emailing countless managers, I saw an early morning open call for LAU’s adult department; I went, showed them my stuff and got a manager. Shout out to Jackie Reid! I later got amazing agents (Tory and Barry at Carson Kolker), I created my own work.  I encountered so many closed doors and have found a window to hoist myself through each and every time. I believe this is what sets me apart. Of course, I think I’m talented and capable, you have to believe that. But I also acknowledge my grit. And I am so thankful for those who helped me find it, through support or through telling me ‘no’,

Most recently, I was nominated for Best Actress in a Short by NYCinefest (an amazing festival organized by the talented Gustavo Sampaio), an award I was nominated for and took home last year! Both shorts that got me nominated are by Grey Sky Films, an incredible production company based in New Jersey. Check out their work, particularly ‘One Night Stand’- I’m biased as the lead, but I think it’s a riot! Additionally, I am a part of a pitch deck for a new 2025 feature written and directed by Ashley L. Canfield, with my co-star John Anthony Torres, who is also executive producing. Exciting things are on the horizon! There will also be a lot of  no’s; which I welcome with a smile as I go around the back to find another entrance.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

I think, or rather hope, that the pandemic helped people find a new respect for creatives. When all the restaurants and bars were closed, what did we do? We watched movies, we binged series, we scrolled TikTok. We turned to the entertainers. I hope that people will respect the profession of actors as they do any other job. Because it is a job, and beyond that, it’s a necessary one! We tell stories that need to be heard, and help those feeling alone feel seen. So go see your friends plays! Stream their pilots! Buy art locally! Champion them when they feel they haven’t got it in them to do it themselves. I think a little respect and a little support would do a lot to help creatives feel that they are valid in their endeavors, profession, and dreams.

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

This is a callback to a previous question, but remember the Julia Roberts comment? Yeah, me too. For years it haunted me- I would spend hours in the mirror practicing reactions, I would watch back self-tapes and critique every movement my face made. I thought I was just too much, and when you’re constantly in your head about how you look, it does not make for good acting. However, years after I left college, I was cast in a hilarious short film (One Night Stand – Grey Sky Films). It was a non-stop fun comedy with an amazing team and was one of the best acting experiences of my life. It was also one of the few times I let all the negative self-talk go; I felt so safe and supported and that I was truly there because I deserved to be.

It was while the film was in festival circulation that someone said something about my performance that stopped me in my tracks: “Your face is so expressive”. Oh, no. The Julia Robert’s curse. I was too much again. “It’s so great, you remind me of Lucille Ball. Do you practice in the mirror, or how do you do it?”. I was like wow… not only do they not hate it… they actually… like it? It was a huge moment of realization. Just because one person thinks you are too much does not mean you are too much. So I think there are a couple lessons here; one being, choose your words carefully. What seems like an innocuous quip can stay with someone for years. And second, just because one person thinks something about you, does not make it true. You can be the ripest peach in the world, but there will always be someone who doesn’t like peaches! Turns out this over expressive peach is really good at comedy!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://rebipaganini.wixsite.com/rebipaganini
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rebi.paganini/

Image Credits

Seehee Kim
Luis Gonzalez0-Porto
Grey Sky Films