Rachel Stubington landed the role of a lifetime as Summer on the hit show Shrinking, where she acts alongside veterans like Harrison Ford, Jason Segel, and Christa Miller and says some of the most outlandish dialogue on TV. Stubington spoke with NYOTA about how playing Summer is her version of exposure therapy, her dynamic with co-star Lukita Maxwell, and how her lack of athleticism led her to acting.

What first drew you to acting, and when did you realize it was something you wanted to pursue seriously?

I’m really, really unathletic. Like, I’m so bad at sports and anything involving any sort of movement, so when I realized there was an activity I could do after school that very rarely forced me to sweat, I was all in on it. I did so many musicals as a kid, and my sweet mom would sit through every show and every solo, no matter how off-pitch I was. I think, in so many ways, I always felt I could pursue this as a career because of how much faith my family put in me. My Nana would drive me every weekend from the Valley to the City (if you’re not from LA, know that that distance in traffic is a true display of love) so I could go to improv classes. I also really want an Erewhon smoothie named after me, so I realized that acting is probably the most efficient way to get there. 

The cast in Shrinking all play off each other so well. When you have big group scenes, how much rehearsal goes into that versus discovering it in the moment?

What’s really cool is I feel like we’ve gotten into a great groove of group dynamics from how many scenes we’ve all done together. It truly feels like a family where we’re safe to play and try new things. The writers and directors of this season put so much into crafting the story, and I feel like my first goal is to honor their vision, but I’m really grateful to be allowed to add stuff in the moment as well. So I guess to answer the question, it’s totally a mix of both. 

Summer is incredibly singular and says things without fear of embarrassment. Is it freeing to step into her shoes and follow wherever the script takes her?

It is the best ever. It truly is exposure therapy. I get to stare down some of the most cherished actors of our generation and say the most ridiculous things, and I wouldn’t want it any other way. In so many ways, this show is Jimmying me out of social anxiety. Summer has this incredible freedom in the way she speaks, and you gotta commit to that fully when playing her. 

Summer and Alice have such a believable friendship, even when they clash. How did you and Lukita Maxwell build that dynamic off-screen?

God, I love Lukita Maxwell so much. I am just in awe of her talent and coolness constantly, and it is so easy to play her friend. My first day of filming, I was so scared, and she just made me feel so welcomed, so that dynamic has always come super easily. We have so much fun doing scenes together, and it’s so easy to get lost in their friendship. 

Summer travels with Alice to move her into Wesleyan, and along the way, they make a pit stop to visit Paul. It’s hilarious to see the dynamic between Paul and Summer, who could not be more at odds even when they’re only speaking a few words to each other. What is it like acting opposite Harrison Ford, and what have you learned from that experience?

He is the coolest. It’s all anyone ever wants to ask me, and honestly, I’m so excited to confirm that he lives up to everyone’s expectations. I mean, the man has two rides at Disneyland. He is such a pro, treats everyone around him with respect, and cares so much about acting. I also have learned from him that, in the right setting, fedoras can be cool. 

Throughout the show, Summer and Alice have been each other’s rocks. How do you think they’ll cope with being apart?

I actually have no idea. I feel like so much of Summer’s identity is wrapped around her best friend, so this is gonna suck for her, but also maybe push her into finding her own passions or dreams. I just hope she isn’t one of those people who get really into reformer pilates and make it their whole personality. I think she has so much love and such incredible style (all credit goes to our incredible costume designer Allyson Fanger), and she always goes for what she wants, so I hope she figures out how to put that to good use. 

How have you grown as a performer from Season 1 to now?

I genuinely had never been on a sound stage before season one. Now I know where all the bathrooms are on set and that you need to hold your mic pack when you pee, or it’ll fall in the toilet. I feel like I know Summer so much better now, and I get to expand on her world every time I get a new script. I’m not sure if it is zoloft or maturity, but I also feel much more okay with taking risks; it is most definitely due to the environment that everyone on the show has fostered. 

What advice do you have for aspiring actors?

You need to be really okay with everything happening in its own time. I still struggle with this so much, but you’re choosing a job you have so little control over, so it’s really important to find things outside of auditions that bring you happiness and fulfillment. Shrinking is such a blessing, and it came after, no joke, 10 years of auditioning and falling on my face and forcing myself to get back up again.