Welcome to The Come-Up, where rising Gen-Z talent checks in on their way to the top. Here, actor Reign Edwards, star of Amazon’s daring new Lord of the Flies-esque series The Wilds, tells us how she got her start.
VITALS
Hey, my name is Reign Edwards and my mom always said that “if you do what you love, you’ll never work a day in your life”… so I’m really glad that worked out.
Hometown: Harford County, MD
Pronouns: She/Her
IG: @reignedwards
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Rising sign: Taurus
Moon sign: Leo
Where you’ve seen me: Snowfall on FX, Pilgrim (Into The Dark) on Hulu, Hellfest by CBS Films, MacGyver on CBS
Where you’ll see me next: The Wilds on Amazon Prime, and my new film Love You Anyway from Wayfarer Studios
Joah Brown Snap Crop Tank, $84, available at joahbrown.com; Golden Goose Breezy Jeans, $940, available at goldengoose.com; Matania Coat; Christian Wijnants Abra Sandals, $303, available at farfetch.com; stylist’s own jewelry.
FAVES
Cause(s) I’m passionate about: I’m passionate about a lot of things, but I would say as an actress, I’m really passionate about telling Black stories that show our humanity as a people. I tend to lean away from stereotypical roles. I would hope that with every role I play, whether I’m playing a young Black girl or a grown Black woman, that the audience leaves understanding that she’s human and she has the right to be human. It’s always been important, but I think during this time where the world is seeking to understand and help mend the pains of the Black community, one of the biggest things is to simply recognize our humanity.
Fictional character: Brandy as Cinderella in Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella
Comfort food: Burger and fries
Role model: My mom
Song I know all the lyrics to: “Satisfied” from Hamilton
Hobby: Watching YouTube vlogs (lmao)
Three items I can’t live without: My Bible, my lip balm, and music
Curse word: Shit or fuck are my go to’s. You become a sailor when you work on set!
Hollywood Trading Company Jacket; Matania Zebra Mesh Bodysuit, $300, available at mataniastudio.com; Hollywood Trading Company Skirt; Baja East x Brother Vellies Boots; Dalmata Thick Cristallo Chain, $32, available at shopdalmata.com; Dalmata The Holy Chain, $55, available at shopdalmata.com; Gabriel & Co. 14K Yellow Gold Cushion Cut Rock Crystal/Black Pearl and Diamond Halo Ring, $1,045, available at gabrielny.com.
FIRSTS
Pet: A kitty named Midnight
Role: Zonia Loomis in Joe Turner’s Come and Gone by August Wilson
Couple I stanned: Cinderella (Brandy) and The Prince (Paolo Montalban) in Cinderella. It was sealed once they sang the song “Do I Love You Because You’re Beautiful?”
Teen show I loved: That’s So Raven
Audition story: I can’t remember my first audition, but I technically didn’t audition for the first thing I booked. I booked a photoshoot off of a headshot when I was three years old. I covered my eyes the entire time because I thought the photographer looked scary.
Time my alarm goes off in the morning: That heavily depends on whether or not I’m in the process of filming a project. If I’m filming, my alarm most likely goes off early for call time reasons. If I’m not, it’s definitely between 9 and 10 a.m..
Time I saw myself represented on screen: Brandy as Cinderella in Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella.
Laneus Dress; BCBGeneration Marlo Boots; $118, available at bcbg.com; The Sis Kiss Clearly Crystal Cross Necklace, $44, available at thesiskiss.com; The Sis Kiss Clearly Crystal Classic Cross Necklace, $22, available at thesiskiss.com; Necklace; The Sis Kiss Necklace; Gabriel & Co. 14K White Gold Elongated Teardrop Rock Crystal Drop Earrings, $1,420, available at gabrielny.com.
LASTS
Show I binged: Currently binging Alex Rider.
Movie I saw: A Knight’s Tale
Book I read: The Richest Man in Babylon by George S. Clason
Person I texted: Helena Howard, who plays my fraternal twin on The Wilds
Weird Instagram buy: I haven’t bought anything off of there yet. I intentionally avoid that section of the app so as to not set myself up for failure.
Last time I felt proud of myself: A few weeks ago! I just did a whole bunch of things I’ve been telling myself I’d do for a while that really just made my spirit happy.
Genny Suit; Golden Goose Sneakers; Dalmata The Silver Mini Femme Bust, $50, available at shopdalmata.com; Dalmata Mini Gem Ring, $35, available at shopdalmata.com; Dalmata Earrings.
GOALS
How I want to change the world: Honestly, I just want people to feel loved.
How my generation will change the world: That is a huge question to answer! I feel like the passion of my generation has, in so many ways, already changed the world. We’re loud. We make noise. I’d say a flaw we have is that, because of social media, I think many have come to believe that the only way to be loud or passionate is done by a post or by way of documenting events on camera. For myself, I just believe there’s something rewarding about being present and in the moment when you make change, regardless of social media or having to document it in some way. The changes I want to be a part of are personal to me. They’re close to my heart, so it’s not necessarily for everyone to see. This doesn’t mean that the actions I take won’t be a part of an outcome that everyone will see. Not to say that posting about your passions is bad; it’s definitely a tool. But it’s not the only tool in the shed. I think that if we can grasp that — if we can find the balance in everyone using their voices and actions in their own unique ways and coming together with all of those different elements — we could do some pretty powerful things. We could help this world get some peace and harmony.
Dream role: I just played a dream role of mine in a film I did called Love You Anyway, but I have a few. I want to play a badass warrior, badass secret agent, a badass hero, and badass businesswoman. (That’s the most I’ve ever used badass in a sentence!)
I’d star in any movie with: Cicely Tyson or Angela Bassett
If I weren’t acting, I’d be: Definitely thought I’d be a basketball player, but my height didn’t quite get to where my doctors and entire family predicted it would.
Dream dinner guest: Rest her soul, but Maya Angelou. Every now and then I really do wonder what it would’ve been like to have a conversation with her. What wisdom would’ve been gained through it.
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