The Sex Lives of College Girls newcomer sits down with Wonderland to discuss the power of art in challenging times, her creative upbringing, and going back to college—this time in Ash’s shoes.

Hi Ruby, thanks so much for chatting with us! How are you today, and how’s 2025 treating you so far?

Yeah of course, I’m honored to be chatting. Honestly, I’m alright. I worked all day. 2025 has been very beautiful and also very challenging already. And emotionally heavy. There’s much to mourn in the world right now, and it feels relentless. The fires in Los Angeles have been truly heartbreaking, and my thoughts are with everyone experiencing this painful loss. I’m attaching a master document of resources on where to find shelter, meals, clothing/supply drives, etc. 

In the midst of all of this weight, there is solace in finding escape through art. I’m lucky to get the chance to talk about that today.

Before we dive into your new project, let’s rewind a bit. Could you tell us about your upbringing and what first sparked your interest in acting? 

I’m the third generation in my family who is Los Angeles born. I was raised in Valley Village, a little in Studio City, a little in Burbank, a little in NoHo. I love all the corners of the valley. I’ve been expressing myself through art my whole life, and always knew I’d somehow figure out how to be an actor when I grew up. I just fell in love with being an emotional being. I loved feeling, I loved to cry and sing and try new things and make people laugh. Even at a young age, I felt the powerful feeling of performance, and how it can connect you to the whole world. The way it felt to be on stage and have the whole room feeling alongside you.

Do you remember some of your early influences in the industry? What made you fall in love with the craft?

Judy Garland, SpongeBob SquarePants, and Harry Houdini were some major influences of mine growing up, and honestly still are.

When I was a kid, I would always have the TV playing. I had one of the old 13” Toshiba box TVs in my room for as long as I can remember and I feel like it had to have been running all night, every night. I struggled with falling asleep for about the first half of my life. I remember being around 6 or 7 and telling people I had insomnia, which I did have, but I think it was hard to believe those words out of a kid’s mouth. Instead of sleeping, I would just let the TV run and drift in and out. My favorite was Nick at Nite, they had the best shows. Full House, George Lopez, The Nanny, I Love Lucy, Everybody Hates Chris. I mean, the list goes on and on. Malcolm in the Middle, Mister Ed, Fresh Prince of Bel Air, Sabrina the Teenage Witch. I’m not addicted to TV now, I don’t even really watch much of it, but I often think about how watching so much as a kid must’ve affected me. Learning about life through a narrative story, learning to empathize with all these characters, and escaping the night by diving into so many different worlds. I wanted to be a part of it, to jump into the television screen like Mike T.V. 

Huge congratulations on joining the cast of Sex Lives! How did this project come about? Were you a fan of the show before?

I’d never caught the show before, but I’d seen big, beautiful billboards. The show has amazing marketing!

Tell us a bit about Ash and what about the project excited you the most?

Ash is a new freshman at Essex University, and as Ruby I was really excited to go back to college. I dropped out of school after my first quarter, and I dream about going back to study one day. Once I live some more life and have a chunk of time to set aside, catch me at “Essex” studying anything and everything. 

We’d love to hear about your character preparation days. What brought you the most joy about Ash and working to bring this character to life?

The joy of this job was working with Mia Rodgers, who plays Taylor. Collaboration is such a fun part of making something and building the dynamic between our characters was really important to us. We talked a lot about what attracted them to each other. What qualities did Taylor possess that Ash lacked and searched for, and vice versa.

How was the experience working with the cast of Sex Lives? Do you have any favourite memories from your time on set?

Everyone was lovely. My favorite memory might be from a scene with all the girls that didn’t make the final cut. Ash throws a book at a fire alarm to get it to stop beeping, and it was so finicky to film. I had to throw a fake paper-light textbook directly upwards like 10 feet and hit a very specific bullseye in a very specific way. I was consumed with getting it right and swear I threw that book 60 times. Mia and I couldn’t quit laughing.

You’ve also been working on For All Mankind, which seems like a very different approach to the craft compared to Sex Lives or Bottoms, for example. Tell us about this experience and what first caught your attention about the project.

Vastly different project, and a groovy thing to join. I remember learning how For All Mankind worked and really wanting to be a part of it. They jump 10 years between each season and age up the actors with prosthetics. This gives such a unique opportunity for both actor and audience member to see the characters through parts of their lives that they normally wouldn’t. 

Moving forward, where do you see your artistry heading? Do you have any bucket list genres you’d like to explore in the future?

I’ve been connecting a ton of dots recently and working to bridge many things that are important to me. I’m making more art of my own, writing, painting, sculpting, video art, moving my body, and making music. I have an incredible community of artists and people close to me who are extremely passionate and crazy talented, and we’ve been jumping off cliffs together. We made our first short in 2024 titled Jean, written by Lucy Idella and starring practically everyone we know. Since that, we’ve made another, and are now working on a third. It feels like the vulnerability and fear that comes with making something deeply personal is very important to follow. I’d like to keep following that. 

What’s next for you? And what are you most looking forward to in the new year?

It feels like a year to take care of yourself, loved ones, and your community. To be intentional with your time and energy. To finally do things you’ve always wanted to do, and to trust your instincts. This year for work I have some projects I’m really thrilled about. A couple of films that I’m lucky to be a part of are premiering at festivals this year. By Design by Amanda Kramer is premiering at Sundance, and The Threesome directed by Chad Hartigan was just announced to premiere at SXSW. A couple of more indies that I really connect to are also set to go later this year. I’m feeling absolutely blessed to be working, and to get a chance to devote myself to these beautiful stories specifically.