One Interview with Alyshia Ochse
An accomplished star, leading a notable existence in the spotlight, actor and entertainer — Alyshia Ochse — identifies herself as a storyteller at heart, using her passion to bring life to characters and plots on the big screen.
Alyshia Ochse. Photographer: Ben Cope; Stylist: Gabrielle Kool; Makeup: Brett Freedman with Celestine Agency; Hair: Felicia Rials with Tabb Sparks Salon
Hollywood heavyweight, Alyshia Ochse is a woman at the top of her professional game and is showing no intention of slowing down. Originally from Northern Kentucky, Ochse’s journey to Hollywood started with a small role in the feature film Seabiscuit; and her passion from that point on has led to her successful career in this industry today. No doubt a leading question when we sat down to plot our one-on-one interview with blonde bombshell Alyshia Ochse, is how it felt to land roles in films alongside covet-worthy castmates like Matthew McConaughey, Cameron Diaz, Leslie Mann, and Kate Upton, just to name a few. From the HBO hit series True Detective to the hilarious feature film The Other Woman, Ochse has had the privilege of picking the brains and funny bones of some of Hollywood’s top performers and comedians. “His skill was impeccable,” shares the actress on her time alongside Hollywood heart-throb McConaughey. “His dedication was contagious, and his vote of confidence allowed me to soar and explore new ideas with my character.” As if that was not enough, working with Michelle Monaghan and the director Cary Fukunaga was the “icing on the cake” of an amazing experience, reminisces Ochse.
Utilizing the momentum of her significant roles and experiences to date, Ochse continues to hone her craft and build a career for herself in this make or break industry. With an impressive range of characters under her belt and a versatile range of storytelling, we were eager to uncover what roles this actress has yet to tap into. “Comedy is my dream,” states the actress with certainty, “I have been mustering up the courage to get myself into standup. Before True Detective, I was mostly doing comedy. Now I need to remind people that I am an actor and can do both.” With costars like Leslie Mann at her side, it is just a matter of time before Ochse’s comedic career takes off. But before that, Ochse gives us the scoop on a major project in the works that audiences nationwide will be able to enjoy. Her current role in the Quibi/Sony Pictures Drama #FreeRayshawn is already making waves in the industry shortly after its recent debut.
“Rayshawn (Stephan James) brings his community into the experience by streaming live from his social media account as he deals with the New Orleans SWAT team,” explains Ochse. “Every moment is being witnessed by his followers and the whole city of New Orleans. With this series, the audience will have the perspective of the accused, the witnesses, and the law. It will emotionally leave you breathless and on the edge of your seat. District Attorney Sarah Foreman is a no-nonsense, by the book, hardworking DA who has something to prove as the District Attorney in New Orleans. She is challenged and her job is on the line in front of the community of her constituents. She has to keep her emotions at bay and focus on the law because everyone is now watching her every move.”
The project is brought to life by master craftsmen Fuqua and Fishburne, and Ochse goes on to describe working with them with stars in her eyes. Noting that she felt Fuqua’s presence in his feedback immediately, and could tell that this show was “his baby.” As for Fishburne aka “Fish,” she reveals how her “body and mind were so affected by his brilliance that [she] couldn’t go to sleep that evening.” Inspired, the actress stayed up researching his entire life’s work just to feel closer to the amazing project she had become a part of. With a fascinating premise, amazing creators, and a stellar cast, it was interesting to hear that the full-length feature would also be cut down into bite-size ten-minute segments for the story-telling platform “Quibi.” “[Quibi is] a fascinating concept,” says Ochse, “and I think this material worked well with shorter cuts. It just makes you want to binge the whole series.” Feeling “right at home” with the male-dominated cast, every day of filming with the team was a treat; “it was more the moments shared while not shooting that will always hold a special place in my heart,” she reminisces.
We move at this point to Ochse’s baby, her podcast — “That One Audition.” The show is known for its truthful storytelling from behind the scenes of famous television and movie sets. Actors flock to Ochse’s microphone to tell their embarrassing, hilarious, and heartfelt audition stories to an eager-to-listen audience. So what inspired her to start this podcast? “It started because my body betrayed me in an audition room. It was hilarious, beyond embarrassing, and downright shocking to say the least,” laughs Ochse at her own cringe-worthy experience. “I went to my acting class that evening and shared my experience. The whole class started sharing their stories of the front lines and auditioning in the trenches. It made me feel comforted and inspired to know that many of us have failed at our jobs, but it was the fact that we would all do it again the next day. Then my idea spawned. I wanted to hear all actors and storytellers journeys from the highs to the lows and all the tricks they learned along the way.”
Living in a media age where being “perfect” and success is at the forefront, it is with a pleasant surprise that other working industry professionals do not seem afraid to share their horror stories with Ochse, revealing to us that she thinks her guests feel “comfortable about being vulnerable and sharing their experience” because she, too, is an actor. This rare and interesting perspective is certainly valuable to listeners and has gained massive amounts of attention and popularity amongst podcast consumers. She believes that “whatever the actor/storyteller wants to share is exactly what the audience needs to hear,” and she tries to stick to just that.
Our conversation then flowed easily out of work and into the main topic on everyone’s minds these days: the COVID-19 pandemic. Being an author of a self-motivational book herself, Life Letters, we were curious as to what this actress has been doing during quarantine to relax and keep herself creative and healthy during this time. Her answer? She has been dancing on Zoom, focusing on her family and her podcast, and taking appropriately socially distanced walks around her neighborhood to keep herself sane. Ochse shares that every other day is a struggle for her and that her mental health is “greatly affected by how much news” she ingests. Further encouraging herself that it is important to take everything one step at a time these days, and make a solid effort to validate her emotions so that she expresses them healthily. Now more than ever, it is important for all of us to do the same.
Bode Magazine: How would you describe yourself in three words?
Alyshia Ochse: Vibrant, ethereal, and ambitious.
BM: Which do you like better, television projects or films?
AO: Both for different reasons. Television gives you a fast turn-around of seeing your work delivered immediately, exploring your creativity from week to week with a new set of information that you are only privy to once it is written, and you get to explore your character for longer. In the film, it is like going to summer camp. You jump into this experience not knowing anyone, but having the full scoop and arch of your character. Shooting is sometimes accomplished in a couple of weeks or months and then summer camp is over and everyone goes back to their lives. Films also take so much longer to put out in the world, so your craft and skill usually change and enhances by the time an audience can view the final product.
BM: Who are you dying to work with or collaborate with?
AO: Olivia Wilde, Lee Toland Krieger, Jamie Foxx (again), Tom Hanks, Jason Clarke, Jon Bernthal, Kathryn Bigelow, David Fincher, Destin Cretton.
BM: When you are not studying a script or on set, what are your favorite pastimes?
AO: Working out, playing make-believe with my kiddo, and interviewing other great talents. Lately, my exploration of fun has been getting out of the city on little road trips. I need to get out of my house to not feel the pressure of getting work done. There is always a script to read, a rewrite that is needed, an interview to prep…so I have to get out of the house to have fun.
BM: If you weren’t an actress, was there another occupation you had in mind?
AO: Maybe an interior designer. I love space and creating a design in it.
BM: What is the first thing you intend to do as soon as this chaotic time is over and we return to our “normal” lives?
AO: Hug my sister who lives ten miles away.
