Article: "Woman Around Town:Reiko Aylesworth-Life after 24"
There's a new article where Reiko is interviewed, it has some great stuff in there, a must for any fan.
Under cut for length.
Woman Around Town: Reiko Aylesworth-Life After 24
Monday, September 20th, 2010
by Stephanie Russell-Kraft on Woman Around Town
by Stephanie Russell-Kraft
I have to admit that I’m more than excited to be meeting Reiko Aylesworth, the actress most well known for her portrayal of Michelle Dessler on the hit television show 24. I’m a huge fan, and I can’t wait to hear what she’s been up to since she left the show.
This week, she’s preparing for a run of John Pollono’s Lost and Found, a New York City Fringe Festival favorite back for its second run this year. I catch up with her after her rehearsals at the Lucille Lortel Theater in the heart of the West Village. She greets me warmly on the street before we head into Pho Sure, a Vietnamese restaurant facing the theater, for a quick drink of green tea and homemade pomegranate ginger ale.
When we sit down, she immediately begins to gush about Lost and Found. “The story!” she exclaims. “It’s just so great. It’s hard to find plays that tell stories anymore, that aren’t ironic or overly conceptual. It’s a straightforward story, and it’s really refreshing. I think we’ve been through this era of cynicism and sarcasm and irony-and I like it, to a certain extent-but this is just a straight ahead story with a lot of heart. “
“And the people drew me to the play,” she adds. “It’s an immensely talented group of people; they’re so much fun to work with.”
Her character in the play, Betty, is one of the most mysterious to those who haven’t yet seen it. “It’s really hard to describe Betty without giving away the plot,” she laughs. “It’s really difficult to describe, except that she’s hitting a crisis point, and she has to make some decisions. Everyone finds some sort of closure in the play; it’s not always a happy one, but it’s a closure nonetheless. There’s a resolution.”
Before beginning her acting career, Reiko spent a number of years studying neuroscience. When I ask her if she misses it, she explains, “I loved neuroscience, but when I worked in a lab, I realized that it involves a lot of sitting around. I don’t think I could ever work in a lab, but neuroscience is an amazingly exciting thing to study.” Given her vibrant personality, it’s no wonder that Reiko has had such success on the screen and on the stage, worlds so different from the confines of a laboratory.
In navigating the world of theater, television and film, Reiko has displayed both enthusiasm and pragmatism. I ask her what her favorite medium is, and she tells me honestly, “You go where the writing is-it’s cliché, but it’s true. Although theater really is an actor’s medium, and in theater, the hours are better,” she laughs.
“I love being able to rehearse, to make mistakes, go through processes, and come up with more exciting ways of doing things,” she adds. “And you really don’t get that time when you’re making television or film.”
Does she have a favorite role? (Besides 24, Reiko has had recurring roles on ER, Lost, and Damages). “I used to say Michelle from 24,” she says, “but I’ve really had some great roles so I can’t really say that now. I’ve been lucky enough to have some really meaty roles over the years and I don’t think that I can pick a favorite. I love to be able to jump around and do different things.”
I ask Reiko if her experiences on 24 have helped her over the years to obtain the roles that she wants. “In some ways,” she responds, pausing. “In some ways I had more opportunities after 24 because of the exposure, but in some ways, because I was associated with the show, it became a more limited range.”
But she doesn’t regret it for a moment. “Bottom line is that I had a great time doing it, and I had a great time. It was really good for me, and a lot of fun. I still have really good friends from the show.” In 2004, when Reiko was a cast member, 24 won the Golden Globe for Best Drama.
When we turn the conversation towards New York, her adopted home, she’s beaming. “I love this city,” she tells me. “I love it so much. A big part of it is that it’s the place where I became an adult, where I was on my own for the first time. That could have been anywhere. But once I found my grounding and felt like I could navigate this city, I made that connection.”
“I love the fact that everybody has to bump up against each other here. I have a tiny apartment the size of this table,” she gestures to our modest booth, “but I step outside in New York and it’s an extension of my home.”
And when I ask her about Los Angeles, another popular destination for actors, she explains, “I was there for three years and I didn’t say I lived there. I didn’t even have an apartment in New York, and I didn’t know when I would come back. But this was always my home.”
Woman Around Town’s Six Questions
Favorite Place to Eat: I love Corner Bistro and The Spotted Pig. I eat in a lot, so when I go out, I usually get treats. So I love Butter Lane Cupcakes, Cupcake Café, and The Chocolate Bar. Turks and Frogs is a great place to go to for wine. Oh, and Chelsea Market, there are a lot of treats in there!
Favorite Place to Shop: I’m into sample sales lately. In Chelsea Market, they have great sample sales. I used to be more into the second hand shops in the city, but since the bed bug thing I’ve gone to them less. Rags-a-go-go I used to go to all the time, and Tokyo Joe’s-where all the models take their clothes! I used to just walk down East 9th Street and go to all the shops there. For furniture I love design within reach.
Favorite New York Sight: I just recently saw Some Like it Hot on Pier 1 in Brooklyn, and it was just so lovely. These are the things I love about New York. I love the waterfronts. I love riding my bike up and down the Hudson, and I love going to Brooklyn to look back on the Manhattan waterfront.
Favorite New York Moment: I remember the moment I started giving people directions, because I knew the city well enough. For me it was an adulthood thing. It was the first time I was somewhere where I felt I could welcome someone to my city. I realized that people were coming to me because I look like I know where I’m going, and I do know where I’m going.
What You Love About New York: I love the subway-I think it defines the city. When I get traveling, I get really tense, but when I first get back to New York I grab a coffee and a newspaper and I hop on the subway. At that moment I feel like I can relax and my shoulders just drop. I sit down and I hear all the languages, I hear if people are in a good mood or in a bad mood, and I’m so happy to be in New York, where I don’t have to search this out. It’s just like that here. People have to deal with each other. And just by coming to New York you’re making the decision that you want to bump up against people that you don’t know. You leave your house to go to the store, but you really don’t know where you’re going to end up, and I love that about the city.
What You Hate About New York: I know that is a complaint that they might not be able to do anything about, but I wish that the city had more bike lanes.
Lost and Found
Lucille Lortel Theater
121 Christopher Street
Performance dates:
8 p.m. Tuesday, September 21
9:30 p.m. Friday, September 24
7 p.m. Saturday, September 25
Tickets are $18, at 888-468-7619
www.FringeNYC-EncoreSeries.com
For more information, go to: www.LostandFoundPlay.com
(Source: Original Article )
I love it, a real gem of a find. Reiko is awesome, love hearing her thoughts on the roles she's played and on acting in general. Such an under-rated actress, so many of the big-name, so called "A-Listers" have nothing on her, she's much more talented than any of them.
Under cut for length.
Woman Around Town: Reiko Aylesworth-Life After 24
Monday, September 20th, 2010
by Stephanie Russell-Kraft on Woman Around Town
by Stephanie Russell-Kraft
I have to admit that I’m more than excited to be meeting Reiko Aylesworth, the actress most well known for her portrayal of Michelle Dessler on the hit television show 24. I’m a huge fan, and I can’t wait to hear what she’s been up to since she left the show.
This week, she’s preparing for a run of John Pollono’s Lost and Found, a New York City Fringe Festival favorite back for its second run this year. I catch up with her after her rehearsals at the Lucille Lortel Theater in the heart of the West Village. She greets me warmly on the street before we head into Pho Sure, a Vietnamese restaurant facing the theater, for a quick drink of green tea and homemade pomegranate ginger ale.
When we sit down, she immediately begins to gush about Lost and Found. “The story!” she exclaims. “It’s just so great. It’s hard to find plays that tell stories anymore, that aren’t ironic or overly conceptual. It’s a straightforward story, and it’s really refreshing. I think we’ve been through this era of cynicism and sarcasm and irony-and I like it, to a certain extent-but this is just a straight ahead story with a lot of heart. “
“And the people drew me to the play,” she adds. “It’s an immensely talented group of people; they’re so much fun to work with.”
Her character in the play, Betty, is one of the most mysterious to those who haven’t yet seen it. “It’s really hard to describe Betty without giving away the plot,” she laughs. “It’s really difficult to describe, except that she’s hitting a crisis point, and she has to make some decisions. Everyone finds some sort of closure in the play; it’s not always a happy one, but it’s a closure nonetheless. There’s a resolution.”
Before beginning her acting career, Reiko spent a number of years studying neuroscience. When I ask her if she misses it, she explains, “I loved neuroscience, but when I worked in a lab, I realized that it involves a lot of sitting around. I don’t think I could ever work in a lab, but neuroscience is an amazingly exciting thing to study.” Given her vibrant personality, it’s no wonder that Reiko has had such success on the screen and on the stage, worlds so different from the confines of a laboratory.
In navigating the world of theater, television and film, Reiko has displayed both enthusiasm and pragmatism. I ask her what her favorite medium is, and she tells me honestly, “You go where the writing is-it’s cliché, but it’s true. Although theater really is an actor’s medium, and in theater, the hours are better,” she laughs.
“I love being able to rehearse, to make mistakes, go through processes, and come up with more exciting ways of doing things,” she adds. “And you really don’t get that time when you’re making television or film.”
Does she have a favorite role? (Besides 24, Reiko has had recurring roles on ER, Lost, and Damages). “I used to say Michelle from 24,” she says, “but I’ve really had some great roles so I can’t really say that now. I’ve been lucky enough to have some really meaty roles over the years and I don’t think that I can pick a favorite. I love to be able to jump around and do different things.”
I ask Reiko if her experiences on 24 have helped her over the years to obtain the roles that she wants. “In some ways,” she responds, pausing. “In some ways I had more opportunities after 24 because of the exposure, but in some ways, because I was associated with the show, it became a more limited range.”
But she doesn’t regret it for a moment. “Bottom line is that I had a great time doing it, and I had a great time. It was really good for me, and a lot of fun. I still have really good friends from the show.” In 2004, when Reiko was a cast member, 24 won the Golden Globe for Best Drama.
When we turn the conversation towards New York, her adopted home, she’s beaming. “I love this city,” she tells me. “I love it so much. A big part of it is that it’s the place where I became an adult, where I was on my own for the first time. That could have been anywhere. But once I found my grounding and felt like I could navigate this city, I made that connection.”
“I love the fact that everybody has to bump up against each other here. I have a tiny apartment the size of this table,” she gestures to our modest booth, “but I step outside in New York and it’s an extension of my home.”
And when I ask her about Los Angeles, another popular destination for actors, she explains, “I was there for three years and I didn’t say I lived there. I didn’t even have an apartment in New York, and I didn’t know when I would come back. But this was always my home.”
Woman Around Town’s Six Questions
Favorite Place to Eat: I love Corner Bistro and The Spotted Pig. I eat in a lot, so when I go out, I usually get treats. So I love Butter Lane Cupcakes, Cupcake Café, and The Chocolate Bar. Turks and Frogs is a great place to go to for wine. Oh, and Chelsea Market, there are a lot of treats in there!
Favorite Place to Shop: I’m into sample sales lately. In Chelsea Market, they have great sample sales. I used to be more into the second hand shops in the city, but since the bed bug thing I’ve gone to them less. Rags-a-go-go I used to go to all the time, and Tokyo Joe’s-where all the models take their clothes! I used to just walk down East 9th Street and go to all the shops there. For furniture I love design within reach.
Favorite New York Sight: I just recently saw Some Like it Hot on Pier 1 in Brooklyn, and it was just so lovely. These are the things I love about New York. I love the waterfronts. I love riding my bike up and down the Hudson, and I love going to Brooklyn to look back on the Manhattan waterfront.
Favorite New York Moment: I remember the moment I started giving people directions, because I knew the city well enough. For me it was an adulthood thing. It was the first time I was somewhere where I felt I could welcome someone to my city. I realized that people were coming to me because I look like I know where I’m going, and I do know where I’m going.
What You Love About New York: I love the subway-I think it defines the city. When I get traveling, I get really tense, but when I first get back to New York I grab a coffee and a newspaper and I hop on the subway. At that moment I feel like I can relax and my shoulders just drop. I sit down and I hear all the languages, I hear if people are in a good mood or in a bad mood, and I’m so happy to be in New York, where I don’t have to search this out. It’s just like that here. People have to deal with each other. And just by coming to New York you’re making the decision that you want to bump up against people that you don’t know. You leave your house to go to the store, but you really don’t know where you’re going to end up, and I love that about the city.
What You Hate About New York: I know that is a complaint that they might not be able to do anything about, but I wish that the city had more bike lanes.
Lost and Found
Lucille Lortel Theater
121 Christopher Street
Performance dates:
8 p.m. Tuesday, September 21
9:30 p.m. Friday, September 24
7 p.m. Saturday, September 25
Tickets are $18, at 888-468-7619
www.FringeNYC-EncoreSeries.com
For more information, go to: www.LostandFoundPlay.com
(Source: Original Article )
I love it, a real gem of a find. Reiko is awesome, love hearing her thoughts on the roles she's played and on acting in general. Such an under-rated actress, so many of the big-name, so called "A-Listers" have nothing on her, she's much more talented than any of them.