Crossing Article: Rachel Kelley

From the continuing series on the people who made Crossing... this week’s focus is Rachel Kelley.
Rachel portrays Beth in Crossing. Even before she auditioned, I knew she would be able to pull off this role: Rachel has always masterfully balanced a fierce pride and a charming humility. She embodies so much of what Beth is meant to be.
Crossing was Rachel’s first film, but she drew heavily from her own experiences as a big sister to build her character: “I often see myself as the giver of advice/someone my brother can always lean on. I found a lot of similarities between me and Beth…” Due to the nature of her role, she only ever acted alongside John Prud’homme, who portrays her on-screen brother. She says this also worked to her advantage. “I never met the other actors until after we were done filming. It allowed me to keep my energy focused on my little brother.”
Rachel did indeed keep her energy focused on John. In her favorite scene, she and John perform a stunt together, and while Rachel walked away unscathed, John inevitably found himself hurting after every take. About that experience, she said, “Sorry John. You were great, and also thank you— not sure when I’ll ever get that opportunity again!” Rachel and John were fantastic together, at one point extensively rehearsing part of a scene so that we could film it as a single 3-minute shot. That shot remains uninterrupted in the final cut of the film, and it’s something Rachel is looking forward to seeing.
When she’s not acting, Rachel spends as much time as she can outdoors and staying active, as well as studying various languages to fulfill her linguist nerd side. Her favorite actress is Kate Winslet: “I strive daily to let my inner Rose out 🛳🌹”
See Rachel as Beth in Crossing on December 11.