Rachael Harris
Actress Rachael Harris makes you feel like you are in the presence of a divine spirit. It’s very fitting given her brush with the otherworldly as Dr. Linda Martin, therapist to the Lord of Hell, on Lucifer, which is now in its sixth and final season on Netflix. What elevates her in our eyes? Well, she’s wildly talented, of course, but she is also refreshingly candid. In short, the kind of woman whose glow you want to bask in. Currently developing her own content, working on her physical and emotional powers, and supporting a charity near and dear to her heart, Rachael sat down with us for a truly enlightening chat.
The Bare Magazine: Who has influenced your work as Dr. Linda Martin in Lucifer?
Rachael Harris: It’s been my own therapists that I’ve had in my life. Their compassion. And their ability to empathize. And my close friends—the way they listen and mirror back to me the way I’m feeling. Also, Gabriel Byrne in the original In Treatment. Of course, I love Lorraine Bracco. I mean, Tony Soprano and Lucifer are so much the same.
Bare: Whose careers do you admire?
RH: I love both comedy and drama, and I’m drawn to these really wonderful actresses like Sally Field in Steel Magnolias, Holly Hunter in Raising Arizona, and Meryl Streep in Sophie’s Choice.
Bare: You’ve played so many different types of roles, is there something you haven’t done that you’d like to?
RH: Yes! I want to do something with my close friends, where I’m collaborating, starring with them, and producing.
Bare: Who gave you the best career advice?
RH: It came from my college professor Ed Vaughn at Otterbein University. At one point, I was doing a scene in class, and I said that I just wanted to play this character right. Ed said, “Well, that’s the problem. You’re trying to do it right; the way I want you to do it. What you need to figure out is how you want to do it, and what makes it right for you. If it makes you laugh, or moves you, that’s what’s right for you and it will resonate with other people.” I’ve really tried to hold onto that. I think that advice was given to me in 1989…
Bare: Speaking of dates, you’re refreshingly candid about your age. Can we talk about that?
RH: When I turned 40, I was told I looked 30, and not to plant seeds about my real age. But now you can Google anyone’s age at any moment. So why don’t we just embrace it instead and share what we’re doing to keep looking healthy? I love Botox and exfoliating my skin. I tried lip injections a year and a half ago, and I didn’t recognize myself. But I understand it for some people. If it makes you feel better, do it. If it doesn’t, don’t. I hope I act so well that you forget my age…that’s the fun of being an actor. I come from theater, so I love transforming into something different. I haven’t done my teeth, and I’m hoping I get some piece where I have to play a woman from another time with jacked up teeth and aging hands. I can play my age and I want to.
Bare: Staying physically fit must be part of why you are aging so beautifully. What is your routine?
RH: I had been very active for a while. Then I got married, had kids, and I had this idea that if I was a good mother, I’d be there for them all the time, and that they came first. So, I stepped back, and I let myself worry about what other people were thinking about me. And I became unhappy. I knew that if I ate better and worked out better, I’d feel better. So, I hired a trainer and got a food delivery service—I’m blessed that I have the means to do that. I committed to eating right, giving up sugar, and working out with a trainer five days a week, and it made me feel so good. It’s a cliché, but it’s true: happy mom, happy children.
Bare: Philanthropy seems to keep you happy, too.
RH: My best friend Cheryl Hines is married to Robert Kennedy, Jr., who was president of Waterkeeper Alliance at the time. I was, like, if I see one more picture of dead fish, I’m going to have a hard time being part of this. I thought we could appeal to people by making them laugh. So, I started “Keep It Clean,” which is an event I do every year to raise money [for Waterkeeper Alliance]. The goal is to get people in a great space, so that they want to give. We need to take care of these organizations that rely on this funding so that they can continue to protect the waterways.
Bare: You are a woman of many passions, clearly. But what are your Bare Essentials?
RH: Right now, I need my best friends with me. I need to be able to talk with them and check in 10 minutes a day. I need to be able to work out, sweat, and listen to great music. I need to be able to meditate. And I need to actively work every day. And sleep! I need crazy good sleep. Oh, and I need chocolate every day in some form. And really shitty TV at night: Bachelor in Paradise, Real Housewives, Dancing with the Stars, so I can shut off my brain.
Styling: Karen Raphael mixed with Rachael’s own wardrobe
Photos, makeup, hair: Tina Turnbow using Ogee
Interview by Didi Gluck
Founder & Editor in Chief - The Bare Magazine
