Forever Team Rachael

By Gemma Jacob

Ask anyone who knows her what their favourite Rachael Hip-Flores story is and a smile will start to spread across their face as the memories start to run through her mind. Not only for the people who know her personally but even those who know her just from her work on ABM or through her twitter feed. They will have a favourite Rachael moment, often more than one, which they are more than happy to share with you. A favourite tweet that had them laughing in hysterics. Such is her gift.

I knew her first as the star of a little webseries called Anyone But Me that I’d stumbled upon. Then as someone who I would have twitter-conversations with about random things like cheese and her struggles with an air mattress named Herbert. Finally, in a moment of redemption that she is almost certainly unaware of, I came to know her as nothing less than a friend.

A few days before what will hopefully be a turning point for ABM, and webseries as a whole, I called in a favour and managed to get Rachael to clear some time in her very busy schedule to talk to me about the show. A novel idea as I realised that in all our conversations we’d never actually talked at any length on this topic. Something that many who know either of us will find strange, but with the combined geekdom within our possession we often get sidetracked. Of course, she’d forgotten that she promised a friend to see her that night so our time was a little more rushed than I would have liked, but I really wouldn’t expect anything less from her.

So for my very first interview, with ‘Little Shop of Horrors’ playing on the screen adjacent to a conversation window, my friend and I sat down to talk about her work. In the time I did manage to steal, Rachael did nothing but remind me of why she will forever be one of my most favourite people, and why – for so many, she is ridiculous amounts of fabulousness.

ABMFans: Your fans love you. I’ve seen them create Facebook pages, extol lists and lists of why they think you’re awesome, they will make donations to plays you’re in. What’s one of your most favourite things that a fan has done for you?
Rachael: Oh wow. Well, the public stuff is very flattering of course, and the donations were extremely generous and helpful, and I really can’t say how grateful I am for them…I think though that whenever a fan writes to me and tells me that I helped them figure out who they are, understand themselves a bit better, be a little braver, that always means the most to me. I think that’s what this show is about; it’s what I think the most redeeming part about acting is – helping people understand themselves and others. So I’d say the personal messages are my favorites.
ABMFans: So did you know going in that the show was going to be something amazing? You hoped right?
Rachael: Oh man I don’t think I had any idea the show was going to be (period)! The success of this show…I mean, yes, you hope, but…I just figured it’d be a little thing, we’d shoot maybe over a weekend, something would go wrong one way or another, and that’d be it. I certainly didn’t think I’d be doing it…two years now – doesn’t ever seem that long…No, even when it was going on, it never occurred to me that it would be as big as it is now. I knew it was good, I knew that we were doing good work, and that the production was solid, but no, I had no idea. I don’t think I had enough of an idea to even hope it could be what it is now.
ABMFans: So that YOU have had the reaction you have must completely knock your socks off? Or have you always known how awesome you are?
Rachael: I have quite enough self doubt and insecurity to keep me well grounded and protected from all the support I’ve had in my life, recent and otherwise.
ABMFans: Unfounded the lot of it, but okay – be humble. So there’s the LOTR thing, the Harry Potter thing, the Batman thing, anything else you’re fanatical about?
Rachael: YES! Dr. WHO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OMFG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ABMFans: Really? The new stuff?
Rachael: I’m so obsessed with that show right now! Yes the new stuff!
ABMFans: How is the new Doctor?
Rachael: I went back and am watching all the recent episodes from Christopher Ecclesston on. I like him, he reminds me a bit of Colin [Rachael’s fiancé], plus he was the first doctor I saw, so I’ve kind of imprinted on him.
ABMFans: I just remember an episode, may have been a feature film, where there were these weird alien guys and they were eating food from a conveyer belt and I thought it was really futuristic and now I realise they just had biker helmets on and were eating Smarties.
Rachael: No haven’t seen that one but I have all of Season 4 and the specials to go. I may have to go back and watch the really old stuff after all that’s through and there’s nothing until Christmas. I think part of the charm of that show is that the future still kinda looks like it’s from the 1950s.
ABMFans: It was an old one, really old.
Rachael: Yeah that’ll happen a bit later for me. I’m thinking of dressing up as a Dalek this Halloween. A dare I say…sexy Dalek.
ABMFans: Well last costume I did was Spongebob so you dress up however you like.
Rachael: Nice!
ABMFans: I’m sure you’ll make an awesomely alluring Dalek.
Rachael: It will be essentially a Dalek (which is to say a salt shaker) with a bra thrown on it.
ABMFans: That’s all they are anyway.
Rachael: I KNOW!!! THAT’S WHY IT’S INCREDIBLE!!!
ABMFans: Twitpics please.
Rachael: Done. It’s gonna be awful, I really am not a crafty person. Well at least not in the making things sense of the word.
ABMFans: You’re pretty good at getting back to people on Facebook and are one of the more active ABM tweeters. How important do you think social networking is for the success of a show like ABM?
Rachael: Well, I think part of the beauty of being a show on the internet is that it is so much more immediate than film or television. There’s, I think, a much stronger feeling of community; the fans – as I’m sure you’ve noticed – are fiercely loyal and beautifully involved, and so I think social networking is integral to the success of any web show. Add to that that ABM specifically reaches out to a demographic that is really under served and underrepresented in traditional media. There’s a group of people, a large group of people, that I think is often forced to feel very much “other” and a show like ABM helps bring them together, and hopefully feel less alone.
ABMFans: Yeah I have kinda noticed that about ABM fans…
Rachael: Damn good trait to have.
ABMFans: So are you Team Aster or Team Vivian? Don’t be biased, as a fan of the show – whose team are you on? Don’t say Team Sophie.
Rachael: Yeah no I thought about it and it’s still Team Vivian. And I WOULD say Team Sophie, but you won’t let me. I adore Sophie.
ABMFans: Do you not think she was wrong for kissing her friend in front of her girlfriend?
Rachael: SHE WAS EGGING HER ON!!!!! I think you forget that!
ABMFans: Dude she’s wanted to kiss Vivian for ages. She was just looking for a reason. And Vivian going for it? I won’t get irate at you because you didn’t write it but really?!??!
Rachael: Listen, if Aster’s gonna be so insensitive to all the complications that exist between Viv and Sophie and tease them both about potential painful and uncomfortable subjects, then the fallout from that is hers to deal with too. Look she was surprised and resistant at first! You can see – I know I made that face!
ABMFans: Hmm it must have been in a different take because the scene I saw, Vivian went for it.
Rachael: She went for it at the end, who’s not gonna go for it?
ABMFans: One would hope the person who knew her girlfriend – who’s prone to over-reacting and is watching, would be the one who wouldn’t go for it.
Rachael: Aster was goading them into it. Maybe it’s time she learned to grow up a little and consider other people’s feelings.
ABMFans: I know, I get that it’s not fair on Vivian to always have to deal with Aster’s crap. I’m still Team Aster though. But Team VivSter first.
Rachael: Well, I’ll take what I can get.
ABMFans: So what do you want to see happen? And you can say Sophie stuff if you have to.
Rachael: Hmmm…give me a minute. I don’t usually allow myself to hope for anything with Tina and Susan in control.
ABMFans: Tell me about it! Those two are something else. They must read books on torture for fun or something.
Rachael: I’m not saying anything; I’m just saying Tina has a basement.
ABMFans: Enough said. But you know, should you catch them on an off-day when they’re not intent on breaking our hearts, we can hope for happiness.
Rachael: I hope…well, I think Aster and Vivian do need some time apart to figure themselves out. I think they both have a lot of growing up to do…I also think that Viv needs to get Sophie out of her system…Ultimately, however, I do want VivSter together (we even have the T-shirts for it!) I think they need maybe a year (real life time, which is different from series time) apart, and then Viv goes to Columbia, Aster goes to NYU (after she pulls her grades up) and they live in a sweet apartment in Gramercy Park paid for by Aster’s parents.
ABMFans: And they live happily ever after. Don’t tell Tina and Susan otherwise it might never happen.
Rachael: Obviously.
ABMFans: Maybe the reaction from the web-a-thon will break their ice cold hearts and they’ll want to be nice to us fans.
Rachael: They always want to be nice to the fans! They just have a really weird way of showing it…
ABMFans: Really weird. I love them really.
Rachael: Me too! But mostly cuz they feed me.
ABMFans: Always important. Especially to you.
Rachael: Essentially what I look for in other human beings. Requirement number 1.
ABMFans: I know it.
Rachael: Yes web-a-thon watchers please let them know exactly how you feel!
ABMFans: Oh I think they know how I feel, but yes everyone else for sure. I’ve been vocal enough.
Rachael: Bahahahahaha it’s wonderful!
ABMFans: The things I do for ABM! Actually the things all of ABM’s fans do.
Rachael: I know!!!! I thought I was passionate – then I ran into you lot! It’s so inspiring! I think people hide their love away too often.
ABMFans: Very true. We need a name. You know how you have Gleeks and Twi-hards and Potheads. We need something.
Rachael: Aw man.
ABMFans: That should be your next mission because you’re geeky like that.
Rachael: Well, we could go slightly dyslexic and go with Bam-Bams.
ABMFans: Um I’ll put it to a vote in the Forum.
Rachael: Oh no! Democracy in action!
ABMFans: It’s a beautiful thing. Team Aster’s winning.
Rachael: Somehow that doesn’t surprise me. Actually after the season finale it kinda does!
ABMFans: What can I say? I think that smile lets her get away with a lot.
Rachael: Yeah, I’d pretty much forgive her anything.
ABMFans: We’ll see.
Rachael: That’s ok Team Viv! Though we are small, yet we are fierce!
ABMFans: Sure sure. What’s next for you that your fans (and you may have a few) can see you in?
Rachael: Well, New Yorkers can come to TBG theater on 36th and 8th and see me play a teenage boy in Two Gentlemen of Verona (4th-22nd August), or 29th July and 1st August you can check out my movie Lucrecia which is being screened as part of the HBO New York Latino Film Festival! I’ll be doing some voice over work for the trailer of the documentary in September too but that’s kind of the opposite of seeing me…
ABMFans: That damn ocean.
Rachael: I know. So inconvenient.
ABMFans: You’re just stubborn and won’t cross it.
Rachael: Should really talk to someone about that. I’ve been Jonesing to get back to Europe for a while now, just gotta work out that pesky money schedule thing.
ABMFans: You know it grows on trees right?
Rachael: ONLY IN EUROPE!!! THAT’S THE CATCH!!!
ABMFans: Another reason why you should be on THIS side of the ocean. What are you looking forward to most in the months to come?
Rachael: Oh lord. Clearly I can’t even look forward enough to set my own schedule right. Um, I’m really pretty excited about starting a new avenue into the voice over world. It’s new to me, I don’t understand much about it, and I’m starting from scratch, but somehow I think it’s gonna be really fun, and a potentially awesome new facet of my career.
ABMFans: I see much Disney and other animated goodness in your future!
Rachael: And of course the new Harry Potter movie.
ABMFans: That Vicky [one of my best buds] assures me she is in.
Rachael: I KNOW!!!! SO AMAZING!!!! SO JEALOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ABMFans: Ooooh she’s trying to get cast on Pirates too.
Rachael: OH COME ON!!!!!
ABMFans: She’s even considering moving down to Devon for the two weeks they need to be there. Telling you, this side of the ocean is where it’s at…
Rachael: Grrrr. Sorry that’s just the New Yorker in me getting her ego flicked.
ABMFans: It’s alright, I know you NYers think it’s the centre of the world.
Rachael: It is, darling. Don’t think I didn’t notice you spelled center wrong.
ABMFans: We allow you your delusion because the reality would shatter your world.
Rachael: Excuse me I have to be in a real city now, where things stay open past 8.