Italia Ricci’s career is going so well she is now giving advice to the President of the United States.
She has nothing to do with border walls or Donald Trump. Ms. Ricci, Artsci’08, is a drama grad who plays Special Advisor Emily Rhodes on ABC’s Designated Survivor, a political thriller about a low-level cabinet member who becomes president after America’s top political leaders are all killed in a terrorist attack.
The show has done well in the ratings. Ms. Ricci, who went by Stephanie when she was at Queen’s, credits the success to its strong cast which includes Emmy-winning star Kiefer Sutherland who plays President Tom Kirkman.
Ms. Ricci has come a long way from her first role in American Pie Presents: Beta House in 2007. After Queen’s, she moved to L.A. and picked up small parts in popular TV shows such as House and How I Met Your Mother (playing the role of ‘Hot Woman No. 1’).
Her big break came three years ago when she landed her first starring TV role. She played an aspiring journalist diagnosed with leukemia in Chasing Life on ABC Family. Recently she got in touch with her evil side playing Silver Banshee in several episodes of Supergirl.
Ms. Ricci took time to talk about the success of Designated Survivor, getting stopped on the streets by fans, and sending out audition tapes from her dorm room at Queen’s.
Q: How does it feel to be a part of a hit TV show? Are people starting to recognize you on the street as Special Advisor Emily Rhodes? (Or April from Chasing Life or Silver Banshee from Supergirl?)
A: I’m very grateful that I get to do what I do every day. I’ve been extremely lucky to end up making my living doing something I’d still be doing for free. (Don’t tell my agents that.) Getting recognized is always a great experience. I think I get more excited than the fans do, though. I don’t think I’ve properly digested the fact that strangers see me on TV and could know who I am. The first time I got recognized I was so flattered that I asked the fan out for a coffee. I had no idea what to do! He ended up saying 'no thank you, just a photo,’ but he still made my day. Getting told that someone enjoys a story I’ve helped to tell will always make my day.
Q: Why do you think Designated Survivor is popular?
A: Designated Survivor is popular for a few reasons. You’ve got Kiefer, who is legendary. The whole cast is. I could write a novel in praise of all of them. You’ve got the voyeuristic excitement of an hour inside the White House witnessing conversations and situations that could very well have happened, or be happening. You have conspiracies, family tensions, politics, romance, and action. People are going to enjoy the show differently, but it definitely has something for everyone.
Q: What role do you consider your big break? American Pie Presents: Beta House? Chasing Life? Designated Survivor?
A: Chasing Life, definitely. I loved that show. It was my first lead role and I was lucky to have it be such a strong character who went through very real experiences.
Q: People at Queen’s may remember you as Stephanie Ricci. When did you start going by Italia?
A: My full legal name is Stephanie-Italia Ricci and when my first agent saw that, they thought we should just use Italia. So I started going by Italia to everyone I met from that point on. Everyone who knew me as Steph still calls me that.
Q: I’ve read you were sending out audition tapes in your dorm room at Queen’s. Did you manage to do a lot of professional acting while at Queen’s or were you mainly focused on school?
A: I sent out audition tapes but nothing could ever really come from them because I didn’t have my U.S. work visa yet. They were more to get my face in front of L.A. casting directors to see what they thought. It was kind of a gauge to see if I should really risk everything and move out there once I graduated or if I should play it safe and continue with law school. I was always focused on school. I loved being a student.
Q: What is the one lesson, class, or professor at Queen’s that had a big impact on you?
A: Everyone in the drama department is responsible for my having such a great university experience. It makes me so happy to see how well so many of my friends from Queen’s Drama are doing, and that they’ve ended up in some facet of the industry. I can’t name one particular person or class. I’ve erased this 11 times already because I keep remembering someone who meant a lot to me and then two more come to mind. But I will say that they know who they are and I am forever thankful for them. This question has got me all nostalgic!
