Leven Rambin on Happiness, Investing in Herself and Her New Film ‘The Big Ugly’

In our efforts to keep ROSE & IVY original, we are delighted that an array of talented women with upcoming projects are helping us maintain our integrity by photographing themselves home.

Actress, writer and director Leven Rambin talks about cultivating happiness, investing in herself and her newest film, The Big Ugly, which is now streaming and playing at select drive-in theaters across the country.

Interview by Alison Engstrom

Leven was photographed by Taylor Nohs in Los Angeles

Hi Leven, it’s great to meet you! How have you been doing during this time period?

I have mostly a positive mindset about life in general and I try not to worry about what I can’t control but I definitely have had ups and downs. I recently heard that 90 people from my agency were being laid off, which is pretty hard to hear and not have fear and grief because I do have all those things. I am starting to feel that sense of loss and fear. I feel for people, including myself, who have been really impacted work-wise and also the generations of workers and businesses. I just tried to take my rug to the cleaners and he was like we are shutting down; he said we have been here for 25 years. It’s really starting to affect me now. 

I know, small businesses are really reeling from this. With everything going on, have you developed any rituals or methods to help you stay grounded?

I do a morning routine and I spend a lot of time working on myself—I feel like that is the most optimal thing. I have an incredible life coach who has changed my whole life. Her name is Jenn Visser, she’s really turned my life around, mentally and emotionally. I have also tried to be as creative as possible. I started directing during this time, I did a music video and a short film. It’s not my usual paid actor’s work, but it’s really fun and creative. I have been surfing a lot too. I am trying to stay business-minded and oriented so I am always creating, while still maintaining optimism.

I’d love to know, from your experience, how a life coach differs from a say a therapist?

I have been to therapists for the last couple of years. I discovered different types of therapy techniques. I have been doing this one from Marisa Peer called Rapid Transformation Technique and I was like, wow that sounds great, it’s what I need and I need this quickly because I am really struggling (laughs). I found that my life coach gives me actionable things to do and she challenges my beliefs about everything instead of digging into my emotions. She doesn’t say my feelings are invalid, it’s going in there and quickly changing it. There is like 10 years of therapy in one call. She’s so much more relatable because she can open up about her own life and her own experiences and it makes it feel like she is more of a friend who has all of the answers.  I’ve referred a lot of friends to her recently because people are asking me how I am so positive and content; it’s because of her. It’s up to everyone to cultivate their own happiness at the end of the day; you can’t depend on anything external like work, money, or relationships, now especially, is a test of that.

I agree with that completely. Before we talk about your new project, I’d love to get to know you more, can you share how you got into acting?

I watched a lot of movies growing up, I was always very curious. I was a thinker and always very anxious about the meaning of the universe. I watched a lot of movies that offered me insight into themes of life. Something drew me to it and even as a kid, I couldn’t see myself doing anything else. I think I honestly wanted to feel significant and that my voice and my message was wide-spread in a way.  At a young age, I didn’t know what that meant but I took it to mean that I wanted to be an entertainer and perform in front of people. I felt like I had something to say. I was always singing on my karaoke machine; I thought I wanted to be a singer. I’ve always been a hard worker, I went to acting classes and got a coach and she kind of steered me in the right direction. It’s been going and going for fifteen years now. 

As in any career there are ups and down, how have you navigated those harder moments?

I can definitely think of a few rock bottoms. I never considered not doing it, even when it was hard, my parents would say, are you sure you don’t want to move back home? I would say no, there is not chance in hell. It’s part of it and I accept that—accepting it was a big part of it. Also, taking responsibility for how I had contributed to these rock bottoms, like, if I wasn’t working hard enough, prioritizing my work or myself. Obviously, getting the roles are not in my control but there is a lot that I can control. I would always ask myself what I needed to do to feel proud of myself when I entered the room or the set. I’d do that instead of complaining that things weren’t going my way. I have been really lucky that I have been self-aware enough to switch blame and call myself out on my BS. I always ask, how can I invest in myself as an artist? 

Now to talk about your newest film, ‘The Big Ugly’, what was it about the film that intrigued you the most?

The character, Kara, really stood out to me. She has this grounding force; she is this wise oracle woman who is soulful and multidimensional amidst all of these male characters. I liked that sort of soft grounding, feminine energy. The film also seemed kind of mysterious; I loved the southern feel because I am from the South. 

Can you share more about the plot and how your character comes into it?

It’s about this group of London mobsters who want to launder money in America so they decide to invest in West Virginia oil mines and fields in a really small town—its’ a culture clash for sure. My character is the bartender at the local spot where all of the oil men go, so she sees and knows everything. She has her own troubled past but she knows what she wants.

In a prior interviews, I heard you talk about not being afraid to explore more complex emotions and characters. How do you get into character and then how do you step away at the end of a work day?

All actors work differently, but for me, I create this imaginary world with these relationships. It’s obviously not your life, but it kind of is when you are on set for 12-hours a day or more. It becomes more about that life than your own. I think you just accept that for a couple of months, not that you put your life on hold, but you are more vested in this world than your own reality, which is cool in that way. I like being on location because you just commit more. When you are shooting in LA, you go home and are reminded of you life more. 

Beyond being in front of the screen, like you said, you also write and direct. How has that transition been and what stories are you most passionate about telling?

As an actor, you are stepping into someone else's creative vision from the set, characters, production design and camera movement. It’s the director’s vision. I would always have a lot to add and I felt like I had more to say than what I was there to do, especially creatively, I had a bigger vision. Then I realized, my creative voice is valid and good. I started to believe in myself as well. I also invested in myself, I went to UCLA School for Directing and it’s paid off in so many ways, including in front of the camera. I have been experimenting with my own projects. I am very passionate about the contemporary female experience from my view and my bubble. I don’t speak for anyone else but I think my take is really relatable and brutally honest about relationships, dating, babies, money, self-worth, body image and comparison. I have a very specific take on it. I want to talk about that and start to challenge the beliefs that my generation and below me, or maybe every other woman, feels about herself; where does it come from and what do we really want. 

Follow Leven on INstagram

Watch ‘The Big Ugly’, on Demand Here

This interview was edited for clarity