Today we’d like to introduce you to Raquel Gardner. Them and their team share their story with us below:
Raquel resides in Los Angeles, California and through the years, she has built a reputation for being a professional and committed actor. Raquel has worked in many areas of the business.
Most recently, Raquel has taken on another role in the industry directing her first tv pilot. “Spending the last nine years as a coach too many actors, I felt right at home in the director’s seat.
Acting-wise, Raquel starred in 60 episodes of Fox’s Acapulco Bay which aired in 22 countries around the world and is still running with millions of fans around the World!! She had a 6 episode recurring role on ABC’s Marvel Agents of Shield playing Adrian Pasdar’s wife. She’s also guest-starred on many shows like Grey’s Anatomy, 90210, Eleventh Hour, Wings, Silk Stalkings, High Tide, etc. One of Raquel’s most challenging roles to date was her recurring role on ABC’s daytime drama Port Charles where she played a nurse that contracted HIV. “Playing that character was a real learning experience for me both professionally and personally”. You have seen Raquel many times on the big screen as well. A few of her feature film credits include A Night at the Roxbury, the Sci-Fi thriller Species II, Coldwater directed by Vincent Grashaw, Mother Ghost with Gary Marshall, Cutback directed by Johnny Remo. And a cameo role in the thriller The Boy Next Door starring Jennifer Lopez.
Raquel Gardner was born and raised in Ohio where she started working as a print model at the young age of 11. “I knew I wanted to be in the Entertainment Industry from the time I was five years old”.
Raquel made the leap to Los Angeles, California at the age of nineteen to pursue her dream ”This business has been so much of my life. Whether I’m in front of the camera or behind it, I feel at home. It’s not work when you do something you love”.
At 15, Raquel was hand-picked to spend the summer working with a Talent Agency in Chicago. While there, she began studying acting and working on commercials. She continued her modeling career as a fitness/swimwear model, landing her a nine years modeling contract with Venus Swimwear, which led her to such tropical places like Jamaica, Mexico, Hawaii, Tahiti, Anguilla Etc. “I had the time of my life being a Venus model!! Many of my lifelong friends have come from working with Venus.” Raquel has also appeared in magazines around the World such as Sport Magazine, Inside Sports, Instyle, American Swimwear, Swimwear USA, Shape Etc.
Raquel also decided to try her hand at hosting and fell in love! Raquel was rewarded very early on with the opportunity to host one of E! Entertainment’s most popular shows Wild On E! Although she never hosted before, she decided to take on the challenge. Raquel went on to host Toyota’s Inside Line for Supercross, The Outdoor Channel’s Monsters of Destruction and also co-hosted alongside infomercial legends like Jack LaLane and Tony Little on some of their award-winning products.
Still working in front of the camera, Raquel immersed herself in other areas of the entertainment industry behind the camera as well to understand the other side of the industry. Raquel worked as a theatrical agent and scout for a reputable talent agency in Los Angeles with an extensive client list of successful working actors that have starred in numerous feature films, television series and commercials such as Grey’s Anatomy, Supergirl, Friends, ER, CSI, Parenthood, American Sniper, The Boy Next Door, Species II, Sea of Trees, Frito-Lay, Geico, Kraft, McDonalds, Burger King and Mercedes Benz just to name a few.
Raquel had a strong desire to give back the 35 + years of knowledge she has gained from activity working in Hollywood. She decided what a better way to give back than by becoming an accomplished acting coach for many celebrities and actors, and a committed mentor for the new generation of actors. Her client list is confidential but we can tell you she has helped actors book series regular roles, recurring and guest star roles as well as set coached many well know adult and youth actors you currently see on the television and big screen.
For the last 30 years, Raquel has built a wealth of knowledge on acting and the process of integrating herself into the characteristics of the characters that the writer creates. She has studied with some of the most influential coaches in the industry from Ivana Chubback, Howard Fine, Sharron Chatten, Margie Haber, Robert Carnegie and Playhouse West, Groundlings. The list goes on and on!! Raquel believes that every actor has their own process of building their craft to their own comfort level. Raquel works with actors of all levels to connect personally with the characters and dialogue.
In 2010 Raquel decided to go behind the scenes of the industry to understand another side of the business and fill in any gaps she may have missed as an actor. Raquel was hired as a Commercial and Theatrical agent at a very respectful Los Angeles-based agency for three years. This allowed Raquel to gain insider knowledge of how this industry works from the inside. It also gave her an up-to-date understanding of exactly what casting directors and agents are looking for.
Raquel has interviewed with Casting Networks, Backstage, Casting Frontier and The Insider on many subjects that actors connect with.
Raquel is a Private coach and mentor for many actors currently working in the industry. She is also currently teaching ongoing classes for adults and kids in Los Angeles and other countries around the World.
Raquel has surrounded herself with many mentors, fellow actors, directors, producers and casting directors that she is proud to call longtime friends and associates.
She is very passionate about sharing what she has learned over the years with the new generation of artists. Her students will tell you how much they Absolutely Love her!!!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I think the biggest struggle for me as a creative type was to really let it be about the journey of my life. So, for me as I got older and started to teach other actors about the business, I realized it was very important as an artist to build my self-esteem and self-worth. There are times when you will not get a role that you really want and the one thing to remember is, if you are prepared and give it the best you have, the rest is out of your control. SO, for those actors out there that are currently auditioning and trying to move their career forward, know this- once you walk away from that audition, let it go and move on to the next move for yourself and your career. I feel like I am in a great place in my life to do just that! I really do practice what I preach.
I have had times in my life when I was working like crazy and times when I wasn’t getting any work. But I learned so much about myself from both times in my life.
“I’ve been a working actor for many years and I feel like my journey has just begun. I want to learn all I can and share it.”
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Currently, I am a working actor, director, acting coach and mentor to many actors.
In my acting, my specialty is drama. I am very in touch with my emotional side and drama allows me to access my many emotions to connect with my roles.
In my coaching, my specialty is career coaching for actors. Because I have more than 30 years of experience in this industry and I was an agent for three years, I know what actors need to do to move from where they are to where they want to be. The business of acting is just as important as the creative. I help actors build the strongest online profiles, help them pinpoint where to start in the business that will give them the biggest opportunity for success and work with them on creating the most dynamic materials (headshots, resumes, reels, etc.) to give them the most exposure.
My testimonies speak for themselves. I am really proud of the help I have given to all the actors that have passed through my doors and look forward to helping many more!
I think what sets me apart from others is my ability to listen! Really listen! And if you are in the entertainment business and you are in front of the camera, then you know that is your biggest asset.
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
The quality I am most proud of is the ability to appreciate the journey of my passion and dreams. When I started in this business, I was so worried about where I needed to get to that I wasn’t allowing myself to live in the moment. And now that I have worked on myself and did the self-work to reach a place of happiness. I know that happiness isn’t about getting somewhere or obtaining something, it is about appreciating every opportunity to grow and learn. I also learned that one of the most important things in life is to surround yourself with people that make you feel like you are the most amazing person in the world! Because, if you have that support, there is no stopping you!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.theactorsmark.com / www.raquelgardner.com
- Instagram: @theactorsmark / @raquelgardnerofficial
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theactorsmark / https://www.facebook.com/raquel.gardner.5/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/theactorsmark / https://twitter.com/RaquelGardner1
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtBvK1bFeSABuIsFlQI0ulw / https://www.youtube.com/c/RaquelGardner1
- Other: TikTok – @theactorsmark
