Ruby Rose Opens up About Her past Big Break from ‘Break Free’ and ‘OITNB’

Ruby just opened up on Instagram about part of her life story, and how she rose to fame with dichotomous feelings of self-reliance and doubt. Apparently, she sort of threw all her eggs in a basket and moved west from Australia, with the hope of making a big break in Hollywood.

“I was living on a blow up mattress from Target and I had only 6 months left on my Visa to prove I could contribute to the industry abroad…In a moment close to giving up I poured what I had into a short film called break free… A short film I’d put off making for years because I was so fearful, fearful of how people would react, if I would lose my job or if brands would pull advertising from my shows,” wrote Ruby.

 

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Not long ago I packed my bags and left everything I knew behind, for a dream. I left my friends, family, career and comfort zone to attempt to break Hollywood. After two years of trying to get a manager or an agent I had spent every last cent I’d made in over decade of “showbiz”.. I was living on a blow up mattress from Target and I had only 6 months left on my Visa to prove I could contribute to the industry abroad. In a moment close to giving up I poured what I had into a short film called break free.. A short film I’d put off making for years because I was so fearful, fearful of how people would react, if I would lose my job or if brands would pull advertising from my shows. If brands I was the face of and spokesperson for would not want to be associated with me anymore and of course the fear of being so honest and raw in a video on platforms I had no control over. When I was stripped of those things, I had nothing to lose and no one to answer to and I realized I was getting depressed over rejection from others when I should have been focused on if I believed in me and if i did, what did I stand for and what really mattered to me. Breakfree changed my life in so many ways, and so did the struggle of those years. It will forever be the time I’m most proud of. I didn’t however know, it would change my entire life. The film ended up circulating around the world, it made an impact bigger than myself it started a bigger conversation.. it also found its way to the creators of OITNB… I am so sad I missed the premiere and last hurrah the other night, but I’m here in Vancouver shooting a show I probably wouldn’t even be shooting if it wasn’t for the belief and risk taken by @ijnej @jen_euston and the show. It opened up a door for me that I could have never imagined and I will forever be in gratitude to those who took a chance on me. Forever grateful to the cast who became my friends and biggest supporters, the show and the fans who embraced me. Thank you for everything. Sad to see it come to an end but the way it changed the game, the way it impacted the world and audiences.. and the way it impacted everyone on the show is unparalleled. X

A post shared by Ruby Rose (@rubyrose) on Jul 27, 2019 at 2:48pm PDT

It turned out that the short film, Break Free, ended up having a bigger impact than she thought it would. Rose wrote and starred in Break Free, which was largely about gender identity and what it is like to be trans. It turned out to also be a big player in the Orange is the New Black creators’ discovery of Rose.

 

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Posse. #thatsallfolks #oitnb #oitnbseason7

A post shared by Jenji Kohan (@ijnej) on Jul 26, 2019 at 11:28am PDT

In regards to OITNB’s official finale, Rose said she was “sad to see it come to an end but the way it changed the game, the way it impacted the world and audiences. and the way it impacted everyone on the show is unparalleled.”  We’re glad that Ruby Rose took a leap of faith and moved to Hollywood because now she has given us a very important character that has helped diversify representation on TV.