Rachel Handler - Actor of the Month for October 2025

Actor: Rachel Handler | Interviewed by: Steven Tylor O'Connor, CSA

1) Has there been a Casting Director who has really championed or supported you in your career journey?

When I first started auditioning for TV, John Ort, CSA, would call me in for all types of roles, even roles that weren’t disability specific. As a new amputee, it felt so nice to be acknowledged for my craft and I’m so grateful to him for seeing the layers that casting inclusively can bring to any role. Eventually, I landed a very non-confrontational juror role on “Bull” (that’s forever lost to the editing room floor).

Steven Tylor O’Connor, CSA, cast me in “Best Foot Forward,” a TV series that champions authentic disability portrayals and truly embodies the phrase “nothing about us without us.” The Aufiero/Horn office cast the series with such care, it was an honor to be part of this truly groundbreaking series.

2) What is the project you’re most proud of, and why?

I’m most proud of the film I wrote and starred in for the Disability Film Challenge this year, “Don’t Take This the Wrong Way”. In this script, my character starts to unravel after facing constant ableist microaggressions and a devastating breakup. Ableism is so deeply rooted in our culture, it took me a long time to come to terms with my own internalized ableism.

3) What or who inspired you to pursue acting as a career?

Two years after I graduated with a musical theatre degree, I was in an accident and became a leg amputee. I Googled “amputee actors”, and the first name that caught my eye was Anita Hollander. Anita became a mentor to me, sharing all the highs and lows of her own journey. As the former National Chair of the SAG-AFTRA Performers with Disabilities Committee, Anita has been paving the way for future generations, and I’m so inspired by her resilience, advocacy, and talent.

4) What was your first IMDbPro credit and how did you feel when you saw it?

My first professional TV credit was for Law & Order: SVU. When I saw my name under that title on IMDbPro, I literally gasped. It felt like the industry had suddenly welcomed me as a real TV actor.

5) How has IMDbPro helped you either to market yourself or connect with other industry professionals?

IMDbPro has helped me connect with other industry professionals with disabilities. Whenever I’m getting ready to do the Disability Film Challenge, I check out IMDbPro to vet potential cast and crew members, and to find cast and crew members who identify as disabled.

6) Any funny or memorable casting room stories you can share?

I auditioned for a doctor role on “Manifest” and thank goodness CD Lain Kunin was in the room with me… I had dressed up, with really nice makeup, and curled hair. Lain quickly helped adjust my appearance to fit a busy doctor’s role and from then on, I stopped thinking about looking pretty and focused on how I could style myself for the character. It’s amazing what a difference a ponytail can make!

7) If you could play any character in any movie, past or present, who would it be and why?

I’d love to play Sandra Bullock’s role in “Miss Congeniality.” How badass would it be to have a disabled woman save the day?

8) What show or movie that you’re currently watching or have watched countless times could you nerd out about forever? What do you love about it?

“Interview With the Vampire” holds a special place in my heart, and not just because I was in the first season. Writing Louis as a black business owner in the Jim Crow era in New Orleans helps to make this series the most human interpretation of vampires I’ve ever seen. Jacob Anderson’s performance is full of vulnerability and nuance, I can’t wait for season 3!

9) Tell us a fun fact about you outside of acting.

I have two rescue dogs and nearly every day I threaten to eat them because they’re so cute.

Actor of the Month is a monthly collaboration between IMDbPro and Casting Society that celebrates the casting community and spotlights its members through a series of interviews between casting directors and actors about their acting journey, the casting process, and how IMDbPro helps them advance their careers.