U Never Know How Strong U Are Until God Tests You | Ra'chel King

Tell us about your book.
The book is called “U Never Know How Strong U Are Until God Tests You.” I started writing the book after sustaining a life-altering loss. After I had done all the self-destructing things that I could do and through it all God kept me. I needed someone to know there is a brighter day. Just look at my scars and all I don’t look like what I’ve been through.

Why did you become an author? 
The book was important to write because I needed someone to know there is a better day coming. That through all those dark clouds and battle wound’s that you will see the light again. That if I can survive it, you can too. Just hold on!

Tell us about the healing aspect from writing your book. 
The healing for me was that I needed people to see that I don’t look like what I have been through. That through the storm and the rain. Through the heartache and pain. Through the crying in the midnight hours, God kept me and he will keep you too. Just don’t give up. Hold on. Change is coming. I promise you.

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Tell us about your training as an actor. 
Training for me is a daily thing. I am always watching and looking to see who I can use in a character. My teacher at TSAW has a game called “What’s they story.” You sit back and watch people and try to figure out what their story is. Before you know it someone has been married, may have gotten caught cheating, and now is trying to figure out how he is going to get his wife back. All this is from just watching someone in a restaurant eating alone on his cell phone. I watch movies and plays then I try to recreate the same scene and get the same effect out of it. When you watch people like Viola Davis in Fences and how she put it all out there for her character. Right now that is the one I am working on now. She is such an extraordinary Actress.

How do you prepare for an audition? 
I prepare for my auditions by first getting to know as much about the project as I can. I learn about the cast, the directors, and anyone to give me a feel of what this character is supposed to be about. Then I watch the show if it is an already running show to try and get the feel of the project. Then I go over the lines and see what feelings I get and then I make her mine. Do she have sass? Is she humble? Is she shy or scary? Once I decide how I think she is that is where I build her up at. Then I make her and I become one.

What does success look like for you?   
I'm not sure what success looks like right now. But, when I'm able to work with Viola Davis, Jennifer Hudson, Danielle Brooks, Aisha Hines, William Catlett, and Keith Arthur Bolden. When they know my name and my work. Then I will feel like I am a successful because these are the people I look up to. They are where I get my motivation from. Watching them in their movies and television shows make me want to be an extraordinary actor.

What would be an ideal role for you and why? 
An ideal role for me would be to play a woman who struggled, lost it all, got it all back, and knew that it was by the grace of God. Why would the character be ideal for me? Because it is me.