Odelya was happy to land herself in Good Trouble

Jewish Telegraph, October 2021

ISRAEL-born actress Odelya Halevi isn’t well-known to British audiences. But that could change on Sunday as the second part of season three of American drama Good Trouble is added to BBC iPlayer.
Odelya joins the cast in the later episodes as part of the storyline of main character Malika Williams (Zuri Adele) and she will continue the role in the fourth season, which starts shooting in the next month.
Good Trouble is a spin-off to The Fosters and sees adopted sisters Callie Adams Foster (Maia Mitchell) and Mariana Adams Foster (Cierra Ramirez) head to Los Angeles, where they move into the Coterie, a communal living apartment building.
The series — which is also streamed on Disney+ — deals with issues such as Black Lives Matter, transphobia, polyamorous relationships, racism and sexual harrassment in the workplace.
Odelya stars as Angelica, who starts work in the same bar, Douro, as Malika. She makes her first appearance in episode 16, Opening Statements.
But Odelya, who was born in the town of Rosh Haayin, admits that when she landed the audition for Good Trouble, she didn’t really know the show.
She describes getting butterflies when she saw the script at the audition — “the positive ones you get when you know how right a part is,” she explained.
“I taped at home, sent to casting and received the call the next day from my agent with an offer for the role of Angelica.
“I wasn’t completely familiar with the show so I watched a couple of episodes. Once I started, I couldn’t stop. I binged the whole first season in one day.”
Odelya — whose grandparents emigrated to Israel from Yemen — told me: “I feel so honoured to be a part of a creation that allows freedom of speech and includes characters and unique storylines that everyone in the world can relate to. A show that doesn’t shy away from subjects that matter.
“Good Trouble would make any teenager or young adult feel that their differences are their super power and, as someone who always struggled to ‘fit in’, I really relate to that.
“I’ve always wanted to tell stories that would inspire people to fight through their struggles. Stories that would give them hope.
“The comments and feedbacks I’ve been getting from Good Trouble fans validate that and makes me proud to be part of something that can have such a profound impact.”
Odelya says that growing up in a “small, religious town really shaped who I am”.
But she added: “I didn’t always like it. There were times when I felt like a complete outsider and wanted to leave. I wanted to have the opportunities and the freedom that a city like Tel Aviv had to offer.

“But I must admit, I admire my parents for raising me and my five siblings in Rosh Haayin. It was safe and allowed us a great childhood.
“My values and appreciation for family and friends came from there. The door of our house was always open — literally — and my mom was the best 24/7 host.
“My girlfriends would hang out in our home even when I wasn’t there and that’s the kind of behaviour I carried with me to Los Angeles.
“I was obsessed with the show Friends and felt like I was the kid version of Monica.”
Odelya wanted to be an actress from an early age.
“I was a dreamy kid and was acting even before I knew what it meant,” she explained. “I loved writing little plays and performing in front of the whole family and then, years later, in school.
“It’s a profession that chose me and I had to follow it. Psychodrama helped me get through some of my emotional struggles as a teenager and I knew I was destined to be an actress.”
Rosh Haayin is best known as being the birthplace of Wonder Woman star Gal Gadot and her success is something that pushes Odelya forward.
“When I moved to Los Angeles in 2008, there weren’t many opportunities in Hollywood for foreigners,” Odelya explained. “Especially for Israelis.
“I had to work on my American accent so I could fit in while asking myself ‘what am I trying to fit in to?’. So for me, Gal Gadot’s role as Wonder Woman definitely opened some doors for Israelis in Hollywood and proved to me that I’d rather stand out than fit in.
“It gave me the confidence that we can do anything that we put our minds to and I hear Gal is a wonderful person to be around and work with.”
Odelya also said her parents have taken great pride in her career.
“The decision to be an actress was never discussed with my parents,” she said. “I was independent from a very young age and a bit rebellious. It just felt like it was the obvious journey for me, and they never questioned it — at least not to my face.
“They’ve always supported me. I think they always knew it was my calling and I’ve only experienced acceptance from them.”
She decided to move to America because she didn’t feel there were enough roles in Israel — although she cites Netflix for opening the doors for international content and investing in shows like Fauda and Unorthodox, “which got Shira Haas an Emmy nomination. It’s all unbelievable.
“The industry in Israel has changed so much for the better. I would be honoured to take part in an Israeli project. I’m just waiting for the right one.”
Despite the distance, Israel is still very important to Odelya.
She explained: “Israeli is who I am first and foremost. I go back to visit my family and friends at least twice a year. It grounds me and is a constant reminder of who I am, at my core.
“When I moved to LA in 2008, I made the decision that no matter how far I got in my career — I’d never forget where I came from and would always look out for my people.”
She added: “The Israeli Jewish community of artists has really grown in LA in the last few years. It is a strong support system. We are not competitive with each other and only lift each other up.”
She told the Jewish Journal of Los Angeles in 2016 that she missed Friday nights with her family in Israel.
“There’s something about Shabbat with your family that you can’t re-create,” she said, adding: “I sometimes go to temple on Yom Kippur. It takes me back to my childhood and it connects me, and that’s important, to remember where you come from.
“I wouldn’t be who I am if I didn’t grow up Jewish and Israeli. It’s about caring for one another and fighting for your country, your people. You have commonality of pain, of history. You can take the Israeli out of Israel, but you can’t take the Israel out of the Israeli.”
Odelya admitted to me that she never had a Plan B in life.
“Succeeding was my only choice,” she said, “therefore I put my heart, my mind and the little money that I made working as a waitress into it.
“As much as friends encouraged me to put a time limit on acting, I never did. I feel like I’d be lying to myself if I did. I never saw myself pursuing a different path.”
She added: “It was definitely hard. I struggled a lot with the culture and language barrier in the beginning. I missed my family and had very few friends I trusted.
“It took years before I dared to even look for representation. I wanted to feel comfortable and was afraid to burn bridges, so I took acting classes until I felt I was ready.
“I first signed with a commercial agent and shortly after appeared in a Superbowl spot. I had no idea what it meant at the time, but it gave me the confidence I needed to start pursuing my actual dream of being in film and television.”
Odelya continued: “I met my manager at a workshop and she introduced me to my agent. I then got my first part in the CBS sitcom Mike and Molly and shortly after in New Girl on Fox.
“I remember how nervous I’d get before auditioning. I’d shake and sometimes even black out completely. I felt like a fool and embarrassed myself so many times, but couldn’t give up.
“I knew that everything in life takes practice and I just had to keep going. A couple of years later I got my first breakthrough role — playing Talia in Good Girls Revolt.
“Sadly, the show did not get picked up for a second season, but it was a stepping stone for me as it was my first time being a part of an ensemble cast.
“I then got an offer for a role in Ice, which was directed and produced by Antoine Fuqua. It was a huge compliment. I stayed positive and continued to work.”
Odelya also had roles in TV shows Starship Orion, The Bold and the Beautiful, NCIS, MacGyver and Midnight, Texas, as well as a number of short films.
But it is Good Trouble which has her buzzing with excitement.
“I can’t wait to see where the writers take my character’s storyline in the fourth season,” she said.
“Everyone is so sweet and the group is very tight, which is so important as it translates to the audience. The crew made me feel very welcome from the first day on set. They’ve given me the freedom to brainstorm some ideas which isn’t always the case.”
Odelya is keeping tight-lipped about her next project — a role in the DC superhero film Black Adam, starring Dwayne Johnson.
“Unfortunately, I can’t give any details about my role,” she told me. “I had an amazing experience filming which I will talk about in the future. The movie is set for theatres, summer of 2022. Stay tuned.”
Odelya is hoping to her future will involve both TV and film — on both sides of the camera.
“I’m excited to develop projects that are based on real life and am currently producing a movie inspired by events which are very close to my heart,” she said. “It’s refreshing and exciting to be on the creator side of the industry.”
And does she have advice for anyone who wants the same career?
“Do not listen to the naysayers, people tend to project their own fears onto us, but only we know deep in our hearts who we are and what our calling is,” she replied.
“Enjoy the journey and remember that the more you grow as a person, the better actor you become.
“What you go through will only make you more relatable and interesting, so live life to the fullest, while staying positive and in alignment.
“Always be on the lookout for self-growth.”