EXCLUSIVE: 'All Rise' actor Nadia Gray talks about her role and working with Wilson Bethel and Will Smith
Actress Nadia Gray made her debut through an uncredited role in 'Pretty Little Liars', and since then she has come a long way. With the role of Hayley in 'Days of Our Lives', Gray cemented her place on television. In 2017, she acted opposite Will Smith in Netflix's 'Bright'.
Since then, Gray has been cast in the recurring role of Ria in CBS's freshman legal drama, 'All Rise', which stars Simone Missick ('Luke Cage'), Wilson Bethel ('Daredevil'), Jessica Camacho ('Another Life'), and J Alex Brinson ('Travelers'). Missick plays Judge Lola Carmichael, who leads the show depicting the lives of judges, prosecutors, bailiffs, clerks and cops, all fighting through a flawed legal system, trying to get justice for the people of Los Angeles.
Ria is Mark Callan's (played by Bethel) girlfriend, who is a supermodel and a brand ambassador. In an interview with MEA WorldWide (MEAWW), Gray talks about her character, saying Ria is strong-willed and quick-tongued and adds that "the girl is smart and goes after what she loves."
'All Rise' received a full-season order from CBS last month and has quickly gained many fans. Gray herself loves the characters, the relationships they have with one another that she feels are enduring and believable. She adds, "I love them all, but Lola and Mark have such compelling chemistry. They’re the best friends you want to grab a drink with at the end of a long day."
Bethel is a television favorite with roles in shows like 'Hart of Dixie' and 'Daredevil'. On working with Bethel, Gray says, "He’s a true professional who doesn’t take himself too seriously which makes for really fun days on set."
Gray is also all praise for another one of her costars, the inimitable Will Smith. Though she had only a few days on set with Smith, she believes he is the nicest guy. Said Gray, "I had heard so many stories about how warm and open he was with people he met and I was not disappointed! You don’t expect someone that famous to stop and take the time to meet everyone on set and make them feel welcome."
Gray's dream role would be to play an assassin, much like Villanelle from BBC's 'Killing Eve'. She says, "I’m all for badass leading ladies, especially when there’s a physicality involved!"
Besides acting, Gray loves to spend time with her dogs — a MinPin and a German Shepherd puppy — and she believes in advocating for woman's rights and issues. She has voiced support to the charity, "Joyful Heart", an organization that aims to change public perception and response to issues like sexual assault and domestic violence. She feels their work is paramount as they provide victims a safe space to heal from trauma.
Watch Nadia Gray as Ria on 'All Rise' which airs on CBS every Monday night.
