Newfound fame has overwhelmed many an overnight sensation, but breakout “Orange Is the New Black” star Ruby Rose is taking her instant success in stride.
Perhaps it’s because she’s actually been a working entertainer for 15 years.
The Australian model, DJ and television personality became a household name down under ever since placing second in an early 2000s Australian modeling search, but she wasn’t introduced to American audiences until “OITNB’s” third season bowed in June. Now, Ruby’s a constant media presence and talking point among those wanting to discover more about the 29-year-old stunner.
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Ruby sat down with Access Hollywood’s Stephanie Bauer for her first on-camera interview since exploding stateside on the smash Netflix series, and discussed the “slightly more intense” paparazzi coverage and bystander attention she’s already experienced.
In fact, Ruby admitted, she’s literally stopping traffic.
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“I was driving on the freeway and I got eye contact with someone,” she recalled. “[I thought], ‘Hey, I’m so glad you recognize,’ and then she literally went, like, into the car in front of her. Not at full speed because we were going in, like, bumper to bumper traffic, but she nudged the car in front of her. And I was like, ‘Please look!’ And she was just like, [crash noise].”
Although Ruby’s unique look has already carved her a place in American celebrity culture, inevitable comparisons to other stars began making the rounds almost instantly. However, she confessed that the names she hears the most often don’t make a whole lot of sense to her.
“I have to say it’s so strange, because I love Justin [Bieber], I love Angelina [Jolie] and I really love Leo [DiCaprio],” she said. “But none of those three people look the same.”
“I would have to say I dress the most like Justin,” Ruby continued, adding that she “hopes” she resembles Angelina more closely.
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“I’m pretty obsessed with her,” she admitted.
Ruby’s sexuality and gender identity has been a hot topic her entire career, but the fascination reached a whole new level after she scored her “OITNB” gig. The actress didn’t shy away from the subject with Access, and shared vivid memories of her personal journey that included early plans to pursue gender transition surgery.
“When I was younger, for sure,” she said. “I had this jar that I would collect dollars. In fact, we were so poor it would’ve been cents. So we had, like, 19 cents to go towards this surgery that I really didn’t know a lot about. … I was like, ‘That’s what I’m going to do,’ and so I started saving from probably the age of 5. When I got to 15 is when I kind of started to get more into my body and I shaved my head. … I started to change the way that I dressed and walked, and realized that I didn’t want to transition. I just wanted to be more comfortable in my own skin.”
Her secure sense of self has resulted in more than just professional success. Ruby’s been engaged to clothing designer Phoebe Dahl since 2014, and she told Access that she extends her partner the same level of honesty she would herself, even when discussing each other’s “hall passes.”
“Well, hers is Kristen [Stewart],” Ruby said of Phoebe’s celebrity crush. “So Kristen, you stay away from my girl. Okay. And mine would probably be Angelina, yeah. Or Madonna. I have a thing for Madonna too.”
Although Ruby said Phoebe would “never give me permission for anybody,” she joked that her fiancee did approve of Justin Bieber, because “that’s really going to happen.”
Ruby also said she’s interested in pursuing a place in Taylor Swift’s social circle, but laughed that the “Shake It Off” singer might already be well aware of her admirer’s intentions.
“I’m also very obsessed with Taylor Swift,” Ruby said. “I want her to be my best friend. I think I’ve said this so much that she probably has a restraining order on me. … It is a girl crush, but that feels weird coming from a lesbian. It doesn’t make so much sense, so I feel like just saying a best friend crush.”
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With her fame growing bigger every day, Ruby might have no choice but to hold off on making new friends for now. However, she told Access there is another person she’d definitely like to hear from.
“Caitlyn [Jenner], call me,” she said. “I mean, I’m busy, but I want to hang out. You’re awesome.”
Catch Ruby Rose in Season 3 of “Orange Is the New Black,” now streaming on Netflix.
— Erin Biglow
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