Odeya Rush Discusses Career Range, Patrick Dempsey's Fatherly On-Screen Presence, and Future Producing Ambitions

In an interview with Isabela Merced for CULTURED, actress Odeya Rush reflects on her diverse career spanning from early work on a Little House on the Prairie book cover to recent roles in Fox's crime drama Memory of a Killer. Rush plays the daughter of a hitman with Alzheimer's opposite Patrick Dempsey, whom she describes as "fatherly" and caring on set, noting he gave her advice and that their connection felt natural. She emphasizes selecting projects based on the overall package and trust in collaborators rather than genre, citing recent work in the horror satire Corporate Retreat and the comedy Goodbye Girl. Rush, who started acting professionally at age 13 after child modeling, values ensemble collaboration, recalling bonding experiences on sets like late-night hangs during Corporate Retreat shoots. She prepares for roles by focusing on character backstory and research, such as studying grief for her Memory of a Killer character Maria. Looking ahead, Rush expresses ambition to produce and amplify women's voices in the vein of Margot Robbie, calling herself a "movie matchmaker." The conversation also touches on Merced's bilingual songwriting and mutual admiration for potential collaborators like the Safdie Brothers, Florence Pugh, and Sarah Paulson.