To celebrate Juneteenth we tapped starlet Mychal-Bella Rayne, one of the stars of Amazon’s The Underground Railroad Series which is directed by Academy Award-winner Barry Jenkins. Her on-screen powerful portrayal in the series is sure to further cement her success on the screen. Bella is definitely one to watch!
The 10-part Amazon limited series is an adaptation of Colson Whitehead’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel. The series premiered May 14th and follows the story of Cora who is on a journey from freedom while a notorious slave trader is in hot pursuit. This series is even more poignant as we celebrate Juneteenth and the storied past of black Americans in this country.
Juneteenth is an American holiday rooted in celebrating the emancipation of enslaved African Americans. Bella is wearing a special gold necklace that was issued to acknowledge the legacy of Harriet Tubman.
“The inspiration for Bella’s wardrobe was definitely a mix of current trends with a retro flare. The top hat was inspired by a late 80s photo of Lisa Bonet. I wanted to keep the fashion fun adding different texture and bright colors. Some of my favorite pieces on Bella were the blue sequin OTT Dubai pants and the Elliatt three piece set we paired with the top hat.” – Stylist Courtney Welch
Celebrity make up artist Renee Loiz explain the magic behind Bella’s look for our shoot, “Bella’s skin is absolutely perfect which inspired me keep her look youthful and glowing while showcasing her natural beauty. For her I wanted her natural texture and volume to come through, but also play around with different styles to add variety.”
We also caught up with the young star to ask a few questions in addition to our fun fashion editorial.
Tell us a little about your background:
All of my family lives in North Carolina. I have a sister who is 20 years older than me, and two nieces.
How was your experience preparing for The Underground Railroad?
When I first got the script for The Underground Railroad, I read through the whole thing. Later on, my mom bought the book to try to find out who my character was. But, she couldn’t because I wasn’t in the book. Barry created my character.
What was it like on set?
While filming the TV series, I enjoyed how everyone felt like family and we treated each other that way. The only challenge that we all probably faced was the Covid-19 outbreak.
What was a memorable moment from the production?
A memorable moment from the set would probably be when I said Thuso’s character name, Cora, wrong. I was left with laughter from that experience.
How would you define your personal style?
As of right now, I wouldn’t define my style because some days I could be really tomboy-ish or some days I could be really girly.
What is a lesson learned from this experience?
A lesson that I have learned is that you don’t always have to say exactly what the line says. Sometimes you can do things your way.
Can you tell us what is on the way in term of productions?
I have many projects in the making that I can’t share with you all because of NDA’s.
What is on your playlist? What are you listening to?
I have almost over 200 songs on my playlist, it just depends how I’m feeling.
How has it been interacting with fans? How do you use social media to connect with them?
Sometimes when I go live, once in a while, I talk to my fans. Instead of being on social media all day. I will go outside, ride my longboard, roller skates, play piano, guitar, go swimming, etc.
How would you characterize the past year of your life?
The past year or so has been very eye opening for me.
Thank you for taking time to give Cachet Digital a peek into your world Bella! We look forward to seeing you on our screens very soon!
Credits:
Photographer: @lovelenaocean
Wardrobe: @_styledbyc_
Makeup/Hair: @reneeloizmakeup of @exclusiveartists using @exa.beautyFoundation, @tower28beauty Gold Coast, and @patmcgrathreal Lip Balm
Creative Direction: @reneeloizmakeup
