IN CONVERSATION WITH LEE RODRIGUEZ

Interview by Hayden Peyrard & Jana Letonja

Actress and musician Lee Rodriguez can currently be seen starring in Netflix’s critically acclaimed, coming-of-age comedy series ‘Never Have I Ever’, which released its fourth and final season on 8th June. In music, Lee records under the moniker La Rhonza and her first single ‘Afterthought’ was released on 1st June. 

Lee, you play Fabiola Torres in the Netflix ‘Never Have I Ever‘, which released its fourth and final season on 8th June. What can you tell us about the upcoming, final season? 

It’s been awesome to grow with this character and have fans grow alongside her. We’re similar in the way we are in our queerness, ever growing and discovering more about ourself. And we are both big on friendship. 

You instantly became a fan favorite as Fabiola, Devi’s kind, intelligent, tech-savvy best friend and confidant who is also exploring her sexuality. The show has garnered a lot of success. How does it feel to be a part of such a big and succesful project? 

I feel so grateful to be a part of such an impactful show and I hope it’s a show that people can look back on and enjoy years to come.

You attended a performing arts high school. Has performing always been something that you wanted to pursue professionally?

I went to a performing arts high school, which I joined initially for singing, but along the way found a love for acting. I then decided to not go the college route and giving acting a go and I’m glad I did.

Before becoming an actress, you kicked off your career in modeling. How does modeling differ from acting for you? 

It’s similar in the sense where you have to find your confidence in front of the camera, but different in the sense  that with acting you can be free to be more creative.

You just released your first single ‘Afterthought’ under the moniker La Rhonza. Can you tell us about the meaning of this artistic name and how did you choose it? 

Well, my first name is La Rhonza and I feel like music is a big part of who I am and how I like to communicate. Going by first name feels like it just makes sense.

You are also very passionate about climate change and are an environmental activist. You are even a certified leader for the Climate Reality Project. Why is this so importnat, not only to you, but for the whole society? How do you use your social platforms to educate and incite change?

The climate crisis is something that everyone should be concerned with and have some level of activism on. We are experiencing the effects of climate crisis today and I think it’s important to have the conversation whenever we can and not shy away. I try my best to use my platform to share more knowledge on it from experts and share more easily digestible resources on how others can get involved and why it’s so necessary to pay attention to.