Ever watched one of your favorite shows, seen actors your own age and wondered where they went to school? Well if your favorite show is “Bloodline,” one of the show’s stars has been walking around the UF campus with you all along. Taylor Rouviere, 19, plays Jane Rayburn in the hit Netflix show and is going into her third year at UF as a biology and psychology double major. I sat down with her to talk about living in Gainesville and working on an acclaimed TV show as a college student.
Kirsten Chuba: Why did you decide to go to UF?
Taylor Rouviere: I had to stay in Florida for school in order to film the show, and UF was the best option for me.
KC: What do you want to do after college?
TR: My primary goal is to go to medical school and become a surgeon. Of course, if other acting opportunities come my way, I will always consider them and can always do both acting and school, as I have been.
KC: What kind of things do you like to do at UF/in Gainesville?
TR: I am a huge sports fan, particularly football, so I love going to the games in the Fall. I also enjoy going to gymnastics meets and basketball games as well. I am on the bowling team at UF as well, so that’s a fun activity of mine. Of course, we all love to study, so I spend more time at the library than I’d like to admit.
KC: How did you get involved with “Bloodline?”
TR: I’ve been in the business doing modeling and acting since I was really little, and I auditioned for “Bloodline” during Spring Break of my senior year of high school. After I was offered the role, I learned that we would be filming for months longer than I had initially expected. In light of this, the producers graciously helped me work around both my end-of-senior year schedule (graduation, Silver Knight interview, awards ceremonies, etc.) and my freshman Fall semester schedule so that I was able to both film the show and attend school.
KC: What has your experience on the show been like?
TR: The show has given me the opportunity to meet and work with some amazing people, both in front of and behind the camera. The whole cast and crew is like a second family to me now, and they’ve all taught me so much. The actors on the show are all so extremely talented and it’s an honor to learn from the best in the business.
KC: Your character has a much bigger role in season two, how was that?
TR: It was really exciting to get the script each week and see how my character kept growing. This season, I was able to work with a wider variety of actors as well, which was really amazing. Some of my scenes were really physically and emotionally demanding, which enabled me to channel a part of my character that I had never explored. Unfortunately, some of my favorite scenes from this season ended up on the editing floor. Hopefully season three will have even more in store for my character.
To see Rouviere in action, catch the newly released season two of “Bloodline” on Netflix.
