Beyond the OC (Welcome to the OC) Amanda Righetti-A Beyond The OC Interview
Sep 5, 2024
Amanda Righetti, American actress best known for Hailey Nichol on The O.C. and Grace Van Pelt on The Mentalist, talks about playing Nellie Reagan in Reagan. She shares stories from filming, hiding a pregnancy on set, and researching a real historical figure. Conversation ranges from period sets and tough scenes to meditation, parenting, and the shift to self-taped auditions.
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Hiding Pregnancy On A Long-Running Show
- Amanda hid her pregnancy on The Mentalist for as long as possible by positioning props and sitting behind desks.
- By episode seven or eight she routinely sat behind the desk because concealment became impractical.
Fast Turnaround For Playing Reagan's Mother
- Amanda Righetti was offered the role of Nellie in Reagan with only four days to prep before flying to Oklahoma to film her period scenes.
- Principal photography had wrapped months earlier and her section was shot separately in Guthrie with Model Ts and period sets.
Researching A Little-Documented Historical Character
- Playing a historical figure required different research because there were no recordings of Nellie Reagan and Amanda relied on Reagan's autobiographies and community history.
- She reconstructed Nellie's voice from photographs, books, and building rapport with Justin Chatwin who played Jack.
