ALUMNI ANSWERS
Chester Rushing
NORTHWEST HIGH SCHOOL , CLASS OF 2010
Chester Rushing was once a student at Northwest High School filming videos for fun , and now he ’ s part of a cultural phenomenon TV show just a few years out of high school .
As Tommy on Netflix ’ s “ Stranger Things ,” Mr . Rushing ’ s acting has led internet commenters across the world to call his character one of the most hated on TV – in a good way , for an actor – because of the reaction his acting as a bully created from audiences . His work creating a response from the audience has led to more roles , including characters in the upcoming Hulu series “ All Night ” and the movie “ Jeepers Creepers 3 .”
Since graduating in 2010 , Mr . Rushing has appeared in more than a dozen TV shows or movies and is adding more to his résumé each year .
Mr . Rushing talked with Northwest Navigator about his experiences in the TV and movie industry as well as some of his goals and advice for aspiring actors .
Perhaps your most recognizable role to date is as Tommy in the Netflix show “ Stranger Things ,” which quickly became a streaming sensation . What was seeing that response like for you ?
It has been and is still such an amazing experience . The show captured the hearts and minds of so many people who truly fell in love with the story and the characters . Maybe not so much Tommy H ., but that has been fun as well . When I meet a fan of the show they instantly see me as Tommy and some of them just start yelling at me .
As Tommy in “ Stranger Things ,” you played a high school bully , which is pretty far from your personality . Is it more enjoyable as an actor to play something so different from yourself , or does that make the work harder ?
With every character I get the opportunity to create a person based around my personal experiences , people I have researched as well as personality traits from my friends and family . The work is the same with any role and it always requires time to develop that character into someone that the audience can relate to . At the end of the day , if people love or hate my character , I have gotten a reaction and that is what makes me happy .
One of the next times people will see you is in another show on a streaming service , Hulu ’ s “ All Night .” What ’ s it like knowing anyone can open an app on their phone , computer or TV and see you thanks to the ubiquity of streaming services ?
We all have such busy lives these days that getting time to sit in front of a TV to watch a show is so hard to do . With streaming services , we are able to bring shows to your schedule . You also have to remember that companies like
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