With three back-to-back projects premiering this year, it finally feels like it is Riley Dandy‘s time to shine.
In August, the actress starred as Sofia in the rom-com That’s Amor, which premiered on Netflix on August 25 — a role that made perfect sense for her. “I remember reading the script and I was like, ‘Well, I have to do this, obviously because the character is so intertwined with who I am.’ It’s all about love and food, so I was immediately intrigued,” she exclusively tells GRAZIA USA.
Dandy got to do a chemistry read with “four or five extremely handsome Spanish speaking men,” which eventually led to her getting the part. “We spent two and a half weeks on set and had a blast,” she recalls. “My favorite part was opening myself up to romantic scenes and letting myself feel lovable after this character is not so lovable in the beginning of the film. I loved to work past that with the character. It was almost kind of cathartic because in the beginning she’s a total jerk to everyone because her life imploded — going on that journey was really fun for me.”
In the flick, Sofia has to start from scratch after her job and relationship explode on the same day. Luckily, she meets a handsome Spanish chef who might be an important part of her life. After the movie was released, Dandy was flooded with positive comments from her fans, especially if they were dealing with hardships. “They said, ‘Hey, I just want to let you know that watching your movie was really helpful for me. I lost my mom a couple of years ago and watching your relationship with your mother was super special,'” she says, adding that some fans even expressed they felt for Sofia after being dumped. “I love watching movies that make me feel like I can relate to the character,” she shares. “It makes me very happy when someone messages me and feels like they’ve had that experience. We spent two weeks in the Top 10 — that’s amazing. It surpassed anything I expected, and I am super thankful, to be honest.”
Dandy isn’t surprised the movie was such a hit, as she always knew they were “telling a special story.”
The star also got to work on Christmas Bloody Christmas, which will be released on December 9, in addition to A Hollywood Christmas. “I was never a huge Christmas person!” she quips of the trend. “Christmas is huge in my family, so maybe that’s why I was initially burnt out on Christmas. My family goes very hard, and then I found myself being cast in these Christmas movies. At first, I was like, ‘What is happening?’ Then I realized I’m so thankful for that avenue because everyone loves Christmas movies.”
This time around, A Hollywood Christmas is a bit meta, as it’s “about a Christmas movie within a Christmas movie.” Dandy also fell in love with her character since she’s such a diva and “everything I would never be on set or in my professional life.”
On the other hand, Christmas Bloody Christmas is “beautiful gory mess,” she says. “I worked with Joe Begos, who is an incredibly talented horror movie director. I play the lead, and it all takes place on Christmas Eve.”
Growing up, Dandy knew she was destined to be on screen. “I remember the feeling of being on stage,” she says. “I was immediately obsessed with it. I started doing community theater at 9 years old and have acted since then. I never gave myself another option.”
Since Dandy is able to star in different genres — from rom-coms to horror flicks — she hopes that it’s something that will “continue for the rest of my career.”
“The worst thing we can do is get comfortable in a certain place,” she notes. “That kills people creativity. When you’re constantly testing yourself and diving into different corners of your soul, it keeps it fun. It’s so fun and it helps me not be in just one box.”
“The past two years have been really fun, especially because everything I’ve worked on has been so different,” she adds. “I want to keep that momentum going. I’m looking forward to everything coming out, but I am also like, ‘What’s next?'”
