'The Residence' breakout star Julieth Restrepo: Navigating motherhood with a newborn, filming a 'dream' show
For actor Julieth Restrepo, playing Elsyie in the Shondaland Netflix series The Residence, starring alongside Uza Aduba, was a deeply rewarding project to be a part of. After being featured in the movies like Loving Pablo and shows like Griselda, Restrepo has one of the most intersting and impactful arcs within the all-star ensemble cast of The Residence.
In this whodunit Aduba plays detective Cordelia Cupp, investigating the mysterious death of chief usher A.B. Wynter (Giancarlo Esposito) at the White House. And all the staff and occupants in the president's residence quickly become suspects.
Elysie is a White House housekeeper, who we find out over the course of the show had a relationship with engineer Bruce (Mel Rodriguez), all revealed in the brilliant and touching Episode 7 of the show.
Restrepo highlighted that feels "grateful" that she was able to work with Mel Rodriguez on the show.
There's one particularly moving scene where Elysie and Bruce, in the wake of the March 4 terrorist attacks in Washington, D.C., comfort each other and hold hand, as they laid on the floor next to each other. Elsyie also opens up to Bruce about how she always hoped she would go to Rome one day. It truly is a highlight of the entire season.
"I knew that scene was coming, because when I sent the [audition tape], one of the scenes was that one," Restrepo told Yahoo Canada. "It's so precise. It's perfect. It's juicy too. I was really excited to do that scene in particular, that one on the floor. It's a very deep and tender conversation about life in general, in some way, but it's very specific too."
"And I remember that day my family came to set to be with me. ... When you do that type of scene you just can't believe how far you've come and how amazing life is, in giving you the opportunity to do what you love the most with the people that you admire the most. Surrounded by the people that support you the most. So I had my baby on set and then I had my husband, and then I had one of my best friends, and then my sister was in town too, and they were there with me. They couldn't see the scene, so they had no idea what was happening. ... But it was just so pure to me."
While The Residence was an intriguing story for Restrepo to take on, she actually planned to take a break from acting work after having a baby. But when The Residence came through, she knew it was a project she couldn't turn down.
"I had a newborn at home, I didn't want to work right away. I told my team, 'Hey, I want to take some time off.' And two months later, after I had my baby, my manager sent me the audition for The Residence and I couldn't help myself," Restrepo shared. "I loved the material so much. Besides the fact that it was a Shonda Rhimes project, I just loved what Paul William Davies wrote and I just loved Elysie so much that, of course, I wanted to be part of it."
"I really asked the universe for a project that allowed me to be here in [Los Angeles], ... to work with amazing people, to be in Hollywood just making my dream come true, and everything happened at once. I'm so grateful."
In terms of sharing the screen with Aduba, and Randall Park as Edwin, who assists Cordelia with the investigation, Restrepo stressed that they have immense "generosity" as collaborators.
"My baby was a year old and [Uzo] just had a baby by the time we were doing those scenes, so seeing her work is like going to a play, and you don't want to stop looking at the actress, ... I was just staring at her," Restrepo said. "And I loved the generosity that comes with Uzo, and Randall too, just having them together, working with me, I really had to pinch myself."
Like many of the characters on the show, there's a moment where Cordelia has to interrogate Elysie to try to figure out if she could have been involved in A.B.'s murder. The result is incredibly captivating performances from both actors for that critical moment.
"I worked on those scenes so hard. I was home with my baby, going through the lines, just trying to stay as present ... as I could," Restrepo said. "And of course, I have to give a lot of credit to Jaffar [Mahmood], the director. ... He works in a very detailed way. ... And when you work with Uzo, ... she's like, 'Girl, let's just do it!'"
"[When] the scene was done, then she came to me and she gave me a hug, and I was just like, in tears. ... One of my heroes just gave me a hug and we had a wonderful time together. And this is why I've been doing this for 20 years."
Restrepo is a force as an actor, who navigated dramatic and emotional moments in The Residence with ease, giving the audience the impact we needed in this whodunit. So here's to 20 more years, and even more, of seeing Restrepo's talent on screen.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
A Look At The Capitals' Goaltending Depth Beyond Lindgren & Thompson, And The Future In Net
'Ginny & Georgia' Season 3 cast talks shocking season finale, physical transformations and diving into a more emotional story An absolutely beloved show, the Netflix hit Ginny & Georgia is back for Season 3, and it will leave fans entertained, but also distraught and shocked. The big question for Season 3 is whether Georgia Miller, played by Brianne Howey, will be convicted in her murder trial, which of course makes for a particularly emotional journey for her daughter Ginny (Antonia Gentry). The cast of the series, Howey, Antonia Gentry, Sara Waisglass and Felix Mallard, who play Maxine "Max" and Marcus Baker, spoke to Yahoo Canada about all the twists, turns and devastating moment in Season 3. From Georgia losing her physical armour to divining into the reality of Marcus' depression, Max feeling left out of her friend group and Ginny taking a more active role in the decisions in her life. 6:36 Now Playing Paused Ad Playing
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Tracy Moore, 50, says there was a 'little bit of denial' when she started experiencing menopause symptoms: 'Hold on, I'm at that age...'
Less than two months after she was let go from Citytv, Tracy Moore found herself doing yoga in Costa Rica with a group of strangers. What began as an excuse to leave a cold Toronto winter to process a major career change in solitude quickly turned into a bonding experience that celebrated sisterhood, menopause and the idea that mid-life could be the perfect time to start all over again. The 50-year-old television personality is set to appear in a panel talk at the first Women's Healthy Living Show in Toronto this weekend for an unfiltered discussion about women's health. Yahoo Canada spoke to Moore ahead of the event to discuss navigating change, menopause and much more. In February 2025, fans were surprised when Citytv announced it was foregoing plans to create a new hour of Breakfast Television with Moore and Cheryl Hickey at the helm. The decision ended a 20-year relationship between the network and Moore, who had previously served as host of Cityline for 16 years. She addressed the news in a video posted to Instagram that was gracious and measured; it wasn't what you'd expect from someone who had just received career-altering news. Moore said the writing was on the wall when the network decided to cancel Cityline, she just didn't know when that chapter of her career would end.'I had many, many months to wrap my head around a new way of defining myself — and my friends and family did not. The viewers did not...,' she said, adding that the public's reaction to the news was overwhelming. "I was drowning in inertia. It was being bombarded with everyone's reactions. I feel very deeply. I was taking on people's disappointment, people's congratulations, people's anger... I'm wearing it all. I just needed to sit on the couch and let it flow through me. Cry a little bit. Walk a little bit. Do all the things." I realized that there were a lot of people that were invested in my Moore A visit to her parents helped Moore understand the impact of her career; she was a trailblazing figure — the first Black woman to host a daytime talk show in Canada. "I realized that there were a lot of people that were invested in my career. There's aunts, uncles and cousins, and then there's visible minority communities," she said. "There's racialized people that were watching the show because they saw themselves reflected in a daytime show. They saw their people." Her father was the one who suggested she take a trip to get away and "gain some clarity." Moore remembered an invitation she received to Flip Flops and Hot Flashes, a menopause-focused yoga retreat in Costa Rica. She accepted the invitation on one condition: she did not want to have to be "on" for the group. Moore was on a mission to find her centre. She thought she was in need of solitude and peace. She was as the saying in reality TV goes, not here to make friends — even though that's exactly what happened. "I wanted to gaze at beauty — the sky, the trees the water,' she said. 'It turned int this incredibly bonding, beautiful, raw and authentic experience. It was a bonus, over and above anything I was expecting." Menopause and the realities of mid-life are topics Moore embraces discussing with her community of fans and followers. Her own journey with perimenopause began at 47, when she noticed her base temperature rising. "I used to be a cold girlie…I was always cold," she said. "Then all of a sudden I wasn't. It wasn't hot flashes, in general, I was hotter.' ...I thought to myself, 'Hold on, I'm at that age. This could be menopauseTracy Moore Initially, Moore said "there was a little bit of denial" about her symptoms. Although signs of perimenopause vary from person to person, there was one symptom that pushed her to visit her doctor. 'The biggest telltale sign for me was my inability to tamp down irritation," she said. "I'm the calm parent. I'm the patient one…. All of a sudden, I was the one arguing and so I thought to myself, 'Hold on, I'm at that age. This could be menopause.'" Moore began hormone replacement therapy (HRT) for progesterone and estradiol, which she said have helped manage hot flashes and other symptoms. The ability to talk candidly about women's health is something Moore said she had to fight for during her time on Cityline. There was an "unwritten rule" that menopause wasn't meant for daytime television, but a host in perimenopause meant the subject was unavoidable. "It's sort of a new generation and a new vibe," she said. "I think that people were willing to jump in and get into it." The push and pull behind the scenes was something Moore had been living with since she began working in television in 2001. Along the way, Moore said there were many times she had to make compromises and navigate micro-agressions over the way she styled her hair and what stories she wanted to feature. "I had to forgive myself constantly," she said. "I felt the burden of trying to make the show more accessible for more people and not just the Black community, but gay men and non-binary people. Everybody should be able to have a piece of the show and see themselves reflected in some way.... I felt the burden of trying to make the show more accessible for more peopleTracy Moore "Some days I thought to myself that I'm not supposed to be in media, because I think I'm too soft for this industry — and that was the wrong way for me to think. My sensitivity is the reason I was able to operate the way I was and reach the people I was meant to reach." The end of her time at Citytv presented an opportunity for Moore to take inventory of her hopes and goals for the future. She describes it as "divine" timing that she was let go from Citytv the same year she turned 50. In many ways, she's navigating her next steps with more than just her career in mind, it's something deeper. "There is a 'me' that exists outside of — I hate to call it this — but this 'circus' of being in a public-facing role. I have to refine and be 100 per cent sure of what and who I am," she said. "What do I really like? What do I really dislike? What do I actually want to do with my life?" I'm proud of myself, though, for walking myself through thisTracy Moore In addition to re-evaluating what she wants to create, she's also exploring how to participate in content creation without relying on social media for external validation. "I feel like that's always been my journey," she said. "You can't take all of those compliments that people are giving you to heart, because it means you also have to take all of the criticisms and all of the hate and all the vitriol to heart. "It's sometimes been a little bit sad, and it's sometimes been so happy," she said. "I'm proud of myself, though, for walking myself through this."
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Tracy Moore, 50, says there was a 'little bit of denial' when she started experiencing menopause symptoms: 'Hold on, I'm at that age...'
Less than two months after she was let go from Citytv, Tracy Moore found herself doing yoga in Costa Rica with a group of strangers. What began as an excuse to leave a cold Toronto winter to process a major career change in solitude quickly turned into a bonding experience that celebrated sisterhood, menopause and the idea that mid-life could be the perfect time to start all over again. The 50-year-old television personality is set to appear in a panel talk at the first Women's Healthy Living Show in Toronto this weekend for an unfiltered discussion about women's health. Yahoo Canada spoke to Moore ahead of the event to discuss navigating change, menopause and much more. In February 2025, fans were surprised when Citytv announced it was foregoing plans to create a new hour of Breakfast Television with Moore and Cheryl Hickey at the helm. The decision ended a 20-year relationship between the network and Moore, who had previously served as host of Cityline for 16 years. She addressed the news in a video posted to Instagram that was gracious and measured; it wasn't what you'd expect from someone who had just received career-altering news. Moore said the writing was on the wall when the network decided to cancel Cityline, she just didn't know when that chapter of her career would end.'I had many, many months to wrap my head around a new way of defining myself — and my friends and family did not. The viewers did not...,' she said, adding that the public's reaction to the news was overwhelming. "I was drowning in inertia. It was being bombarded with everyone's reactions. I feel very deeply. I was taking on people's disappointment, people's congratulations, people's anger... I'm wearing it all. I just needed to sit on the couch and let it flow through me. Cry a little bit. Walk a little bit. Do all the things." I realized that there were a lot of people that were invested in my Moore A visit to her parents helped Moore understand the impact of her career; she was a trailblazing figure — the first Black woman to host a daytime talk show in Canada. "I realized that there were a lot of people that were invested in my career. There's aunts, uncles and cousins, and then there's visible minority communities," she said. "There's racialized people that were watching the show because they saw themselves reflected in a daytime show. They saw their people." Her father was the one who suggested she take a trip to get away and "gain some clarity." Moore remembered an invitation she received to Flip Flops and Hot Flashes, a menopause-focused yoga retreat in Costa Rica. She accepted the invitation on one condition: she did not want to have to be "on" for the group. Moore was on a mission to find her centre. She thought she was in need of solitude and peace. She was as the saying in reality TV goes, not here to make friends — even though that's exactly what happened. "I wanted to gaze at beauty — the sky, the trees the water,' she said. 'It turned int this incredibly bonding, beautiful, raw and authentic experience. It was a bonus, over and above anything I was expecting." Menopause and the realities of mid-life are topics Moore embraces discussing with her community of fans and followers. Her own journey with perimenopause began at 47, when she noticed her base temperature rising. "I used to be a cold girlie…I was always cold," she said. "Then all of a sudden I wasn't. It wasn't hot flashes, in general, I was hotter.' ...I thought to myself, 'Hold on, I'm at that age. This could be menopauseTracy Moore Initially, Moore said "there was a little bit of denial" about her symptoms. Although signs of perimenopause vary from person to person, there was one symptom that pushed her to visit her doctor. 'The biggest telltale sign for me was my inability to tamp down irritation," she said. "I'm the calm parent. I'm the patient one…. All of a sudden, I was the one arguing and so I thought to myself, 'Hold on, I'm at that age. This could be menopause.'" Moore began hormone replacement therapy (HRT) for progesterone and estradiol, which she said have helped manage hot flashes and other symptoms. The ability to talk candidly about women's health is something Moore said she had to fight for during her time on Cityline. There was an "unwritten rule" that menopause wasn't meant for daytime television, but a host in perimenopause meant the subject was unavoidable. "It's sort of a new generation and a new vibe," she said. "I think that people were willing to jump in and get into it." The push and pull behind the scenes was something Moore had been living with since she began working in television in 2001. Along the way, Moore said there were many times she had to make compromises and navigate micro-agressions over the way she styled her hair and what stories she wanted to feature. "I had to forgive myself constantly," she said. "I felt the burden of trying to make the show more accessible for more people and not just the Black community, but gay men and non-binary people. Everybody should be able to have a piece of the show and see themselves reflected in some way.... I felt the burden of trying to make the show more accessible for more peopleTracy Moore "Some days I thought to myself that I'm not supposed to be in media, because I think I'm too soft for this industry — and that was the wrong way for me to think. My sensitivity is the reason I was able to operate the way I was and reach the people I was meant to reach." The end of her time at Citytv presented an opportunity for Moore to take inventory of her hopes and goals for the future. She describes it as "divine" timing that she was let go from Citytv the same year she turned 50. In many ways, she's navigating her next steps with more than just her career in mind, it's something deeper. "There is a 'me' that exists outside of — I hate to call it this — but this 'circus' of being in a public-facing role. I have to refine and be 100 per cent sure of what and who I am," she said. "What do I really like? What do I really dislike? What do I actually want to do with my life?" I'm proud of myself, though, for walking myself through thisTracy Moore In addition to re-evaluating what she wants to create, she's also exploring how to participate in content creation without relying on social media for external validation. "I feel like that's always been my journey," she said. "You can't take all of those compliments that people are giving you to heart, because it means you also have to take all of the criticisms and all of the hate and all the vitriol to heart. "It's sometimes been a little bit sad, and it's sometimes been so happy," she said. "I'm proud of myself, though, for walking myself through this."
