“No guru acting teacher can give you their stamp of approval if you don’t have the stamp of approval for yourself. Your own self-belief and the energy you bring to a character are what people call the ‘X factor.’ Also, the best acting school you can go to is the ‘school of life.’ A full life leads to a better actor.”
We had the pleasure of talking with Lilah Richcreek Estrada, an actress who has spent the last decade and a half quietly proving that there is no single path to stardom. While many of her peers were chasing BFAs or drowning in student loans, Estrada was getting her education on the pavement of Los Angeles. She is a native of the city, a rarity in an industry flooded with transplants, but she didn’t grow up with a silver spoon or a famous last name. She grew up with a desire to perform and parents who kept her feet on the ground.
When she was young, Estrada had the itch to be in front of a camera, but her mother drew a hard line in the sand. “No, you’re not going to be a child star,” she told her daughter. Instead, Estrada channeled that energy into competitive dance and theater at a performing arts high school. When graduation approached, she pitched the idea of a university theater program to her father. His response was pragmatic and arguably the best advice she ever received: “So then go act. You don’t need a degree to be an actor. Just go do it.”
Estrada took him at his word. She treated her first four years in the industry as her own personal university. “I made a lot of mistakes, learned a lot, and got to do it all without going into hundreds of thousands of dollars of debt,” she says. “I got real-world college experience.”
Her entry into the business was as unglamorous as it was typical. Her first gig was on the procedural juggernaut Criminal Minds. “I got to be killed on Criminal Minds, so that was a bucket list item checked off,” she jokes. She recalls that actor Shemar Moore found her body in Griffith Park, marking her official, if lifeless, debut.
For years, the industry tried to figure out where to place her. Casting directors like Julie Ashton championed her early on, seeing a knack for comedy. Estrada spent years on the audition circuit, often testing for roles she didn’t get, learning the hard lesson that talent is only half the equation. “You can have someone be your biggest fan and rooting for you, but jobs still might not go your way because it’s not up to one person,” she observes. “Everything has to align.”
That alignment finally clicked, but only after a stinging disappointment. Estrada had been in the running for a lead role in Mike Schur’s reboot of Field of Dreams. She was close to the finish line when the project was abruptly pulled. “That really made me sad and upset because it felt like, ‘This was such a great job. Will I ever get this opportunity again?’” she admits.
But in Hollywood, a “no” is often just a detour. Three weeks later, she booked a recurring role on Chicago Med as Dr. Nelly Cuevas, a role that allowed her to break out of the comedy box and flex her dramatic muscles. “I had to work to break back into the drama world,” she notes. Even better, the impression she made on Mike Schur during the Field of Dreams process lingered. When it came time to cast his new Netflix series, A Man on the Inside, he remembered her.
“Every job I’ve gotten has absolutely been my job,” Estrada says, reflecting on the circular nature of her career. “It doesn’t need a lot of forcing; the universe tees it up for me to just get it.”
On A Man on the Inside, Estrada plays Julie, a private investigator with a “super strong backbone,” starring alongside comedy legend Ted Danson. She recalls her chemistry test with Danson as a masterclass in grace. Before the cameras rolled, Danson insisted on reading with the actors privately to shake off the nerves. “I think that is such a classy thing to do as someone who’s been in this business for a long time,” she says. “He hasn’t had to audition or be in the hot seat for a while, but he remembers what that was like.”
The role of Julie mirrors Estrada’s own evolution. She sees herself in the character’s resilience, though she admits to being naturally warmer than the guarded PI. “I know where she comes from with her walls; I have definitely felt those walls within me at certain points in my life,” she says.
Today, Estrada balances her rising profile with a life that is emphatically normal. She filmed season two of A Man on the Inside just five weeks after giving birth, a physical challenge she embraced. She meditates, visualizes her goals, and refuses to let the industry define her worth. “No guru acting teacher can give you their stamp of approval if you don’t have the stamp of approval for yourself,” she asserts.
It’s a perspective earned through fifteen years of grinding, auditioning, and waiting for the stars to align. She is no longer just the “body in Griffith Park.” She is a working actor who learned the hard way that “the best acting school you can go to is the ‘school of life.’” And for Lilah Richcreek Estrada, class is officially in session.
Yitzi: Lilah, it’s so nice to meet you. Before we dive in deeper, our readers would love to learn about Lilah Richcreek Estrada’s personal origin story. Can you share with us the story of your childhood, how you grew up, and the seeds for all the amazing work that has come since then?
Lilah: So nice to meet you too. Thank you. I grew up in Los Angeles. My parents are not in the business, but I grew up wanting to act and perform. My mom said, “No, you’re not going to be a child star.” So, I started dancing and singing competitively and for non-profit organizations. I went to a performing arts high school for theatre; that was one thing she was okay with. When I was about to graduate, I told my dad I wanted to go to UCLA for theatre. He said, “Well, why?” I said, “Because I want to be an actor,” and he replied, “So then go act. You don’t need a degree to be an actor. Just go do it.” I thought that was really cool and wise. I got a manager and started auditioning professionally when I was 19. Since then, I’ve built my career slowly but steadily. I like to think those first four years of auditioning were like college. I made a lot of mistakes, learned a lot, and got to do it all without going into hundreds of thousands of dollars of debt. I got real-world college experience. From there, I slowly started working consistently until it was my main source of income and the only thing I did.
Yitzi: Amazing. Can you tell us the story about some of the first breaks or entrees into the industry that you’ve had?
Lilah: My first job was Criminal Minds, which is a lot of people’s first job. It was really cool. I got to be killed on Criminal Minds, so that was a bucket list item checked off. Shemar Moore found me in Griffith Park; that’s where my body was. I started mainly auditioning for drama, and then a couple of comedy casting directors saw what I was capable of. Julie Ashton, specifically, was one of my big champions early on. She started calling me in for everything she cast, which was pretty cool. It’s funny; she would call me in for literally everything and tested me a bunch of times. You can have someone be your biggest fan and rooting for you, but jobs still might not go your way because it’s not up to one person. Everything has to align. She started calling me in around 2012 or 2013, and eventually, in 2019, I booked a big job with her. I did comedy for a long time, and I feel a lot of people saw me as a comedy actor. I had to work to break back into the drama world. Eventually, I did. I booked a large role on Chicago Med playing a psych fellow and exercised those muscles. I’ve gotten to do a lot of both comedy and drama at this point, which is awesome. After Chicago Med, I booked Man On The Inside. I had to cut the season I was doing on Chicago Med short to go shoot this. It is such an incredible job that I am obviously so grateful for it. And now, we’re here.
Yitzi: Amazing. You must have some amazing stories from your career. Maybe this is hard to narrow down, but can you share with our readers one or two stories that most stand out in your mind from your professional life?
Lilah: That’s a good question. One of them was pretty recent when I was chemistry testing for Man On The Inside. I was called in with a bunch of other girls who were auditioning for my role and other roles on the show to read with Ted Danson. One thing that really stood out to me was that Ted wanted to read with all of us before we even went into the room or were filmed, just so we could all get it out and feel as comfortable as possible before being in the “hot seat.” I think that is such a classy thing to do as someone who’s been in this business for a long time. He hasn’t had to audition or be in the hot seat for a while, but he remembers what that was like. He wanted to set all of us up for success and let us showcase our best side, so whoever got the role earned it by putting their best foot forward. I thought it was classy, cool, and really fun to have a few minutes of solo time with him to spit out the words before showing everybody what we had. He’s a cool guy, for sure.
Yitzi: It’s been said that sometimes our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Do you have a story about a funny mistake that you made when you were first starting in the industry and the lesson that you took away from it?
Lilah: My gosh, I’m sure I do. I feel like I’ve been doing this for a thousand years, so I can’t even remember what mistakes were early on. To be honest, I know I’ve made so many mistakes and have obviously learned from all of them, but I can’t think of anything specific right now. However, I just had to learn to not take rejection personally because it has nothing to do with me. Skill and talent only get you so far, and fans only get you so far, but everything has to align for you to get a job. That’s not necessarily a funny mistake, but it’s something I’ve had to learn over and over to thrive in this business and stay centered and calm.
Yitzi: There is another saying that “no” is not rejection but redirection. Do you have a story where a “no” led to an unexpected discovery, success, or blessing?
Lilah: Yes, actually. I met Mike because he was doing a reboot of Field of Dreams. He was going to make it into a series, and I was up for one of the lead roles. That’s originally how I met him. I was getting close; I loved the scripts and really wanted the job. Suddenly, it was announced that the show was being pulled and wouldn’t go into production, even though they were almost done casting. That really made me sad and upset because it felt like, “This was such a great job. Will I ever get this opportunity again?” Because that didn’t end up going, I booked Chicago Med three weeks later. I got to have that whole experience and get back into drama, which is what I really wanted, to be able to stretch those muscles. That was a “no” that led to Chicago Med, but because I had met Mike earlier for Field of Dreams, he remembered me for Man On The Inside. Everything just kind of circled back. I met him, but it wasn’t quite time yet, so I got to go do this other great job. When it was time, I got to fall back into his world. I love stories like that. There have been certain jobs where I thought, “Oh, so that’s why I didn’t get this one, because I was meant to get this one over here, and this one feels so much more ‘me’.” Every job I’ve gotten has absolutely been my job. It feels like it happens easily. It doesn’t need a lot of forcing; the universe tees it up for me to just get it.
Yitzi: What’s been the most challenging project or role you’ve taken on so far, and why?
Lilah: Every job has come with a challenge, which is great; it means you’re being stretched. The first pilot I did as a series regular, I played a British girl. I tested against two native English women and ended up getting it. I had to really perfect my accent to do it justice, which is its own challenge. When I booked Chicago Med, I was flying back and forth to Chicago probably every week or ten days. Adjusting sleep from Midwest time back to LA time was a challenge in itself. For season two of Man On The Inside, I started five and a half weeks after giving birth, which was its own challenge. There have been challenges with every job, and I wouldn’t have it any other way because that’s how you grow.
Yitzi: Let’s talk about your work. You have so much impressive work. Can you please tell us about the exciting projects that you’re working on now and what you hope to be working on or will be releasing in the near future?
Lilah: Man On The Inside. Hopefully, we get a season three and get to continue to tell our stories because I think it’s such an important show in terms of the levity and heart it brings to our TV sets. It’s not dark and heavy. Dark shows have their place, but when things in the world feel dark and heavy, I want to escape to a group of people that feel warm and fuzzy. I think that’s what we bring to a lot of people. I also wrote a movie that I’m in the process of sending out and trying to get made. I have an idea for another one that I want to start writing. I would also love to do another drama to maybe recur on in the off time when I’m not doing comedy. It’d be nice to stretch those muscles just to keep myself sharp and tell different types of stories.
Yitzi: Let’s talk a little bit about Man On The Inside. It’s an amazing show, and it has a cult following. I’m confident that it’ll be renewed. Could you tell us why you think it has captured people’s hearts and minds?
Lilah: First of all, a mystery is so fun. Who doesn’t want to know who did it or stick to the end of the case to see what happened? I think that’s such a smart avenue to go down. Also, our cast is really lovely and fun to watch. Ted is such a delight. Mary Elizabeth and their dynamic is so beautiful. I think Julie and Charles have a fun “odd couple” type of dynamic as well. You can count on it to bring you joy, and that’s what I think people want right now.
Yitzi: How would you compare and contrast your personal character with Julie, the character that you play? How are you similar, and how are you different?
Lilah: I think we both have super strong backbones. We are both strong women who love our work and love to do well at what we do. I think I am naturally warmer than Julie. I know where she comes from with her walls; I have definitely felt those walls within me at certain points in my life, although I think mine are not as high now as Julie’s. On the inside, Julie is a sensitive “girly.” She has a big heart, and so do I. Julie and I are very similar in a lot of ways.
Yitzi: You mentioned Chicago Med. How would you compare and contrast Lilah with Dr. Nelly on Chicago Med? How are you similar, and how are you different?
Lilah: Nelly is a badass like Julie in terms of being skilled at what she does, which I identify with regarding what I bring to my work. I am not a psych fellow, so I don’t have all that info, although I love neuroscience. A lot of the stuff Nelly talks about, I understand to a certain degree because I find the brain fascinating. Nelly is also an immigrant; she’s here under DACA, which I am not, but I do have an immigrant dad, so there’s some relation there. Again, Nelly, like Julie, is tough on the outside, but as you see her arc on Chicago Med, she’s very loving. She puts her patients first above all else, goes to bat for them, and really wants to see them thrive and heal. That’s the softness on the inside that Julie has as well. Julie really wants to see the cases she takes on resolved and justice served. Nelly and Julie have that in common.
Yitzi: This is our signature question. Lilah, you’ve been blessed with a lot of success now, and you must have learned a lot from your experiences. Looking back many years to when you first started, can you share a few things that you’ve learned that would have been really nice to know when you first started?
Lilah:
One thing I touched on before is that rejection is not personal. You can be the best and still not get the job.
Another thing is that the best acting school you can go to is the “school of life.” A full life leads to a better actor.
Also, no guru acting teacher can give you their stamp of approval if you don’t have the stamp of approval for yourself. Your own self-belief and the energy you bring to a character are what people call the “X factor.” It gives you a type of swagger that other people can’t copy; it’s unique to each person.
Finally, this career isn’t everything. Life is more important than this career. Early on, I was so single-focused on making this happen. It wasn’t until my life got fuller and this career became less important that it started to take off more. People can sense that.
Yitzi: Can you share some of the self-care routines that you use to help your body, mind, and heart to thrive?
Lilah: I have been meditating regularly for years. Part of my meditation is visualizing what I want and becoming the energy of that, whether in acting or different parts of my life. I sleep as much as I can with a baby. I work out regularly, too. I make sure to get my heart rate up, sweat, and get some sun. I’m a big believer in getting sun on my skin; I don’t believe the sun is evil. I eat healthy and drink lots of water. It’s pretty basic stuff, just trying to nourish myself as much as possible and breathe deep as I need to.
Yitzi: This is what we call our aspirational question. Lilah, because of your amazing work and the platform that you’ve built, you’re a person of enormous influence. If you could spread an idea or inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be?
Lilah: It’s hard to articulate concisely, but it’s the idea that anything you want, or want to become, already lives inside you. If you can visualize it, it means it’s already a part of you. Tapping into that energy, becoming it, and living as it brings the life you want to you without needing to go hunt it down. It brings the right things to you, the things that are in alignment with who you are already.
Yitzi: This is what we call our matchmaker question, and sometimes it works. We’re very blessed that prominent leaders in entertainment and business read this column, and maybe we could connect you. Is there a person in the world with whom you would like to collaborate, work, or just have a power lunch with?
Lilah: The first person that comes to mind is Reese Witherspoon. I want her attached to the movie that I wrote. It’s a rom-com. I want her attached in some way, whether her production company does it or she directs it. I feel like she’s done so many rom-coms. This is not your typical rom-com, and if there was anyone who could direct it, even without past directing experience, it would be her.
Yitzi: Lilah, how can our readers continue to follow your work? How can they watch Man On The Inside? How can they support your work in any possible way?
Lilah: Thanks for asking. Watch Man On The Inside on Netflix; season one and two are now streaming. Season two came out last week on Thanksgiving. You can follow me on Instagram, where I’m most active, at @LilahRich-KriegEstrada. I try my best to read all the DMs and comments and at least give them a heart or a like. That is probably the best way.
Yitzi: Lilah, it’s been a delight meeting you. I wish you continued success and good health. I wish your baby good health, and I hope we can do this again next year.
Lilah: Yeah, for sure. Thank you so much. It was great meeting you.
