With explosive action sequences, layered emotional beats, and a character inspired by real-life trailblazers, Duster marks a new chapter for Rachel Hilson. The This Is Us alum opens up about tackling stunts, holding space for emotional depth, and carving her own path in an industry that rarely offers easy answers.
Stepping into the action
In HBO Max’s latest crime thriller Duster, Rachel Hilson’s FBI agent Nina doesn’t ease into the chaos—she crash-lands into it. “There were car chases, dive rolls, and gunfights from day one,” Hilson says, laughing from her Brooklyn apartment. “Some stunts I loved doing, others I was happy to leave to the experts. I’m not Tom Cruise… yet.”
Set in 1972, Duster follows Nina as she attempts to dismantle a powerful crime syndicate with the help of a grizzled getaway driver (played by Lost alum Josh Holloway). Hilson, 29, says she embraced the physical challenges, crediting her background in dance with helping her master the choreography of stunt work. “I love finding rhythm in motion,” she says. “The physicality becomes part of the storytelling.”
But even with bruises and adrenaline, the show’s deeper layers are what drew Hilson to the role. “What really excited me about Nina is that she’s not just tough—she’s complicated. She’s haunted, ambitious, brilliant, and deeply vulnerable. That kind of multidimensionality is rare.”
Building a foundation in craft and community
Hilson’s journey to this breakout role wasn’t a sudden explosion—it was a steady burn, built over years of dedication. A Baltimore native, she first aimed to be a dancer before discovering acting during a summer camp audition. That serendipitous switch led to a role on the kids’ show LazyTown, and soon, she had an agent and film credits to her name. “It all happened pretty easily at first,” she recalls. “Then I realized—oh, this isn’t going to be easy forever.”
Through high school, she kept auditioning while attending the Baltimore School for the Arts, a place she credits with grounding her in both discipline and imagination. “I got to play so many strange, bold characters, and it was liberating,” she says. “It also prepared me emotionally. This industry can be heartbreaking, especially when you’re still figuring out who you are.”
That preparation paid off when she landed her breakout role as teenage Beth on This Is Us in 2019. It was the first in a string of high-profile projects, including Love, Victor and the hit rom-com Red, White & Royal Blue. “This Is Us gave me momentum,” Hilson says. “And when that door opened, I was ready to walk through it.”
Crafting a new kind of heroine
With Duster, Hilson is entering what she calls her “first real adult role”—and she’s not taking it lightly. To play Nina, a fictional first Black female FBI agent, she immersed herself in history, listening to the podcast FBI Retired Case File Review and studying real-life women who helped break barriers in law enforcement. She also trained with a field agent, practiced firing weapons, and learned to speak Russian. “I wanted to feel as grounded in her world as possible,” Hilson says. “That’s how I respect her.”
Still, it’s Nina’s emotional complexity that Hilson found most compelling. From tense workplace confrontations to tender phone calls with her mother, Nina’s arc moves between action and introspection with uncommon fluidity. “Some of my favorite scenes were the quiet ones,” she says. “You get to see that this badass woman is also a daughter, a person with pain and loss. She’s still healing.” A particularly poignant moment comes when Nina meets a young Black woman working as a cleaner in the FBI office. The girl warns her of sabotage from white male colleagues, and Nina responds not with defeat, but with hope. “You’ll make a great agent one day,” she tells her. It’s a scene Hilson holds dear. “One of the most beautiful aspects of being Black is how deeply we root for each other,” she says. “We extend our hands backward. That’s how we grow.”
Life beyond the lens
Off-screen, Hilson lives with the same intention and thoughtfulness she brings to her roles. Her recent move into a new Brooklyn apartment has her dreaming of outdoor gardens, and in between projects, she writes poetry and sees as much live theater as she can. (A recent highlight: Gypsy starring Audra McDonald. “It was breathtaking,” she gushes.)
Hilson is also committed to social impact work, volunteering with organizations like The Campaign Against Hunger and Heart of Dinner. “I’ve always felt a deep responsibility to support food justice,” she says. “There’s so much need, and so many ways to contribute.”
She’s approaching her next personal milestone—turning 30 this fall—with calm clarity. “I’ve already been telling people I’m 30 to prepare myself,” she laughs. “My 20s were wild and transformative, but I’m ready for something new.” She’s also careful not to buy into external expectations about what turning 30 should mean. “There’s so much chatter around the age,” she says. “But I want to have my own experience, not someone else’s story of what this chapter should be.”
Writing her own narrative
If there’s a common thread running through Hilson’s life and work, it’s agency—over her craft, her character choices, and her personal evolution. Duster may be the moment that announces her as a leading lady, but Hilson isn’t interested in anyone else’s roadmap.
“I’ve never wanted to chase a career that someone else has lived,” she says. “I’m carving out something that feels uniquely mine.” With her name rising in the spotlight and her voice resonating on- and off-screen, Rachel Hilson is doing just that—on her terms, and with style, soul, and fire to spare.
