If there’s one name dominating your must-watch list right now, it’s Alanna Ubach. The actress currently has standout roles across three series simultaneously: Max’s Euphoria and Hacks, and Peacock’s TED, which has already clocked more than 1.2 billion minutes viewed. This July, she joins Anya Taylor-Joy and Annette Bening in Apple TV+’s limited series Lucky.
Hailed as one of the great character actors of her generation, Ubach has a rare gift for making every role—comedic or dramatic, lead or supporting—completely unforgettable. We caught up with her to talk navigating a whirlwind year, the skin-care products she swears by on set and the advice she’d give her teenage self driving to auditions alone.
You’re the busiest person in Hollywood right now. How does it feel?
“Phenomenal. I’ve been a working actor since I was 15. As soon as I got my permit, I was able to get to auditions on my own. That’s when I started taking it seriously. To think that I’ve been doing this for 35 years, getting this attention now at this age is really wonderful. I think if I had this kind of attention in my 20s, I’d be a wreck.”
What would you tell that teenager driving around LA to auditions back then? What would your advice be?
“Time is on your side, kiddo. Trust your instinct and leave yourself alone.”
Everything you do seems like a completely different role. How do you step into a role, and how do you step away from one and come back to you?
“It changes every day. I have an eight-year-old. I was apparently a geriatric pregnancy. My kid was born when I was 42, and my husband is 10 years older than me. The two of us raising this eight-year-old, my gosh, it’s all about the coffee! At 3 p.m., I get the slump, and then I have a couple of cups of coffee. Then I’ll have another coffee after dinner, and then I’ll crash at around 9.30. Then I’m in bed. I have a puppy right now, too. What a pain in the ass.”
And I know you’re into your skin care and your beauty products. What’s good in your book?
“I put everything in a little gift box of mine because I knew you were going to ask me that question! I just got turned on to Obagi Medical products. My hair is shedding in the front, so I’ve been using the BioStim Scalp Serum ($125). It really seems to be doing the trick.
Also, I’ve been using Intense Daily Repair ($90) and it exfoliates and hydrates at the same time. The Obagi Daily Hydro-Drops ($115), the Obagi Eyebrow Boosting ($150) and the Obagi Eyelash Enhancing Serum ($125). I’m all about Obagi these days.”
Great stuff.
“Absolutely. As soon as I read, ‘Please do not use this if you are under the age of such and such, or if you are pregnant. Please do not use it,’ I’m like, ‘Oh wow, this is definitely going to work. I’m in.’
I’m also told there’s something to the nano-hydroxyapatite—the oil-pulling mouthwash thing. Wow, what a difference it makes to the teeth. Whether it’s veneers or caps, whatever you have, it will whiten them. You won’t have to get a new set of dentures or a new set of veneers or anything like that. Do the oil pulling, it’ll work. It’ll save you thousands of dollars. That’s my big tip.”
I should try that.
“I’m telling you, I always thought it was a hoax. I thought it was the most ridiculous thing. I thought, ‘Really? Coconut oil is really going to make my teeth whiter?’ But it does for some reason. The grime is attracted to that oil, and it’s like, I don’t know, rinsing your mouth with 401.”
I’m sold. In addition to everything that’s streaming, you also have a mid-July project with your Apple TV show. What are you excited about for fans to see there?
“Oh, gosh. It’s a role I never played before. I live out in the middle of nowhere. I’m raising my two grandkids. Yes, really, I have grandkids! I guess I started early. It’s a really wild, very dramatic ride, and I’m very proud of it. Very, very proud of it.
Of course, our leading lady is just lovely. We got to speak Spanish on the set together—I had no idea she’s Argentinian. Yes, The Queen’s Gambit is Argentinian. No one would ever think it, but she was just immediately rapping in Spanish. I was in shock. I couldn’t believe it. She’s such a beautiful person. I really enjoyed working with her.”
Like we said, you have had a busy year. Will you be able to take any vacation this summer?
“I’ll tell you something. With the amount of money I’m spending on these Obagi products, I should probably cut it in half if I plan to take a vacation. Thank you for reminding me. I might use these products every other day instead of every day. Then I might have money to go on a cruise to Bermuda or something.”
