Rachel Seiferth knew she wanted to be an actor when she was 2. That’s what Dorothy singing “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” will do to an impressionable toddler.

Since the first time she watched “The Wizard of Oz,” the Indy native has played everyone on stage from Little Red Riding Hood to Helen Keller. But last year she took acting one step further with a quirky role in “Henry Poole is Here” alongside Luke Wilson — a step she hopes will lead to a successful career in film.

Seiferth currently pays her bills working as a personal assistant, but she insists the job is nothing like that endured by Anne Hathaway in “The Devil Wears Prada.”

Where are you from in Indy?

I grew up all over Indianapolis, and my family now lives near Broad Ripple. I live in Los Angeles in the Hollywood Hills, but it’s not as glamorous as it sounds. I have a good view of the freeway.

You went to an IPS magnet school for performing arts, and you also went to Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan. How did you get your start out West?

I was always interested in film, but I grew up doing theater, which I loved. I would love to act on the stage in London some day. But I came out here and started auditioning for any film type thing I could do to get as much experience as possible. I even worked as an extra one day to see what it was like on a set. That way you can visualize yourself doing it more easily.

Have you had your big break?

I played a 16-year-old schizophrenic in a play, and that got me my agent. A lot of people work very hard to get their agents, so I was very, very lucky. But I don’t know that there is a big break. I don’t know if there are overnight successes. I think there are a lot of small breaks along the way.

Does your agent have any Ari Gold tendencies?

One of my early experiences with an agency was very uncomfortable. They’d be like, “Hi! How are you? Hold on a second!” I felt strange, like, you don’t know me. You feel like you have to take a deep breath before you walk into that chaos. It’s almost like walking into a car dealership. They’re trying to sell and get commissions. I understand the need for that, and I’m glad they do it, so I don’t have to. But my agent is actually very cool. I love her.

What kinds of scripts have you said no to?

Really bad horror scripts, with a lot of sexual themes and nude scenes, and then people getting killed — very stereotypical, icky stuff. I’ve never liked horror movies because I get scared of them. I have an overactive imagination. I cried about an hour into “The Shining,” and nothing had happened yet. I don’t really ever want to have to do nudity, either. I don’t know if I feel comfortable doing something I wouldn’t want my relatives to see.

What do you miss about Indy?

I miss the friendliness that abounds there. I miss raking leaves and making igloos in the snow. I miss the smell of clean air and being able to go outside without having my breathing compromised.

Rachel Seiferth’s credits Film appearances

- “Big Game”

- “Henry Poole is Here”

- “Anna Nicole”

- “Pond”

Upcoming

- “The Zandorsky Tapes”

- “The Divided”