Amita Rao loves trap doors, anything with unexpected pockets or secret compartments to conceal tiny little things, in hopes that someone may find the messages or trinkets she’s stashed away. Before she moved to New York from Chicago, the 26-year-old actress, who stars in the new FX comedy “Adults,” used to hide candy and notes in her room just in case one of her roommates decided to snoop around. “I wanted to reward a curious mind,” she said. “I want you to keep being curious. So I like to hide things.”
In an interview that’s been edited and condensed, Ms. Rao shares what’s hidden inside her gold vermeil locket ring.
Tell me about your ring.
This is my first piece of jewelry that I found and was like, “I’m going to pass this down to my kids.” This is a piece of jewelry that is so me. I found it on ShopGoodwill. I was like, “I’m supposed to have this, this is supposed to belong to me.” An old lady had this in a past life so I could own it in this. I [won it] in a bidding war. It was like 2 in the morning trying to get this piece. I was ready to own it no matter what.
It’s a cat. He reminds me of the Cheshire Cat from “Alice in Wonderland.” And then look at this: So you open it up and it obviously has been used for cocaine in a past life. And then look at this tiny sterling silver mouse that is inside.
Had you been on the hunt for a ring like this, or did you just happen to come across it?
I was addicted to ShopGoodwill. It’s an online auction site. When I was really addicted to it, I was in a locket phase and I was giving lockets to all my friends and painting things inside of them.
Do you wear it every day?
No, because one time the mouse fell out when I was performing with it onstage, and literally, like, the show had to go on, but I was like, “My mouse!” I felt like I had mistreated the object when I lost it.
What event or outfit or occasion would be worthy of this ring?
If I’m going to flirt, I really want the cat. Honestly, people are drawn to it. I wore it to a housewarming party and I was flirting with someone, and they loved the ring and they understood it. And then they took the mouse and they started playing with it, and then we were kind of emulating cat and mouse.
I love that you knew you wanted to pass this ring on to your (hypothetical future) kids.
Well, it was the first piece of jewelry that I bought where I was like, “If I pass this on, people would be like, ‘This is so Grandma Amita.’” That is very important to me, that it was something intentional that I added to my collection. I would love to eventually build out a collection of things.
I was obsessed with Iris Apfel. I don’t think I have the capacity or glamour to amass the collection that Iris Apfel did, but I would just pass it on to my kids. I think one of my grandchildren and me are going to be like, I think I’m going to influence her life profoundly, or his. If I have to save the ring for the grandchild, honestly, I’m going to save it for who deserves it.
Whoever’s nicest to you.
Honestly, not even who’s nicest to me, who has the most curious mind.
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