It sounds like a dream, right? Working in Beverly Hills, rubbing shoulders with A-list celebrities, and being part of productions like Transformers and Pirates of the Caribbean.
But for Rupa, Hollywood wasn’t glamorous—it was a wake-up call.
Her First Taste of the Industry
After graduating, Rupa hustled her way into a PR firm in Beverly Hills. The clients? Angelina Jolie, major designers, and Hollywood’s elite.
But the job? Not so elite.
“Every morning, I’d scroll through paparazzi photos of celebrities, zoom in on their jewelry, and report back to my boss: ‘Angelina wore our client’s bracelet.’”
Sounds fun for about… five minutes.
“It was mindless. Sure, it was glamorous on the surface, but I felt so empty.”
The Set of Transformers (And a Massive Mistake)
On the side, she picked up work as a production assistant for a Hollywood camera company. That gig took her onto blockbuster sets.
“It was my first day on Transformers 2. I forgot to connect one of the cameras to the hard drive. We lost an entire day of shooting.”
Imagine the panic. But instead of being fired on the spot, Michael Bay shrugged and said, “That’s new tech for you. Let’s try again tomorrow.”
Relief? Yes. But it also made her question if she belonged there.
Why She Left Hollywood
The hours were brutal. The environment was competitive (and not always safe for young women). The jobs paid well but were inconsistent.
“I didn’t want to live paycheck to paycheck, waiting for the next production gig. And honestly, I didn’t want to spend my life chasing celebrities or staying up all night in editing rooms.”
So she walked away.
What She Took With Her
Despite the chaos, Hollywood taught Rupa one thing: relationship building.
“My boss gave me a pile of magazines and said, ‘Find useful contacts.’ I didn’t even know what a masthead was. But I figured it out. Soon I was building connections with editors at Vogue and Bazaar.”
Those skills—connecting, communicating, nurturing professional relationships—became her superpower.
The Takeaway
Hollywood wasn’t her dream. But it was a stepping stone.
“Sometimes you need to try things to know they’re not for you. And that’s okay. Every detour teaches you something valuable.”
Rupa’s next chapter would take her far from red carpets—but closer to her purpose.