When she first appears on screen 11 minutes into the third episode of Amazon Prime’s “Fallout,” Viola Hsia is all business as the character Jamila.
“I can fix it,” she tells Maximus, played by Aaron Moten, who needs a component of his power armor repaired. “Cost you five caps.”
Naturally, Max is short one bottlecap, the primary currency in “Fallout,” a post-apocalyptic drama based on the popular video game franchise. Instead, he sells a tooth to come up with the payment. With one quick jolt, Jamila’s repair is complete and Max goes on his way.
“I filmed that scene almost two years ago, and I couldn’t tell anyone,” said Hsia, a rising senior double-majoring in English and theatre. “I was only there for one day — one very fun day.”
That one day meant Hsia missed part of advising during her sophomore O-Week because she had to travel to New York and back.
“I was nervous because it was literally just me and Aaron,” Hsia said. “He’s such a lovely guy. He’s so amazing in this show.”
At the time of filming, producers warned Hsia they still had months of filming left. They ended up calling her back to the studio for postproduction, specifically the voice modification you can hear in the episode, just before the 2023 actors’ strike started.
“Long story short: It’s been a very long process,” Hsia said. “I was really excited not only that it came out and I could talk about it for the first time in two years, but that people seem to really enjoy it and they really loved the show. That made me really happy.”
She specifically recalled a moment with Spontaneous Combustion (“Rice’s best and only improv comedy troupe,” said Hsia), after which the cast went out to celebrate its final rehearsal of the year.
“They started chanting, ‘Say the line! Say the line!’” Hsia said.
“Fallout” is the actor’s second TV series, following her performance as Anna in the second season of “Modern Love.” That episode was filmed in October 2020 when COVID-19 pandemic protocols were still very much in effect in New York.
“It was just me and several other kids quarantining in a hotel that Amazon rented out in Schenectady,” said Hsia, whose episode revolved around a high school game of capture the flag. “I was hanging out with a bunch of kids my age, and we were having a lot of fun.”
These days, Hsia finds that sense of belonging in the Rice theater community.
“When people think of a major, they think, ‘Oh, it’s just your academic class,’” Hsia said. “But within my theatre major, I’ve not only had so much fun in all the classes I’ve taken, but the community that I found within the theater community at Rice has been so unbelievable.”
Involved on stage and behind the scenes of Rice theater productions, Hsia is also a member of Spontaneous Combustion, assistant news editor for the Rice Thresher and managing coordinator for the Rice Players along with her double major.
“My friends always tease me because I’m just doing so much,” Hsia said.
She shows no signs of slowing down rolling into her final year at Rice, during which she plans to continue auditioning for film, TV and commercial projects.
“I love acting,” Hsia said. “What I love most about acting is that it tells stories that affect people, often in a really positive way.”