Odeya Rush began her acting journey at a very young age, and her path to the screen felt quite natural, evolving from commercials to television and eventually to feature films. When she was just nine years old, Odeya Rush moved with her family — including her six brothers — from Israel to Alabama. Interestingly, as soon as they arrived in the United States, she made it clear to her family that she wanted to become an actress. Two years later, the family relocated to New Jersey, where Rush landed her first print and television commercials.
The move to Los Angeles marked a significant step in Odeya Rush’s career, leading to appearances on television shows such as Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and the beloved HBO comedy Curb Your Enthusiasm. These roles helped pave the way for her film debut in The Odd Life of Timothy Green (2012), where she played the best friend to the film’s young lead, CJ Adams. She then took on a darker role in the horror remake We Are What We Are (2013).
One of the most defining moments in Odeya Rush’s early career came when she landed the lead role in The Giver (2014), starring alongside heavyweights like Meryl Streep, Jeff Bridges, and Taylor Swift. It was a challenging audition process — she had to go through six rounds before securing the part — but it paid off, earning her the Teen Choice Breakout Star Award. In 2015, Odeya Rush continued to build her film presence with another leading role in the big-screen adaptation of R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps, where she portrayed the daughter of a fictionalized version of the famous author, played by Jack Black.
Odeya Rush has been part of several movies, but her highest rated film to date is Lady Bird, which came out in 2017. On the other hand, her lowest rated film is See You in Valhalla, released back in 2015. While Odeya Rush has explored a variety of roles, these two films represent the extremes in terms of critical reception.