How Ella Rubin Went From Being a Briefcase-Wielding 11-Year-Old to the Star of ’Sterling Point’

Actress Ella Rubin discusses her rise from an earnest child performer to leading Prime Video's coming-of-age series Sterling Point, created by Megan Park. As a young hopeful, Rubin famously carried a metal-look briefcase (actually a repurposed art kit) to auditions to appear more serious, a habit that has become a defining anecdote of her early career. Now 24, she plays Annie Jacobson, an overachieving New York teenager who inherits her late grandfather's Canadian island alongside her brother, portrayed by Keen Ruffalo, marking her arrival as a leading actress after years of less prominent child roles.

Rubin credits creator Megan Park with fostering a collaborative, actor-led set that encouraged improvisation and gave performers a genuine voice in shaping their characters. Park allowed cast members to style their own hair and wear deliberately rumpled clothing, both to enhance realism and to reduce the overstimulation that can come from constant touching-up on set. Rubin says this approach helped her overcome a fear of voicing her needs and avoided the sense of infantilisation she felt young adult actors can experience when playing teenage characters.