Obsession star Inde Navarrette had to resort to livestreaming games and walking dogs to pay rent after she was done filming

Inde Navarrette is currently navigating a wild career shift, moving from the uncertainty of struggling to pay rent to becoming one of the most discussed actresses in Hollywood. While she is now seeing massive success with the film Obsession, which has pulled in over $300 million at the box office against a tiny $750,000 budget, her path to this point was anything but glamorous.

After wrapping production on Obsession in 2024, the 25-year-old actress faced a dry spell that lasted for a year and a half. She recently shared that she was actively auditioning during this period, yet she simply could not get any work to stick. This is a tough reality for many performers, but it is clear that Navarrette was determined to keep her head above water. To cover her living expenses, she turned to side gigs that many of us can relate to, including walking dogs and spending time streaming video games.

In an interview with Complex, Navarrette explained her situation by saying, “I didn’t work for a year-and-a-half after Obsession came out. I was auditioning, I was doing everything… just nothing was sticking. And I wanted to pay rent and I wanted to do things — I was walking dogs, I was streaming. Doing everything I could to pay rent.”

Navarrette built a side income through gaming and streaming

She even built her own PC for those streaming sessions. Her YouTube account is still up and running today, currently boasting over 135,000 subscribers. Even though there are only four videos posted on the channel, they contain nearly 12 hours of footage. If you check them out, you will find play-throughs of titles like The Last of Us: Part 2 and Outlast. Beyond those longer videos, clips of her playing Call of Duty have started circulating online, drawing attention to her gameplay.

The industry is clearly taking notice of her talent now. There is already talk that she is circling a role in the upcoming A24 film Goblin, which is being directed by David Mikalson. The project is being described as an ‘R-rated puppet film.’ It is set to feature Skyler Gisondo and will include a voice role from Kenneth Branagh.

Whether or not the awards buzz leads to an actual Oscar nomination, it is safe to say her career trajectory has changed for good. Seeing her go from the quiet, stressful months of walking dogs and livestreaming to becoming a household name is a testament to her persistence.

Opinion: It is rare to see a breakout star with such a humble and relatable background, and it makes her current success feel even more deserved. If you are a fan of her work, you should definitely keep an eye on her upcoming projects because it looks like things are only going to get bigger from here.