Before she was the legal powerhouse Kim Wexler or the romantasy author Carol Sturka, Rhea Seehorn was casting spells in tube socks. As the curtain falls on the first season of Apple TV’s Pluribus, a delightful slice of the lead actor's history has resurfaced, reminding us that even Hollywood’s elite began with humble, often bizarre, hustles.

This revelation offers a rare glimpse into the grit required before the glamour. While fans currently know Seehorn for her complex dramatic roles, her career trajectory includes a surprising stop in 1997: serving as the tutorial sorceress for the Magic: The Gathering video game.

The Sorceress in Tube Socks

The detail emerged during a recent appearance on NPR’s Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me! podcast. When pressed about her very first IMDB credit, Seehorn confirmed her role in the digital adaptation of the world’s most famous trading card game. However, the production values were a far cry from the prestige television she stars in today.

Seehorn described a production environment that was decidedly low-budget. "In the original game it was, like, software of the card game. But it came with a tutorial," Seehorn explained to the panel. She played the sorceress alongside an actor named Reggie, who played the sorcerer.

The costume department, she noted, relied more on ingenuity than funding. "They didn’t have shoes, but they wanted us to look like we were wearing gladiator sorcerer boots," Seehorn recalled. "So we’re just wearing tube socks with electrical tape in a criss-cross fashion."

A Humble Hustle at Best Buy

For Kenyan creatives and aspiring actors familiar with the struggle of early gigs, Seehorn’s anecdote about trying to acquire the game strikes a familiar chord. Despite being the face of the tutorial, she was not given a copy of the finished product.

Driven by the excitement of seeing her photo on the back of the box, she visited a Best Buy electronics store. At the time, the game retailed for roughly $45 (approx. KES 5,800 at current rates)—a steep price for a struggling actor.

• The Pitch: She showed the staff her picture on the box, exclaiming, "This is me, oh my god! I did that!"
• The Request: She asked for a complimentary copy.
• The Result: The store refused.

While she left the store empty-handed, the role has become a legendary footnote in gaming history. The NPR team humorously speculated on how many "aging nerds" watching Pluribus today might feel a vague sense of recognition, unknowingly remembering the sorceress who taught them to play cards decades ago.

It serves as a testament to the long game; sometimes you have to wear the taped-up socks before you can walk the red carpet.