Interview With Actress Christina Rose

After making her Broadway Debut in 'GREASE' at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre her film career took off. Christina can be seen starring in films such as the zombie comedy 'Death of the Dead' and movie musical 'How Do You Write a Joe Schermann Song'. Other film work includes Favor, 'DeadHeads, Circle of Fury, and Happy Birthday Harris Malden. Some favorite TV appearances include '30 Rock', 'All My Children, Saturday Night Live, One Life to Live, and Flight of the Concords. She has also appeared in National Commercials: Axe Body Spray, Discover Card, and Under Armour.

You can  learn more about Christina Rose and her projects at the following sites:

Website: www.christina-rose.com

Twitter:  http://twitter.com/#!/Christinarose12

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/christinaroseactress

IMDB:  http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3010903/

IBDB: http://ibdb.com/person.php?id=481763

Did you always want to be an actress? What inspired you to become actress? What is the best thing about being one? What is the worst thing about being one?

I have been singing, dancing, and acting for as long as I can remember. I grew up in a very musical family. I got my start performing professionally in my parent’s band at age 10. I also worked as a professional dancer in the ‘Nutcracker Ballet’ at the Fox Theatre around the same age. I think I always knew I wanted to see my name in Lights ☺. The inspiration to perform on Broadway came from seeing my very first Broadway Show, which at the time was ‘Showboat’. I knew that I loved singing, dancing, and acting and Broadway seemed like the right fit! My dream came true when I made my Broadway Debut in ‘GREASE’ not too long ago ☺.

The best thing about being an actress is that I always get to explore new characters. If I were at a nine to five job I would be doing the same thing every single day. I love keeping things fresh and exciting so being an actress gives me a new challenge every single day.

I think the worst thing about being an actress is how hard we are on ourselves. I am a perfectionist in every way possible, as I know many actors are. We always want everything to be golden. I am selling myself everyday which makes the job very personal. I am the product that I have to sell and if someone isn’t interested you take it personally. The challenge comes in when you need to realize that you are so much more then just your product.

What's it like to work with filmmakers Gary King and Paul Osborne?

I feel honored to have had the opportunity to work with both of them. I know there are many actors out there dying for an opportunity to work with such talented filmmakers. My relationship with each filmmaker is a little bit different.

I have been fortunate enough to work with Gary King starring in two Feature Length Films. Our first film together was ‘Death of the Dead’ — we hit it off so much that he wrote me the part of "Evey" in ‘How Do You Write a Joe Schermann Song’. It was so flattering to have a role of this caliber written for me. Words cannot express the level of talent and expertise that Gary King has as a filmmaker. He is one of the few Independent filmmakers I know whose vision is clear, inspiring, breathtaking and unique to each film he creates. He is not only driven but also daring in his work. To say it has been a pleasure to work with him on various projects is an understatement. I truly see myself wanting to work with him throughout my entire career. He is someone to watch out for in the near future as I see his career blowing up a bit each and every day.

I also recently had an opportunity to work with Paul Osbourne on his Feature Film ‘Favor’. After reading the script to the film I was hooked. I was really excited to play the role of ‘Kimber’. Paul is a smart director who knows what he wants and won’t stop at anything to get it. His entire creative team was a pleasure to work with which is a testament to Paul being on his game. He was such fun to work with on set. He made it really easy for all of us to do our job well while enjoying each minute on set. I look forward to seeing the final product of ‘Favor’, and would love to work with Paul Osbourne again in the near future! ☺

How has your life changed since you became an actress?

It’s surprising to have people you have never met before recognize you on the street and tell you that they love your work. I didn’t realize it could happen so quickly. I am truly touched to have genuine fans that follow my work and support me. I always say ‘Quality not Quantity’.

What is the estimated number of projects you have worked on?

It would be impossible to count them all ☺. I feel blessed to have been able to work professionally as an actress, dancer, singer, and model. I started in the theatre doing plays and musicals at a very young age. Once moving to New York I was able to use my acting chops for Film, TV, Commercials, Broadway, and Print Work. It’s been such an amazing ride and I have no regrets. I encourage people to check out my website to find out more about my current and past projects.

What is one piece of advice you can give to someone who also wants tomake it in the movie business?

Work hard,

Get serious, &

Don’t give up!

What do you like to do besides acting?

I’m originally from MI so I really enjoy the outdoors. Over the summer it's fun to go camping, swimming, or on a relaxing boat ride. These things are sometimes harder to do in New York so I always enjoy planning a trip back to my hometown to visit my family over the summer. We have a gorgeous boat that we take out as much as possible. I also get to spend time with my beautiful sisters, which is always a plus!

Have you had any other jobs before you decided to become actress?

My very first side job in New York was working as the Princess in the FAO Schwartz Toy Store on 5th Avenue. I didn’t want to be a waitress like a lot of actors I knew in the city. Ironically, this helped director Gary King and I create a unique and thought provoking job for my character of ‘Evey’ in ‘How Do You Write a Joe Schermann Song’.

What are some of your favorite American films? Foreign films? Television shows?

American Films: When Harry Met Sally, West Side Story

Foreign Films: Amelie

Television Shows: Modern Family, Friends, The Office, Californication, Dexter

How has social media changed the independent film industry?

I think social media has helped the independent film industry flourish and grow. Now actors and filmmakers are able to collaborate and work together across the country if they want! We have also at times eliminated the huge casting calls and rigorous searching for other filmmaker’s projects we’d like to help work on. This has revolutionized what we can do with our work. Filmmakers can now build a fan base for their films just from the touch of a button online, and actors can finally get their name out there in a big way. It’s pretty incredible. I look forward to seeing what the future will bring to Independent film with this impressive social media network that we now live in.

What's your opinion on crowdfunding?

My first experience with crowdfunding was while I was producing ‘How Do You Write a Joe Schermann Song’ with director Gary King. We started a Kickstarter campaign during the pre-production phase of the film. We had an incredible amount of backers that helped us reach 30K. It was something that seemed almost impossible while setting our goal in the beginning. Our movie musical would not be what it is today without crowdfunding and the support of all of our incredible backers. We cannot thank everyone enough who has helped in some way by either donating or spreading the word. We realized during post that we still needed so much more for the film to make it magical and sparkle (It is a musical after all hehe). So we came back to Kickstarter a second time raising just over 18K. We had some backers return to support us and some phenomenal new backers join in. We just had a recording day on July 25th for the Orchestra to help create our musical score. I have nothing but positive things to say about crowdfunding. I found that on twitter it has become a family of support. We all try to support each other’s campaigns by donating money or spreading the word. I’ve noticed many of our peers also succeed in their crowdfunding efforts and it’s an overwhelming feeling to know we are all working together towards success!

You could go back in time and act in any classic film. Which film would it be and why?

This is so easy for me. Without any hesitation it would be ‘West Side Story’. I would have loved to play ‘Maria’. I love that the film is still going strong and as popular today as it was when it first came out. By the way, this is the only film I’ve ever been able to watch nine times in a row. (Road trip-no joke!!)

What's your favorite movie quote and why?

‘There’s no place like home.’ Wizard of Oz.

This is just such a profound statement. I enjoy exploring my career and traveling all over the world, but it’s so true that there really is no place like home. I try to go home to MI as often as I can to visit my family. Unfortunately, it’s sometimes a challenge finding the time with my busy career, but they are well worth making the time for. I have three beautiful sisters and a loving and supportive mom and dad. I would not be as successful as I am today without their endless support. Words cannot express how much I love my entire family. ☺

You could have any super power. What would it be?

I would love the ability to fly. I have very vivid dreams where I can actually control how high I am going and various locations that I fly to. It’s very invigorating and astonishing. They tend to be some of my most exhilarating dreams.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

Thank you John for the opportunity to be part of this interview, and to all of the readers who have taken the time to listen. I look forward to ‘How Do You Write A Joe Schermann Song’ making a World Premiere soon. There are some awesome new projects that I am currently collaborating on so please stay tuned to my website, twitter, and Facebook pages for more on my current and future work!

Thanks for doing the interview Christina. I'm going to see "‘'How Do You Write A Joe Schermann Song" and "Favor" when they come to a film festival near me.