GIRL POWER | CHRISTINA MOSES
A Good Story
C
hristina Moses is not only a tremendously successful actress, but she’s also inspirational. After
overcoming an innate shyness she’s had since she
was little, she decided to pursue acting professionally.
Now, she’s starring in the new CW series Containment
and the new film How We Met, which premiered at the
Dances With Films Festival on June 11. Here, we chat
with Moses about her passions, what sparked her love for
acting, and the best advice she was ever given.
BY NICOLE RYAN / PHOTOGRAPHED BY
QUAVONDO / MAKEUP BY CHECHEL JOSON AT
DEW BEAUTY AGENCY
Cliché: You grew up around the entertainment
industry. Was there a definitive moment when you
knew that you wanted to be an actress?
Christina Moses: I didn’t know what being an actress
meant exactly. My father was an acting teacher, writer,
and director. I would watch his classes and rehearsal, and
then perform them at home. But it wasn’t until junior
high that I developed a love for the
craft of acting. It took me awhile
to convince myself I could go for
it and achieve an acting career
because I always had a love of
academics, but after college, when
I was living in New York doing
theater, I started to pursue it.
It’s cool to
be a part of
a story that
highlights
the flaws
and the
virtues of
humanity.
I read that you used to be shy
in front of the camera. How did
you overcome that?
I was shy in general. I wasn’t
comfortable until I knew you. In
eighth grade, the general shyness
left. I realized I had a much bigger
personality that I was just hiding.
I knew it wasn’t who I really was.
I broke out of my shell and each
new challenge helped me overcome that shyness.
You have a lead role in the series Containment.
What’s it been like working on this show?
The whole thing is really exciting. The pilot was really
exciting. Our director, David Nutter, and Julie Plec lead
with heart and are really great with people and connecting people. They assembled an incredible team of actors
90
and crew. Everyone liked the show, idea, and concept.
The whole cast was just really genuinely excited, so
that was cool to be in that buzz and environment. It’s a
family relationship. It’s cool to be a part of a story that
highlights the flaws and the virtues of humanity. This epidemic brings out the best and the worst in people.
You are also in the film How We Met. How does
working on a film differ from working on a television show? Is there one you prefer over the other?
TV is usually shot on an 8-day schedule, but we shot our
show on a 7-day schedule. A 7-day schedule is really
fast, so you have to learn to keep up with that pace. Typically with film you have more time, but since How We
Met was a low budget indie film, we shot up to 20 pages
a day sometimes, which is nuts! But I love to tell a good
story, period.
How do you prepare for a new role? Are there
certain things you do to prepare yourself to start a
new project?
I make sure I really connect to it with my heart. I do research and make up my own relationship to the character
and the story. I pull from myself and how I relate to it.
It’s an ongoing process. I definitely allow myself to live
in the unknown as much as possible. It’s nice to discover
what’s happening in the moment.
You’re passionate about creating pathways for
female projects in the entertainment industry. In
what ways do you believe the entertainment industry must change to be more inclusive of women?
There needs to be more female writers from all classes
and backgrounds. We’re so culturally diverse, but that
isn’t always represented. In general, we just need more
female writers and directors. Female roles are also often
in service of men. We need a more diverse representation of women. Bridesmaids was big because it showed
women can be funny, too. It’s all about changing the current social conversation, and Bridesmaids is an example
of that.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given?
Fail. Be able to fail. Go ahead and give it your all and fall
on your face. Discover your talent and your passion and
go for it. Never be afraid to fail, because failure connects
us to each other.
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