MUA | Photo Credit: Day Byrd
Christine Horn is an award-winning actress of 20+ years and a Life & Career Coach for actors. She is the founder of the Booking Magnet Academy, the #1 virtual training center for actors who desire to master strategies to book starring roles in film and television shows on a consistent basis.
In the last year, Christine has helped over 600 actors through her movement. Hollywood Bound Actors is an online community, where actors learn how to take control of their careers and turn themselves into master marketers and booking magnets.
As the creator and host of the hit online show, Actor’s Daily Bread, Christine pulls back the curtain of her own career to teach actors around the world how to crack the code for booking more television roles.
Christine began her acting career in theatre. She graced stages across the U.S. with Disney’s The Lion King, where she performed with the Broadway, Las Vegas, and national touring companies for over 5-years. She quickly becomes a standout performer with the show and in 2008 had the honor of performing at The White House for President George W. Bush.
Her love of performing eventually led her to the world of television and film. Some of Christine’s recent credits include Timeless, American Crime Story, NCIS, Ray Donovan, Powerless, Good Girls, Legion, Greenleaf, The Originals, Complications, The Haves and the Have Nots, Reckless, Rectify, and Being Mary Jane.
Through her acting, singing, writing, producing and coaching, Christine Horn is determined to make a difference in the entertainment industry.
We had the amazing opportunity to interview Christine. Check out the interview below.
Hi, Christine! Thank you for granting the interview. We are very excited to speak with you regarding your career. You recently guest starred on the 2018 Emmy award-winning limited series: The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story. You played FBI Agent Gruber, the only African-American female agent on the case. What was it like guest starring in a series based on a high-profile, true story?
Getting the opportunity to work on the Versace series was, first and foremost, an honor. I am a huge fan of Ryan Murphy’s work and when I got the opportunity to read for the show I was really, really excited and once the opportunity came for me to have a callback and a director’s session with Mr. Murphy himself, I knew I had made it. This series was so well done and so well written. I really enjoyed being able to watch the series unfold. Darren Criss did an amazing job as Andrew Cunanan and getting to learn about the murder sprees he would do and how the FBI really did not do their part to the fullest extent to capture him as quickly as they could have. Being one of the only African-American females on the case was very important just because it spoke to the time that this crime happened and so I didn’t take that lightly.
It was really surreal to be in the Versace mansion in Miami. We had an opportunity to be in Miami for several weeks and just being able to walk on the property even though it’s been redecorated and refurbished in many ways there’s still energy there that you feel that is undeniable when you’re on the property. Actually being on the front steps of the mansion where Versace was murdered and bleeding out it just takes you back in time and it just makes me really proud to be a part of history. The American Crime Story series was so well done in season one and I was a huge fan already so getting the opportunity to work on this show was a great notch on my resume. Mr. Murphy knows exactly what he wants. He’s very clear on his vision and he’s not afraid to let you know and I love working with true professionals who know how to make their vision come to life.
You also have a recurring role on the upcoming Season 5 of BOSCH on Amazon. What can you tell us about your character? What should the audience expect to see?
I have the honor of being a recurring character on season five of Bosch that will soon be released. My character, her name is Zazie Little, and though I can’t share much about what happened to her I can say that this season definitely will touch on many different cases that are happening around the city. My character was very emotional in that she had an experience that she would never forget. It would forever change her and so in the episodes that I am in, we find out more and more each episode about what exactly happened to her and who did it or who we suspect did it and just having to be in that head space every time you come on set is just very heavy. As an actor, I love roles that I can sink my teeth into and that are challenging but at the end of the day, it’s still draining. You still have to find a way to release and smile and watch comedies when you get home to get a laugh again.
So I’m really excited to see how the show turns out the entire season since, of course, I wasn’t a part of every episode. I believe I shot three so we’ll see what makes the cutting room floor and what stays but any Bosch fan will have something to look forward to.
Additionally, you guest starred in episode 8 of the 2nd season of ABC’s The Good Doctor. Was it a challenge to play a character with that diagnosis?
My role as Dawn in The Good Doctor was an amazing experience. It really was one of the most challenging roles I’ve yet to play on television because this character was so layered. On the surface, she appeared to be an adulteress wife who just lied all the time. But as we dive deeper into the episode we learn about her diagnosis of the tumor that she has and how it literally forced her to act in ways that she could not control and she would often say, “I couldn’t help it.”
I remember getting the audition and I was actually shooting an episode of Bosch the day I got the audition so I couldn’t go in person and so casting allowed me to do a self-tape from home and I remember being so excited to tape this audition because I was like, “How can I not give away the end of the episode in the beginning? How do I make this woman sympathetic yet also suspicious?” And it was just juicy and fun and getting to work with the entire cast and crew, especially Freddie Highmore who most of my scenes were with, was really a great experience because he is a fantastic actor. I’ve been a fan of his for quite some time and he made the set comfortable. Our scenes together were very genuine. He cared a lot about this representation of his character and we found some funny moments together and we found some tender moments together and it was really an honor to have that show under my belt. Again, a show that I am a fan of and getting to play a juicy guest star role on a show that you are a fan of makes my job that much more exciting.
You’re featured in one episode of the new Netflix horror hit, The Haunting of Hill House. Tell us about your role.
I had an opportunity to play the role of Eileen in the Haunting of Hill House on Netflix and what’s funny about me booking this role is that I am not a huge fan of horror. And it’s not even that I’m not a huge fan, I just am a bit of a scaredy-cat. So when I got the audition I was like, “I sure hope I’m not doing anything super scary because I probably can’t even handle watching it.” But the role I booked was as a foster mother to one of the young girls that were being attacked and I got to just do a role that was pretty much in my wheelhouse; a warm, endearing, motherly type role, which I get lots of opportunities to play but I love that there was a twist to the story with who turned out to be the bad guy and me not knowing that in the beginning. Working with director Mike Flanagan was an awesome opportunity because he really has found a way to put his own spin on this genre and I look forward to the work that he continues to do.
And because I was in it I took my time and my husband and I pushed our way through the season because it ended up being such an intriguing show where you wanted to learn more about the family and their history and why they stayed in this house and how it affected each one of them. So it took a little while but I was able to get through the entire season and thoroughly enjoyed it.
Tell us about the wonderful experience of playing the American hero, Harriet Tubman, in the final season of TIMELESS on NBC. How did you add your touch to the role?
Getting the opportunity to play Harriet Tubman was a dream come true. I’m so grateful for the producers and casting of Timeless. Even though the show is off the air it is one of those shows that has the strongest fan base I have ever seen. The Timeless fans, also known as clock blockers, were so supportive of me in this role and getting this opportunity to really put the pressure on, to be honest. Harriet Tubman, for most Black actresses, is a bucket list role. It is one of those roles you just would love to check off your list and getting the opportunity to do it on network television was a dream come true.
My goal in bringing Harriet Tubman to life was to just show a side of her that I wasn’t sure that I had seen before. In preparation for the role, I did a lot of reading of books, stories about Harriet Tubman, studying photos, studying articles, even studying other actresses who I was now becoming a part of the tribe of Black actresses who had this opportunity to try Harriet on. It was not in a way to copy them in any way because I admired all of their performances, even going back as far as Cicely Tyson but I wanted to see what the world had been shown before and just challenge myself as an actress and as a woman to see what I could bring that would be my own special something to the role. So I had a lot of freedom from our fabulous director John Showalter and he trusted me with her and I felt very in sync. The scripts came easily. My supporting cast was so supportive and so talented. It was just a wonderful mix.
My goal was to bring a sense of vulnerability to Harriet. I wanted to show her warmth. Of course, she is a badass. Of course, she was courageous but I wondered, I asked myself, what was it like to go to sleep at night? What worries did she have? She had a lot of visions from God, how did she handle those? Did they scare her and how did she deal with that and still manage to push past the fear to accomplish so many amazing things and to impact America the way she had? So I felt really good about my performance. I felt confident and I felt like I left my mark on her role.
What’s your favorite line of dialogue in the episode and why?
My favorite line of dialogue in the episode was, “It goes back to the fear.” She says, “There’s two things I got a right to. That’s death or liberty. One or the other, I mean, to have.” And Malcolm asked her, he said something to the effect of, “Aren’t you scared?” And she said, “You’d be crazy not to be, but I’ll look fear right in its ugly face anyway.” Or, “I’ll point my rifle right in fear’s ugly face anyway.”
And that was a really big part to me because as a coach of other actors and young people and people new to the industry I’m always talking about fear and how fear can prevent you from living your dream, living to your fullest potential and it’s something that I work on daily. People sometimes think I’m fearless because I’ve accomplished so many things in my life but the fact of the matter is that I’m not fearless. I feel the fear and I do it anyway. It’s what got me back to Los Angeles to pursue my Hollywood dreams on this level and some days I wake super scared but I keep an eye on the bigger picture and the reason I have the goals that I do and I keep pushing. So that line really resonated with me.
When looking back on your career, what resonated with you the most and why?
Looking back on my career I have so many moments that have struck and that have made me who I am today. I think my biggest childhood dream come true was when I got a chance to perform on Broadway with the Lion King in 2008. I’d been doing the national tour since 2006 but growing up a little Black girl in the Bronx, New York being on Broadway was the ultimate dream. And though I work in film and television now that was always a huge deal to me and just booking the Lion King was huge for my career in general because it opened up so many doors for me. I was able to travel and see so much of the United States, Mexico, and even Germany and the show gave me the opportunity to perform for the President, President George W. Bush at the White House in 2008. So it offered me so many opportunities and friendships that I will always treasure and experiences that can only be described as amazing. So I have so many moments that I’m grateful for, so many moments that I know will come soon but that was a big, big moment in time.
In your opinion, has the #METOO movement helped African-American women obtain more roles?
I think the Me Too movement is powerful because it has affected all women to be seen and heard and listened to when things are not going the way they should go. When people in power are abusing their power it affects us all. I am so proud of the women who came forward during the Me Too movement and as a woman in Hollywood I’ve had many moments where something didn’t feel quite right. A touch felt a little too friendly and I excused it like many of other women. I don’t look at the Me Too movement as a way of getting jobs. I believe that what it did was protect us while we work and that’s just for all women. I believe what has helped African-American women attain more roles is more diversity in the writing rooms and in production and I think that’s just a matter of diversity and Hollywood opening up its doors. For me, I believe the Me Too movement is about empowerment for sure but it’s about people not abusing their power and not abusing other people.
So I look forward to the diversity that will continue to come from more inclusion in the industry and I’m grateful to work in television because there are so many streaming services, there are so many channels, there are so many networks that need content and need talented people. So I think it forces the industry to have to open the doors a bit wider because you need more than one type of person to fill these roles.
What do you enjoy most about acting?
What I enjoy most about acting is playing pretend even though it’s really not pretend, at this stage, it’s telling the truth of different people, trying different people on. But I say playing pretend because, for me, when I was five and six years old that’s what it was. I was in my bedroom talking to myself, in the mirror talking to my dolls, having full out concerts in my bedroom and I always thought it was fun. I get to have fun when I go on set.
Getting to work on T.V. shows and in films is magical. It really is transformational. I love the fact that I get to be an entertainer and that I get to bring people joy. After a long day, people wanna sit down on their couch and turn on their television and if it were not for actors, people like me, people like my colleagues, there would be nothing for them to watch. So I take great pride in providing entertainment for others and I also believe acting is very spiritual for me. Getting to try different people on, and I say try them on intentionally, is an honor. I do believe once I step into the shoes of someone else, whether they are a fictional character or someone who was a real-life person, I believe I have to duty to tell their truth, what the story is they’re really trying to share, what their true objectives are and that’s a responsibility I don’t take lightly. But more than anything I get to have fun. I get to play dress up. I get to change my hair, change the tone of my voice, my accent and it’s just a lot of fun.
Do you have anything else you would like to share about your career?
I’m excited for what the future holds. I have been doing a lot of guest star roles on network television lately and that’s a lot of fun because I get to pop in and out of different characters and shows and really stretch my muscle as an actor. My fans can continue to just stay connected with me on Instagram and Facebook and Twitter to see what’s next for me. I have two albums out that are available on iTunes that if you want to hear me sing you can grab those. I also have a podcast called the Hollywood Bound Actor podcast and something that’s very passionate for me and very close to my heart is my Hollywood Bound Actors community and that is where I teach inspiring actors and new actors or actors trying to get their next level I teach them how to do that.
I pull back the curtain on my own career and what’s been successful for me and I share that with people. I also have a YouTube and I do a show called Actors Daily Bread where I give acting tips and audition tips and mindset tips and ways to just maintain, and a way for people to be successful and to have the career that I have, and even better. I don’t believe that any of this is mine to keep. I didn’t create it. It’s not mine to hoard or hold on to. My goal is to give back as much as I have been given and beyond. So I look forward to connecting with all of you and looking forward to what these years ahead hold for me.
Connect with Christine:
Facebook @actresschristinehorn
Instagram: @actresschristinehorn
Twitter: @hornchristine
IMDb: imdb.com/name/nm1264672
Website: www.ChristineHorn.com
Acting Coaching + Podcast: www.HollywoodBoundActors.com
Free Facebook Group for Actors: https://www.facebook.com/groups/hollywoodboundactors/
Featured Image Credit: MUA | Photo Credit: Day Byrd
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