Eps 18: Christine Ko (Dave, Handmaid's Tale)

Where Working Actors Talk

This week we sit down with SKS alum, actor Christine Ko. She walks us through her entire career. From moving to LA not even knowing what an audition is, to booking her first series regular role on a multi-cam sitcom. She tells us how SKS changed her life and set her career in motion, how drawing penises helped her book a lead role on the FX hit series DAVE, the importance of preparation and NEVER talking herself out of a role.

WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT THE HEAR:

:19 Christine’s origin story and what led her to acting.

2:41 How the SKS Audition Bootcamp changed her life and set her career in motion.

8:15 Getting he audition for DAVE (FKA UNT LITTLE DICKIE PROJECT), feeling like she wasn’t right for the role, but doing her research, finding her own version of the character and going for it!

14:22 Improv and drawing penises (yes, you read that right) during her Chemistry Read for Dave. “I don’t think I’m right for this anyway, so let’s just make a mess of it”. Spoiler alert: She booked the role!

17:37 There is no right way to do this. This business is not linear.

21:36 How Christine takes care of herself when things are slow.

24:25 Christine’s audition prep process. The first email gives you SO much information – DO. YOUR. RESEARCH.

31:50 Acting is so different than the BUSINESS of acting.

34:50 The full audition process of her first series regular role on THE HALF OF IT (directed by legendary comedy director, James Burrows).

44:56 “for a multi-cam, when you are reading it in front of the network, you NEED to say the line correctly. You don’t add an extra beat. You don’t add an extra word. Every single ‘the’, every single ‘uh’, is for a tone, a cadence.”

48:09 “I’m gonna go for it. If I mess up, I mess up, but at least I know that I prepped for it”

51:24 Be the CEO of your acting business.

54:57 The audition process for Handmaid’s Tale, and how it was on the set of Handmaid’s.

57:23 Working with Elizabeth Moss, and not being afraid as for what you need as an actor on set.

58:04 What Christine takes with her on set: from her trailer, to base camp.

59:14 What Christine does the night before filming.

1:00 What advice would Christine give actors to let go after they send their self-tape in.

Host: Colleen Foy

Editor: Kristyn Daniel

Music by: Lindsay Boreing and Will Boreing