Rising Star Cristina Rosato On The Five Things You Need To Shine In The Entertainment Industry
An Interview With Guernslye Honoré
Sticking your face into a bowl of cold water and ice before heading to set REALLY helps you wake up.
As a part of our series about pop culture’s rising stars, we had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Cristina Rosato.
For over a decade, Cristina Rosato has been delighting audiences with her dynamic performances across television and film. Currently, Cristina can be seen in the Canadian-Argentinian indie drama, “Ariel: Back to Buenos Aires” which follows siblings Davie and Diana (Rosato) as they return to the country of their birth, Argentina, for the first time in their adult lives. Against the backdrop of glamorous tango clubs of Buenos Aires, they uncover dark family secrets and the reason for their parents’ emigration to Canada. The film is now available on all major VOD platforms.
Cristina most recently starred in the Disney+ action-comedy series “Turner & Hooch” opposite Josh Peck, Crackle’s “Art of More” alongside Dennis Quaid, the Netflix and CBC series, “21 Thunder” and the indie hit web series “Ghost BFF” (Babe Nation Creations). Additional television credits include ABC’s “The Good Doctor” and “A Million Little Things,” CBS’ “Blood & Treasure,” Showtime’s “City on a Hill,” Freeform’s “Party of Five” and The CW’s “iZombie” and “Reign.”
Past film credits include Lionsgate’s rom-com, “Little Italy” opposite Emma Roberts, Darren Aronofsky’s “Mother!” (Paramount Pictures) alongside Jennifer Lawrence and Javier Bardem, the indie dramedy “Another Kind of Wedding” (Sony Pictures Entertainment) and Broad Green Pictures’ “Bad Santa 2” with Billy Bob Thornton. Additionally, Cristina has an extensive voiceover career voicing characters in video games such as “Assassin’s Creed II,” “Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood” and “Deus Ex: Mankind Divided” where she played a world class hacker, ShadowChild.
When she isn’t working, Cristina enjoys going to the theatre and live jazz shows, studying Argentine Tango (which she began learning for “Ariel”), gardening and cooking, especially pasta and Italian treats. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she wrote and published a children’s book, “A Hero Too” (in English and French), with her cousin, Lara Villani, in collaboration with Save the Children Canada. The proceeds go to the organization’s Emergency COVID Relief Efforts.
Cristina currently lives on Salt Spring Island in British Columbia, Canada while also splitting her time between Los Angeles, New York and Montréal. Additionally, she spends as much time in Italy as possible.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Can you tell us the story of how you grew up?
Thanks for having me. I grew up in Montreal, Quebec. My parents went back to work almost right away, and I was lucky enough to spend every day with my grandparents and great-grandparents, who lived together. My family comes from Italy, and I grew up speaking pretty much only Italian until it was time to go to school. We also spent a lot of our summers at our family home in Abruzzo.
Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this specific career path?
I think wanting to be an actor came about when I realized it would mean I could essentially explore many different professions and careers-through the roles. My curiosity is what it boils down to.
Can you tell us the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?
Filming a movie in Argentina, getting shut down because of the pandemic, and then finishing that same movie 1.5 years later was WILD.
It has been said that mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
Being underprepared for auditions! I didn’t realize just how much preparation I actually needed to do in order to be ready for set. Once the nerves and adrenaline kick in, the words can just disappear.
What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now?
Unfortunately, right now I’m not currently working due to the ongoing strikes.
As a rising star, you’ve likely faced challenges along the way. How do you stay motivated and overcome obstacles in your career?
I think keeping your life in perspective and staying focused is really important. What I mean by that is not taking any of the ups or downs too to heart. Everything has highs and lows, and that is normal. I keep on the things that make me feel good, and just keep my eye on the prize.
We are very interested in diversity in the entertainment industry. Can you share three reasons with our readers about why you think it’s important to have diversity represented in film and television? How can that potentially affect our culture?
It’s crucial that every human in the world sees themselves and their stories being properly represented. Art, Film & TV has the power to educate people, including those who maybe do not have the opportunity to be exposed to diversity in their lives. We exist in a diverse world and telling stories that are inclusive helps to better reflect reality, as well as hopefully end stigmas and create a much more empathetic world.
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why?
1. Save some money!
2. Sticking your face into a bowl of cold water and ice before heading to set REALLY helps you wake up.
3. It’s a marathon and not a race.
4. Have more fun with auditions.
5. Never go out late the night before work
Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in your industry to help them to thrive and not “burn out”?
Continue doing whatever helps you feel back to yourself and refreshed. For me, that is movement. It’s my non-negotiable. I workout, or walk, or stretch everyday.
If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)
Kindness and patience! I have to remind myself to be patient often, I think so much conflict and tension could be avoided if we all just had more compassion towards everyone, including grace with our own struggles.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
My parents. They were always supportive and always encouraged me to keep going when I felt ready to give up. I’ll never forget when I wanted to quit acting school. I was overwhelmed and homesick. My mom gave me great advice. She reminded me how far I’d come, and that I was almost at the finish line. She told me not to worry about what will come after school is done and to simply take it one step at a time and that nothing was written in stone. I hold that very dear to my heart to this day. I could not have come to where I am without their constant love and support.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
As I mentioned, remembering that nothing is written in stone has really stayed with me. It has reminded me so many times over the years not to stress too much over decisions.That one choice just leads to another choice and so on. You always have the power to change your life.
How can our readers follow you online?
Yes, my IG is @Rosato
This was very meaningful, thank you so much! We wish you continued success!
Thank you :)
About the interviewer: Guernslye Honoré, affectionately known as “Gee-Gee”, is an amalgamation of creativity, vision, and endless enthusiasm. She has elegantly twined the worlds of writing, acting, and digital marketing into an inspiring tapestry of achievement. As the creative genius at the heart of Esma Marketing & Publishing, she leads her team to unprecedented heights with her comprehensive understanding of the industry and her innate flair for innovation. Her boundless passion and sense of purpose radiate from every endeavor she undertakes, turning ideas into reality and creating a realm of infinite possibilities. A true dynamo, Gee-Gee’s name has become synonymous with inspirational leadership and the art of creating success.
