Christina Murphy is an actress headed for a breakthrough year. Before starring in the upcoming dark indie comedy Forgotten Pills, she’ll play Nora, the “bitchy” dancer out to ruin the heroine’s chance at success in the Wayans brothers’ Dance Flick, in theaters Friday.
Though you may not know her name yet, you’ve probably seen the 27-year-old Austin native as the football tailgater chick in Bud Light’s “Drinkabality” commercials. In an interview with MM, Murphy talks with us about her whirlwind year and what it’s like to work with the Wayans brothers.
Goldy Moldavsky (MM): You’re primarily known for the Bud Light “Drinkability” commercials and now you’ve got Dance Flick, which is going to be your first big film release, plus an indie down the pipe. It seems like you’re experiencing every aspect of being a working actress. What’s this year been like?
Christina Murphy (CM): Like a fairytale! Seeing my dreams come to fruition is pure bliss. This has been the kind of year I have been waiting for for so long. I felt like, for a while, I was trying so hard and pushing and fighting my way to where I wanted to be and then one day—boom!—things really started happening for me. And it all came when I was least expecting it, when I stopped trying to force my own path.
My dad is always reminding me to “just stay the course” and I believe that my staying so incredibly focused is what led me to where I am today. It’s so exciting that it almost feels surreal ,but I am reminded that it is real because my spirit and soul are so happy.
MM: The Wayans brothers have a very specific brand of humor that they bring to their comedies. What’s it like being in one of their movies and was it hard to pull off parody?
CM: It was an honor to be in one of their films. I mean, come on, they’re the freakin’ Wayans brothers! Who doesn’t know about them? They really embraced us all from the get-go, so it wasn’t intimidating to try something new in a scene or even throw in some of your own lines. That is the neatest part about this family; they really allow each of us to shine in our own comedic way. And when you make that family laugh, you feel like you are on top of the world. I couldn’t wait to get to set every day because every day brought more and more fun.
MM: The Wayans also have a tradition of making the hot young actresses in their movies do the most outlandish things in the name of comedy. Is there a scene from Dance Flick that comes to mind where your character undergoes something particularly embarrassing?
CM: (laughing) You have to see the movie! I think my dancing skills should be embarrassing enough. I tried—man I tried hard—but my body just doesn’t understand hip-hop like I wanted it to. I will be horrified if our dance rehearsals ever leaked or made it onto the DVD. There’s your next comedy! I am just hoping the editing makes it look like I came straight out of “Americas Best Dance Crew.”
MM: Forgotten Pills, your upcoming indie about four friends who take a drug that will let them forget everything that happens in the subsequent four hours, sounds really interesting. What can you tell us about the movie and your role in it?
CM: Forgotten Pills is a very exciting indie project I did. I play a character named Megan, the only girl in the group, who has also had a very difficult and dark past. Throughout the night, the group starts to leak past pent-up aggressions toward each other, new romances take place, violence ensues and eventually a murder occurs—yet we can’t remember anything (cue scary movie music). It was really great to be a part of a film that allowed my character to have so many colors with a range of every emotion. As an actress, I love working on different genres.
MM: What’s next for you?
CM: Loads of work! So much I can’t see straight. I believe if you put it out there, you will get what you want. I am hoping to make this year even bigger and better than last year. I foresee the release of Dance Flick on May 22 to be just the beginning. I hope it opens the door to a long and happy path in acting.
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