Inspirational Women In Hollywood: How Actress & Filmmaker Christina Wren Is Helping To Shake Up The Entertainment Industry
…One of the hardest things as an actor — and people talk about this a lot with auditioning — is learning not to try to be what you think someone wants, but instead, to bring yourself to the role. I wish I had absorbed that lesson earlier. Our only real gift to the world — across any field — is who we authentically are. Your unique combination of personality, skills, experiences, and perspectives is what you bring into a room. That’s what makes you valuable. Striving to be someone else or trying to guess what someone wants only dilutes what you have to offer. I wish I had let go of my need to “do it right” or “be the best” and instead focused on being truthful and enjoying the freedom of creativity. The real gift is walking into a room and making something your own. No, you won’t get chosen all the time — most of the time, you won’t. But the goal should be to do something distinct, meaningful, and rooted in who you are…
We had the pleasure of talking with Christina Wren. Christina is an American actress, writer, and producer whose career spans film, television, and digital media. Known for her versatility both in front of and behind the camera, Wren has built a reputation for bringing depth and authenticity to her performances while also championing diverse storytelling.
Born on March 12, in New Jersey, Wren was raised in a multicultural household. Her father is of Middle Eastern descent, and her mother hails from Iowa, an upbringing that gave her an early appreciation for different cultural perspectives. She spent much of her childhood moving between urban and rural environments, an experience that would later shape her storytelling as a writer and filmmaker. From a young age, she was drawn to performance, recalling moments where she had to hold herself back from running onstage during plays. Her early passion for acting led her to pursue a degree at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, where she studied playwriting and participated in the university’s first Hip Hop Theater course.
Wren’s career began with roles in independent short films, including her 2009 debut in Retreat. She gained wider recognition when she was cast as Major Carrie Farris in Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel (2013), a role she reprised in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016). While some fans speculated that her character was a nod to the DC Comics figure Carol Ferris, no official connection was confirmed. Still, her performance helped establish her as a recognizable face in major franchise films.
Beyond her work in blockbuster productions, Wren has continued to take on roles across television and streaming platforms. She recurs as Caroline in ABC’s crime drama Will Trent and voices Essi Daven in Netflix’s animated feature The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep (2025). She also earned acclaim for her role in the web series L.A. Macabre, which won her a Rome Web Award for Best Thriller Supporting Actress in 2015.
Alongside her acting career, Wren has dedicated significant time to producing and writing. She co-founded the production company Two Kids with a Camera with her husband, director Demetrius Wren. Together, they have developed a range of projects, from branded content to independent films and television series. One of their early projects was the documentary Streetball, filmed in South Africa, which documented a homeless street soccer league. Wren has also produced content for networks such as PBS, Discovery Digital, Travel Channel, and HGTV, expanding her influence into both commercial and educational media.
Her commitment to fostering emerging talent is evident in her work with Women of Color Filmmakers, where she serves as Vice President and co-founder of the organization’s Film Lab. The six-month intensive training program provides mentorship from industry veterans, offering women of color the resources and support to launch their careers in filmmaking.
Wren’s interest in storytelling extends beyond traditional formats. She was the executive producer and writer for Hicksters, a Sundance Lab Finalist series that explored cultural and regional contrasts through the lens of a young interracial couple inheriting a farm. She has also been involved in developing Swishy, a coming-of-age feature inspired by her own experiences as a first-generation American.
Outside of the entertainment industry, Wren has pursued entrepreneurial and creative endeavors, including designing a jewelry line sold on Etsy. She also co-hosts the podcast Back To Your Ones with her husband, where they discuss creativity, filmmaking, and the challenges of balancing work and family.
Throughout her career, Wren has remained committed to telling stories that reflect diverse perspectives, challenge mainstream portrayals, and explore themes of identity and community. Whether acting, writing, or producing, she continues to push for greater representation in media, ensuring that voices historically overlooked are given space to be heard.
Yitzi: It’s a delight and an honor to meet you. Before we dive in, our readers would love to learn about your personal origin story. Can you share a story from your childhood and how you grew up?
Christina: I grew up as a first-generation kid. My dad is an immigrant and my mom is a gal from Iowa. I think, like any kid, you just grow up in whatever community you’re in, and then eventually, I came to realize that my experience was more unique than I had realized.
My origin story is really one of mixed communities. I grew up in urban America, but I would go back and forth between the north side of Pittsburgh and the suburbs of Iowa, where my mom was from. I traveled around a little bit, too. I think that really influences my work as an artist, a writer, and an actor. It’s helped me see things from multiple perspectives and to understand the roots of where people come from — how decisions are made in different communities.
It’s also made me appreciate the little quirks that make us all interesting individuals. As an artist, as someone representing humans, those things are important.
Yitzi: That’s amazing. Can you tell us how you first got started in entertainment?
Christina: Well, when I was really little — three, four, five years old — I would watch shows and just be desperate to climb into the screen. I thought every kid felt that way, so I didn’t think of it as anything unique or special.
Then, I saw my first play when I was six. I remember having to hold on to the sides of my seat so I wouldn’t run up on stage. I knew enough to realize I had no idea what they were really doing, but I just wanted to be a part of it. My mom signed me up the next year for children’s theater, which was great.
I always loved acting and being part of the community it takes to bring a theater production to life. But I didn’t really see it as a career opportunity until my senior year of high school. I had gotten some encouragement, my family was very supportive, and that’s when it shifted from just being a hobby and a passion to something I took more seriously.
Yitzi: That’s amazing. So, please tell us about the next chapter — your first big break and how that evolved.
Christina: Well, let’s see. My first big break, in many ways, wasn’t as an actor but as a producer. It was a documentary called Streetball, which is actually how I met my now husband.
I had studied in South Africa in college, and he was producing a film about a homeless street soccer league there. He was looking for a producer, and my background — coming from a family that worked in nonprofits and did a lot of service work — made the mission of the film really resonate with me. Plus, the opportunity to work in South Africa, which was a place I really cared about, had me jumping out of my skin to be involved. So, that was the first feature I produced.
From there, Demetrius and I started working together more regularly. We made a narrative feature called Saudade, and he brought in his friend Adam Thompson to play the male lead. Adam worked at a commercial casting house, and they needed someone for a hummus commercial but couldn’t find the right fit. So, Adam asked me to audition. I booked the commercial, and Zack Snyder saw it — and that led to me being cast in Man of Steel. And the rest is kind of history.
Yitzi: That’s amazing. We love hearing stories like that. Do you have any other moments from your professional career that stand out — any stories that give us a picture of your life?
Christina: Let’s see. Honestly, I think the truest picture of my life — and maybe of actors or artists in general — is one of a constant daily grind. A lot of times, you’re wondering, Am I doing the right thing? Is anything going to happen? You’re putting in so many hours and don’t always see the payoff. But then, these amazing moments happen. You just have to keep tilling the soil and keeping the ground fertile for when the seeds are planted.
My life has been a lot of that — seasons of flourishing and seasons of waiting. Here’s another example: I played a role in Alex Cross for Prime. The way I got that was through a woman I had worked with for years in theater in Los Angeles. Her friend was the creator and executive producer of the show, and she recommended me for an audition.
So, out of nowhere, I got a call from Kim Coleman’s office to audition for Alex Cross, and that turned into a wonderful opportunity. But the week before, I had no idea it was coming. That’s how this industry works. It can feel like things come out of nowhere, even though in reality, you’re constantly working, constantly meeting people, putting yourself out there, learning, and growing. But sometimes, it just looks like, Oh, I got this call, and then this great thing happened.
Yitzi: We love hearing stories where someone who’s a little further ahead opens a door or creates an opportunity that changes someone’s career trajectory. Do you have a story like that — either where someone did that for you or where you did that for someone else?
Christina: You know, I think it’s easier to remember the ones where someone did it for you. I’ve had people come up and say, Oh my gosh, you changed my life when you said this, but you don’t always know in the moment what feels significant to someone else. If you’re being a kind, generous person, hopefully, you’re having that effect on others, but you might not realize that a certain conversation or gesture ended up guiding them in a meaningful way.
But yeah, I’ve been blessed to have kind people in my life who have opened doors for me. I’ll shout out Frieda more specifically! Frieda de Lackner is just a beautiful shining light of a human who can be in the midst of major challenges yet still commits fully to blessing other people. While in the midst of battling cancer, she — completely unprompted — sent my materials to Ben Watkins, who is her old friend, and that’s what got me the audition for Cross. It really moved me.
Yitzi: That’s great. It’s been said that sometimes our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Do you have a story about a humorous mistake you made when you were first starting out and the lesson you learned from it?
Christina: Oh gosh, probably so many. Let me think… A humorous mistake. I like that — it’s not some deep, dark moment, just something funny. I’m sure there’s a good one in there.
Okay, this one’s kind of funny. I had recently finished producing Streetball and got a job producing streaming content featuring a somewhat high-profile on-camera talent.
The shoot was running late, and I was producing the show, but I was used to gritty, on-the-ground work. I mean, I had just been working with unhoused youth in South Africa, so my mindset was very different. Then, in the middle of production, this talent asked me to hire a car service to get them home.
At that moment, I realized I had no idea how to hire a car service. It had never even crossed my mind! For me, hailing a taxi was fancy. I was the person who took the subway home at 2:00 AM if I had to. But now, I had to figure out how to book a car — while still running production and working with the camera team.
I started Googling car services between takes but was also worried about putting this person in something unregulated or unsafe. Thankfully, one of the other producers from the network noticed I was scrambling and stepped in.
That was a big lesson for me — when you’re working with higher-profile talent, you have to be aware of the range of requests that might come up and be able to problem-solve quickly. It’s about keeping things running smoothly while making sure everyone feels taken care of.
I don’t know if that’s exactly what you were asking for, but yeah, that was definitely a learning moment for me!
Yitzi: So, Christina, you have such an impressive body of work. Please share with us what you’re working on now and what you’re hoping to work on in the future. What should we be watching? What should we be excited about?
Christina: Well, right now, I recur on Will Trent on ABC, and I think it’s a wonderful show. I’ve just been so grateful to be a part of it. My character has a pretty wild episode coming up next week — episode seven of season three — so I’d love for you to check that out.
I also write and produce. I have a production company called Two Kids with a Camera, and we have a handful of projects in the works right now. The one that’s probably nearest and dearest to my heart is a feature about a first-generation kid. She’s a high schooler who plays basketball and is trying to juggle the loving but overbearing rules of her family — who are just afraid to lose her — while coming of age in a world that can be pretty tricky.
At the same time, she’s just a kid trying to enjoy her senior year, with a little secret romance on the side. Right now, I’m in meetings about it, putting some partners together, and starting conversations with talent, which is exciting.
And of course, my production company is Two Kids with a Camera, and you can also see me in The Witcher right now.
Yitzi: Where did you get the idea for the name Two Kids with a Camera?
Christina: So, Demetrius and I — when we were making Streetball — were just 23 years old, and we ended up getting into a lot of places that even big outlets like the BBC couldn’t access. People didn’t really see us as a full camera crew — it was just the two of us with a backpack.
We used to joke that we were just two kids with a camera, and the name stuck. Even when we started making feature films in New York, we were just running around the city filming with a 5D — nothing official, no big setup.
Now, people think we named it after our kids, which just shows how much time has passed! But originally, we were the kids. We are the kids.
Yitzi: You mentioned that you are involved with The Witcher franchise, which is such a beloved property — both the games and the TV series. What do you think it is about The Witcher that has really captured people’s hearts and minds?
Christina: That’s a really great question. I think part of it is that it’s just been done really well. The game was something people really got into, and the storytelling was fantastic.
Fantasy, as a genre, feels pretty universal. It’s not everyone’s favorite, but stories about creatures, fairies, witches, dragons — things that are larger than life — are ways we process big emotional and existential questions. Through these stories, we explore how we would face profound challenges, how we would confront evil, how we overcome obstacles, and what skills we need to survive. I think, subconsciously, that’s why fantasy is so appealing — it gives us a way to work through those ideas emotionally and mentally.
And then, of course, there’s the escapism. It’s immersive, and you get to step into a world completely different from our own. That’s always appealing.
Also, it’s just cool. It taps into that part of us that loved playing make-believe as kids. But in The Witcher, they manage to bring all of those fantastical elements into an adult world in a way that still feels real and grounded. It’s fun, it’s exciting, and it lets us step into something larger than life.
Yitzi: You mentioned Will Trent, which has developed quite a dedicated following. How would you compare and contrast yourself, Christina, with Caroline, the character you play? How are you similar, and how are you different?
Christina: That’s a good question. For Caroline to be the assistant to the head of the GBI, she has to be professional and always on her P’s and Q’s. I certainly hope to be that way — I aim to be. But what I love about her is that she brings a little lightness and humor into the job.
The cases they deal with are heavy, the work is serious, but she still manages to keep things zingy and light. I really like that about her, and I think I aim to be both grounded and joyful in my own life as well.
Actually, just last week, I was at a restaurant near my office that I go to a lot, and a woman came up to me and said, How are you happy all the time? What do you do? I just want to know what you do. And I kind of laughed, but I also thought, The world can be hard enough as it is — I want to spread joy wherever I can.
I try to be a positive light in whatever room I walk into, and I think Caroline has a similar vibe.
Yitzi: This is our signature question. You’ve been blessed with a lot of success. Looking back to when you first started, what are five things you know now that you wish you had known earlier? And as advice for people who are still starting out, what would you share?
Christina: Yes! Okay. I wish I had known how to find good mentors and seek mentorship. It takes practical thinking and courage to ask, and I wish I had done that when I was younger. That alone would have saved me from a lot of mistakes — just having a wiser person, or even multiple people, as a sounding board. So, first, seek mentorship if you can.
Second, one of the hardest things as an actor — and people talk about this a lot with auditioning — is learning not to try to be what you think someone wants, but instead, to bring yourself to the role. I wish I had absorbed that lesson earlier. Our only real gift to the world — across any field — is who we authentically are. Your unique combination of personality, skills, experiences, and perspectives is what you bring into a room. That’s what makes you valuable. Striving to be someone else or trying to guess what someone wants only dilutes what you have to offer. I wish I had let go of my need to “do it right” or “be the best” and instead focused on being truthful and enjoying the freedom of creativity. The real gift is walking into a room and making something your own. No, you won’t get chosen all the time — most of the time, you won’t. But the goal should be to do something distinct, meaningful, and rooted in who you are.
Third, I wish I had stood up for myself in certain situations. Nothing super terrible happened, but I do wish I had felt safer standing up for myself when I was younger. So my advice? Trust your gut. If something feels off, it probably is.
Fourth, a piece of advice I got just last week that I love: Fail fast. I wish I had done that sooner, especially with my writing. I tend to iterate and iterate and keep things close to my chest, wanting to perfect them before putting them out there. But I wish I had shared my work faster, pitched things sooner — because even if it failed, I would have learned the lesson faster. Holding onto something until you think it’s perfect only prolongs how long it takes to grow.
Do I need one more? Okay, I’d say: creatively, trust your gut. There was a project I wanted to make as a narrative web series before web series were really a thing. At the time, YouTube was mostly funny clips and cat videos, and people told me not to put it there. They said, This should be a film. Try to get it into Sundance. But looking back, I think if I had followed my instincts — especially with all the creative supplemental material I had planned using social media — it could have made a real impact. So, to young artists with innovative ideas: trust your gut and try them.
Yitzi: Can you share with our readers the self-care routines you follow to help your body, mind, and heart thrive?
Christina: Yeah. I have a wonderful community — I’m incredibly blessed to have great people in my life. Whether it’s spending time with my husband and kids, getting together with a handful of close women every few weeks, or staying in touch with friends around the country, those relationships sustain me. Even if I don’t see certain friends often, when we do connect, we can go deep fast, and that’s really meaningful. I’m also lucky to have a good relationship with my parents, which is another source of support. So, for me, it’s really about appreciating and making time for the people in my life, even when things get busy and hard.
Taking walks is huge for me. I carry stress in my body, so sometimes I just need to go outside, walk it off, and breathe. Moving my body helps me clear my mind and solve problems faster.
Journaling also helps. Before I had kids, I did it more regularly, but even now, if I feel overwhelmed or like my brain is clogged, I sit down and write. Whether it’s stream-of-consciousness, morning pages, or just making lists of things I need to do, it clears space in my mind. And sometimes, in the middle of that, a really great idea pops up — maybe not genius, but a good one!
I also try to eat well. The older I get, the more I feel a direct connection between what I put into my body and how I feel, both physically and mentally. So that’s something I’m paying more attention to as well.
Yitzi: Beautiful. This is our final aspirational question. Christina, because of the great work you’ve done and the platform you’ve built, you have enormous influence. If you could spread an idea or inspire a movement that would bring the most good to the most people, what would it be?
Christina: I’m trying to find the right way to say this because it sounds so simple, but if we truly had genuine love and care for others, almost everything would be solved. If we genuinely loved and cared for people, everyone would be fed, everyone would be safe, conflicts would be mediated, and everyone would have a home.
If I could figure out how to organize that on a large scale… but of course, I know that’s a huge challenge. Still, I’m firmly in the world peace, no more hunger, housing for all camp. So, that’s what I would aim to do.
Yitzi: Beautiful. How can our readers continue to follow your work? How can they watch your shows or engage with your services?
Christina: My website is christinawren.com, and my production company’s site is TwoKidsWithACamera.com You can find me on Instagram at @ChristinaWren, and I’m also on Vero, which is an independent social media platform. Feel free to reach out, say hey, follow along, and spread love.
Yitzi: It’s been so wonderful to meet you. Wishing you continued success and blessings, and I hope we can do this again next year.
Christina: Really lovely meeting you. I wish you the same. Thank you so much.
Inspirational Women In Hollywood: How Actress & Filmmaker Christina Wren Is Helping To Shake Up… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.