We recently had an interview with multi talented Australian actress with 20 years experience ‘Jo Christiaans’. You will surely love this interesting interview with her.
Pro Media Mag : First of all please do introduce yourself to our readers.
Jo Christiaans : Sure thing. My name is Jo Christiaans and I am an Australian actress and magician. I have worked in all areas of film, TV and theatre for over 20 years now. I’ve been lucky enough to work on films such as San Andreas with The Rock and Thor with Cate Blanchett and Chris Hemsworth. I have played a range of different characters from a Nazi living on the moon to a time traveller starting a new life with the dinosaurs on Spielberg’s Terra Nova.
Pro Media Mag : You must be feeling lucky to have a partner from the same field?
Jo Christiaans : I am very lucky. My partner is stage illusionist, Drace Illusionist. Our house is full of movie memorabilia, rabbits, doves, a fire cage and even a guillotine. Just your average Aussie house really. We work very well together and we can rehearse our stage shows at any time of the day and night so we are very productive.
Pro Media Mag : How was the response to your first Illusion Stage show, Heavenly Hijinx?
Jo Christiaans : We first performed Heavenly Hijinx at the iconic Brisbane Theatre, The Tivoli in 2015. It was the first time we had performed our very own illusion stage show but it was a big hit! Heavenly Hijinx is not your usual illusion stage show but a humorous musical narrative in which a clumsy fallen angel by the name of Drewcifer (Drace) falls in love with the forbidden archangel, Joelle (played by me….of course lol). He attempts to use his magic to tempt me to the dark side but has a rude shock in the final scene when he gets more than he bargains for.
Pro Media Mag : What up next? Are you working on any new stage show now ?
Jo Christiaans : Yes we are actually. We are in the midst of rehearsals for our next stage show, Metamorphosis. This stage show is a tribute to Harry Houdini, one the greatest magicians of all time. The main illusion of the show is the infamous Metamorphosis sub-trunk illusion that Houdini performed with his wife Beth in 1894. And of course, we will be performing on the anniversary of Houdini’s death……..Halloween.
Pro Media Mag : You recently begun training at stunt school, AP8. It must be a great experience.
Jo Christiaans : Yes it is a great stunt school with lovely people. I am so blessed to have had an acting career spanning 20 years but I always love to step outside my comfort zone and wanted to try more physical roles in the action genre. To do this safely and effectively, I needed professional stunt training. While on set of Thor I spoke to many of the stunties who pointed me in the right direction. So for the next 12-18 months I will be falling, rolling, fighting, set on fire and thrown out of cars….all in the name of fun.
Pro Media Mag : You have more than 20 years experience in acting. What has been the biggest achievement in your career so far?
Jo Christiaans : My biggest and favourite experience would have to be playing Selena McMillen in Spielberg’s Terra Nova. Although I had worked on many local television series like Sea Patrol, H20 and Medivac, this was my first big budget, American television show. It was very exciting and a huge learning curve. I was lucky enough to work with seasoned actors like Jason Omara and Stephen Lang (Avatar) and he got my own trailer .
Pro Media Mag : Your son Beau James is an actor and model following your footsteps. You must be so excited about that ?
Jo Christiaans : I am very excited that he has caught the acting bug, but having a mum for an actress and a dad who is an illusionist this was inevitable. He was cast in his first commercial when he was 3 months old for a local restaurant and never looked back. Beau has just turned five and is the face of Paradise Country’s Breakfast with the Koalas and had a blast rubbing noses with real live koalas for the photoshoot. His latest commercial promoting Biofuels with V8 racing champion Mark Winterbottom, was official released by premier Annastacia Palaszczuk this week. We are looking forward to its public release in October. If he is not on set with me, or backstage with Drace then he is at home planning the latest episode for his Youtube channel, The Aussie Boy. With over 3k followers on Instagram he is leading the way for our little showbiz family.
Pro Media Mag : Any advice for the aspiring young artist?
Jo Christiaans : Join your local theatre group and gain confidence and acting skills in a safe and nurturing environment. Grap a camera and some friends and film short films on the weekend. Young artists have the most amazing tool at their fingertips, one that I would have given my left arm for growing up…………….. Youtube! Post your videos on Youtube, promote them on social media and build a strong fan base. But always remember, the most valuable asset any artist has is their reputation. In the era of social media think very hard about what photos and messages you post as once they are in cyberspace they will always be in cyberspace.
Pro Media Mag : what’s the best way to follow you online?
Jo Christiaans : I would love for you to follow me at Twitter, Instagram or Facebook. And if magic is your thing, feel free to follow Drace and Beau at the following links.
Jo’s social media
Twitter: @jo_Christiaans
Instagram: @jochristiaans
Facebook: @jochristiaansactor
Drace’s social media
Instagram: @drace_illusionist
Facebook: @draceillusionist
Beau’s social media
Instagram: @beaujamesofficial