Christina Fougnie is Your Typical Louisville, Ky. 12 Year Old ... Oh Yeah, And She's Also Starring in Her First Movie

Taking things in stride is something that just comes naturally to 12 year old 'Clancy' star Christina Fougnie ... just like her acting abilities.

Louisville, KY (PRWEB) March 8, 2008 -- For Christina Dawn Fougnie (pronounced foon-YAY), the life of a 12 year old is an event in itself.

The Louisville, Kentucky, 6th grader is a cheerleader, an equestrian, and like most girls her age, an ardent admirer of Carrie Underwood and Hannah Montana.

The thing that sets her apart is that she's also starring in the title role of the independent feature film, 'Clancy', currently in production in her hometown Louisville. But for Christina, it's just something that 'happened', not something she's always dreamed of doing.

'Clancy' is the story of an abused runaway who changes the life of a homeless Gulf War vet. It is being produced by Kelly's Filmworks LTD, whose previous films include 'The Perfect Stranger', 'Another Perfect Stranger', and the popular 'Stranger' TV series.

"When I was real little, I used to think about being a singer or an actress because I thought it would be fun to be famous -- but when I got a little older, I kind of just put those thoughts behind me," says Christina. But in the subsequent years, stints in ballet, gymnastics, equestrian events, and her church's easter pageant gave her a small glimpse of how much she enjoyed performing before an audience.

It was during the aforementioned easter pageant that she met up with 'Clancy' writer / director Jefferson Moore. Moore was playing the role of Jesus Christ in the big budget, Broadway-scale passion play; Christina was playing the Biblical role of Jairus' daughter, who was brought back to life by Jesus. The two struck up conversations during rehearsals and between scenes, and managed to stay in touch after the show closed.

"I knew at the time she was a sweetheart and a lot of fun to be around, but that was no indication that she could act .... I mean, all she had to do was play dead," said Moore, a professional actor of 18 years.

It wasn't even until a year or so later that Moore was looking for that special person to play Clancy Miller, the abused girl with the faith of an angel. Moore had written the 'Clancy' screenplay a few years earlier, but other projects had placed it on the back burner. Now with 'Clancy' in the batter's box, he returned to his "Little Dead Girl" and gave her an audition.

"She was nervous and ended up reading almost everything she'd memorized for the audition, but there was still a sparkle there that gave me an overwhelming feeling that I had found my Clancy," he said.

In her typical low-key fashion, Christina credits her natural acting abilities to the fact that, "I watch a lot of TV and movies, I have a good memory, and I'm used to taking instruction from coaches."

Whatever her method, she has blown away all expectations held by Moore, her director who is also her co-star in the film. "With every scene she does, I am continually amazed at how this untrained, inexperienced person is also this amazing actress with an enormous depth, able to play a girl who has experienced so much pain and hardship in her life .... something that could not be further from Christina's own real life experiences."

"I just try to put myself in the moment and feel what she (Clancy) is feeling," says Christina, who cites the outdoor cold, the rain, and special effects like being covered in mud as the most grueling aspects of filming thus far; otherwise, "I like being treated like a star, because at home and school, I'm just Christina."

To make the long hours a little more pleasant, Moore came up with a 'Bring a Friend to Set' program for Christina, which allows her to invite a friend to come be with her on location, hang out, and share the experience with someone her own age. "They think it's cool" she says.

So what do her other friends and classmates at Christian Academy of Louisville say about her new occupation?

"Most that know about it say they're glad for me and can't wait to see it, and a couple of girls on the cheerleading squad refer to me as 'Movie Star' -- but other than that, it's not that big a deal."

Spoken like a true unpretentious star.

'Clancy' will continue filming through the spring with expectations for a Fall 2008 release. A handful of studio distributors have already shown an interest in the completed project.

The 'Clancy' website is www.clancymovie.com.

Contact:
Jo Worthington
KWM & Associates
kwm2 at bellsouth.net

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