Why Christine Woods From Brand New Cherry Flavor Looks So Familiar
The upcoming horror drama series "Brand New Cherry Flavor" is headed to Netflix on August 13, and it's set to star Rosa Salazar, Catherine Keener, and Eric Lange, among several other talented stars. Based on the 1996 novel by the same name, the limited series will center around Lisa N. Nova (Salazar), an aspiring filmmaker who moves to Los Angeles to become a director. Unfortunately, Lisa's betrayal by a new acquaintance quickly turns the experience into a dangerous one. Netflix's official description also notes "This particular nightmare has zombies, hit men, supernatural kittens, and a mysterious tattoo artist who likes to put curses on people. And Lisa's going to have to figure out some secrets from her own past in order to get out alive" (per The Wrap).
One of the recurring characters in "Brand New Cherry Flavor" is Christine Woods, and while we don't know much about the character herself, you may have seen the actress who plays her on screen before.
Hannah Levien is an Australian actress
Hannah Levien — a budding star originally hailing from Australia — is set to play Christine Woods in "Brand New Cherry Flavor." She spoke about her roots and finding her love for acting while living in Australia, telling The Cornwall Seeker it's "a great country – it will always be my home. I've always been drawn to storytelling – and theatre is a form of that. When I was 13, I started taking acting classes seriously and was determined to study at Drama school after high school. It's very competitive to get into those programs, so I knew I had a lot of work to do. I ended up attending the University of Southern Queensland which had a fantastic theatre program."
After graduating with her Masters in Screenwriting and Directing from the University of Sydney, Levien landed her first film role in the Australian revenge-thriller "The Horseman" as a teenage runaway. She continued to appear in tons of short films and stage productions before she was signed by a talent manager in Los Angeles (per the Geekish Cast) and was soon cast in her first USA-based role as Ellen in the 2012 horror film "Children of Sorrow."
She's made appearances on popular shows
Following her US film debut, Levien landed parts in several US television shows. She played the role of Belle Gunness in the only episode of the mystery series "The Ghost Speaks," which consisted of interviews from ghosts' perspectives. She also appeared in one episode of "The Kill Corporation" before landing a part in the hugely popular series "Supernatural" as the muse Calliope. She appeared in the show's 200th episode, and told The Cornwall Seeker, "I loved 'Supernatural' and always wanted to be a demon in it, so it was cool to actually get to live that."
After "Supernatural," Levien also appeared in one episode of "Backstrom" as Lara Hausberg; an episode of "Bates Motel" as a Portland Woman; one episode of "Colony" as Claire; and one episode of "Reverie" as Naomi Lenton, among several others. Most recently, Levien played the role of Amanda in one episode of "Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist." While she's had short stints on many shows, Levien has also had larger, recurring roles on a couple of popular series.
She starred in a Syfy fantasy series
In 2015, Hannah Levien played the role of Victoria Gradley in the Syfy series "The Magicians." Victoria was a Traveler — a magician who could move between alternate universes — and she attended the Brakebills University for Magical Pedagogy. In Season 1, Victoria was imprisoned by a mysterious being called The Beast, and returned in Season 3 as a much more resourceful and level-headed person. "She's far more aware of risk now and doesn't want to put people in harm's way again," Levien explained to Inverse during Season 3. "She's been building a more secure life for herself with her magic."
"The Magicians" lasted for five seasons, and was nominated for several Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films awards as well as a TV Guide Award and multiple individual acting awards. After appearing with other cast members at Wicomicon, Levien told BriefTake about the impact "The Magicians" had on fans: "Oh I had fans coming up to me with tears in their eyes talking about how much the show means to them in terms of some of the issues that the show deals with. ... Magicians has done a tremendous job dealing with some serious issues on tv and making it accessible to people. I really think it's a great show."
She played a bartender on a Freeform thriller
Levien also had a recurring role on the Freeform drama "Siren," which took place in the town of Bristol Cove, Washington — which was known for its history of mermaids. When a young woman named Ryn Fisher (Eline Powell) arrived in Bristol Cove, things started getting strange as secrets were uncovered and more mer-people were attracted to the town. Levien played Janine, a local bartender who dated and eventually married a fisherman named Calvin Lee (Curtis Lum). In an interview with BriefTake, Levien revealed that she'd known her costar Lum before she landed the role as his on-screen paramour: "Curtis and I met working in a restaurant together, a sushi restaurant in Vancouver, when I first moved here ... I knew Curtis was on the show and that he had booked the pilot, and I remember seeing a trailer for it that he had posted on Facebook, and I was so excited for him. I told him that I thought it looked like a really cool show and I told him congratulations, and then I went in and auditioned for it not long after."
Levien then explained that she only realized she'd booked the role of Curtis's girlfriend after she landed the part. "I booked the show and told Curtis, 'guess what? I'm going to be on Siren!,' and he was like, 'I know. You're playing my girlfriend.'" No wonder the two had such great chemistry during their time on the show.