Begin Again

Erin Walsh Hello Kristine, we are so happy to get a little moment with you! Tell me a bit about your upbringing and how you ended up in this biz.

Kristine Frøseth I was born in Summit, NJ, but spent my entire upbringing moving back and forth between NJ and various places outside of Oslo, Norway. My dad’s job moved us around every 4-5 years. It was quite difficult at the time constantly adjusting to the different cultures, but looking back at it I’m very grateful for all that I got to experience.

At the age of 15 my friends and I thought it would be funny to sign up for a catwalk addition at our local mall and little did I know it would lead me into a modeling career. Which then led me to my first ever film audition which was for Looking For Alaska back when it was supposed to be made into a movie. That was the first time I had ever received sides and the first time I ever put myself on tape. It was an incredible first opportunity because I knew about the story of Alaska. I taped 3 scenes, but I also made two short movies for it because I thought that was a part of the process. The first one was a silly short of me on photo booth listening to music smoking cigarettes and doing an inner monologue, trying to tap into my inner Alaska and then I realized I wanted to create a whole short of me as Alaska and the whole concept was about grief.

I sent both to the director, Rebecca Thomas, and luckily she really responded to them or saw some potential. We exchanged emails and tapes for a few months and then I made it to the final rounds of chemistry reads. I’ll never forget what it felt like to fly out and step onto the Paramount lot and in front of all of these producers and writers. And I’ll never forget when Rebecca took me into the bathroom and we just yelled together stirring up emotions. It was truly special and I can’t thank her enough for having made my first ever audition experience so supportive and encouraging.

That whole experience is what got me my team and from there I worked my butt off trying to learn about acting. I tried to watch all the interviews on my favorite actors on how they prepped, tried to read all the books by acting coaches and learn about the various techniques while taping for auditions several times a week, just trying to get my foot in the door.

EW I would love to know more about The First Lady-tell me everything. What drew you to the project, the role, what can we expect?

KF When I was given the opportunity to tape for Betty Ford, I was all in. I had known of Betty and admired her for all that she had done during her lifetime. I was familiar with the Betty Ford Clinic and of how open she had been about her struggle with addiction. Anyone who speaks up about the truths of addiction and helps destigmatize alcohol or drug use is a hero of mine. She truly changed the way people thought of the terms alcoholic and addict/addiction; reminding people of the disease that it is and through her honesty she saved so many lives.

We need to change the perception of these labels so people don’t feel ashamed and feel more encouraged to seek help. Our Nation is in the midst of an unprecedented opioid epidemic and we still need to continue these conversations with honesty and with education. I deeply applaud her candor and courage to speak out about her history with these struggles and I hope her story reminds people of the conversations we need to be having.

The show does a great job of showcasing all the amazing changes these women created as well as really changing the perspective on what American leadership has looked like through their POV. I’m really excited for people to get to know their personal stories as well as all that they did for our country.

EW What is most helpful in the process of finding a character? And how do you go about shedding one?

KF It really depends on the projects. Sometimes I feel like there is this instant connection with the character or the world that is presented. Other times it takes more research and prep into finding the connection and if there is none, it all comes from educating myself, understanding and finding empathy for the way the character behaves.

I also create playlists for what I think the characters listen to as well as writing character diary entries. I love to write about their past and create memories for them or moments for between scenes that aren’t in the script. Additionally, writing out their personal monologues is very helpful to me.

Lastly, I like to read the scripts in various moods and many times over and over again so my subconscious has space to work on the material. It’s very interesting; I’ll be eating breakfast or doing something random and my brain will just pop up with a thought about a scene and I’ll get obsessive and explore that; a complete EUREKA moment. Allowing myself to be “bored” really fosters creativity so I set time off throughout my day to just sit and be.

Doing as much internal work or physical prep as I can so on the day when I’m on set I’m not thinking about any of it. The most important thing for me is staying open trying to receive from the environment or the actors I’m working with.

When it comes to wrapping up a project I try to take some personal time after to really reflect on the character I’ve played; making sure I take what has been helpful, but leave anything that isn’t healthy to carry with me forward.

EW Do you consider acting or the arts as a vocation or something you were called to do?

KF Well, I don’t personally believe in predetermined destinies, but the events, experiences and random factors that have played into my life really did give me useful tools for this job I think. So one could argue all of those events played out for me so I would become an actor?

I feel really lucky in being able to call this my work; it scares the heck out of me, but I also have never felt more alive.

EW What are your thoughts on purpose- like do you see a greater meaning in your work and what you are called to do? And what else do you feel particularly called to do?

KF I hope that through various projects I choose that I’ll create some sort of connection or release for people out there. I am hoping as mentioned earlier to create more understanding for various human upbringing and behavior so we can hopefully treat each other with more love and understanding, so there is greater meaning in that for me. Growing up and moving so much I often did feel odd or lonely and so escaping into other worlds saved me and made me understand that I’m not alone.

Beyond that I really hope to create a charity or a creative platform that revolves mostly about mental health and suicide prevention.

Until I have sorted out how to execute this goal, I’m spending my time educating myself on mental health, neuroscience and addiction as well as getting involved in other suicide prevention organizations that are currently doing amazing work.

EW Anything in the way of a motto you subscribe to?

KF You can always begin again is my go to motto.

EW What makes you excited about the coming year?

KF I am excited about living abroad for the rest of this year shooting. I am excited for the new people I will meet and all the challenges that will come my way. I’m really excited for people to see The First Lady and Sharp Stick. I am excited to pursue my passions of surfing and hopefully beating my Marathon time from last year.

EW What should we be eating?

KF Everyone is different, you gotta listen to your own gut and see what works for you! But I start my day off with some dark chocolate dipped in almond butter every single day. Highly recommend!

EW Tell me about the CLOTHES bit in your job- does doing the press and getting dressed up for it spark any joy? Or does it more just come with the territory. You have this incredible ease in front of the camera that I was very moved by. It reminded me that taking photos and being a part of the production should always bring forth some joy, spark some joy. I remind myself of this with the fashion bit. What do you think?

KF Thank you so much for saying that!! First of all I think everyone on our set had the most amazing and calming energy so it was a very easy to feel safe and relaxed and move in whatever way felt right. You and Christian have very supportive and easy going energies. I also think the intention as you told me behind creating SBJCT influences that as well. I totally agree and think with anything from celebrating fashion or a project that is about to release should feel exciting, fun and spark joy. However, very often it’s in such a fast-paced setting that there is no space to play or find those moments. I do always hope for that to be the case, but in tense or fast-paced environments, it usually feels too vulnerable or forced.

When it comes to my relationship with clothes, I am usually very casual on my days off. It’s important for me to be pragmatic and comfortable, I need to have the ability to be functional and get from A to Z comfortably. I am very thrilled that sneakers made such a comeback.

Because of my relaxed every day, the outfits I get to wear when I’m doing press feel 10 times more special. I have a lot of admiration for stylists; It’s amazing how they can bring out these different versions of people with all the mix & match magic. I love to experiment and explore how various pieces make me feel.

And when it comes to being on set, getting into costume is everything for me. Especially the shoes!!

EW What do you hope you would see more of in terms of features about actors? I am happy to take some constructive criticism to better things. We are all works in progress.

KF AMEN! We are all works in progress :))

I truly admire so much what SBJCT JOURNAL’s aim is and how you are interested in getting to know the people you work with and your approach in doing so.

I think just sticking to truthful and open conversations is the most important thing.

It goes a long way when the interviewer has done their research so the questions feel more unique and less generic. I love HOT ONES so much for that reason, the spice catches people off guard and you really get to see the real them. Anything that just takes people into real conversations- I’m all for!

EW What do you hope to improve this year?

KF I think everyone’s goal is to be the best versions of themselves so I’m trying to take the steps to get there this year. I also hope to improve my self-love and time management more specifically. Lastly, I’m hoping to be more active and seek out new experiences.