Crawford Collins was born on May 25, 1987 in Plainfield, NJ to an Irish American father and a Scottish/Welsh American mother. She studied English and Theatre Arts at Mount Holyoke College and graduated cum laude in 2009. Upon graduation, she was awarded the Margaret Davis Stitt Prize, a distinction honoring a member of the graduating class excelling in the dramatic arts.
In 2010, she went on to complete a Master’s degree, in a little under a year, from Drew University, studying dramatic literature and earning her certification as a teacher. During her time as a student she consistently performed in stage productions. A decided provocateur when it came to the arts, she often found herself playing dark, thwarted, and conflicted women…and men. With a taste for the unique and mysterious, she found some genuinely interesting gender-bending roles come her way, such as the late nineteenth-century Swedish army captain, Adolf in August Strindberg’s classic work The Father, and as a water demon in Camilla Ammirati’s In the Ebb, marking Crawford’s off-Broadway debut at HERE Mainstage in New York.
Tonight, I am honored to accept the festival award for ‘Best Actress’ @loversgamefilm @PLSTREETTEAM ❤️❤️ #LoveWins✌🏻️ pic.twitter.com/J83PQ9A8rD
— Crawford M. Collins (@crawfordmcollin) August 17, 2015
In 2011, she began booking consistent work in film, television, and theatre. She made her feature film debut in a fine LINE (2011 Best Picture, Luminaries Film Festival). 2012 was a particularly busy year; including her most notable leading role from the off-off Broadway revival of Sicks! An Evening with Six of the Most Notorious Women in History. Her portrayal of Queen Mary I aka “Bloody Mary” explored historically relevant events of the Tudor Dynasty, but with a darkly comedic delivery and was also featured in an article appearing in the arts section of The New York Post.
From there, Crawford Collins moved to the sassy role of Myrna Malone, a XXX talent manager in Joseph Samuel Wright’s operatic play, Rise. She then performed the highly sought after role of Li’l Bit in Paula Vogel’s Pulitzer Prize winning play, How I Learned to Drive.
Consistently off-centered roles in the plays Far Away, The Father, The Bald Soprano and Rise; television appearances as convicted Russian spy, Cynthia Murphy on the BBC series, “Modern Spies” (2012), a sinister apparition on the Bio Channel series, “Celebrity Ghost Stories”; and her performance in the short film, “Blame” (2012) have only added to her mystique. “Blame” (2012) earned her a Luminaries Film Festival nomination for Best Actress.
Did you study acting
When I was a senior in college, I decided that acting might really be something that I’d like to pursue professionally, and not just for fun. I found the experience truly gratifying. To entertain an audience of people, whether that was to make them laugh, cry, or think, really appealed to me.
What acting technique do you use
I’ve always been more of a method actor. This technique was introduced to me in college and has been incredibly instrumental to my preparation and my time spent on set or on stage. To each his own 🙂
Describe your experience on Orange is the New Black
I worked as a stand-in on season 3 of OITNB and a little bit again this year on season 4. Being on a professional, episodic set day in and day out taught me a lot about how television works. You wouldn’t believe how many people make up a crew! And each job is specific and totally instrumental to the show’s production. When I go to work, I see actresses who are focused and having fun. And I very, very rarely hear anyone call for ‘line’. These women are prepared. They know what they’re saying and know what they’ve been hired to do. Talk about being and staying a professional! 🙂
Tell us about your experience on the Lover’s Game
My experience working on Lover’s Game was great. Danielle is so kind and nurturing and she’s a really hard worker. I also loved working with my leading lady, Miranda McCauley; a truly passionate performer and who loves what she does, which I think is evident from her performance. Lover’s Game was also shot over the course of many months. And the funny thing is, as the months went on during filming, I felt like my character’s emotional shift came about naturally. Her familiarity with her husband, her lover, friends, and boss had it’s highs and lows over the course of many months.
How do you keep fit as an actor
I enjoy spinning, bikram yoga, and ballet barre classes. They keep me energized and strong.
How do you prepare for a role
I re-read my script about 50 times before I come to set! I can’t even begin to tell you how many revelations I’ve had that occur after multiple script readings! But my experience has been that there are very few rehearsals in film/television. So a lot of the work I do on ‘character’ happens on my own and questions are answered either a few days prior to, or, while we’re having a first team rehearsal on the day of. In theatre, preparation, development, and revelation all comes to me during the rehearsal process. There’s more time and more minds put together over multiple days to make discoveries.
How do you stay fresh on a production set
Sometimes I listen to music, depending on my mood. I may take another look at the script or run over the lines with my co-star(s). I close my eyes and think about where we left off, what just happened before our scene, and where we’re heading. I try to remain completely vested in the world that my character inhabits. I always keep the stakes high. Right before the director yells ‘action’, whether it’s the first take or the tenth, I just try to remember that what my character is saying and doing is important and drives the plot.
Describe a memorable character you played
In 2009, when I was a senior in college, I played The Captain in an all-female production of August Strindberg’s “The Father”. It was the very first emotionally demanding and challenging role I had ever played. And, to this day, I still think fondly of those rehearsals and performances. The role presented interesting challenges for me both emotionally and physically. Not to mention, too, there was about as much dialogue as you might imagine expected from theatrical roles such as Hamlet or King Lear. It was a tremendous commitment and a true turning point for me as an actor.
What do you want most from a director
Someone who is open-minded, honest, and hungry. 🙂
What do you want ost from an actor
Trust, attention, commitment… and a good sense of humor!
What advice would you give to actors
Be confident, work hard, and ‘be your own agent’. Regardless of whether you have representation or not, the only person who can continually, 24/7 vouch for you, is yourself. Know who you are, stay true, support others work, and find directors/screenwriters/playwrights/actors that you love and introduce yourself. Put yourself out there!
Briefly write about your career
In film, I have worked on SAMARIA (Spike Lee, producer) Supporting OmniAmerican Pictures / Kiel Adrian Scott; LOVER’S GAME Lead PL Entertainment / Danielle Earle; BLAME Lead Relle Productions / Tyler Chatel; THE SUIT Lead Lil’ Sprout Pictures / Dave Conte; A FINE | LINE Lead Hahn Films / Matthew Hahn; STRANGE PLAY…WHERE DO YOU GO? Lead Glimmer Productions / Gretchen Skogerson; JANE DOE Supporting Corner Film Productions / Jeremy Cropf
In television, I have worked on MODERN SPIES Guest-Star BBC 2 / Mike Rudin, CELEBRITY GHOST STORIES Guest-Star Biography Channel / Charlie Mysak, BROOKLYN IS IN LOVE Guest Star PL Entertainment / Danielle Earle, FAILURES (Pilot) Co-Star Temple Horses / Ryan Hoffman.
In theatre (New York), I have worked on HOW I LEARNED TO DRIVE Lil’ Bit Theatre 54 / Jordan Friedman; SICKS! Queen Mary I Walkerspace / Clay Edmonds, RESISTANCE Brigitte Metropolitan Playhouse / Jason Jacobs, IN THE EBB Waterlogged Woman & Rita HERE Mainstage / Jessica Ammirati, ST. JAMES IN THE FIELD OF STARS Flashback Alicia HERE Mainstage / Jessica Ammirati, THE BALCONY (Workshop) The Thief Arclight Theatre / Frank Licato, THE DARLING SIBLINGS (Reading) Mrs. Shumaker T. Schreiber Studio & Theatre / Jake Turner, OR, THE WHALE Captain Ahab South Oxford Space / Zachary Tomlinson, RISE (World Premiere) Myrna Malone Theatre 54 / Samantha Shechtman, and ASYLUM (World Premiere) Elizabeth Russell Access Theatre / Ricardo Lima.
