C.J. STUSSI

SAG-AFTRA (Fico) - Height: 5'6'', Eyes: blue-green, Body Type: athletic

 

Feature Films:

 

• One-liner in Academy Award nominated LA LA LAND as a coffee shop customer ("Miss, where's my expresso?".) Scene was cut out.
• Lead in SECRET TREES OF INSPIRATION, produced by roll call productions and currently still in post-production.  This film was shot in the United Arabic Emirates, Munich and Los Angeles and is based on a true story - my own life story.  It was an utterly difficult shoot.  I was supposed to be just myself.  What sounds so easy turned out to be much more difficult than playing a character.  It was utterly painful.  After that feature, I could not act for almost a year;

• Lead in BE!, script written by myself, in preproduction, this is a partly animated film about the emotional resurrection of a woman;
• Lead in L’ANONYME, a Belgian feature film in pre-production, this project will be shot in English and also in French, a very intense piece.  I travelled twice to Belgian to read for it and go through the whole plot - imagine a woman at her darkest and at her lightest;
• Guest Star in TIDES, produced by Jean Berger and in post-production - this is a collaboration between Belgium and the U.S.A.;

 

 

Short Films:

 

• Lead in NAMELESS, an educational & award winning short film I wrote, directed and produced about psychological manipulation.  The film is implemented in various classes internationally and received great reviews.  For more info, please see www.onetakenameless.com;
• Lead in TURBULENT TIMES as Nicole, a student project which shows the human similarity of two people of completely different cultures and religions;
• Lead in PASSIONATE as Maxine, a student project, silent film, a love gone lost in a marriage;
• Lead in T IS FOR TALBET, contested in THE ABC’S OF DEATH FILM FESTIVAL, a horror film, some of it was shot with an i-phone and it just looks amazing;
• Part of the Secretary in SHORT FILM LONG NIGHT, which was shown at the festival itself in 2013;
• Part of the Interviewer in ON THE ROAD AGAIN – TWO-LANE BLACKTOP REV. (produced by award- winner Monte Hellman,) this is a short film about the making of TWO-LANE BLACKTOP REV which is considered to be a cult classic, starring James Taylor, Beach Boys drummer Dennis Wilson, Warren Oates;

• Lead in FRAUEN DER FRANZOESISCHEN REVOLUTION (Women of the French Revolution), this film shows how woman shaped and influenced the French Revolution, it’s an older film but still one of my favorite projects;

 

 

TV:

 

• Lead, recurring in DESCONTROL (out of control) on channel Telemundo, the second-largest Spanish-language content producer in the world with an average of 1,035,000 total viewers, in one of the shows I won the contest.  Funny enough I started out in Spanish TV when I came to the United States, which was a little bit unexpected;
• Lead, recurring in 12 CORAZONES (12 hearts) on 2^nd largest Spanish channel Telemundo.  I played almost every sign of the zodiac to the extent, that the moderator knew me by name every time I was on the show again.  Since my Spanish is typically from Spain with the Spanish lisp, there was a lot of laughter among the crew.
• Lead, recurring in SECRETOS (secrets) on Spanish channel KRCA 62, twice the lead, one time as the Villain and one time as the Victim.  These were total guerrilla shoots - no permit for nothing.  It was literally: now jump out of the car and threaten him with the gun and when the police comes, run.  Super funny though.  I love working for Spanish shows - the humor is very different and in my case, I can make them laugh so easily.  I love that.
• Lead, recurring in JOSE LUIS SIN CENSURA (Jose Luis uncensored) on Spanish channel KRCA 62, in the parts of “la Rubia” (mexican slang for white blond girl), the Scared Neighbor, and the Bitch – I was NOT beaten up!!!  Luck!!!  The first time I had no idea what this show was about until I stood there in front of the audience, seeing how girls beat each other up.  Part of my lines were: "… well, it's not my fault that I'm beautiful and you are ugly - no wonder your husband cheated on you."   I didn't want to say it because I knew that wouldn't land well.  So the producers made an exception for me and promised nobody would lay a hand on me.  We kept that this way for all my recurring performances. 
• Lead in the pilot THE MOTHER IN LAW SHOW, produced by Eyeworks for channel VH1;
• Lead in pilot FIND A SHEIKH produced by Award-Winning production company roll call productions for RAK TV in the United Arabic Emirates.  This was shot in the United Arabic Emirates, Munich and Los Angeles and commissioned by a sheikh we had met while filming the feature film SECRET TREES OF INSPIRATION for his television channel.  We were given 5 days to script, shoot and edit and synchronize the project.  The task was: pilot for TV series which has to be funny and a love story.  Since we shot this on 2 continents and 3 different countries – this was probably one of the most challenging projects I have ever done;
• Lead in AMERICA’S COURT WITH JUDGE ROSS as a defendant in a re-enacted remedy case.  There is an irony there since I studied Law myself.  Here I had to play an upscale bitchy woman, which was a lot of fun;
• Several parts in the TV show A 1’000 WAYS TO DIE on Spike TV, directed by Award-Nominee Thom Beers, such as the part of the Spy, Nurse, Lawyer.  I love this show, so much fun, fast paced filming;
• Part of Engaged Couple on UNTITLED MARRIED COUPLE PROJECT, a pilot for a TV series produced for VH1.  That was probably one of the hardest things I have ever done.  With reality TV - no matter how much you try to play a character - at the end it really gets to you, especially when it's about relationships;
• Part of the Concierge on EUROCOPS  on all major TV channels in Germany, Switzerland and Austria, directed by Award-Winner Walter Bannert.  That was big since there is not too much filming going on in Switzerland;
• Part as the Model in QUER (translation: crossways) on Swiss channel SF DRS – the most popular Swiss channel;

 

 

Web Series/ Internet/ Music Videos:

 

• Lead in the web series WINGNUTZ 9-19.  This is my favorite project.  Most of the cast – including myself - is or was a member and performer at the LA Connection, a comedy club in Los Angeles.  We are on stage at the comedy club on Sunset 3 times a year.  See the wingnutz.tv channel on youtube;
• Lead in the web series HALLO HOLLYWOOD 1-21.  This was Switzerland’s first web series and was portrayed in many articles in “Blick,” Switzerland’s second largest newspaper with 750,000 readers.  I found it a difficult shoot because the character was fused with the real me - e.g. our real headshot in real life were used as the characters headshots and on FB we had to have profiles with our character names and respond as the character.  It was very confusing - especially because I'm quite different than the character I played;
• Lead in the web skits NUR KOLLEGE 1-5 (only colleagues – one of them got more than 500’000 views, which is astonishing since only about 3.5 Million people speak Swiss German), also a comedy;
• Lead in MADE IM WALLIS, a comedy also;
• Lead, recurring in Exam and Training Videos for WESTERN UNIVERSITY OF HEALTH SCIENCES in Pomona CA, the projects I learnt most in – in the beginning I couldn’t even pronounce all the medical terms;
• Lead, recurring in Exam and Training Videos for the NATIONAL BOARD OF CHIROPRACTIC EXAMINERS;
• Lead in MUSIC VIDEO SHAHRAM NAZERI, one of Iran's most respected vocalists who has won numerous awards at music festivals around the world;
• Part of the Stand Up Comedian in CAMPAIGN OF THE SOCK, comedy;

 

 

Commercials:

 

• Lead in IT COSMETICS;
• Lead in BOTANICAL;
• Lead in HAUTE POLISH;
• Lead in LIGHTSTIM I and LIGHTSTIM II;
• Lead in various commercials for the ANATOLIAN FESTIVAL as well as various news clips about the festival, also portrayed in the Book about the festival as the Queen;
• Part of Fan in VOLKSWAGEN
• Part of Mother in ANTISLIP;
• Part of Client in NUBRILLIANCE
• Part of Escort in KINETEX;
• Part of the customer in SAP;
• Part of Wife in PRESERVENERGY;
• Part of Jogger in NORMS;
• Lead in L’OSTERIA;
• Lead in COMVENIENT;
• Lead in EDELWEISS AIR;
• Lead in campaign SBB, print;
• Lead campaign RISTORANTE COMMIHALLE, print;
• Lead campaign TED BAKER, print;
• Lead in Campaign SCHILD, for several years, print, fashion;
• Lead in Campaign SPENGLER for several years, print, fashion catalogue;
• Lead in Campaign RHEINBRUECKE for several years, print, fashion;      
• Photo model for OTTO VERSAND, print, fashion catalogue.  That's how my career started.  I got cast as a 3 year old for a big print campaign in Germany.  My mother got cast as my mother - totally independent from each other.  From there on I did print for kids for catalogues and earned more money than working today with a law degree.  From there on I did print for catalogues for kids back in Switzerland;
• Part of the Fan in WORLD CUP, print;

 

 

Theatre:

 

• Lead in HERE COMES THE SUN at the Secret Rose Theatre;
• Parts of the Knight, Doctor, and Gentleman in KING LEAR at The Marilyn Monroe Theatre.  The director created a part for me, making all of these characters into one!  I ended up with as much dialogue as one of the sisters.  It was not easy though to make up one coherent backstory for those 3 different characters.  We rehearsed for several months.  The play was uncut! 4 hours long!  It was a great experience and I'll always be grateful to the director Tom Badal.  
• Lead in EIN FUCHS WILL FLIEGEN (The Fox who wants to fly) at the Basler Kindertheater.  I lived right beside the theatre and was for 6 years in almost every play they put up.  One of the best things I ever did;
• Lead in WER HAT DIE FARBEN GESTOHLEN? (Who stole the Colors?), at the Basler Kindertheater;
• Part of the Farmer in DIE GOLDENE GANS at the Basler Kindertheater;
• Part of Simone in VERZELL KAI MISCHT at the Basler Kindertheater;
• Part of Moritz’s Sister in MAX UND MORITZ at the Basler Kindertheater;
• Part of Sam in HERR TASCHEBIER HETT SORGE (the former title of the play was “On Saturday Sam returns”), at the Basler Kindertheater;
• Part of the Gang Leader in TATORT MARKUSPLATZ (working title “Burli is suspected”) at the Basler Kindertheater;

 

 

 

Stunt Work combined with Acting:

A lot of acting parts require stunt experience and some stunt work transitions into acting parts.

• MUSIC VIDEO NATASHA BEDINGFIELD, winner of “2007 Best Pop Artist” , Grammy Award nomination for "Best Female Pop Vocal Performance" for the title track "Unwritten", stunt work: wire work and falling out of the window;
• MUSIC VIDEO KESHA, since I was standing in for Kesha, I had to do the Wire work when she was not there – flying through the city;
• THE HILLS, TV Series, when standing in on a promo.  I had to do the wire work – jumping off a skyscraper – when the actresses weren’t ready;

• NUMB3RS, TV Series, stunt work: precision driving.  Nicolas Falacci and Cheryl Heuton, the show's creators, have won several awards for the show, and the show's stunt coordinator, Jim Vickers, was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Stunt Coordination in 2006;

• ANTISLIP, commercial, stunt work: slipping and falling in the bathroom, the kitchen and on the side of the swimming pool;

• DISCOVERING AMERICA (MIXED MARTIAL ARTS), TV Series, stunt work: hits and falls, tumbling – having a boxing fight with a man and getting beat down and falling and rolling over furniture, produced by Max Kolonko, Winner of 2001: Victor Award as Best Journalist of the Year, Winner of 2008: Telly Award for The Shield – documentary, Winner of 2008: two Effie Awards for Liberty Direct commercial; Silver in the category: Launch and Bronze in the category: Media House;

 

 

Voice-Over as an Actress:

• SECRET TREES OF INSPIRATION, details in section “Feature Films”; off camera speaking as the narrator;
• FIND A SHEIKH, details in section “TV”, off camera speaking out the character’s thoughts;
• Volunteer for the AIRS-LA for visually impaired persons, for which voice-over talents are reading articles from different media, in my case from the “Entertainment Weekly;”

 

 

Acting Training:

The Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute (2.5 years)

• Anna Strasberg                     Lee Strasberg Technique Intensive
• Anne de Salvo                       Acting
• Sasha Krane                         Acting on camera
• Tom Badal                             Acting
• Marc Marno                           Acting, Improvisation
• Hedy Sontag                          Method Acting
• Benny “the Jet” Urquidez       Stage Combat, stunts: hits and falls, wire work

 

 

Others

• UCB                                        Sketch Comedy
• LA Connection Comedy Club Comedy Improv (1.5 years)
• Jane Fleiss-Brogger                Acting Technique / Scene Study (2.5 years)

 

 

Special Skills:

• Languages: English, German, French, Spanish, Italian
• Sports: Runner, Swimmer (breast), Soccer, Sailing, Badminton, Ping – pong
• Whistling
• Former professional Flight Attendant (emergency and medical training)
• Former professional Journalist (interviewing, hosting and news anchor experience)
• Former professional Model (runway/catwalk and print/posing experience)

 

 

Wins/Nominations:

 

• Mentioning as Best Actress at the NYC Indie Film Awards for performance in short film NAMELESS in 2017

 

 

See also my youtube channel where most of my work can be seen if I got a copy of it: https://www.youtube.com/c/CarolineJadenStussi