Christina Lindley has accomplished things in her life that most of us would find hard to do. She started modeling at a young age and is now a top model in the fitness industry, she’s been featured in print in some of the world’s leading magazines and is an actress starring in major motion picture releases. Still finding time in between doing all of those things, she also appeared on Fear Factor and did some improv work. Christina has become a serious player in the World Series of Poker and recently became a spokesmodel for the jewelry line; Dirty Pretty Things who also sponsors her in the tournament as well.
TEN had the chance to talk with Christina during some extremely rare down time that she had to talk about her poker game, her love of fitness and why English Bulldogs are the best dogs in the world.
The Entertainment Nexus- Hi Christina, how are you?
Christina Lindley- Great, one of my real good friends is in the final 27 people of the main event right now in the “World Series of Poker” so all I’m doing today is hanging out. They are filming for ESPN and we’re just hanging out watching them and hoping he does well…ya know.
TEN- Sounds like fun. So tell me about the jewelry line: “Dirty Pretty Things” www.dptjewelry.com that you’re involved with.
CL- I just started working with them at the beginning of this summer and they have sponsored me in “The World Series of Poker.” They are like this really cool, modern, kinda rock-and-roll…I would describe as a cross between Betsy Johnson “edgy” but with a twist of rock in there. It’s really cool like I have a set of bangles and one is a cupcake and another is a gun and another is a skull and another is a teddy bear. (Laughs) It’s like a combination of a girly/tough girl I guess or a girly/tomboy. That’s how I would describe the line.
TEN- How did you become involved with them?
CL- I was actually put in touch with them through my lawyer who knew their lawyer and I saw the line. When I heard about it, I thought it would be perfect for poker because a girl playing poker is kinda like a “Dirty, pretty thing” ya know? Because poker’s dirty and I was like: “I could be a pretty thing.” (Laughs)
TEN- And then you got them to sponsor you in this tournament.
CL- I did and that kinda turned into an ongoing celebrity spokesmodel type deal and we shot a really fun ad campaign for them. Now, Victoria (Talbot) is working with them as well and now they have been featured in Maxim and all of these other great magazines. They’re getting some really good notoriety too so it’s cool for them as well.
TEN- How did you become interested in poker and then become involved in “The World Series of Poker?”
CL- Well, a year ago this month I started playing poker. I had had an estranged relationship with my father and when we first made up, the first thing he took me to do was go play poker. I was really good at it and I fell in love with it and I ended up writing a show about poker that I’m actually in talks with having it developed right now. In doing research for the show, I was put in touch with a bunch of different professional poker players and kinda studied them and their lifestyle and started hanging out with them. Two of them invited me to play in a charity tournament and I did really well and from there on I just became like; “Alright, I’m a poker player now!” The only other thing that I found that I love is much as acting was poker and it is really strange because they have a lot of parallels.
TEN- So how well are you doing in the tournament?
CL- I can’t complain. I’m up and considering I’ve only been playing a year…that’s a good thing. (Laughs)
TEN- When will we be able to see that on TV?
CL- “The World Series of Poker” will start airing I think for this year in August. I also did a lot of the on camera coverage interviews for ESPN and that footage is online already on www.espn360.com and on www.worldseriesofpoker.com
TEN- Who has been the toughest player that you’ve ever been up against?
CL- That’s a hard question. You know what? Probably Phil Hellmuth, I have to give him credit. I have played him a couple times in different charity tournaments and I say he’s probably up there for sure.
TEN- Let’s talk about modeling. You started modeling at a young age.
CL- I did. I began modeling when I was 14 in Atlanta. I got discovered at a mall by a photographer who came up to my mom and gave her a card. She did some research and it turns out he was legit. My first thing that I ever did was I was entered into a Seventeen Magazine Cover Model contest. I was featured in a magazine and got a layout and everything out of it and it kinda took off from there.
TEN- What are some of the other magazines other than Maxim that you have been in?
CL- Pretty much every fitness magazine that you’ve ever heard of! (Laughs) I could list them; Muscular Development, Muscular Fitness, Shape all of those. I did Playboy in a non-nude celebrity pictorial. I did FHM.
TEN- It would probably be easier for people to visit your web site.
CL- Yeah, my career has spanned so many genres; fitness, modeling, acting and now the poker it’s a montage of several different types of magazines. (Laughs)
TEN- You’re into fitness a lot aren’t you.
CL- I am! That’s where I started. I’ve always been into working out and health in general. I like the platform that it gives me to reach out to women as well. You know, to encourage women to be strong and healthy so it’s fun.
TEN- I’m a little overweight myself. How quickly could you whip me into shape?
CL- (Laughs) Well, it depends on how hard you wanted to work. (Laughs) It could be pretty quick. Getting in shape is really 80 percent diet and 20 percent training. A lot of “how you look is what you eat.” It’s hard work but once you get there the maintenance is fairly simple.
TEN- Once you get into a routine…
CL- Yeah, but it takes a lot of dedication in the beginning but once you get there it’s a lot easier to maintain I think.
TEN- Didn’t you do some stand up for a while?
CL- Well I didn’t do stand up, I did improv which is very similar. If you are a Saturday Night Live or Mad TV fan, then you know what improv is all about. I did work with the Groundlings and the Comedy Troupe and I also did “Wild ‘N Out” with Nick Cannon which was an improv/sketch comedy show on MTV. Ninety percent of the people from Saturday Night Live have come from the Groundlings so it was an honor to work with them.
TEN- Did you ever get to work with anybody that went onto Saturday Night Live and made it big?
CL- Well a lot of the people the SNL alumni would come back and perform and teach so it was really fun.
TEN- It would have been neat to pick their brains.
CL- Yeah for sure it was great working with all the people that I got to work with.
TEN-Tell me about doing commercials.
CL- I do commercials ongoing all the time depending on what it is. The last commercial that I did I would say was for MovieTickets.com. That was really fun I played the Hollywood starlet walking into the theater.
TEN- I read somewhere that you were on Fear Factor.
CL- I did! When I first moved to L.A., I did a “Models Edition” of Fear Factor that was really fun!
TEN- What did they make you do? Did you have to eat gross stuff?
CL- It was kinda crazy; the first stunt that we had to do was an aerial stunt and we were suspended 100 feet in the air above the water hanging from a helicopter. That was crazy because I’m really afraid of heights so I had to overcome that. I lasted through that challenge and the second one was a “gross food thing.” I did that but I didn’t do it wholeheartedly and I ended up getting kicked off.
TEN- What year was that? I would like to try to find that on You Tube.
CL- (Laughs) I think it was three or four years ago.
TEN- Let me ask you about the movie “The Marine.” What was that experience like?
CL- That was amazing. That was probably my first major role in a major film where there are big stars and the director was a big deal. I was one of the more central characters in the movie. We shot in the middle of nowhere in California at this broken down junkyard. We played on my comedy and the whole part was I was a bad guy’s girlfriend laying out in the junkyard in a bikini. The whole joke was like: “Why the hell would some girl be in a bikini in a junkyard?” It was totally playing on that so it was fun.
TEN- Do you have any more roles coming up?
CL- I do I just shot a film and Universal is releasing it in limited release at all the film festivals. The tentative title right now is “Cocoon.” I just shot that and it was a short film. I actually play a stripper who helps save a young Broadway dancer who comes to the strip club to dance and I get her out of the life and back on the stage on Broadway. That was really fun!
I also shot an episode of “Curb Your Enthusiasm” with Christian Slater and it will be airing in the next season. I’m excited about that.
TEN- Okay, let me ask you this. While doing research for our interview I found your picture on www.genesimmons.com as a “Lady in Waiting.”
CL- (Laughs) It was funny, they actually contacted me when one of my first fitness magazines ever came out and asked me if I would like to be featured. I said: “Sure why not.”
TEN- After all it’s Gene Simmons right.
CL- Yeah, why not! I love KISS and rock-and-roll so why not…ya know.
TEN- How did you meet Victoria Talbot and how has she helped your career?
CL- I was introduced to Victoria through one of my ex managers in L.A. I had worked with her really early on in my career and I’ve worked with her on and off ever since. She got me in Maxim and has gotten tons of TV shows for me and made some amazing introductions and I would definitely say that she has been one of the key instruments in my success in the last four years. I definitely give her credit for a lot of the things that I have accomplished.
TEN- I also read that you own an English Bulldog. I have a pair, a male and a female.
CL- Oh you’re kidding! I love English Bulldogs! Yes, I do have one. He’s so cute. His name is Booger. (Laughs) If anyone has an English Bulldog they understand.
TEN- Yeah, eye boogers, and…
CL- They’re snotty and they burp and they fart. (Laughs) They’re the best dogs in the world…I love English Bulldogs!
TEN- I want you to tell me something disturbing about yourself that you’ve never revealed before to anyone.
CL- Hmm, ok disturbing. I’m a little bit of a degenerate I guess in the sense that I have played poker for 48 hours nonstop without leaving the casino or going to bed. (Laughs) That’s pretty disturbing to my mom at least. (Laughs) When she reads the interview she’ll find it somewhat disturbing. (Laughs)
TEN- Is there anything else that you would like to add or say?
CL- I just had a layout come out online at Maxim UK and they’re going to be putting it in print as well.
I want to thank Christina for sharing with me and Victoria Talbot for making another great interview happen.
For more information on Christina please visit www.christinalindley.net www.myspace.com/christina_lindley and to follow her on Twitter http://twitter.com/lindleyloo and for Victoria Talbot visit www.allabouthype.com
PHOTO CREDIT: Josh Ryan
For an exclusive photo of Christina showin some love for TEN visit the “Showin Some Love For TEN” link.