Studio Director
Actor…
Christianne began her professional career in 1982, playing the role of Jill/Peggy opposite James Gardner, Colleen Dewherst, and John Lithgow in the feature film The Glitterdome. She has since played over 60 lead and supporting lead roles in feature films, MOW’s, and in series television. Other credits include the lead role of Lill in the feature For the Moment (opposite Russell Crowe); Lori LaRoche in Skate for which she won international recognition and a Gemini Nomination for Best Dramatic Actress; female lead role of Hannah Peale on Lonesome Dove (the series—first season). And, her critically acclaimed performance in the lead role of Jennie in the feature film, Heart of the Sun, for which she won the 1999 AMPIA Award for Best Actress.   ‘One of the highest honors, however, is teaching our daughter, who, after much soul-searching, has chosen the path of the actor’.

Instructor… 
 Throughout a professional career that has spanned nearly 30 years, Christianne studied extensively in Vancouver, LA and New York. Christianne is Co-founder of Company of Rogue’s Actor’s Studio (est.1993-present), the creative home she shares with her husband, (acclaimed actor/director Joe-Norman Shaw), training and mentoring over 100 students at any given time. Rogue’s is her touchstone; where the focus is on the evolution of the artist through Doing the Work and our collective practice of, and dedication to, the craft.  Christianne often teaches workshops in her home-town, Vancouver. Recently, two of her Vancouver students won the 2010 Gemini Award(s); Jared Keeso, Best Actor in the title role of Don Cherry; The Don Cherry Story-Keep You’re  Head Up Kid; and Benjamin Arthur Gutknecht, Best Comedic Actor, in the series Less Than Kind. Christianne is often invited to fulfill the role of Mentor Actor for the Women in the Director’s Chair program at the Banff Centre, where she will be serving again in 2011.

Director, Writer…
Alumni of the Women in the Director’s Chair program at the Banff Centre, Christianne directed the short film Craving, which appeared at the Calgary International Film Festival in 2005 and now has distribution. She recently founded Philosophia Films Inc., and on a daily basis Christianne pursues her passion writing screenplays. Christianne divides her time between both her homes; Calgary and Vancouver.

Professional Affiliations: ACTRA/CAEA

Classes…

Advanced Film & Television
Advanced Meisner Technique
Meisner Training

“What Christianne has always taught me; an ounce of behaviour is worth a pound of words…She is so successful at coaching and pulling intention out of an actor because of her years of experience as an actor herself. She understands the business as well as the artistic nurture involved in a captivating performance.” - Benjamin Arthur (Winner LEO AWARDS 2009, Best Supporting Performance by a Male in a Dramatic Series; Winner CANADIAN COMEDY AWARD 2009;
and GEMINI Nominated 2009, Best Individual Performance in a Comedy Program or Series -Star of the Canadian TV Series LESS THAN KIND.)

Winner of the 2010 Gemini Award for Best Actor, Best Comedic Actor for LESS THAN KIND

“Working with Christianne Hirt is among the wisest moves I have made as an actor. I had, more or less, fiddled around with my career up until I was cast as Don Cherry in the CBC TV Movie, KEEP YOUR HEAD UP, KID: THE DON CHERRY STORY. I had no direction. I had spent five years concerning myself with peripheral aspects of acting and my performance suffered as I continually failed to make intelligent, concrete choices. Christianne introduced me to THE HERO’S JOURNEY. This method helped me to understand the script/story better, develop a character arc and to better understand the material. Christianne also walked me through EMOTIONAL CONNECTION and this helped me to draw parallel’s between what the character was going through and what I had experienced in my own life. This was an area I had previously found to be intimidating, as it is not always easy to look back on certain times in your life. That said, I feel fortunate to have turned over those rocks with Christianne. Acting classes and personal coaching can be rough terrain. Insecurities are brought to the surface, moulds are broken and egos are shattered. Change is a scary thing, in general, for actors. Why put myself through the stress when I’ve already got it all figured out? I thank you, Christianne, for the gentle, enlightening message: you don’t.”
– Jared Keeso, Vancouver based Actor (Star of the CBC TV Movie, KEEP YOUR HEAD UP, KID: THE DON CHERRY STORY.)

 Winner of the 2010 Gemini Award for Best Actor, KEEP YOUR HEAD UP, KID: THE DON CHERRY STORY.