Talent on Tap – Christine Solomon Hatches the Inspirational Story, Odd Ed

They say an active mind is a healthy mind. We never stop learning and we can change our direction without asking permission. The true beauty of life is the freedom to choose a new path at any given time or to challenge yourself for more growth. Life can always be an adventure if you’re willing to trust the unknown, keep taking a step forward, open another door and add another skill or experience. You make the rules and you set your limits but they can be amended at any time you choose. Not everyone has that freedom, that confidence or strength… but Christine Solomon does.

Born in Egypt, this Award-winning actor began her career in the entertainment industry, at the tender young age of five years old – performing plays on stage. Solomon is a trained theatre actress that’s worked in a wide range of Canadian, American and international productions. She splits her time between Montreal and LA. Her work has been exhibited, showcased, and displayed to millions of viewers in Egypt, Canada, and around the world, including HBO, The Movie Network

And Rotana Group. Solomon is known for her roles in The Detectives, Heliopolis, Jacir, Bullet Ride and What Now.

In addition to Solomon’s beauty, her great health and unlimited talent as an acting force, she’s also an author of the children’s book, Odd Ed. Covid-19 has had some positive stories that we can finally talk about. Solomon tells me that it was the trigger that started her creating, from within her home. Odd Ed, the inspirational story about an egg named Ed, that looks different from all the other eggs. There is so much positivity in this book, that every young child deserves to hear this story for all the right reasons and great lessons the book can teach. Solomon wants to instill courage, love, and self-acceptance in children and the importance of not judging a book by its cover because we’re all unique. Anastasia Balobanova is the incredible illustrator, noted for conveying emotions in her distinctive style.

I’m not even sure Christine Solomon has a chair in her home because she never stops long enough to sit down. I love her energy because it’s electric and environmentally friendly. I had the very great pleasure of speaking with her recently to discuss the new book venture, her latest film… and her new line of skin rejuvenation products. Roll the tape!

HNMAG “I love the message in the story of Odd Ed. Considering your busy acting career, what prompted your interest in writing this book?”

CHRISTINE “It was during the lockdown and I was getting quite bored from the binge watching. Since I’m a pretty creative person by nature, I wanted to do something simple but creative that had a positive message. This book is short and sweet and I wanted to teach kids courage, to love one another and to accept that we’re all unique, so you shouldn’t judge others. In order to succeed in the world, you need to be yourself; you are unique and there’s nobody like you. I got the idea from a practice that my theatre coach, Steven Lecky would teach us. ‘Ed is an odd egg up on an eave’. I thought it would be interesting to give him a backstory and I dedicated it to my professor. Everyone back at the theatre school was so happy and excited about the concept. I’m going to be sending it to my professor as a surprise (laughing).”

HNMAG “You had worked with talented artist/illustrator Anastasia Balobanova to create the artwork. How did you narrow the search down to Anastasia?”

CHRISTINE “I had interviewed 50 illustrators for the book. Anastasia was able to bring the characters to life. I felt like I was making a movie – I had the vision of the character in my mind, what it looked like. I had found an artist that could give me that but it looked slightly computerized. When I saw Anastasia’s work and her concept of the character, it completely changed my mind on what it should look like. Her version is so authentic and I was very happy that I got to work with her. We’d been working together on it since March and I’d love to work with her again.”

HNMAG “What age group would this story be targeted toward?”

CHRISTINE “Between the age of 3-8 years old. For children learning to read, this is a good book to start. It’s 32 pages long.”

HNMAG “Because Ed’s character is so likeable, could we possibly see an entire series written about Odd Ed?”

CHRISTINE “I am seriously thinking about it. I started writing a Christmas story about Odd Ed because it had taken so long to get the book finished. There’s a lot of work that goes into putting it together. I’m so happy with the result and I think it’s important to take your time and put something out there that you hope people will love. In saying that – I am considering adding more books to make it a series, definitely.”

HNMAG “Was it difficult to create a character that was universally understood?”

CHRISTINE “It was but everyone knows what an egg is and looks like. There are a lot of varieties out there and Ed’s particular shell has spots on it. I started researching some lakes in the US with pebbles that were similar to Ed’s spotted pattern. I began thinking about the qualities that make him different from his siblings. He’s very organized and likes to read and clean his room, water the plants and take care of nature. His siblings are quite the opposite and enjoy disobeying their mom, fighting over toys instead of cleaning. I really added a lot of details to teach children new things that they may not be aware of.”

Christine had continued on with some trepidation for giving the plot away, so I’ve decided to keep it safe with me but I will say that Ed’s spots and the characteristics that set him apart from his siblings, become a central part of the story and his super power. Don’t judge a book by it’s cover, is just one of the important lessons in this book.

HNMAG “Apart from acting and writing, you’re also a big advocate for more inclusivity and diversity in film and TV. Have you seen the changes happening?”

CHRISTINE “Yes, especially on Netflix, as well as the Oscars and the changes in their regulations. They stated that they wouldn’t accept certain films if they didn’t see the diversity in them – in terms of cultural diversity. It’s also educational for the audience to learn something from different cultures/backgrounds. It took a long time, but the industry has improved tremendously and I believe the social movements have made a difference in pushing that change.”

HNMAG “Within the walls of diversity, there’s also some talk on having physically disabled actors play the role of a disabled character. Do you have an opinion on that?”

CHRISTINE “I believe that an actor needs to know how to play every character and needs to open themselves up to all roles. However, it does not negate the fact that other actors with physical disabilities shouldn’t have the same opportunity to fill that particular role. I’m all for the best person for the part and if you’re disabled and deliver the scene, you have the right look, you Wow them in the audition – then you’ve earned it! At the end of the day, it’s about capturing someone’s heart and moving them.”

HNMAG “Your advocacy has ballooned to other vital organizations – including your role as the lead host for the GMC campaign ‘BUILDING FOR AMERICAʼS BRAVEST’, where you’ve helped raise over 17 million dollars. Can you explain the work that this organization does?”

CHRISTINE “This organization helps injured veterans in adapting their homes to making them totally accessible and wheelchair friendly. It gives them back their independence and helps to spread awareness. These are very costly builds but life changing for these soldiers – that sacrificed so much and put their lives on the line. It’s extremely courageous and not something the average person can commit to. It was a moment in my life that I enjoy reflecting on and being inspired by the people behind the initiative. I love being inspired as well as inspiring others and I want to continue to work on projects with that same vibe. I’m very grateful for being a part of it.”

HNMAG “You were the spokesperson for the ACNE AND ROSACEA SOCIETY OF CANADA’s Rosacea Awareness Campaign. How did that happen?”

CHRISTINE “I’ve been living with rosacea for a very long time. Many people don’t know that I have it. The opportunity came through an interview with the Globe and Mail. I had mentioned that I don’t like to eat out often because I prefer to know what ingredients are in my food. I explained that the food I eat and put into my body can affect my rosacea, so I like to cook my own food. A short time later, the organization reached out to me to ask if I’d join them. I love all things skin care, so when they asked me to help raise awareness, I was so thrilled and happy to help with the cause.

Not a lot of people are aware of the condition and when I go out, many people assume that my face is burnt. After I explain that it’s rosacea and what it’s about, some of them have paused to consider if they might also have the condition. If you know you have rosacea, you need to see a doctor and take care of it. It’s a chronic condition that is connected to other parts of the body, which can lead to other problems.”

HNMAG “You also came out with a line of skin care products. Can you tell me about that?”

CHRISTINE “I’ve been formulating my own skin care products for 3 years now… but you still have to stay out of the sun and use sunscreen. Many of my friends encouraged me to market and sell my products, in the hopes that it would also help someone else. There’s no skin line out there that works for everybody because everyone’s skin is so unique and you really need to try and find one that works for you. We’re planning to launch it early next year and I called it Aprèm – which means ‘afternoon’ in French.”

I asked Christine if she had any beauty tips for men. She recommends cleansing in the morning and again at night, then exfoliating once per week to encourage collagen growth. “Never poke or squeeze because you can scar your face, stay out of the sun and eat antioxidant rich foods and other foods rich in amino acids because they are the building blocks for collagen.”

HNMAG “You were recently in the film Jacir, starring Lorraine Bracco. Do you speak another language in that film?”

CHRISTINE “I do, I speak the Syrian dialect. I worked with a coach to help me with my pronunciations because the dialect is very different from the others that I’m familiar with. I was born in Egypt and the dialect is quite different from Syrian. I spoke Syrian throughout the film and it was a lot of fun. That’s one of the elements I love about acting, because you’re always learning something new.”

Christine later explained that she had to audition multiple times because they weren’t certain that she could pull off the language, having grown up speaking Egyptian. When she sent her final audition tape in, she blew them away and completely fooled them! “I was so happy to be part of this movie and I wanted to be part of it for 2 years. I will often tell actors to never get discouraged because you just never know and keep auditioning, because there might be a different part available that will be a better fit. Never give up!”

HNMAG “How can people purchase this amazing book?”

CHRISTINE “The publication’s name is Hill Weiser and it’s actually my company, I came up with the concept. You can find it on the website www.hillweiser.com as well as Amazon and Barnes and Noble.”

I’ve included some links to the book below.

HNMAG “One last fun question. If you had a magic power, what would you want it to be?”

CHRISTINE “Oh my, there’s so many magic powers I want. I think, having the power to be in different places instantly – teleportation. If I want to be in France right now, I can snap my fingers to be in France right now (laughing), that would be cool. That or flying.”

Not one to sit still, Christine is in development of her second children’s book, entitled Wishing Upon A New Moon, to be released in 2022.