It is true most artists tend to inherit multiple talents yet few can keep a happy harmony with two or more gifts. You can find an artist who also can act, or an actor who can also sing. But it is hard to offer enough time for both and succeed. Yet Linda Collins has somehow managed to serve up both with grand results. She grew up around music as her mother was a performer and brought Linda to her shows. Her mother was a big inspiration to her and still is to this day.
"I grew up listening to my Mother sing and play the piano. There was always music in the house so there was no choice but to be affected by all that creative energy. In her later years Mom performed in community musicals and got her voice degree after her kids were grown, so she has always been an inspiration to me. She was a very colorful character and a lot of fun. She always supported my creative work. She is woven into every breath I take/every word I speak."
Since her first role as Cupid in a family Valentine's play she caught the acting bug and never looked back. Eventually her skills won her scholarships to the University of Alabama, Duquesne University and Northern Illinois University (completed a Masters in Music). After performing music across Canada and the States she decided to embark on an acting career by coming to New York City. And she has done just that with the same energy in her music. She began studying with acting coach Catherine Gaffigan which began opening doors.
Her talents brought her roles in TV and film. Linda had leading roles in TV projects like "I'd Kill for You", "Stalked", "Redrum" (Co-starring as Lt. Detective Penny Kimball), "Evil I", "Monsters Inside Me" (Co-starring as Patricia Nash), and the co-lead role in an episode of True Crime with Aphrodite Jones. These were only stepping stones to film projects like "Burning Blue", "Contest" and in the leading role of Edna in Ashley Cintron's production of "Chef's House".
Even after all this work Linda is still learning more on how to tighten up her skills at the T. Schreiber Studio in NYC with coach's Terry Schreiber and Peter Miner. Like any other artist it is always important to constantly hone your skills to avoid becoming stale. Linda prides herself on this theory and it has proven to pay off. She has played many different roles be it comedy or horror showing no preference and being open to anything coming her way. A versatile actor can always find work.
"I would take on any role in any genre that feels like a good fit, regardless of genre. I do love comedy as life is funny to me in general. Playing Liz in "THREE FOR THE ROAD" was fun as she is a funny and an offbeat type person. I love that. But playing a character who is a 360 from my "resting" personality is rewarding - who doesn't like being the "Bad Guy" in a drama? I know I do! Horror has its own rewards as well. It was fun playing Mrs. Burns in Terry Wickham's "GRUESOME THREESOME" (horror movie)."
Speaking of new projects Linda has had a full plate in the past year with one role after another. She had a lead role in the film "In My Eyes" which was an Official Selection at LIIFE and played in the comedy "Three for the Road" which was also an Official Selection and Finalist as Best TV Episode in the Portland Comedy Film Festival. These projects were also selected to screen at the Hell's Kitchen NYC Film Festival this year. All these accolades have proven to help Linda build in her acting journey.
Currently, Linda is due to come out in a project entitled "The Stable" which she plays a principal role as a nightclub owner/head of a human-trafficking ring. The film was first meant to be a feature film but is now being shot as a mini-series. Linda plays the character Janet, who heads up with her son, a crime ring whose primary business is sex/human trafficking. It is being produced by Twenty First Century Vision Films. They are looking to shot the series in the winter and spring of 2020. Besides this project she is also gearing up for the comedy series "I FELL OFF A CLIFF" and well-known director John Gallagher's "ALL MOBBED UP" (feature film).
Linda is always on the go ready for any auditions she can take a bite out of. Yet she has never neglected her music while playing the principal horn in several orchestras (Huntsville Symphony, Winnipeg Symphony (CA), and Naples Philharmonic (FL) Orchestras, as well as in theatre orchestras). She has performed for shows like "Fiddler on the Roof" (Herschel Bernardi), "Showboat" (Elaine Stritch and Robert Morse), and "Phantom of the Opera" in Toronto.
Besides being an artist she has been an activist for the arts as well receiving honors by Canadian Minister of Heritage Flora McDonald and appointed by AFM International President Tom Lee as Assistant to the International President of the American Federation of Musicians in NYC, where she served the international music community for six years. Linda is a woman that wears many hats and manages to accomplish the impossible every time. Look for her new projects by visiting her website below a true multi-faceted artist for today's entertainment industry.
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