In the early ’90s, Christina Moore and I spent two years of our lives under the same roof, but we never spoke until recently. The situation really isn’t as dysfunctional as it might sound — we went to the same school, William Fremd High School in Palatine, Ill. [Go, Vikings!] Since it was a large school and we graduated in different classes, our paths never crossed during that time.
After graduation, Moore attended Illinois Wesleyan University, then began an acting career that up until this point has been book-ended by her TV debut in 1996 as “Sexy Anchor” on an episode of Beverly Hills, 90210 and her recent stint as Tracy Clark on The CW’s updated 90210. On the way to coming full circle, she played guest roles on Friends and 24, did some time as a regular on the sketch comedy show MADtv and became the second Laurie Forman on the series That ’70s Show. She also married actor John Ducey, who currently plays the Jonas Brothers’ sitcom dad on the Disney Channel show JONAS.
After graduation, I also went to college, then began writing for a magazine that covered TV shows such as TNT’s new medical drama HawthoRNe, which premieres June 16 and stars Jada Pinkett Smith, Michael Vartan and — you guessed it — Christina Moore. Naturally, I jumped at the chance to speak to a fellow Fremd alum, and after a few minutes of reliving our teenage years and discussing former teachers, this is what she told me about her new show and rubbing shoulders with Hollywood’s elite.
Thanks for doing this today. I understand you’re pretty busy on the set.
Christina Moore: Oh, you’re welcome. It’s crazy. Today our guest star is Cloris Leachman.
Oh, cool.
I know, how awesome is that? We just had so much fun. We’ve kind of gone overtime on all of our different scenes. She’s supposed to be an awful, mean lady and a terrible patient who beats up on all the nurses — and she goes for it. We’ve had to stop because she threw a glass of water on me, and I’ve got to go and get it all dried off.
The press release we received refers to Candy’s “unique sense of duty.” First of all, what does that mean? And how does Candy fit in on “HawthoRNe”?
I’ll answer that, and maybe more. So, the show HawthoRNe is, I believe, a little bit of a throwback to the early days of ER. It does take place in a hospital, we do have some very hard-hitting medical dramatic moments. But it’s not [about] surgeons so it’s not like a Grey’s Anatomy because you’re not going to necessarily be, like, opening a brain. It’s things happening in an ER bay or, “Oh, somebody found a baby outside and we’ve got to take care of it.” And the rest of the time is spent in the inner workings of a hospital with the floor nurses, so it’s predominantly about nurses.
Jada Pinkett Smith is our lead character, who the show is named after. Her name is Christina Hawthorne and she’s a nursing officer, which in a hospital is as far as you can go as a nurse. You’re in charge of all floors, all nursing staff. A year to the date before our pilot episode, she has lost her husband to cancer and it’s hinted, was he euthanized? Was she involved? Is there a doctor in the hospital who was involved? And that’s how you meet her — it’s like, oh, God, it’s the anniversary of his death and now she’s going to have another really bad day at the hospital, and it’s stressful and there’s drama happening.
So that’s what this show is about, and yet it has a real sense of humor along with it. Our executive producer [John Masius] came from the show Providence and I think it has a little bit of that same sensibility to it.
Candy Sullivan is a floor nurse. There are five series regulars on the series. There’s Jada, and Michael Vartan is the only doctor. Then there’s me, and a guy named David [Julian Hirsh] and Suleka [Mathew], and we’re the three charge nurses. I’m the night nurse. In the pilot episode, I give a handjob to a sleeping soldier.
So that’s where the “unique sense of duty” comes in.
There you are. And that’s the answer to that question.
I should have just assumed …
I mean, wouldn’t you? Candy’s handies, right? That obviously is a mysterious piece of the puzzle of who Candy is. Does she do this all the time? Those questions have yet to be answered — they will be, but I’ll leave it mysterious for the audience.
And then Ray, who’s the only male nurse — he and Candy kind of have what I would believe is, if you watch Grey’s Anatomy, a George and Izzie relationship or a George and Meredith relationship. He’s our comic foil. He’s so likeable yet somehow not @#$%-able. They have that playful, flirtatious will-they-won’t-they. Is she going to give him an inch? Probably not. Maybe. Oh, he’s got a shot; he’s going to ask her out again.
The series is set in Virginia. Where are you filming?
We are filming in Inglewood, Calif.
How has the production been going? How long have you been filming?
We have just kind of gotten started. This is the second week, and really it works like a dream. I mean, I can’t say enough about Jada and her team. She’s part of the production staff, she’s a producer. From the top down, it’s just warm people, friendly people, people who are here to just make the best of times and really hard workers. It’s really fun.
Obviously, Jada has some famous family members. [Her husband is two-time Oscar nominee Will Smith and their son is actor Jaden Smith.] Has she had any visitors on the set?
Always. All the time. It’s the real deal. Like, they’re really married. He’s a real supportive husband. He’s been around — he’s just there being her cheerleader. … Everything that you think [about Will], that is exactly who he is. And that’s what she is. They just are friendly and warm and inviting and hard workers — they’re pretty dreamy. Unless they’re aliens and this is a big mirage, they are the best.
I want to slip in one question about “90210.” Your character, Tracy Clark, was written out of the series. Is there any chance that she will be back?
Of course. Yeah.
Is there anything in place right now?
I don’t know. I know there have been a lot of changes at the top. It’s all new producers and I know it’s a whole new writing staff. In fact, the key camera operator on HawthoRNe was Russ [McElhatton] from 90210. I’m like, “Russ, what are you doing here?” and he was like, “What are you doing here?” Then, of course, he and I went and sat in the closet and gossiped about all the crazy goings-on over there at 90210.
They’re done for the season, and it doesn’t interfere with this job, so I certainly could be back for the fall. I mean, I still want to find my kid — I’ve got a son out there with the principal, and we’ve got to locate him. I think at some point I will be back to do that.