In case you missed the Harper’s Island finale a couple weeks back, Gina Holden and her TV daughter made it out alive. A remarkable achievement – especially considering that characters were dropping dead left, right and centre on the CBS murder-mystery series. Aside from surviving, the series marked a few other milestones for the versatile actress. For instance, it was the first time the youthful-looking Holden had ever portrayed a mother – something, interestingly enough, that she had to fight for. It was also her first truly big-budget, major-network series – a career highlight, and one that she expands upon via an automotive analogy. “You start with an old beater and there’s a rough stick shift,” she explains. “And then you work your way up, and you’re suddenly in this nice Mercedes. It was awesome. Mainly because of the level of professionalism. It just ran beautifully.”

Gina Holden photo gallery

Holden has cultivated diversity in her career and life. As a teenager, she spent many years as a fashion model in Japan – eventually becoming the face of Shiseido cosmetics and appearing on more than 20 magazine covers. In addition, she´s been employed by the YMCA, done extensive volunteer work for the Special Olympics and studied classical ballet, tap, modern and musical theatre. She still carries herself with a dancer’s posture, and credits her training with helping prepare her for the technical demands of acting. “People who haven’t been to set don’t see the million pieces of tape that you have to hit at a certain light, and then deliver a line a certain way, a hundred times the same,” says Holden. “It’s very technical ... and so dance trained me to hit marks, and do it naturally.”

Along with Harper’s Island, Holden has appeared in the CW hit series Smallville, the Sci-Fi Channel’s Flash Gordon, and the feature film Screamers: The Hunting. She will begin filming an episode of the CTV series Flashpoint later this summer and another feature film, Message Deleted, will be released in late 2009 or early 2010. She has no illusions about the hard work needed to create big-screen magic. “The thing that people don’t realize about this job is that it’s not so much about the acting,” says Holden. “The satisfaction that I get from my art is two per cent of what goes into this. The rest is business. And that’s just because it’s so much work – it’s showing up on time, it’s being on, it’s making the phone calls, having publicists and all the rest. There’s a lot to hold up.”

The Italians have a word, sprezzatura, which translates to mean, “carrying out a difficult task in a nonchalant and effortless manner, concealing the labour and strain that went into it.” Holden works hard at her craft – but watching her fluid, nimble, naturalistic performances, you’d never know it.

Gina Holden met with photographer Franco Deleo for an exclusive TORO Woman photo shoot and revealed insights into her personality in the following Q&A.

Q: What is your present state of mind?
A: Growth. Change. Transition. It’s the end of a cycle for me and things are shifting.

Q: What’s your idea of perfect happiness?
A: Does that exist? [laughs]. It’s in the smallest moments that you get perfect happiness. And I think awareness is happiness, and really challenging yourself is happiness too. I don’t want to be lying in bed thinking, "What if...?"

Q: What living person inspires you most?
A: Well in my own family I’d say my brother and my mom. Even though they’re not in the business, the inspiration with them is just endless. There’s just the three of us, and because of who we are and where we’re from, there’s a lot of inspiration that comes from my family.

Q: What’s your greatest extravagance or indulgence?
A: I’d say travel. Flying first class is so extravagant, and every once in a while we’ll do a trip and it’s just mint.

Q: What is your most treasured possession?
A: I try not to attach myself too much to material things. I have a bracelet that I love and rings that I love, but it’s the things that you can’t really touch that mean the most to me. I’m private with those things, and they’re so within. I’ve had an extraordinary life, in terms of some of the things that I’ve experienced. For instance, the images in my mind from the time that I spent living in and travelling through Japan – they are so precious to me, and as clear as day. It’s almost like having them in a little box.

Q: What talent other than the ones that you are already blessed with would you most like to have?
A: I’d like to be a singer. I win Grammys in the shower, let me tell you. I’ve had trophy after trophy in the shower [laughs]. I’d actually like to take singing lessons because I just sing all the time by myself.

Q: Other than your present occupation, is there another that you’d like to try?
A: Absolutely. And I’ve been really lucky, because after modelling as a teenager (and before I began acting full-time) I graduated, and I worked. I was working at the YMCA – and working with kids is a passion of mine, too. But I’ve been able to dabble in all sorts of areas. I wanted a full bucket to go to. I never wanted to do just one thing. But next? I don’t know. A dental hygienist? I’m serious. Something like that, where you have a specific skill. Is that weird?

Q: Well, no, not necessarily. Wasn’t Daniel Day-Lewis working as a cobbler in Florence, Italy, between films?
A: Yes, I’d heard that too. OK, good [laughs].

Q: What’s your greatest fear?
A: Not taking chances, because there’s no failure when you at least try.

Q: If you were to die and come back as a person and/or thing, what do you think it would be?
A: A bird.

Q: What trait do you deplore most in other people?
A: Disingenuousness.

Q: What trait do you deplore most in yourself?
A: That same thing. If I ever find myself ever slipping into it, and we all do – I’d be lying if I said I didn’t. Or if I feel a fear, and I find myself judging someone. That’s not cool at all. So I like to acknowledge that, and deal with it. But I have that self-awareness, and I think that most people do as well.

Q: What do you think is the most overrated virtue?
A: The fear of sin in general, if you know what I mean. In the sense that I don’t think there should be so many rules in terms of what one’s journey is in life. There’s just so much judgment placed – but why? If you truly have a journey that you need to figure out then it shouldn’t be judged.

Q: What is the quality you like most in a man?
A: Intelligence.

Q: The quality you like most in a woman?
A: Intelligence [laughs]. But really, yes, I like some substance there – whether it’s a man or a woman.

Q: What’s your most defining characteristic?
A: My work ethic.

Q: What is your motto?
A: Believe.

Watch for Gina Holden in the feature film Message Deleted and on an upcoming episode of CTV’s Flashpoint.

William Morassutti is the co-founder and Editor-in-Chief of TORO. Prior to joining TORO, he worked in Canadian broadcasting as a writer, producer, director, reporter and host.