Acting Alumna Margie Curran Lands Speaking Role on Travel Channel TV Show

Margie Curran graduated from JPCatholic in 2018 with a BS in Communications Media, Emphasis in Acting. While pursuing her acting career in Virginia, she was cast with a speaking role in the pilot episode of an historical drama series True Terror with Robert Englund, which premiered in March 2020 on the Travel Channel.

Margie has been acting since the age of four. “My mom told me that when you go to heaven, you can do anything you want, so I said that I wanted to go inside of movies and stories,” she said. “I didn’t know at that point you could do that for a job.”

She bought her first headshots in third grade with her birthday money, and studied under Cheryl Felicia Rhodes (David Henrie’s former acting teacher). Her first role was an extra in Meg Ryan’s film Ithaca; “I was thirteen and screaming like I just won American Idol,” she recollected. She has also appeared as an extra on shows and movies such as House of Cards, The Good Lord Bird, The Walking Dead, America’s Hidden Stories, and Harriet.

“Don’t think you’re too good to play an extra,” she said, “because that opens up so many doors, and you get amazing experiences. Take notes on set, and have confidence in yourself, but don’t be too good for anything.”

“When you’re playing a character, you have this deep connection to another person, because you’re playing them. That helps me with my relationships in real life, and understanding other people, and empathizing.”

Regarding the Acting Program at JPCatholic, she shared: “I soaked up a lot of valuable knowledge in the acting classes that I wouldn’t trade for anything.” Butterfly, her short film acting practicum, won the Best Action Student Short award at the Artemis Woman in Action Film Festival.“That was really great because I already had something to submit to auditions when I came back to Virginia.”

“I actually planned to go to L.A. after college, but I ended up moving back home to save money,” Curran said, “And while I was out here I started auditioning… I just started to make connections with all these casting directors.”

While working on a show called America’s Hidden Stories for Lisa Wolfinger of Lone Wolf Media, Margie got noticed by a crew member. “Kevin Hershburger was the head of wardrobe for Lisa Wolfinger, and he noticed me on her set and asked me to audition for his TV show, which is True Terror with Robert Englund... Everybody is interconnected in the industry.”

Hershberger asked Curran to audition for the character of Mary in the episode “Twisted Relationships”. The chilling story is based on historical accounts of a smallpox patient who was reportedly buried alive after mistakenly being declared dead. Mary is a woman who claims to hear noises coming from the coffin as it is transported through the streets of New Orleans.

“It was just the coolest experience,” she said. “When they called action for extras, I started going, but my mark was actually just action, which is what they say for leads. It was just amazing.”

Based on her experience with breaking into the industry, Curran offers advice for beginning actors. “The advice that I would give to anyone who’s starting is just keep going, don’t stop, and don’t take no for an answer. I’ve heard casting directors say that you have to earn your way into their casting family, and it’s so true. It takes a long time, but they are rooting for you.”

“This industry is so difficult to get into, and some people call it luck, but I call it a divine plan. If you feel passionate about doing this, trust that God is going to do the impossible part that you can’t control.”

You can follow Margie on her instagram @margie.curran.