BARRY’S BAY – A young woman who has strong Barry’s Bay roots and who frequently cottages in the area stars in a new television series called Containment.
Kristen Gutoskie was born in Toronto and grew up in Markham. She graduated with an Honours Arts Degree from Wilfrid Laurier University and now lives in Los Angeles, California.
Kristen’s dad was born in Barry’s Bay. She is the niece of Helen and Basil Gutoskie, who still live in the area.
“I come to visit about once a year in the summer,” Kristen told the Gazette. “We have a family cottage up there, I have been going since I was a child and it is my happy place.”
As a singer and dancer since she was a tot, Kristen caught the acting bug when she was around 10 years old, when she started doing school plays. Since then, she has been in many television series like Rookie Blue, Republic of Doyle, Being Erica, and Beaver Falls.
“I love that you can experience so many different walks of life as an actor,” Kristen said. “You get a peak into the life of a police officer, an addict, a mother, a lover, whatever character you are playing. You get to search within yourself, and find compassion for human beings because you have to portray them without judgment. I also feel like I am set free when I am acting, like all of me can come out to play. It’s really fun if you let it be.”
She is now one of the lead female characters in the new series Containment, which airs on Monday nights at 8 p.m on Global.
Get your May 25, 2016 edition of The Valley Gazette to read the full story.