From Bit Parts to Bitcoin – to Starring in Movies – Courtney Warner is Ready for Takeoff

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An accomplished actress and a part of the Crypto Currency explosion COURTNEY WARNER is finally getting the show business recognition she has been seeking since she was a young girl in New York. With big roles in two features, the joyous romantic comedy, “Ask Me To Dance” and the tense thriller, “Trauma Therapy: Psychosis”  she is poised to finally accomplish her dreams. We caught up with Courtney in her hometown of Sarasota, Florida to ask about her current and future projects.

Splash: Hi, Courtney. How old were you when you first realized you had an interest in dance?

Courtney: I was about 5 when I decided I wanted to be a dancer. I was signed with a dance agency called MSA for about a year, and they had got me some pretty big dance auditions. Before long I started booking commercials and videos, and even though I was just a child, I fell in love with the business. My mom used to have this little game she would play when I was young. I hated peas, and she would say, “eat your peas or I’m not taking you to Hollywood.” I would say, “Okay, then I’ll walk there.”

Courtney Warner in Cannes – Photo Courtesy of photofestivalcannes.fr

Splash: So Hollywood has always been on your radar.

Courtney: Most definitely, but it wasn’t till I was 27 that I got serious about acting.

Splash: Was your family supportive of your ambitions?

Courtney: Yes I got 100% support from my whole family. My mom always believed in me from the day I started. She’d drive me to all my auditions and talent shows when I was a kid.

Splash: You started out acting in shorts but suddenly found yourself in a feature film shooting in Denmark. How did that happen?

Courtney: I had been in a horror film called The Instant Messenger, and the guy who played the villain, Jeff Horn, referred me to the director of a film called The Will” which was shooting in Denmark. I auditioned and got the role of “Victoria” and it turned out to be an unforgettable adventure. We lived on this island called “Flato Island,” all of us staying in these little cabins. We had to take a boat over to Copenhagen each day to get to set. It was very exciting, and scary all at the same time. Hurricane Sandy came through while I was there, but despite that, making“The Will” was an experience I will never forget. I made some lifelong friends on that one.

Courtney Warner In “Ask Me To Dance” – Photo by Pascal Combes-Knoke 

Splash: After Denmark you moved back to New York and found yourself a part of the first crypto bubble, suddenly surrounded by cash-rich millennials. How did that affect and influence you?

Courtney: That was also a wild and crazy time. Strapped for cash I found a job as a waitress at a nightclub that accepted Bitcoin as payment. As it turned out I became the first server to do a public Crypto transaction. The currency was just taking off and it became a huge part of my life. One of the owners of the club was Charlie Shrem who is now a well-known Crypto pioneer. The two of us fell in love and embarked on a 10-year adventure, traveling nonstop before he asked me to be his wife.

Splash: That sounds very romantic.

Courtney: It was.

Splash: So what are some of your current projects? 

Courtney: I recently wrapped a movie called, “Ask Me to Dance,” written, directed, and starring Tom Malloy. It’s a lovely romantic comedy about two lonely people who are promised that they are going to find love by New Year’s eve. I play the lead girl, Briana Evigan’s, best friend.

Splash: Did you get to do a lot of dancing in that one?

Courtney: Yes, I did some freestyle dancing as well as a choreographed number at the end of the film. Not long after we wrapped I flew to Kirkaldy, Scotland to work on a psychological thriller directed by Lawrie Brewster. It’s called “Trauma Therapy: Psychosis” and it’s a scary film about 5 very broken people trying to get over their fears at an isolated retreat. I play a damaged girl with an eating disorder called “Lily,” and thought the location was freezing cold, we also had a ton of fun making this one.

Jesse Kove and Courtney Warner in “Ask Me To Dance” – Photo by Pascal Combes-Knoke 

Splash: Besides acting you’re also branching out into producing with your husband, Charlie. What kind of projects are you guys developing?

Courtney: Yes, I have to admit I was the one to give Charlie the movie bug. He has always believed in me and we realized that we need to create our own opportunities in the entertainment business to succeed. Charlie and I started our own production company and partnered up with Tom Malloy, who has been acting and producing for quite some time. Tom is not only our business partner but he’s also become a dear friend. Truth be told we’d be lost without him. The three of us went to the Cannes Film Festival in May, where “Ask Me To Dance” was being sold, and we had the most incredible time. Charlie and I have already booked our ticket to go back again next year.

Splash: Congratulations, Courtney. Sounds like you have a lot going on. It was a pleasure speaking with you.

Courtney: Thank you so much!

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