Bridgewater Actress Stars In ‘Chained’ Premiering Sunday In NYC

BRIDGEWATER, NJ — It’s been six years in the making but Christina Castellanos is breaking out into her first movie, “Chained.”

The movie, based on a true story written by Deborah Cardona, is premiering on Sunday at 3 p.m. at the National Black Theater, 2031 5th Ave., New York, New York.

Cardona's movie is based in Spanish Harlem in the 80s when she got involved with drugs and ended up doing 10 years in prison where she penned her story.

Castellanos, a Bridgewater-Raritan High School graduate who goes by “U-niqe,” is playing the role of Casanova AKA Cass.

“She has been though a lot in her life," Castellanos describes of her character. “She doesn’t have a support system. She is in and out of the jail system and struggles with drugs.”

The female-empowerment movie demonstrates how when you grow up in an environment such as “the hood” there can be a lot of peer pressure.

Castellanos is familiar with this as she had grown up in the South Bronx before moving to Bridgewater. Her street actually was featured on the History Channel's documentary series called "Gangland," that explored the history of some of America's more notorious gangs.

She used her “pain” and experience to help protray her character “Cass.”

“I’ve had people that I loved that suffered from addiction and I’ve lost a lot of friends over the course of my life from it,” Castellanos said. “I was able to personally see what they went through. For me I was able to bring all of their pain out into my character. I think that is why I was able to portray it so well.”

The premiere on Sunday will include meeting the cast members, photos, the viewing, after party and interviews.

This will be Castellanos’ first movie. Although, she has already appeared shows such as "City Inside The City” and Netflix’s hit show “Orange Is The New Black” in season six.

“Oh my God, I can’t explain how I feel,” Castellanos said of landing a role in this movie. “I have been filming for the past six years and the only thing I got to see myself in was Orange, but more of a background role. But now I get to see myself as a character. I have a big part in the story. It’s very deep to say the least.”

Along with Chained, Castellanos said she has about seven other projects she is working on this year and can only expect good things from here.

“It took a lot of hard work to get where I am,” Castellanos said. “What I can do and where I can take it, is all up from here.”

To buy tickets to Chained The Movie’s premiere click here.

• See Related: Video Interview: Bridgewater Local Stars In 'Orange Is The New Black'

(Images provided)

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