By: Samantha Cole
When Christine Stringer was hired by MGM in the late 2000s, she believed her dreams had taken flight. Like so many young creatives drawn to Hollywood’s siren call, she envisioned a future filled with scripts, premieres, and success in the male-dominated world of film. What she didn’t expect? An FBI investigation, a dead car, an empty bank account—and a spectacular unraveling of her fledgling career.
But now, with decades of hindsight and a debut novel that is making waves, Stringer has transformed that chaos into creativity.
“This book, while fun and lighthearted, is my way of taking the power back in my life after losing it,” she says of her debut novel, Charity Trickett Is Not So Glamorous. “By fictionalizing the worst part of my career, I crafted a story that is filled with heart, fun, and suspense—making Charity Trickett a lovable and relatable character in the not-so-glamorous world of Hollywood.”
Set against the glittering but gritty backdrop of 1990s Los Angeles, the novel follows Charity, an ambitious young Canadian navigating the unforgiving studio system, romantic mishaps, and a life-altering professional scandal. Early reviews are describing it as Bridget Jones in Hollywood, while People Magazine has compared it to The Studio—the comedy series that has recently dominated the Emmys. Both comparisons reflect the essence of Charity: endearingly flawed, laugh-out-loud funny, and caught in the absurdities of a business that’s equal parts glamour and grit.
“Charity is who I wish I was when I worked at MGM,” Stringer reflects. “She’s smarter, more savvy, and more empathetic.”
At the heart of the novel is a pivotal event drawn straight from Stringer’s own experience: an FBI investigation for the alleged piracy of a blockbuster MGM film starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.
“Being interrogated by the FBI was terrifying,” she recalls. “But when I look back, I can see the absurdity. I mean, I was interrogated at a Coffee Bean in Beverly Hills—the agent even bought me a green tea!”
It’s that mix of drama and dark comedy that gives Charity Trickett Is Not So Glamorous its distinctive voice. And while the events may be fictionalized, the emotional truths are grounded in reality.
“When you look at your past and strip away the dialogue, all you’re left with are feelings,” Stringer says. “All the feels I felt at that time are delivered to the reader through Charity. Everything else is smoke and mirrors.”
Beneath the book’s glitzy setting lies a deeper exploration of ambition, identity, and gender dynamics in a time when women—especially young women—faced entrenched barriers in Hollywood.
“At the time I was at MGM, they had never had a female executive or board member,” Stringer says. “That, in itself, shaped the environment for women. And MGM certainly wasn’t alone in that.”
Despite the setbacks, she never let the industry’s dismissiveness silence her voice.
“They were old white guys who were out of touch—dinosaurs in my world,” she adds with a knowing smile. “Frustrating? Yes. But it didn’t stop me from knowing I had something to say.”
It’s a reality that still resonates today. Although Hollywood has made significant strides since the ’90s—with more women in power, the rise of streaming platforms, and the impact of movements like #MeToo—Stringer believes the industry still has room for improvement, especially for working parents.
“If women are going to be on equal footing as men in film production, the workday needs to be reduced,” she says. “Twelve to fourteen-hour days are incredibly hard on parents. While household equality may be improving, women still carry more childcare responsibilities. A lot of my female friends had to leave the industry after becoming mothers.”
She points to corporations like Apple and Amazon—now major players in entertainment—as entities capable of leading the charge toward a more humane workday for creatives.
“Film and TV now being produced by trillion-dollar companies should mean those companies could align set workdays with their corporate standards,” she argues. “An eight-hour day shouldn’t be too much to ask.”
But despite the hardships, Stringer holds no bitterness for her early career in Hollywood. In fact, she sees it as the crucible that forged both her resilience and her voice as a writer.
“Hollywood taught me that resilience is everything,” she says. “Projects fall apart, scripts don’t sell, rejection is constant. The people who lasted weren’t always the most talented—they were the ambitious ones who kept going.”
Now, with a critically acclaimed novel and a loyal readership, Stringer is doing just that—continuing her journey.
She’s currently at work on The Fame Game, the sequel to Not So Glamorous, which finds Charity and her circle of friends facing the complications of sudden success and fame. Stringer is also adapting her debut novel into a screenplay—bringing her journey full circle.
“My voice has solidified since those Hollywood days,” she says. “I’m no longer trying to be what I think others want. I’m just being me. And it’s exciting to see that people love the book, because this story is 100% me.”
That authenticity—rooted in pain, sharpened by wit, and buoyed by hope—is what makes Charity Trickett Is Not So Glamorous more than a Hollywood satire. It’s a reminder that even the messiest parts of our stories can become more meaningful—if we’re brave enough to tell them.
Learn more by visiting: christinestringer.com