Christina McKinney
Encyclopedia
Christina McKinney is a fictional character in the American comedy-drama
series Ugly Betty
. She is played by Ashley Jensen
. Christina is based on Bertha Muñoz de González
, only she isn't plus-sized, but both have a great ear for gossip.
Despite the character leaving the show in the third season, Christina returns for the episode "London Calling
" in the fourth season.
from Scotland
, UK and is one of ten children; she is a seamstress who works at MODE magazine and calls her office "The Closet" because of the leftover fashion designs she has in her space, which she uses to whip up new outfits from time to time. Christina would later find out her workspace also served as a passageway to a secret hideaway for Bradford Meade and the late Fey Sommers.
Her knowledge of what goes on at her workplace inside and out comes in handy as she becomes fast friends and forms an alliance with new fellow co-worker Betty Suarez
. And like Betty, she too has dreams, in which she aspires to be the next fashion designer.
She finally got her chance to show off her designs in the episode "I'm Coming Out", only to learn Wilhelmina Slater
chose her show to set up for the return of Alexis Meade
, who helped bring down Bradford Meade
by framing him for the murder of Fey Sommers. Prior to the event a week earlier
, Wilhelmina tricked Christina into turning in a package to the police in order to frame Bradford.
After turning in the evidence, Wilhelmina has been using that as a crutch, so Christina can serve as a minion for Wilhelmina; even though Christina wants nothing to do with Wilhelmina's schemes. However, when Wilhelmina threatens to blame her for turning in the evidence by lying to Betty, Christina has no choice but to go along, even if it means she has to protect her friendship with Betty after she told her to never sell her soul to the devil
when she talked Betty out of cashing a check Wilhelmina gave her to help her father in exchange for turning on Daniel. When Christina came clean to Betty in "Punch Out
", the outcome would result in Betty ending her friendship with Christina because of her selling out to Wilhelmina. But the two would make up as Betty realized she needs her more than ever in "Petra-Gate
", with Christina offering to help Betty seek out any info about Wilhelmina's schemes.
In the finale of Season 1, while intoxicated, she reveals she has had a husband named Stuart (an insurance agent), whom she left in Scotland. She tells Amanda ever since she left the country no one has bothered to look for her since. Afterwards in the second season she would be the one who would tell Betty's crush, Henry Grubstick
, his girlfriend Charlie cheated on him and may have gotten pregnant by Betty's dentist, not Henry.
In "A League of Their Own
", Christina was chatting on a dating site called bachelorcity.com, where her bio mentions she is 5'6", aged 32, has blonde hair, blue eyes and she enjoys dancing. However, a man revealed she was not single and he is her husband, Stuart. Christina was shocked and quickly shut off her computer.
Christina's husband did show up in A Nice Day for a Posh Wedding
. Seemingly changed, Christina and Stuart slept together in Fey's love dungeon until Christina discovers an assuming drug needle in his rucksack. Stuart reveals he has liver failure (possibly cirrhosis
from his years of alcoholism) and has no more than 6 months to live. His only hope is an experimental treatment that costs more than he can afford. Christina embraces her husband and swears she will come up with the money to save him. Unfortunately, she would later tell Marc and Henry the insurance she was hoping for to help Stuart would not cover for his medical expenses.
This would give Wilhelmina, who learned she has a "Hostile womb" and cannot bear children, the opportunity to make Christina a guinea pig by making her a surrogate to carry Bradford Meade's sperm as a way to control her loyalty, this after Marc suggested the idea to Wilhelmina. Christina would later agree to this deal in "Odor in the Court
" with Betty acting as her confidant over Wilhelmina's objections. While staying at the Slater apartment, Christina would later find out about Wilhelmina's sister Renee's violent past and warned Betty about her, and then at a doctor's office learned about the sperm's donor, which resulted in Christina returning to her apartment to tell Stuart, who in turn sided with Wilhelmina after he called her. After seeking advice from Betty, Christina agreed to return to Wilhelmina, but told her that she would do it on the condition Wilhelmina gives the child the love and attention it deserves.
In the second episode
of the third season Christina confesses to Betty she thinks Stuart is doing drugs again. She then sends some of Stuart's hair to a lab to be tested. The results come back positive, which devastates Christina as the entire reason she is having the Slater-Meade baby is for him. They get into a very loud and almost aggressive argument. Stuart then storms off when Christina theatens to call immigration on him. At the end of the episode as Christina is leaving MODE for the day she is pushed down the stairs by an unknown person and loses consciousness. It was later revealed Alexis was the one who pushed Christina down the stairs in a blind rage because the baby she is carrying represents Wilhelminia's opportunity to take over MODE magazine. Christina would also learn that the medical experiments Stuart was taking were not working and he has only six months to live.
In February 2009, Christina finally gave birth to a son, William. But it would become obvious in the weeks afterward Christina would start bonding with the boy. This would later be confirmed by Wilhelmina, who discovered two days before she had Christina injected with the sperm, Christina and Stuart had sex. Christina later confronted Wilhelmina about William, and in turn tricked Christina into believing William was actually Wilhelmina's son after she showed her a letter which she fabricated the DNA results. Devastated, Christina would kidnap William and dragged Betty into helping her find proof, leading to Claire Meade's involvement in the ensuing drama. Thanks to Betty's intervention by doing the right thing for William, Wilhelmina admitted to the press Christina was William's natural birth mother. Now that William has brought them together as a family, Christina and Stuart decided to go back to Edinburgh with their son.
Christina reappears in the fourth and final season, crossing paths with Betty in London, who is on Hilda's hennight with Hilda and Amanda. She mentions that Stuart and the baby are doing fine. The group have a night of fun and remember the old times. At the end of the night, Christina leaves, but assures Betty that this isn't a goodbye.
has stated Jensen will still have a recurring stint in the fourth season.
Comedy-drama
Comedy-drama is a genre of theatre, film and television programs which combines humorous and serious content.-Theatre:Traditional western theatre, beginning with the ancient Greeks, was divided into comedy and tragedy...
series Ugly Betty
Ugly Betty
Ugly Betty is an American comedy-drama television series developed by Silvio Horta, which premiered on ABC on September 28, 2006, and ended on April 14, 2010. The series revolves around the character Betty Suarez and is based on Fernando Gaitán's Colombian telenovela soap opera Yo soy Betty, la fea...
. She is played by Ashley Jensen
Ashley Jensen
Ashley Jensen is a Scottish actress who is best known for her roles in the television series Extras for which she was nominated for an Emmy, and ABC's Ugly Betty...
. Christina is based on Bertha Muñoz de González
Betty la fea
Yo soy Betty, la fea is a popular soap opera filmed in Colombia, written by Fernando Gaitán and produced between 1999 through 2001 by the Colombian network RCN . More than a dozen versions of the telenovela have been made in other countries...
, only she isn't plus-sized, but both have a great ear for gossip.
Despite the character leaving the show in the third season, Christina returns for the episode "London Calling
London Calling (Ugly Betty)
"London Calling" is the eighteenth episode of the fourth season of the American comedy-drama series Ugly Betty, and the 83rd episode overall. It originally aired on ABC in the United States on March 31, 2010. In this episode, Betty goes to London with Amanda and Hilda, where she meets up with...
" in the fourth season.
Background
Christina emigrated to the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
from Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, UK and is one of ten children; she is a seamstress who works at MODE magazine and calls her office "The Closet" because of the leftover fashion designs she has in her space, which she uses to whip up new outfits from time to time. Christina would later find out her workspace also served as a passageway to a secret hideaway for Bradford Meade and the late Fey Sommers.
Her knowledge of what goes on at her workplace inside and out comes in handy as she becomes fast friends and forms an alliance with new fellow co-worker Betty Suarez
Betty Suarez
Beatriz "Betty" U. Suarez is a central fictional character and heroine of the American dramedy series Ugly Betty. She is portrayed by America Ferrera, who won a 2007 Golden Globe and 2007 SAG award for her portrayal of the character, as well as the Outstanding Actress in a Comedy award for the role...
. And like Betty, she too has dreams, in which she aspires to be the next fashion designer.
She finally got her chance to show off her designs in the episode "I'm Coming Out", only to learn Wilhelmina Slater
Wilhelmina Slater
Wilhelmina Vivian Slater is a fictional character in the American dramedy series Ugly Betty. She is played by Vanessa Williams, who received a supporting actress award at the 2007 and 2008 NAACP Image Awards, a Best TV Villain award at the 2007 Teen Choice Awards and a supporting actress...
chose her show to set up for the return of Alexis Meade
Alexis Meade
Alexis Meade is a fictional character from the ABC dramedy series Ugly Betty. She was initially played by Elizabeth Penn Payne for the first 12 episodes of her appearance and was played by Rebecca Romijn for the rest of the series.-Biography:Alex Meade was a background presence in the...
, who helped bring down Bradford Meade
Bradford Meade
Bradford Emerson Meade is a fictional character in the American dramedy series Ugly Betty, played by Alan Dale. Bradford's character was equivalent to Roberto Mendoza in the original Betty la fea, Armando's father, with Armando equalling Daniel....
by framing him for the murder of Fey Sommers. Prior to the event a week earlier
In or Out
"In or Out" is an episode from the dramedy series Ugly Betty, the thirteenth in the series overall, which aired on January 18, 2007. It was written by Myra Jo Martino and directed by Michael Spiller...
, Wilhelmina tricked Christina into turning in a package to the police in order to frame Bradford.
After turning in the evidence, Wilhelmina has been using that as a crutch, so Christina can serve as a minion for Wilhelmina; even though Christina wants nothing to do with Wilhelmina's schemes. However, when Wilhelmina threatens to blame her for turning in the evidence by lying to Betty, Christina has no choice but to go along, even if it means she has to protect her friendship with Betty after she told her to never sell her soul to the devil
Trust, Lust, and Must
"Trust, Lust, and Must" is an episode from the dramedy series Ugly Betty. In the United States, Canada and Australia, it aired as the sixth episode, but is actually the seventh overall. Written by Cameron Litvack and directed by James Babbitt, the episode first aired on November 2, 2006...
when she talked Betty out of cashing a check Wilhelmina gave her to help her father in exchange for turning on Daniel. When Christina came clean to Betty in "Punch Out
Punch Out (Ugly Betty episode)
"Punch Out" is the nineteenth episode from the dramedy series Ugly Betty, which aired on April 19, 2007...
", the outcome would result in Betty ending her friendship with Christina because of her selling out to Wilhelmina. But the two would make up as Betty realized she needs her more than ever in "Petra-Gate
Petra-Gate
"Petra-Gate" is the twentieth episode from the dramedy series Ugly Betty, which aired on April 26, 2007. The episode was co-written by Gabrielle Stanton and Harry Werksman and directed by Paul Lazarus.-Plot:...
", with Christina offering to help Betty seek out any info about Wilhelmina's schemes.
In the finale of Season 1, while intoxicated, she reveals she has had a husband named Stuart (an insurance agent), whom she left in Scotland. She tells Amanda ever since she left the country no one has bothered to look for her since. Afterwards in the second season she would be the one who would tell Betty's crush, Henry Grubstick
Henry Grubstick
Henry Grubstick is a fictional character in the American drama series Ugly Betty. He is played by Christopher Gorham.Henry's character is equivalent to Nicolás in Betty la fea. Henry and Nicolás have similar features. They are both tall, have dark brown hair, and wear square glasses...
, his girlfriend Charlie cheated on him and may have gotten pregnant by Betty's dentist, not Henry.
In "A League of Their Own
A League of Their Own (Ugly Betty)
"A League of Their Own" is the fifth episode of the second season of Ugly Betty, and the twenty-eighth episode overall. The episode is written by Sheila Lawrence and directed by Wendey Stanzler...
", Christina was chatting on a dating site called bachelorcity.com, where her bio mentions she is 5'6", aged 32, has blonde hair, blue eyes and she enjoys dancing. However, a man revealed she was not single and he is her husband, Stuart. Christina was shocked and quickly shut off her computer.
Christina's husband did show up in A Nice Day for a Posh Wedding
A Nice Day for a Posh Wedding
"A Nice Day for a Posh Wedding" is the seventh episode of season 2 from the dramedy series Ugly Betty. It is the 30th episode in the series, which aired on November 8, 2007. The episode was written by Silvio Horta & Marco Pennette and directed by James Hayman...
. Seemingly changed, Christina and Stuart slept together in Fey's love dungeon until Christina discovers an assuming drug needle in his rucksack. Stuart reveals he has liver failure (possibly cirrhosis
Cirrhosis
Cirrhosis is a consequence of chronic liver disease characterized by replacement of liver tissue by fibrosis, scar tissue and regenerative nodules , leading to loss of liver function...
from his years of alcoholism) and has no more than 6 months to live. His only hope is an experimental treatment that costs more than he can afford. Christina embraces her husband and swears she will come up with the money to save him. Unfortunately, she would later tell Marc and Henry the insurance she was hoping for to help Stuart would not cover for his medical expenses.
This would give Wilhelmina, who learned she has a "Hostile womb" and cannot bear children, the opportunity to make Christina a guinea pig by making her a surrogate to carry Bradford Meade's sperm as a way to control her loyalty, this after Marc suggested the idea to Wilhelmina. Christina would later agree to this deal in "Odor in the Court
Odor in the Court
"Odor in the Court" is the twelfth episode in the second season, and the 35th episode overall, of the American dramedy series Ugly Betty, which aired on January 17, 2008. The episode was written by Bill Wrubel and directed by Victor Nelli, Jr.-Plot:...
" with Betty acting as her confidant over Wilhelmina's objections. While staying at the Slater apartment, Christina would later find out about Wilhelmina's sister Renee's violent past and warned Betty about her, and then at a doctor's office learned about the sperm's donor, which resulted in Christina returning to her apartment to tell Stuart, who in turn sided with Wilhelmina after he called her. After seeking advice from Betty, Christina agreed to return to Wilhelmina, but told her that she would do it on the condition Wilhelmina gives the child the love and attention it deserves.
In the second episode
Filing for the Enemy
"Filing for the Enemy" is the second episode in the third season, the 43rd episode overall, of the American dramedy series Ugly Betty, which aired on October 2, 2008...
of the third season Christina confesses to Betty she thinks Stuart is doing drugs again. She then sends some of Stuart's hair to a lab to be tested. The results come back positive, which devastates Christina as the entire reason she is having the Slater-Meade baby is for him. They get into a very loud and almost aggressive argument. Stuart then storms off when Christina theatens to call immigration on him. At the end of the episode as Christina is leaving MODE for the day she is pushed down the stairs by an unknown person and loses consciousness. It was later revealed Alexis was the one who pushed Christina down the stairs in a blind rage because the baby she is carrying represents Wilhelminia's opportunity to take over MODE magazine. Christina would also learn that the medical experiments Stuart was taking were not working and he has only six months to live.
In February 2009, Christina finally gave birth to a son, William. But it would become obvious in the weeks afterward Christina would start bonding with the boy. This would later be confirmed by Wilhelmina, who discovered two days before she had Christina injected with the sperm, Christina and Stuart had sex. Christina later confronted Wilhelmina about William, and in turn tricked Christina into believing William was actually Wilhelmina's son after she showed her a letter which she fabricated the DNA results. Devastated, Christina would kidnap William and dragged Betty into helping her find proof, leading to Claire Meade's involvement in the ensuing drama. Thanks to Betty's intervention by doing the right thing for William, Wilhelmina admitted to the press Christina was William's natural birth mother. Now that William has brought them together as a family, Christina and Stuart decided to go back to Edinburgh with their son.
Christina reappears in the fourth and final season, crossing paths with Betty in London, who is on Hilda's hennight with Hilda and Amanda. She mentions that Stuart and the baby are doing fine. The group have a night of fun and remember the old times. At the end of the night, Christina leaves, but assures Betty that this isn't a goodbye.
Status
While Jensen was considered a primary cast member on the show, her presence was becoming less noticeable by the third season, since she remained in Los Angeles while "Ugly Betty" was setting up production in New York City, making it difficult for her to continue working on the show. On 14 January 2009, Jensen at first denied rumours she would be leaving the show at the end of its current series . However less than 2 months later it was announced on 12 March 2009 Christina would leave the show at the end of the current season, after Jensen, quit the show. However, producer Silvio HortaSilvio Horta
Silvio Horta is an American writer and producer most notable for adapting the hit Colombian telenovela Yo Soy Betty La Fea into the ABC series, Ugly Betty. Horta serves as head writer and executive producer on the series....
has stated Jensen will still have a recurring stint in the fourth season.
Connections
- Betty SuarezBetty SuarezBeatriz "Betty" U. Suarez is a central fictional character and heroine of the American dramedy series Ugly Betty. She is portrayed by America Ferrera, who won a 2007 Golden Globe and 2007 SAG award for her portrayal of the character, as well as the Outstanding Actress in a Comedy award for the role...
- Former Assistant to the Editor in Chief; a close friend, she was the one who told Betty why she was hired and gives her info on how to deal with the "Bitches" at MODE. A member of the "Uglies" along with Christina. Christina also thinks Betty spends too much time focusing on her boss Daniel MeadeDaniel MeadeDaniel Meade is a fictional character in the American dramedy series Ugly Betty. He is played by Eric Mabius.-Background:Daniel is the second son of magazine publisher Bradford Meade and Claire Meade in 1974...
. - Wilhelmina SlaterWilhelmina SlaterWilhelmina Vivian Slater is a fictional character in the American dramedy series Ugly Betty. She is played by Vanessa Williams, who received a supporting actress award at the 2007 and 2008 NAACP Image Awards, a Best TV Villain award at the 2007 Teen Choice Awards and a supporting actress...
- Creative Editor turned Editor-in-Chief at MODE; on call to her in times of fashion emergencies. Wilhelmina has mistakenly called her "Carlotta" and thinks she is IrishIrish peopleThe Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
(calling her a "drunken Irish woman," and as evidenced in several episodes, she actually does drink alcohol) because she can't understand what Christina tells her due to Christina's ScottishScottish EnglishScottish English refers to the varieties of English spoken in Scotland. It may or may not be considered distinct from the Scots language. It is always considered distinct from Scottish Gaelic, a Celtic language....
accent, which Wilhelmina believes includes some cursing words towards her. In season 2, Christina reluctantly becomes the surrogate for Wilhelmina and Bradford Meade's child in exchange for the money to help save Stuart. When she found out about the identity of the sperm donor, she was unsure of what to do. Finally, she went to Wilhelmina's apartment and asked her to take good care of the baby and love it as her own. - Amanda TanenAmanda TanenAmanda Tanen Sommers is a fictional character in the American dramedy series Ugly Betty. She is played by Becki Newton. Amanda's character is a combination of Patricia Fernandez and Marcela Valencia, but her appearance is similar to Marcia Villarroel from the Columbian adaptation...
- Receptionist at MODE; she frequently calls her "BraveheartBraveheartBraveheart is a 1995 epic historical drama war film directed by and starring Mel Gibson. The film was written for the screen and then novelized by Randall Wallace...
" because of her Scottish heritage; Christina on the other hand doesn't like Amanda because she knows Amanda is very clueless and has made remarks about her sleeping with Daniel despite his womanizing ways. In the episode "Icing On The Cake" Christina came to Amanda's rescue when Amanda tried to use the bathroom while being stuck in a tight dress, and in the first season finale was the one who showed Amanda the photos and birth certificate that revealing Fey Sommers as Amanda's mother. - Marc St. JamesMarc St. JamesMarcus "Marc" St. James is a fictional character in the American comedy-drama series Ugly Betty. He is played by Michael Urie...
- Wilhelmina's assistant; Christina has a love-hate rivalry with Marc, with whom she constantly bickers, mostly because of her work. When Wilhelmina feared Christina will tell Betty about what happened during Fashion WeekFashion WeekA fashion week is a fashion industry event, lasting approximately one week, which allows fashion designers, brands or "houses" to display their latest collections in runway shows and buyers and the media to take a look at the latest trends. Most importantly, these events let the industry know...
, she made Marc be Christina's "New Betty" so she won't say anything to Betty and hopefully lure Christina over to Wilhelmina's side. In an episode, Christina also says to Marc: "You are the only gay person that I don't like!" - Justin SuarezJustin SuarezJustin Suarez is a fictional character on the American comedy-drama series Ugly Betty which is an adaptation of the Colombian telenovela Betty la fea. He is portrayed by actor Mark Indelicato. Justin lives with his mother Hilda, his aunt Betty, and his grandfather Ignacio...
- Betty's nephew who loves to talk fashion with her. - Nancy and Zelda - MODE employees and members of the "Uglies" along with Christina and Betty; they are not seen again after the first two episodes.
- Stuart - Christina's husband, whom she left five years prior to season 1. Their relationship was a dull one: as Christina described, "the only time things got interesting were when he'd come home drunk and throw the furniture around". Unhappy with her prospects in Scotland, she left for New York and had not heard from anyone back in Scotland for years until in season 2, when Stuart managed to track her down at Mode. Upon their reunion, Stuart revealed he had severe liver failure (due to his alcoholism and possible drug addiction) with only a few months left to live. His only hope is an expensive experimental treatment for which Christina promises to find a way to cover the costs; after her initial attempts fail, she reluctantly accepts Wilhelmina's offer in exchange to serve as a surrogate mother for Wilhelmina and Bradford Meade's child, though Christina is unaware of the child's paternity. He later revealed to Christina the experiments did not work and he will eventually die. This causes the tension that built up previously to completely break, leaving Christina in a shallow mood. This later changes due to the implications brought on by William. But after the birth of William it is found out William is her and Stuart's child.
- William "Will" Stuart McKinney - It was believed William was the child of Wilhelmina and Bradford, but this is wrong. William's true parents are Christina and Stuart. He was later renamed William Stuart McKinney and called Will.