Sophie: What was the process like of applying to these acting programs? Do you have to send in tapes and stuff?

Chris: Brutal. Some of them had pre-screens and some of them you could just sort of show up to, but I went to Pittsburgh to audition for Carnegie. I went to Boston to audition for Emerson and BU. It was always really demoralizing. I was like, what am I doing here? It’s a tough thing.

Sophie: But I love that you kept going and didn’t settle. You kept going until you found a program.

Chris: Twelve auditions later and I finally got into one. 

Sophie: It shows that you had dedication to it.

Chris: Well I will say, it worked out. I don’t know if I would have liked college the same way I did if I went anywhere else. 

Sophie: Because Pace and NYC or what?

Chris: Yeah just the right time, right place I think is part of it. The way the program was set up and the mentality that the teachers and the students had was specific and I don’t know if it’s still the same way. I remember walking into the audition room even and I was like, why is it different here? It didn’t have an air of any sort of pretentiousness. It was a new program, we were the fourth class. They were trying to figure it out too, which I feel like is a good thing. When you’re both just sort of putting pieces together until it works.

Sophie: I noticed when we shot both times you were pretty laid back and easy to work with. And maybe it’s because of the program and your training, but I feel like you’re not afraid to be creative on set. 

Chris: I feel like you have to be, you know? When you hold onto things too tight, it just gets ridiculous.

Sophie: Are you close with your parents? Were your parents supportive?

Chris: Yeah I always had support, which I appreciate. They met trying to act in NYC in the 80’s. And they moved out of the city when they wanted to start a family because I think it was not as fruitful as they’d want, supporting a family on that income. But they’re very talented actors and so when I sort of came to it, I remember my dad saying to me, look it’s really hard, but I’d be a hypocrite if I told you you couldn't do it, so knock yourself out, kid. I’m paraphrasing, but he was like, of course I support you, but just know it’s hard, it’s brutal. 

Sophie: What advice do you have for people who want to be actors who are sort of thinking about it now and maybe they’re in high school or younger or even older?

Chris: I’m just so young in my journey, I think all I can offer to people is like, you have to be ready to take some punches, I mean at all stages of it you’re just getting beat up. When you can’t find representation, you’re like, am I not good enough, does nobody want me? And then then you have representation you can’t get a job and then nobody wants you, and then you get a job and everybody hates you online, so it’s just a vicious cycle of rejection.

Sophie: How do you deal with that type of rejection? I totally feel that as somebody who works project to project, I get rejected all the time.

Chris: I will say I’m at a place now that I’ve been so fortunate that I think some of the rejection hits a little less hard because my rent isn’t depending on it at the moment, which is a really fortunate position to be in and I’m aware of that. But I had a teacher in college that said to us, and I always try to remember this, she was like, 99 percent of jobs are not yours, and that is okay. As an actor, you can knock yourself out working on an audition and you can blow it out of the water and it can just never have been yours for so many reasons. If you’re too tall or you’re a little too old. So many jobs just aren’t yours, and some will be. I feel like the things that I’ve booked were not my best auditions by a long shot. I remember feeling pretty bad about some of them. That’s just not always what it’s about. I think you always have to be trying your best, but it’s not always that a lot of work goes into a lot of booking. That’s not how it works, there’s a lot of other factors.

Sophie: Do you still take acting classes ever?

Chris: I haven’t taken an acting class in way too long, to be honest.

Sophie: Well you haven’t had time, you’ve been acting.

Chris: Well there was a strike, I definitely could have found some time in there.

Sophie: I remember running into Michelle Williams at an event once and she was like, I’m heading to an acting class after this. And I was like, really? And she said yeah I need to work a few things out. And it was around 8pm at night. And I just remember thinking, you’re Michelle Williams and you’re going to an acting class now? 

Chris: That’s why she’s the best.

Sophie: It was really cool. And I love that she told me that just super candidly. I gotta work a few things out.

Chris: Don’t we all. I talk to my friends a lot too where I’m like, there’s something really nice about schooling and I think it’s hard to notice that until you’re out of it. About having people hold your hand a little bit, you know? You’re good to fall right here, this is a safe space. You’re on a schedule and there’s something nice about that.

Sophie: I love Masterclass, which sounds so nerdy. 

Chris: No it’s so good. 

Sophie: It’s just really fun to continue learning. I saw that you for Summer I Turned Pretty you learned some guitar. I actually thought you were pretty good and the singing part too, I know you don’t like to sing, but I thought you did a good job.

Chris: Thank you, I appreciate that a lot. Honestly I worked really hard at it, I was practicing for months. I think there’s something about my hands that I don’t think I’m a musical person. 

Sophie: That’s fine. Some people aren’t, but I actually thought the way that you sang. You know how certain singers when you listen to them, it's not that they have the voice that you think is the most beautiful voice in the world, but the reason that they’re famous and that people love listening to them is because it’s unique. I felt like it was a very unique voice that you don’t hear a lot.

Chris: Thank you. I tried to approach it as an actor because I’m not a singer, there’s only one way I can really approach this, that’s trying to create an acting moment. 

Sophie: Have you kept playing guitar at all?

Chris: Here and there. I always try and play a song that’s way too difficult for me to play. I’m like let me play something really hard and cool and then it’s impossible, I don’t know how to finger pick. Do you play at all?

Sophie: I do, I grew up playing the piano. And after college I didn’t have a piano anymore when I was living in little apartments so I took up the guitar. 

Chris: Did it translate well?

Sophie: Yes and I love it. It’s my favorite hobby and I still take a lesson every other week. So I was enjoying seeing that you took guitar. 

Chris: Yeah, always a student. I was working with a coach, it was cool.

Sophie: Did you watch that scene? Do you usually watch your own things?

Chris: No, I’ve been unfortunate enough to see some clips of it. I go through different waves of, I want to watch myself to learn and say, okay that moment wasn’t good or that moment was good, why? But at the same time sometimes I have to trust that it’s out of my hands now.

Sophie: What about screenings? Did you go to the Mean Girls screening yet? 

Chris: I didn’t. I’m gonna watch it at the premiere though. I’m not gonna hide in the bathroom. 

Sophie: Okay that’s good.

Chris: I’m gonna see it because I’m curious. And also that movie is so not about Aaron Samuels, I’m watching it for the other people. I’m just excited for the movie, I’m a fan.

Sophie: Did you watch the old one?

Chris: Oh yeah, for sure.

Sophie: It’s so good. Had you watched it before you got the part?

Chris: It’s one of those things that I just know that I’ve seen a bunch of times and I can’t remember the first time I saw it and I can’t remember the last time I saw it, but I know it. But yeah I was a fan before I booked this.