What was your first acting role?

At 11 a video Kids Have Rights Too, and Dream On followed shortly after that.

Wow.

Yeah, it clicked pretty early and I've really been really fortunate.

What do you consider your best work?

Best work? Well I certainly had a lot of fun my last movie of the week I did, Journey of the Heart on CBS. That was a lot of fun. I think probably my best work thus far was a movie of the week that came out in November called For Hope. That was on ABC. It was about Bob Sagat's sister who died of a disease called skleroderma a couple years back and it was a movie about the family dealing with her death. It was a true story, obviously, and I played Bob's nephew in that. Some really powerful emotional work to be done in that movie. I was really happy with the way that turned out.

Do you prefer drama or comedy?

Well I dunno. It's funny because I've heard that in different points in my career people say, well, you know that Chris is a comedy guy and now with three dramatic roles in a row which have just come out recently, people are saying, well, Chris is a dramatic guy. I think there's fun in both. They're both equally challenging. I usually prefer something serious that does have comedy in it. I've thoroughly enjoyed working on sitcoms and "Dream On" for six years as well. So, I like to mix it up. Keep people guessing.

Have you done films?

Yeah there was.. film work not as much. One of the ones most recently was a Disney film called Blank Check. I think you guys have that listed. Stephen King's Sometime They Come Back. That was released internationally. And right now I'm in negotiations about doing a new film for Tribeca Film Company as well, so we'll see if that works out.

Do you have a preference?

Eventually I want to be in film. That's where I see myself winding up and I'd eventually love to write, produce, direct and act in films. To me it's kinda fun when you can sneak into the theater and see the people watch the film and hear their reactions live. Obviously with television they're sitting at home and you can never get their commentary, how they feel about it or the reactions to the film. Well, it's a lot like theater, you can hear the reactions live and see if the audience is really enjoying the piece.

Have you ever done any stage work?

Yeah, a lot of stage work actually.

Did you enjoy that?

Yeah I did, the only problem I found with stage work is the repetition can get to you after a while. The same lines, the same characters night in and night out never really changing. It's obviously very challenging and in theater unlike television or movies, you don't get a second take. I've worked in productions that have gone two, three months. At that point, you're thankful for the job. (Laughs.) Really looking forward to it ending soon.

If there was one role you could play what would it be?

I think as I'm growing older now I'm starting to fit more into the younger leading man kind of role. I'd really like to do sort of a romantic comedy. I've written some scripts of my own, and hopefully, maybe one day I can have one of those produced. Yeah, I'd like something just kind of fun, something you take your girlfriend to. And just kick back, enjoy it and relax and hopefully laugh along the way too.

Who is your favorite actor?

Favorite actor? Boy that's tough, there's a lot of really good ones out there. I like... hmmm, I'm trying to think. Well, De Niro is obviously at the top of my list but I love lesser know actors like John Cussak, Kevin Spacey, Kevin Kline, I love. Kevin Bacon as well. I really like the type of actors who take smaller more interesting roles over necessarily these huge you know glitzy 100 million dollar film kinda roles. The actors like Gary Oldman is a good example. That's someone who just takes unique choices every single time out the gate. I think his work is always so powerful. It's about growing as an actor, not how big your bank account is.

What's your favorite film?

I think that The Player is one that comes to mind. I think that's a wonderful film as far as editing, character development. Great, great cast in that movie. So many different actors and stars in it. Recent ones that I also like too is The Usual Suspects. I thought the ending was terrific on that. I think it fooled pretty much everybody in the theater. And I recently just went to see Sling Blade.

Oh, did you like that?

Yeah, I thought it was excellent. Tremendous, tremendous character work by Billy Bob Thorton.

What's your favorite television show?

Mystery Science Theater 3000. (Laughs.) Yeah, it's a real offbeat choice. That one does it for me. I laugh more consistently and harder at that show than any other. That's a good show. I'm glad the Science Fiction Channel picked that one up again. And strangely enough, people always say, well, that's not a television show, to me, I'm a huge, as I wrote you, I'm a huge Laker fan. To me a Laker game is much like a soap opera for me. You have your cast of characters, they have their conflict, and you never know how it's gonna turn out. To me, going to a basketball game, to me it's a form of theater. You have your villains, you have your good guys, and the ending is, no one knows how it's going to end.

Do you read?

Yeah, I read a lot mostly reference books. A lot of bizarre knowledge that would help me out if I was on Jeopardy. I think I'd do very well on that show. I'm a Michael Crichton fan. I think a lot of his work is very interesting. It's amazing to me that he can consistently turn out quality piece after quality piece after quality piece. He has books that I've literally read in one sitting. And recently I read Pirs Anthony. He wrote a book called On A Pale Horse which I thought was excellent. I highly recommend that one.

If you weren't an actor, what line of work do you think you'd be in?

I hear salesman a lot. (Laughs.) People say, you know Chris, you should be a salesman with all the BS you speak. I don't know, to tell you the truth it's been so much a part of my life, ever since I was 11 years old, it's hard to imagine doing anything else. I'd assume that through connections, or somehow, that I'd be in the business in some capacity. Maybe in production or as a writer or something else. If not... my father works at Blue Cross/Blue Shield in Michigan, so I'd probably have a job right there. Selling insurance! I'd be selling something. I have a gift for gab.

When did you know that you wanted to be an actor?

Pretty much as soon as I could talk, my mom tells me that I started hurrying out, all kinds of.. I mean I'd go into a restaurant and try to sing and dance in front of everyone while they were waiting for their table. I love doing any play at the school. I told my mom at three years old that my biggest dream was to be on The Johnny Carson Show. I think it started, I did a pre-kindergarten play The Three Little Pigs. And I just remember standing up there and saying lines and hearing the audience laugh. Since that point I knew that that was something I really wanted to do. I get a very big kick out of entertaining people.

Did any one actor inspire you or any one event inspire you?

To tell you the truth I really get my inspiration in life from my mom and dad. They've taught me so much about how to be a hard worker, how to be dedicated to your craft. How to really make a difference. Through acting, I hope to make a difference . As far as through charity work, you know visiting sick children in hospitals, raising money for all kinds of things. You know like Project AIDS LA and things like that, I mean hopefully I can make a difference. I think what it boils down to essentially is that you're here to entertain. That's what it is. I mean people lay down their money whether they're buying your CD or watching your movie or watching your television show. My mom and dad have definitely given me great rules, just how to keep things simple, not take yourself too seriously. I never do.

Do you have any brothers or sisters?

Nope. My parents found me and stopped. They said that's enough. Actually, yeah my parents divorced when I was about 4, so that kinda cut that one in the bud.

Who have you enjoyed working with most?

I'd have to say Bryan Benben, who played Martin Tupper, my dad on Dream On for six years. He was just an incredible source of comedic talent. I really owe a lot of what I know today to him. Just an amazingly funny man. And the hardest worker I've ever met in this business. He was just so dedicated to making each and every scene as funny as possible. He tried to make every line special. And I really respected that about him. Plus he's a funny guy. We got along like brothers, so.... It was a great working situation.

Is there anybody you haven't worked with that you want to?

Boy, that's a good one. There's so many numerous people that I'd like... I'd like to do something with Oliver Stone. I really admire his ability to create an intense, powerful piece. I think that JFK is a wonderful example of that. Of just incredible editing, wonderful cinematography and strong script. I'd like to do something a little bit out there, a little edgy, something no one has seen me do before.

What's your latest project?

Well, right now I can't mention the network obviously but I'm working, developing my own show for a network to be on television. Looking forward to that. And as usual just trying to continue the film work and I like to keep busy in other things as well.

Do you like watching yourself?

No, I actually don't. I usually go in, if I'm in a screening I usually go in the absolute farthest seat away from anybody else. I have a hard time watching myself. I'm my own hardest critic. Every line to me comes out as "Boy, I could have improved that". Or "that could have been better". And it's very hard for me to believe that the television show I'm watching is being beamed out to the rest of the country and the rest of the world. To me somehow I'm just convinced it's just showing in my house. It blows me away to think that other people are actually watching it. I don't have the easiest time watching my work, no.

So, when you're working are you aware that that's going to be happening?

Well, it's weird, if you have really good dialogue and if you're with some really strong actors, you really do forget about the cameras being there and you do become one with the role. You forget about everything until, you know, they say cut. And then you beam back into reality.

You say your a big Lakers fan, do you have any other sports that you like to watch or play?

Well, I'm big on exercise. I work out every day. I have a personal home workout machine here. I run three miles a day. Every day except Sunday. That's my day of rest. I'm very physically active. I feel really alive when I'm out playing sports. But, basketball is definitely.... Well, I always tell everybody if I couldn't be an actor, I'd wanna be starting on the Lakers. I'm just acting because I don't have enough skills to play basketball.

You might have a bit of a height problem there, I dunno.

You know, well, I'll tell you who inspires me. I'm 5'7", and there's Mugsy Bokes who plays for the Charlotte Hornets who's only 5'3", so, I got four inches on him. So I'm feeling good about that. I tell you what though, I'd definitely work the hardest though.

What kind of music do you like?

All alternative pretty much. I'll listen to oldies from the 60s to current music, but pretty much alternative. I don't have much use for a lot of that Top 40 music. It's just so lame on substance, it's very hard to listen to. It's the same three lines repeated over and over again in a very quick sequence.

What's coming out next that you're in?

Well, like I said, the next project you'll probably see is the film I'm right about to start shooting on now and hopefully the upcoming series for television.