While playing football at Princeton University, Cris D’Annunzio discovered acting or, more appropriately, he was discovered. Since then Cris has written several plays and been featured on various movies and television shows. His most current theatre project is the autobiographical “Digging Up Dad”. His latest movie, “Chasing 3000″, is something he wrote and will act in alongside Ray Liotta and Rory Culkin.

For more, up-to-date information about Cris, please visit his official website.

Describe your transition from football player at Princeton University to being discovered by the John Houseman Acting Company.

The transition was not an intentional one. My summer job during college was at Chautauqua Institute in upstate New York. I was the instrument mover for the orchestra. One day I was removing the instruments from the pit when some members of the John Houseman Acting Company were preparing to go on stage. They were there doing summer stock. The director (Charles Newell, current artistic director of Chicago’s Court Theatre) saw me and asked if I’d like to be in their play. It was called, “Vaudevillian”. They needed a thuggish-looking guy and apparently there weren’t any in the company.

I didn’t have any lines – all I did was come on towards the end of the play and choke someone to death. But the experience of riding my bike to the theatre, going through the rehearsal process and watching how the actors worked, really stuck with me. I spent the rest of the summer working with the company in Chautuaqua and I was hooked.

Back in February you started your one-man play, “Digging up Dad”. Please tell us a little bit about it and how the idea for the play presented itself.

The play is about the sudden, mysterious death of my father in 1991 and the subsequent chain of bizarre events that occurred afterwards culminating in my being extorted for a significant amount of money by what would commonly be called, “The Mob”.

My parents had divorced when I was 12 and I never really developed much of a relationship with my father. Ultimately, the play is about coming to terms with that and, ironically, developing a relationship, posthumously, with a man I never really knew but loved. The idea was one that I always wanted to explore in the context of performance but for safety and various other reasons I never acted on it until recently. With the passing of years, the personal danger I and my family may have been in dissipated and I was contemplating the father-son relationship as I was about to have my first son. So the timing was right.

“Digging up Dad” is an autobiographical play. What are the pros and cons of presenting something so personal to a large audience?

Throwing your personal life on a stage for all to see is wrought with all kinds of interesting consequences – both good and bad. I would say that for me, it was personally freeing in the sense that I was able to get out a lot of things that I had been holding inside for many years. As far as presenting it to a large audience, there was the over-riding anxiety that as a commercial venture it may not succeed. Regardless of the very personal nature of the play, I still had to step back and deal with the business aspects involved in creating, putting up and promoting a show. That proved challenging at times as it became necessary to be objective about something that I was very close to. Ultimately, in performance, I could not worry about all that. I just had to go out and tell my story in the only way I knew – which was to simply be honest.

“Digging up Dad” opened to rave reviews. Do you have any more theatrical projects in the works?

Presently, I am doing some re-writes on “Digging Up Dad” with the idea of taking it to New York and/or possibly touring it. I am also working on another solo show that is based on my life in a more contemporary sense. I have a ‘performance art’ piece that I am developing as well as a multi-character stage play about – what else – life and death.

You’ve worked on stage and on screen. Which do you prefer and why? Is one easier to get a career in than the other?

Both have their redeeming qualities and as an actor I don’t necessarily see a major difference between doing one or the other.

Obviously, on stage you are asking yourself to adhere to the physical rigor of doing the same show night after night, week after week. But stage does carry an element that is not always present when doing a movie or TV and that is the idea of ensemble or team. You are working with the same people in a very intimate setting over a period of time and when it works, it’s magical. I’m not saying that doesn’t happen on screen, but by and large that is only the case for the nucleus of people – director, DP, stars.

The others often come in for a day or so, do their work and leave. Being a former athlete, I tend to gravitate towards team situations. That being said, I have found that getting and having a career in theater is infinitely harder than having one on screen.

You starred in the short film “Clemency” which was shown at this year’s Sundance Film Festival and won several awards at other film festivals. Please tell us the plot of the movie and the character you play.

The story is about a sadistic killer who tortures his victims in a series of gruesome murders. He is caught and put on death row but granted clemency by the governor. A reporter confronts the killer in an interview seeking to find answers to his seemingly inhuman behavior. What she learns can never be forgotten or forgiven. I play the sadistic killer.

You just wrote a screenplay titled, “Chasing 3000″ that will feature yourself and Ray Liotta. Please tell us a little about it and the character that you play. Do you hope to write more screenplays in the future?

On to nicer topics…the film is about two brothers, one of whom suffers from a debilitating physical condition, that “borrow” their mother’s car to drive across the country with the hope of seeing Roberto Clemente get his 3000th hit.

It’s a story about how the love of a hero brings out the love that two brothers have for each other – and the power that evokes. I play the role of Mr. Motley, the principal from the boys’ school.

I have actually written a few other screenplays as well, but currently, I am working on adapting the novel, “Wild Turkey” by one of my favorite authors, Michael Hemmingson. I optioned the book through my production company and hope to complete the script by the end of the summer and start shooting in the fall/winter of this year.

Actors read a lot of scripts. Some they agree to work on, others they throw away. When reading a script, what elements of it make you want to participate in the project?

I don’t know who those actors are that throw away scripts, but it’s not me. I do not have that luxury. I am attracted to writing that has an original voice and makes me think. That can come from any genre or budget size.

The main part about being an actor is getting into character. What are the basic steps an actor takes in order to get into his/her character?

This is a topic of which I have plenty to say — but I’ll try to paraphrase and spare you.

I think that it’s a personal and subjective choice about how one works. At the end of the day, if the audience believes you, that’s all that matters. For me, the term ‘actor’ is only an occupational description of how one (attempts) to earn a living. What I DO, however, is not act at all. I consider myself, to borrow the phrase from my teacher Eric Morris, a professional experiencer. As such, for me, there is no character. There is only myself saying the words that the author has given me. I must truthfully express what I feel in the given circumstances. It’s simple, but not easy. That’s the paradox. It has to come either from my own personal experiences – of which I have many to drawn on, much to the chagrin of my therapist – or from my extremely over-active imagination, much to the consternation of my wife.

Either way, I have to start by asking myself, “What would I do if…?” Then I must have the courage to apply, truthfully, what I feel – real or imagined – regardless of the consequences. Considering I’ve told you that I recently played a sadistic killer, this may sound a little frightening. But the reality is, I do have the capacity to be a sadistic killer. Now, before you get too wigged out, realize that I also have the capacity for extreme kindness and gentility. We all do. It is only the very foolish that enter the proposition of acting and say, “I would NEVER do that…” I believe that under the right circumstances, we all have the capacity to do anything, certainly to experience the gamut of emotions. So in such an instance, you have to ask yourself, “What would have to happen in order to make me….” For me, it’s very easy to find those answers. But my facility with my emotions is not highly coveted in normal society. Thankfully, acting is my antidote to that.

You’ve also done a lot of work in popular television shows including “Seinfeld”, “Without a Trace”, and “As the World Turns”. How does working on a TV show differ from working on a film? Do you prefer one over the other?

TV is a much quicker medium in which to work. There is not the time to develop a relationship with the other actors, really, unless you are a series regular and working with each other every day.

In that, again, it reduces the element of ensemble or team, so my preference would tend towards film. Unless, of course, as I said, I were to be a series regular. I would absolutely love to get up every day and go to the set at 6am and work until 9pm or so with the same group of people. I mean that, sincerely.

When you’re not acting or writing, what do you like to do in your free time?

I’m not sure I understand the concept of “free time”. I just try to live my life every day. I have four children – 3 girls ages 10, 8 and 5 – and a 6 month old son. I am very active in their lives, school, sports, friends, etc… I am a neat freak bordering on obsessive-compulsive so I am constantly picking things up and cleaning.

I’m a book junkie. There are five novels on my nightstand and another dozen or so on my kindle that I’m reading at any given time. I’m a major clothes horse and have a shoe fetish so I’m constantly looking for new items to add to my wardrobe. And with my manic-depressive nature, I have to go to the gym every day and exercise to the point of near collapse or I am unbearable – even to myself.

Other than that, I follow the New York Mets in baseball and the Tottenham Hotspurs of the English Premier League religiously. I like to eat and listen to music, especially jazz and blues. Is that enough?

What have you learned in your career that you can pass down to actors just starting out?

Make sure you are doing this for the right reasons. Honestly, if you’re not, admit it to yourself and move on. It’s just too hard. What I mean by that is this: most people get into acting because they have an hallucination about what it means to be an actor. What they really want is not to be an actor, but to be rich and famous. If you want to be rich and famous, there are easier ways to do it.

I will not deny that what often initially draws anyone, including myself, to this endeavor is the need to be liked. But you have to realize what the work entails. And it is work. And sacrifice. And insecurity. And many years, sometimes a lifetime, of near-poverty. Those are just the by products.

Brass tacks, if you don’t have a real passion for the process, you are going to be miserable, no matter if you do happen to become rich and famous. I myself have had fits and starts with an acting career. I have tried to do other things. Other things that were much more lucrative, secure and career-worthy. But I couldn’t stick it. I’m addicted to the process of self-discover that comes with the way I work as an actor. There’s no “retreat to the cave”, as I call it, in any other endeavor except this one. I have to do it or really, life is not worth it to me. If you feel similarly, then do it. And never, never, never give up.

Anything you’d like to add?

Thanks for the opportunity to share some of my experiences with you. I absolutely love your site, think it’s a tremendous resource and wish you all the best.

Source – http://jitzul.com/sections/interviews/?target=2762

Los Angeles, CA – Sometimes you have to go deeper to find the truth, and then come to terms with the unexpected results. Cris D’Annunzio, emotionally and physically outgunned in childhood, investigates his past with LOL revelations, and suspenseful twists in places that are otherwise safe. The mysterious circumstances surrounding his father’s death seem to indicate Mob involvement…and whether digging up Hoffa or Nuzzo, the journey is full of surprises.

CRIS D’ANNUNZIO was raised in a traditional East Coast nuclear family – in the sense that his grandparents, both Italian immigrants, lived in the house and there were always bombs going off! He survived to attend Princeton University, where he played football. Cris got his start in acting when he was ‘discovered’ by the John Houseman Acting Company while moving instruments for the symphony orchestra at Chautauqua Institute in upstate NY – his summer job during college. The experience of riding his bike to the theatre and performing stuck with him. After a brief stint in the NFL with the Buffalo Bills, Cris embarked on an acting and writing career that has taken him from the stage to the screen – both big and small. LA Stage appearances include COBB at the Falcon Theater, award winning COCKRAOCH NATION at LATC, and the World Premiere of Beth Henley’s SISTERS OF THE WINTER MADRIGAL. NY credits include MISS JULIE at Manhattan Theatre Club. Selected FILM credits include Ridley Scott’s AMERICAN GANGSTER and CHASING 3000 with Ray Liotta, which Cris wrote. Cris has had numerous TV roles which include appearances on WITHOUT A TRACE, and LAW AND ORDER.

Mike Myers Director/Producer– helmed the critically acclaimed production of FAITHFUL at the Ruskin last season. Other directing credits include THE COMPLEATE WORKS OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE (Abridged), THAT MAY WELL BE TRUE, MITIGATING FACTORS, PICASSO AT THE LAPIN AGILE, LA CAFÉ PLAYS, SGNARELLE-THE IMAGINARY CUCKOLD and BEYOND THERAPY. He has produced more than 50 projects since 2002 and is a co-creator of the Ruskin’s critically acclaimed CAFÉ PLAYS, a monthly offering of one-acts that are done in 10 ½ hours from conception to staging. Mr. Myers is also a Santa Monica Arts Commissioner.

Brandon Baruch LIGHTING DESIGN
Recent Los Angeles Designs: Orpheus Descending at Theatre/Theater, PROJECT: Wonderland, Doomsday Kiss, and Ken Roht’s 99 Cent Only Calendar Girl Competition at Bootleg Theater; Scarcity, Mercury Fur, and Fatboy with NeedTheater; Son of Semele Ensemble’s Tragedy: A Tragedy; and Celebration Theater’s A Christmas Carol. Other productions include the West Coast Premieres of The Big Random, A Beautiful View, and Say You Love Satan; and the World-Premieres of Fafalo, Muscles in Our Toes, and Wildboy ’74 (which Brandon also designed at the 2008 NYC Fringe Festival.) Brandon is the Resident Lighting Designer for NeedTheater.