CHRIS GANN
“How does it feel [to be a stunt man]? It HURTS!”
Audiences love to watch a car chase through the city, a shootout in a warehouse or a fight between the hero and the bad guy. What’s even more exciting is when we discover the stunts were performed by the actual actors themselves. Enter successful crossover actor and stuntman Chris Gann. He’s been the ‘go-to’ stuntman for some of Hollywood’s biggest leading men, but he also packs a serious punch as an actor as well. This in-demand hybrid performer currently stars in the new horror film, THE CHOSEN, and will also appear in Sharon Stone’s upcoming television show, AGENT X. As busy as he is right now, Chris recently took a break long enough for an interview:
Give us a little taste of your role in THE CHOSEN.
CHRIS: My character ‘Uncle Joey’ is a deadbeat living off his family and the system. He is constantly causing conflict, and he is especially tough on his nephew Cameron (played by Kian Lawley). When Cameron has to make the painful decision to sacrifice 6 of his family members to save the soul of his niece, Uncle Joey is on top on the list. But as the deed gets closer, Cameron realizes Uncle Joey isn’t as bad as he seems: and this makes the choice to take his life harder than ever.
Is working on a horror film as creepy as it appears or is that just the magic of moviemaking?
CHRIS: Let me give your readers a glimpse into a day of shooting a horror film. You get covered in sticky blood and guts, and usually stay in it all day long. You usually have to get scared Sh**less by a monster, wolf, spirit, zombie, vampire, etc, that most of the time may not even be there. You also better be ready to get physical, from fights, falls, torture scenes, crawling and so on. Now that I mentioned all that, let me just say it’s pretty awesome and worth all the discomfort. Horror films are the ultimate make believe. And that’s what we do, as actors we pretend we are in that situation. As a stunt double, I once got to do a fight and kill Jason Vorhees (played by Derek Mears) in the last “Friday the 13th” movie. Who wouldn’t want to fight Jason!!
Did you do anything specific to prepare for this role?
CHRIS: First off, I was very fortunate to be offered this role. Uncle Joey was supposed to be a fat, balding, stocky man in his mid-50’s. And they already found an actor they liked thru casting. A close friend of mine who was one of the producers on this film (Jim Klock) really went to bat for me. He talked Ben (director Ben Joshua) into sitting down and having a meeting with me about playing Joey. After I told him my thoughts on the character, he decided to give me a chance. Imagine being the director and having this vision in your head about what a character looks and acts like, then be asked to do a 180% reversal one week before shooting and go with something totally different. I want to play roles against ‘my type’, most actors do. We love to challenge ourselves and be somebody else.
You’re also in Sharon Stone’s upcoming TV series, AGENT X — tell us about that.
CHRIS: This is going to be a hit for TNT. I signed an NDA so I can’t so much about the show, but Sharon Stone is fantastic and James Hephner plays agent X. Think of an American James Bond in the Secret Service.
Was going from the stunt world into acting an easy transition or did you have to prove yourself all over again?
CHRIS: Honestly, stunts and acting complement one another. I have been offered so many roles because often the director does not want to shoot around a stunt double. The producers always want to save $$$ so they want the actor to be able to do his own stunts. I can come in there and deliver both and everyone is happy.
But back to your question, “YES” I feel like every day I am asked to prove myself. There was this mystique with some casting directors that stunt men (and women) could not act. Well there are plenty of us out there who can, and are good at it. I was fortunate though to learn stunts first. You HAVE to be respected by the stunt community to get a shot at these roles, and that does not happen unless you can deliver every time. We work for stunt coordinators who put their reputation on the line by hiring us. They are NOT going to hire people who have not proven their talents, they can’t afford to.
Are you a daredevil or why do you put yourself in danger for your work?
CHRIS: Stuntmen are NOT daredevils. We are trained professionals who are asked to do dangerous stunts in a controlled environment. Now that I have said that, most of us were probably classified as daredevils at some point earlier in our life. Me in particular, I am just a big kid, who my whole life wanted to play sports, and test myself athletically. Whether I was riding my Jet Skis in big waves in South America, or snowboarding thru the back mountains of Lake Tahoe, I always would push myself not worried about what might happen. Stunts keep me young and in touch with the feeling I had doings those activities when I was a kid. Can you believe they pay me to do this stuff!!
Since we all secretly wish we could bust through windows, fly through the air and leap off tall buildings, tell us what that feels like.
CHRIS: Wow, how does it feel? IT HURTS!!!
What do you consider to be your best stunt ever?
CHRIS: The stunt team on “Transformers Dark Side of the Moon” was nominated for a Screen Actors Guild award for best stunt ensemble in a motion picture. We did such huge stunts every day, and we shot a lot of the movie in downtown Chicago with over 20,000 people watching (usually it’s just cast and crew). That experience was special. It was not just about coming in a doing one stunt, it was about doing dozens of wild stunts over 3 months in multiple locations.
Can you share the best piece of career advice you ever received?
CHRIS: One time Jerry Seinfeld said that show biz was like waiting in a long line at Starbucks. You start at the back of the line, then you get a little closer, then a few people get tired of waiting and you move up some more, a few more people get served and a few more leave. Next thing you know, it’s your turn! (FYI, the line may take 20 years but whatever you do, don’t get out of it!)
Overall, what’s been the biggest surprise for you as an actor and stuntman?
CHRIS: How much I still love my job after 17 years and over 100 credits, and to know every day could lead to some amazing opportunity! How many people can say that about their job?
Cool interview, I used to compete with Chris, racing jet-skis. A tough competitor and a good guy. Glad to see that you are doing well Chris!
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