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Dennis Christopher: Acting Chameleon
by Richard Knight, Jr.
2007-12-05

This article shared 11172 times since Wed Dec 5, 2007
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Dennis Christopher has been at this 'acting thing' for 40 years, beginning with his debut as a child on TV's sci-fi series Time Tunnel in 1967 and continuing through The Lost Room mini-series last year with Peter Krause and Margaret Cho and the final season of Deadwood in 2005. Christopher has had many notable movie roles as well—from Robert Altman's The Wedding to his memorable starring part in the 1979 classic Breaking Away. His Broadway debut found him playing scenes with Elizabeth Taylor and Maureen Stapleton in a revival of Lillian Hellman's The Little Foxes, the first of many stage performances. Christopher's ability to essay a variety of parts has been a hallmark of his career and, with his role in the gay-themed drama Nine Lives ( on DVD for $24.95 ) , he does it again. In the film, a modern version of the French play La Ronde, Christopher plays a libidinous and complex crystal meth dealer who has a memorable ( and very sexy ) encounter with a gay hustler.

___________

Dennis Christopher in Nine Lives.

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Windy City Times: How did you get involved with Nine Lives? Did you appear in the play version at one point?

Dennis Christopher: I saw the play Complications by Michael Kearns in L.A.; it was basically a collection of nine monologues. I thought the writing was wonderful. Our film is an adaptation of that by the director Dean Howell. No, I was not in the play.

WCT: You've acted in several gay-themed movies before, but this is the first time I can recall one with such an overt love theme. Any hesitation about that?

DC: I've done over 30 films and only three of them have had gay content. A short film called The Disco Years in a collection entitled A Boy's Life and It's My Party, a film by Randal Kleiser. The third was Skeletons, in it I am an innocent man imprisoned for the murder of his lover. Carol Baker played my Mother. Trapped is a movie I did for Regent, in the American version the part Alexandra Paul plays is having a relationship with a woman. It was shown on Here! TV. In the European version, Dangerous Isolation ( shown in theaters ) Alexandra is married to a man ... go figure. I play the evil Serbian mastermind.

WCT: Any hesitation about that full-frontal shot in Nine Lives?

DC: I'm not ashamed of my body; getting dressed after the sex scene just happened. I never tried to hide my cock because that would have been awkward. I've always hated it in other films when the actors look like they are more interested in hiding than being natural after a love scene. It was no big deal.

WCT: And the 10,000 new gay men that are suddenly your No. 1 fans?

DC: Funny!

WCT: Seriously ... your character elicited a lot of conflicting emotions—he's a sweet guy handling a difficult responsibility but he's also a drug dealer. What was he like to play? What did you draw on to make him come across so vividly?

DC: Thanks; I'm glad those conflicts came across. He is a sweet character and he handles his responsibility by selling crystal. He doesn't use it but you know none of these people take into consideration the full extent of the effect of their actions. They just live their lives moment by moment and without consciousness, that can be disastrous. I loved playing this man and it wasn't difficult. It was all in the writing and the fact that we almost always had only one take. I just focused on the fact that I loved my brother and would do anything for him. As a father figure he is always in control and the sex was a way for him to let go.

WCT: It's My Party is another significant movie in the queer canon with a wonderful cast. Anything stand out for you about working on that?

DC: It was great. We all had to show up every day and it was treated as an all-day party. We'd shoot the master and then Randal ( Kleiser, the writer-director ) would come in close to cover a particular scene. So much of what went on never made it into the final cut ( including why I was there ) as the movie would have been three hours long. I was Eric Roberts' childhood best friend, a straight man [ who ] didn't really understand what was happening.

WCT: What do you remember about working with Altman and some of that magnificent cast in A Wedding one of your great early parts; the film that was shot in the Chicago area as I recall?

DC: I loved Robert Altman. Working for him was one of the greatest things that could ever happen to a young actor. We were all responsible for creating our own dialogue and the circumstances of our characters. Structured improv. We shot it at the Armor mansion. Princess Grace came out to the set to hang with us for a couple of days. I used to write for Interview magazine and did an unpublished interview with the mother of cinema, Lillian Gish. God, what stories she told. It was an amazing time. An incredible group of actors that will never be matched again.

WCT: Can it really be almost 30 years since Breaking Away?! What stands out now most for you when you watch it?

DC: What a great movie it is. Every element of that film was perfect and came together so seamlessly. I'm very proud of that film. It stands the test of time.

WCT: You worked with Elizabeth Taylor and Maureen Stapleton in The Little Foxes onstage. What was that like? And the famously irascible playwright Lillian Hellman, any stories? Also, do you recall the night that Ronald and Nancy Reagan attended a performance that is detailed in Peter Feibleman's book about Hellman? It's sounds pretty funny.

DC: My Broadway debut ... not bad. Maureen Stapleton and I were close; a real theater legend. I loved spending almost a year with these women—amazing actors and a couple of great broads. Elizabeth and I are buddies; we could always crack each other up. A fantastic time with many stories but I'll never tell, at least not till my book! Lillian Hellman and I had tea in her apartment in New York; she had to give her OK on all casting. She didn't want anyone to know she was blind. So to observe her pouring tea and lighting her cigarettes was a lesson for any actor. As for your question, yes, I do remember that night, I don't know what was in the Feibleman book but the girls, Elizabeth and Mo were very naughty about Nancy, it seems that allegedly the first lady had a bit of a reputation in Hollywood. That's all I'll say. It grew near impossible for us to keep a straight face as the President and Mrs. Reagan gave their regards. Elizabeth loves to laugh and her language can get a bit blue. Later, at the reception I was the only man to ask the little old lady in the big yellow hair and outdated dress to dance. It was Ginger Rogers, she was the sweetest. She didn't want to stop—still working those high heels.

WCT: You've had an interesting career filled with memorable film, television and theatre roles. Which medium do you prefer? I read an early interview with you that you travel with all your possessions to feel right at home—where and when do you feel most at home?

DC: Film is the first thing that drew me to the profession. I'm crazy about pictures and I'm in love with faces, the camera can get so close. I grew up in a different time and the actors I loved had the most amazing mugs. Naturally, theater is the first medium I tried. There is nothing like performing in front of an audience. The exchange across the footlights is powerful, exhilarating and actually quite healthy. The work is received immediately not months later after a final edit. You can feel a job well done ( or not ) and know it right away. It's something I'll never stop doing. TV is the best; the writing just gets better and better. The chance to play a character through a story arc is just not available anywhere else. If I had a TV, I'd hook up the Tivo and never stop watching—from black & white films on Turner Classics to FX and almost everything in between. As for traveling with all my possessions—don't believe everything you read in the papers. These days I travel light. I love New York and I feel most at home at work, wherever that might be. Oh ... and in bed Sun. morning with the New York Times, lox & bagels, good coffee and my dog. And ... if I get lucky, I'll be next to someone I love.

WCT: Who has been the most inspirational for you when it comes to acting?

DC: As far as actors, too many to name. Directors, both living and passed and of course my teachers. I can't wait to come back to Chicago. One last thing ... [ and ] it's the most important: Vote Democratic!


This article shared 11172 times since Wed Dec 5, 2007
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