Christian James. Photo Credit: Brad Everett Young
Actor Christian James chatted about “All American” on The CW and doing the horror film “Hell Fest.”
‘All American’ on The CW
On being a part of “All American,” he said, “It was an honor to be part of such an incredible show with a phenomenal cast and crew—such a blessing. The fans are so loyal, so to be able to dive in and stir up drama and really affect a show meant a lot to me.”
James plays the character Wade Waters in “All American.” “I love that I get to portray someone who growing up I had to deal with. I was bullied quite a lot so playing Wade gave me an opportunity to make the world see and feel the things I did. It is important to note that many bullies such as Wade are probably bullied themselves whether at home by family or someone else. Just a reminder to the world that we are all dealing with things not everyone sees and sadly not everyone has the help or guidance they need,” he explained.
‘Hell Fest’ horror movie
He spoke about his experience doing the horror film “Hell Fest.” “It was a blast,” he exclaimed. “The cast was awesome and so lovely, and the set was crazy. There wasn’t much acting needed per se to immerse yourself as our art department literally built us a theme park! It was insane.”
On his daily inspirations as an actor, he said, “Each day is an opportunity for a new experience, a new feeling. Everyday we grow a little more and that is beautiful because one day a moment that happened 10 years ago will inspire a performance that may speak to one individual and that individual will be seen and heard. That is beautiful.”
The digital age
On being an actor in the digital age, James said, “There are so many platforms now and productions that are happening because they have that platform they never before did. I think it’s great and given so many people cast and crew opportunities to work and provide. You can’t be mad at it.”
For young and aspiring actors, he said, “It won’t be easy and it won’t always be glamorous. Trust me, I lived in a car when I first got to Hollywood. But practice and persistence will always triumph.”
On his dream acting partners, he shared, “I would love to work with Matt Damon, Tom Cruise, and Sylvester Stallone. I’ve always wanted to lead an action franchise and these men have all done it so well! To be able to work alongside them in that capacity would be an honor.”
Success
On his definition of the word success, he concluded, “Success is loving what you do and being proud of your work. I came out here to chase a dream and some people feel they aren’t successful in that chase until they are “Movie Stars” but in all honesty, my dreams are currently my reality. I still work side gigs in between jobs to make sure bills are paid but I’m acting. I am successful.”
To learn about actor Christian James, follow him on Instagram.
