Post by Valerie on Aug 22, 2005 20:03:43 GMT -5
From nbc.com/passions
“Beautiful Stranger”
Thursday, August 18 marks the debut of the charming and intriguing Christopher Boothe. Chris arrives at the Bed & Breakfast looking to write a story on the earthquake and tsunami. But as Sheridan notes, the real story seems to be Harmony’s new international man of mystery. While Chris may be somewhat of an enigma, his portrayer, Adrian Wilson, is much more forthcoming. Read on to get the scoop on this handsome South African newcomer. (Try to imagine his cute accent while reading his answers!)
What can you tell us about your character, Chris Boothe?
Well, I haven’t been told very much about him other than he’s a pretty mysterious, dark kind of guy. So I’m not sure whether he’s gonna be the good guy or the bad guy. I’m just as in the dark as you guys are.
How did your role on “Passions” come about?
“Passions” was actually my first audition out in L.A. I came in to see Jackie [Briskey, Casting Director] and went through the whole process of the callbacks and the screen tests. It was very nerve-wracking. I was never so nervous in my life!
How much did you know about “Passions” before you got the job?
When I was living in New York, my girlfriend back then used to watch “Passions” religiously. And I used to walk in there and be like, “Honey, what are you watching?!” Because you know, it’s got quite a storyline with little dolls and magic and this kind of stuff. She was glued to the set. I remember Tabitha and the little guy with the gloves, Timmy. And of course, Alistair, the incredible bad guy.
Who was the first person to make you feel welcome on the show?
First was Jackie Briskey. I just love her to death. She’s just the most incredible woman, and she made me feel comfortable right off the bat. As far as the cast and the crew, when I did my first screen test, it was with James [Hyde, Sam]. So he kind of took me under his wing the first day I was here. He said, “Look, relax, let’s run some lines.” We ran the lines and he gave me some advice. He was really, really helpful. He’s a great guy. But this is one of those shows where the whole crew and cast are really amazing.
Have you met much of the cast yet?
I think I’ve met almost everybody now after having just done some restaurant scenes. Although I haven’t come into contact with Spike, Jessica or Paloma.
What do you like best about your character so far?
He’s a snappy dresser. (Laughs) I kind of like that I don’t know much about him. It’s kind of a bad thing because you want to run your character along a certain line. But not knowing gives you a lot of freedom to explore things about him. So the mysterious part is probably what I like best. I’m kind of dying to find out where I’m coming from, where I fit in.
What’s been the biggest adjustment to working on “Passions”?
Homework! (Laughs) Lots of reading. It’s funny though, once you get that memory muscle down, it’s fine. I remember it wasn’t too far into working here that I had a Friday where we shot 2 shows. And I had 40 pages of script! I thought they must have made a mistake! I sat down with Maria [O’Brien, Acting Coach] the day before, and we just worked the whole day.
What was it like growing up in Capetown, South Africa?
I was born in Capetown, but we kind of moved around a little bit in South Africa. Spent some time in Johannesburg, some time in Durban. But I spent most of my time in Capetown. Capetown is just one of the most exquisitely beautiful places in the world. I traveled extensively while modeling, but Capetown is just one of the most amazingly, natural, beautiful places I’ve ever seen. It’s a metropolitan city cradled in the arms of a mountain. The mountain is kind of a backdrop to the city. And you’ve got the beautiful, pristine coastline right there. Growing up in Africa was great because it’s not quite as developed as the States so things are a little bit more natural. There’s a quality of life that I kind of miss sometimes.
You studied marketing and advertising. What made you decide to leap into acting?
I always kinda wanted to be an actor. But growing up in South Africa, there was one stage where we had sanctions. We couldn’t import or export anything in South Africa, including television. And for a South African actor to actually leave the country and work anywhere else in the world was extremely difficult. I can remember one guy who kind of stood out, Richard E. Grant; he’s like my hero in leaving South Africa and making it as an actor somewhere else. I didn’t want to be stuck just doing South African television or plays. So I was like, what else can I do, what else is creative and feeds my mind? So I went into the school of advertising because I like business as well. There was enough creative stuff to keep me interested. But once I finished my courses, I realized there’s not that much creative freedom. They give you distinct parameters on a campaign. Also, by the time I finished studying, I was involved in modeling already. I had the opportunity to go to Europe and so I started down that path instead. By the time I got to New York, a lot of doors were opened for me. I started taking acting classes.
What was it like moving to the U.S.?
That first year I got to the U.S. [eight years ago], I shared an apartment in New York with five other South African guys. We just had the best time. We were known as the South African posse. If one guy got invited to a party, he’d bring his five friends with him. I had a fantastic experience. It wasn’t always easy ‘cause New York is a tough city. But I’m the type to stick things out. As for California, I love it. It’s very much like Capetown weather-wise and having the beach. Even before I moved here permanently [at the end of last year], I had a surfboard and a wetsuit at my friend’s house. Now I get to surf every weekend!
