Chris Massoglia

Christopher Paul Massoglia[1] (born March 29, 1992) is an American television and motion picture actor.

Chris Massoglia
Massoglia at the premiere of Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant, 2009
Member of the Blaine, Minnesota City Council from Blaine's 3rd Ward
Assumed office
January 4, 2021
Preceded byAndy Gervais
Personal details
Born
Christopher Paul Massoglia

(1992-03-29) March 29, 1992
Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.
Spouse(s)Shauna Massoglia
OccupationPolitician
Websitehttps://www.chrismassoglia.com/

Early life

Chris Massoglia was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, to Christopher and Karen Massoglia.[2] His father is a chiropractor and his mother a homemaker.[2] His parents are devout Christians and Republicans, and Massoglia grew up a fan of Christian pop music (as well as unable to listen to rap music).[2] Massoglia was homeschooled by his mother.[2] By the age of 13, he had enrolled in an online university where his coursework included developmental psychology, Biblical studies, algebra, and American history.[2] He also had studied jujitsu, played piano, trained as a hip-hop dancer, knew American sign language, and rode horses.[2] He was also a stand-out Little League Baseball player.[2]

Movie career

He began attending acting workshops at a dancing academy in his home town of Minneapolis while in middle school, and auditioning for television commercials by creating home-made audition tapes.[3] His first jobs included commercials for Target, Marshall Field's, PepsiCo, and Best Buy.[2]

He began acting in 2003 under the name "Chris Kelly" (sometimes appearing as "Chris J. Kelly") in an episode of the television program Law & Order: Criminal Intent.[3] The same year, he was considered for the part of 10-year-old Sean in the Nicole Kidman film Birth, but the family refused to allow him to appear naked on screen with a nude, grown woman.[2] He auditioned for Spider-Man 2 (getting far enough in the casting process to spend an afternoon with Tobey Maguire) and Bad News Bears (he returned six times for call-backs but was not cast).[2] He spent the summer of 2004 away from auditions to play Little League Baseball; his team (the Robbinsdale All-Stars) won the Minnesota state title that year but did not go to the Little League World Series after losing in the Indianapolis regionals.[2] He appeared in two episodes of Medical Investigation in 2004,[4] and four episodes of the TNT cable television police drama Wanted in 2005.[3][4] He began using his family name of Massoglia in 2008.[3]

He made his feature film acting debut in 2007 in the motion picture A Plumm Summer,[5] but his most prominent role as of 2009 was as "Darren Shan" in the 2009 film Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant.[6] Originally scheduled to debut in theaters in 2010, the film was moved to October 2009 to "capitalize on the Halloween season",[7] and opened a month prior to another highly anticipated vampire picture, New Moon.[8]

His follow-up project was the 3-D horror film The Hole, directed by Joe Dante,[9][10][11] He also went on to play the role of older Sam, Zac Efron's brother in Charlie St. Cloud, but his role was cut from the film.[11][12]

After a four year break from acting, Massoglia returned to the profession. His first notable work was in the 2016 film The Matchbreaker, in which he had a minor role.[13] This was followed by the small film Because of Gràcia, in which he starred as teenaged boy trying to build a relationship with a chaste girl who refuses to kiss until she's married.[14] In the fall of 2017, Massoglia began filming another small independent film, The Lumber Baron.[15]

Massoglia wrote, directed, and starred in the short film Playball, which was released online in 2018.[16]

As of November 2009, critiques of Massoglia's acting have concerned his leading role in Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant. His performance has not won raves; motion picture industry trade publication Variety said, "The production puts far too much faith in the appeal of newcomer Chris Massoglia, who plays Darren Shan, a rule-abiding, good-grade-earning conformist with the shaggy coif and bland, gumdrop charm of your average Nickelodeon character."[17] The Boston Globe called his acting "too bland to deliver."[18] However, reviewing his 2009 film The Hole, The Hollywood Reporter called Massoglia "a young Zac Efron... who ably carries the film."[19]

Filmography

Film
Year Title Role Notes
2007 A Plumm Summer Elliott Plumm
2009 The Hole Dane Thompson Main role
2009 Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant Darren Shan Main role
2016 The Matchbreaker Zach Minor role
2017 Because of Gràcia Chase Morgan Main role
2018 Playball Son (Adult) Main role, short film, also writer and director
2019 The Protectors Wesley Main role

Television
Year Title Role Notes
2003 Law & Order: Criminal Intent Sam Connors Episode: "Happy Family"
2004 Medical Investigation Jack Connor Episode: "You're Not Alone"
Episode: "Coming Home"
2005 Wanted Tony Rose 4 episodes
2006 Boys Life Tom Porter
2013 Our Wild Hearts Ryan TV movie

References
  1. "Actor Page for Chris Massoglia." Movie Kids. November 5, 2004. Accessed 2009-10-25.
  2. Justin, Neal. "The Role of a Lifetime: Being an Ordinary Kid." Minneapolis Star Tribune. December 12, 2005.
  3. Sheehan, Brian. "Chris Massoglia: From Geek to 'Freak' Variety. October 2, 2008.
  4. Bianculli, David. "Gary Cole Switches Sides, But Still In Line of Fire." New York Daily News. July 18, 2005.
  5. "Movie Review: 'Plumm Summer' Offers '70s-Style Hugs But Little Depth." St. Paul Pioneer Press. April 24, 2008.
  6. McIntyre, Gina. "Paul and Chris Weitz Find a Blood Bond." Los Angeles Times. October 18, 2009.
  7. McClintock, Pamela. "Horror Given Full Rein at Box Office." Daily Variety. October 22, 2009.
  8. Horn, John. "In Strange Company: Paul Weitz's 'Cirque du Freak'." San Jose Mercury News. October 16, 2009.
  9. Senjanovic, Natasha. "The Hole a 3D Horror Movie With a Lesson." Reuters. September 28, 2009.
  10. SCREAM '09: Star Chris Massoglia on 'The Hole 3D' and Scary Marionettes
  11. Kroll, Justin. "Players." Daily Variety. October 21, 2009.
  12. Memberto, Brad. "Cirque du Freak: Not Your Father's Vampires." Santa Ynez Valley News. October 30, 2009.
  13. McConiga, Rimsie (August 12, 2015). "Q5: Lights, camera, action". Leavenworth Times. Retrieved October 27, 2017.
  14. Bond, Paul (April 14, 2017). "Film Starring 'American Idol' Contestant Who Says She Was Mocked by Judges Gets Release Date". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved October 27, 2017.
  15. "Actor Chris Massoglia is hoping his third kiss will be his first real one". Minneapolis Star-Tribune. September 1, 2017. Retrieved October 27, 2017.
  16. "Playball". YouTube. December 18, 2018. Retrieved April 16, 2020.
  17. DeBruge, Peter. "Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant." Variety. September 27, 2009.
  18. "Movie Stars." The Boston Globe. November 7, 2009.
  19. "The Hole -- Film Review." "The Hollywood Reporter." September 25, 2009.
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