As a kid, I grew up watching Karate movies. At the time I was taking Karate (Shotokan and Taekwondo). I was into all of the martial arts movies. All of them were my idols. The main one I liked was Bruce Lee. However, I remember watching the others as well like: Chuck Norris, Jean-Claude Van Damme and Steven Seagal. Jim Kelly, Kane Kosugiand and Sho Kosugi. Benny the Jet Urquidez, Bolo Yeung and Ernie Reyes Jr.. There are many others, but these guys – I remember vividly.
I would watch their movies and do some of their moves afterwards. I used to set up boxes and knock them down after practicing my katas. The trigger for acting was activated then but my attention got diverted away from it when I picked up a tennis racquet. That summer in ‘92 my mom was looking for Acting classes because of my interest in Karate movies. When I picked up the racquet my love for tennis was born. I told my mom that I would do Acting after I was finished with Tennis.
Fast Forward 14 years later and I finished playing Collegiate Tennis and School as well. The drive for tennis wasn’t there anymore and I was getting tired of it. So one day, I was watching the TV program called Room Raiders on MTV with my mom and someone. I knew at the time that was a friend of my brothers was on TV. Afterwards, I was like, if he can get on TV so can I. Ok that’s it, I’m doing acting.
When my mom heard this, she told me about this flyer she saw for an Acting Coach at the laundromat. I was interested and decided to check him out. I called the number and spoke with him. He told me his name is Alan Landers and that he used to be a cigarette model for Winston Cigarettes. He was the Winston Man. I met with him a few days later. He told me his credentials and his style (Meisner Method). Immediately, I set up a time to work with him.
In 2009 after a few years of lessons and learning from him, my action coach Alan Landers passes. He had throat cancer. At the time of his passing, I had enough coaching that I could venture out on my own and get signed with agencies, which I did. My first job that I booked was a commercial for a finance company. I played the role of a dad. On set, I called my great Aunt to tell her about me booking a commercial and that I was happy.
Immediately after I hung up with her, I got this feeling that Acting was something I was SUPPOSED to be doing. I never had that feeling with Tennis. Then I thought about all the times I didn’t take acting seriously and how I did it for extra money being an extra on commercials and movies. It’s interesting how I had that feeling, because a few months later some stock photography I did back when I was 19 appeared on a Taco Bell Ad.
I got a text message at 11:45pm at night from some college buddies asking when did I do a Taco Bell ad? I figured they were drunk. Then they sent the text and I was like HOLY SHIT! It was me in the middle holding the diploma in the air. I told my buddies that I didn’t know about it. Also, that the shoot was done 9 years earlier in Hialeah and it was for a College graduation catalog. I didn’t think much of it at the time.
I got paid $150 for one hour’s worth of work. Soon after, I started getting phone calls from friends and associates that I knew about the ad. I even walked in to a Taco Bell and told the general manager about it. He promised me that he would save the poster that was next to the register and give it me once the campaign ended. It’s those 2 events that let me know that things happen when you’re ready for them. The commercial and the Taco Bell Ad were two prime examples of it.
In 2001 I studied a little Acting. I was taking classes in Miami and got a feel for it. I had got cast into the role for a TV show pilot that was being filmed. I studied acting under Alan Landers. He taught me the Meisner Method. He knew Sandy Meisner and they trained many of the Actors in Hollywood. Alan taught in New York, L.A. and Europe as well. What helped me the most in Acting was that my coach was very honest and blunt. He taught me well but most importantly he kept it simple.
My first job that I booked was a commercial for a finance company. I played the role of a dad. On set, I called my great Aunt to tell her about me booking a commercial and that I was happy. Immediately after I hung up with her, I got this feeling that Acting was something I was supposed to be doing. I never had that feeling with Tennis. I guess you could say from that moment on I said I’m going to be an Actor and it’s my new passion.
indieactivity: What acting technique do you use?
Chris Hunter (CH): I use the Meisner Method which is aimed at Truthful Acting. Acting is making imaginary circumstances real. So, if I’m reading for the role of an ego driven boss that is selfish, then I think about my experiences with people like that and I draw from there.
