Christopher Larkin had stayed in New York for a long time, but in 2012 he took a leap of faith swearing never to live in that city again. He moved to Los Angeles where he slept on the couch of his friend trying to see if LA would be kinder to him. With time he landed his first lead acting job in “Squad ’85.” In 2014, he booked the role of Monty in “The 100”, and with the series becoming a hit, Christopher’s star began to shine. You can learn more about Christopher’s life beyond the screen from these facts.
1. It took him 13 years to create his first album
Creativity demands a fresh mind lest you keep stagnating because you do not know what to write or compose. Christopher released his first solo album after 13 years, and once it was finished, he described the moment as bittersweet; as much as he was excited to get it over and done with, he still missed the entire process of creating it. Most of all, he wondered if he would take another 13 years to make a second album.
2. He does not have a favorite song
Asking a musician to pick his favorite song is like telling a mother to choose their favorite child, which is impossible. For Christopher, he confessed he falls in love with a song upon completing it, but immediately he writes another one it becomes his new favorite. Since some songs take days or months to write, that means that the singer can have a favorite song every day or monthly.
3. How he thought of “Carry Hatchet” as a band name
Christopher disclosed that coming up with a band name can be challenging; hence he needed to find one that was unique and not already taken. Luckily as he watched a documentary by Ken Burns about Prohibition, the actor noticed a teetotaller called Carry Nation. Carrie carried a hatchet with her to smash salons; hence people began calling her “Carrie Hatchet.” The moment that Christopher heard the name, it was the solution to his long search of a band name; hence he modified it a bit to come up with “Carry Hatchet.” It is under this moniker that he released his first solo album.
4. Being Asian has been tough on his acting career
When Christopher began his journey into acting, he thought the expression of industries being equal opportunity employer as accurate only to have that impression taken away from him through his experience. His casting process became quite difficult; while he thought he could play any role, some casting directors thought the actor was not capable all because he was Asian. For this reason, he changed his motive for being an actor. As he told Talk Nerdy with Us, at first, venturing in the industry was purely for selfish reasons, but now, he is determined to improve the image of Asian-American performers.
5. Desperation led to him being on “The 100.”
Fans usually think that actors have a glamorous life, but before one can make it in the industry, the journey is often an uphill climb. Christopher knows this all too well because at the time he got to be in the series, he confessed he was so desperate, he would have taken any role that was given to him. Luckily for him, “The 100” booked him as Monty, a character he has played since the series began.
6. He hopes to be in a film someday
On his Wikipedia page, Christopher is said to have an active career that dates back to 2001, but his television credits only go as far as 2008. The actor mainly concentrated on theater before graduating in 2009, but with a singing and television acting career, Christopher feels the only thing missing from his resume are film credits. In 2017, he disclosed he had not done a film in more than a decade hence at least two indie movies would do. Unfortunately, that was almost three years ago, and he is yet to fulfill his dream.
7. His most notable role models
As an Asian-American actor, Christopher is saddened by the fact that currently there are hardly any A-list Asian actors in Hollywood. He even advises Asian students whose passion is acting but are studying medicine and law to please their parents to join him in making the industry a level playing field. With such a mindset, it is no wonder that he cites Sidney Poitier as proof that actors of color can make it big in the industry. Christopher also added Paul Robeson in his short list of role models saying Paul left a legacy despite not becoming a big name in Hollywood, thus setting the pace for actors of color.
8. He searched for his biological mother
Christopher was born Chung Wun-Ha but was given up for adoption at four months old. Strangely, for 27 years, his birth mother kept the adoption a secret from her family, but curiosity got the better of Christopher, and he decided to look for her at a time when he was feeling lost and confused. The actor used the adoption agency to send a letter to his birth mother, and she responded saying she wanted to meet him; hence Christopher went to Korea.
9. When the acting bug bit him
While in middle school, Christopher enrolled in the drama program and found himself being the most comfortable when on the stage. That encouraged him to continue acting, and despite having no acting experience, he landed a role in “Flamingo Rising,” where he said the lines naturally came to him. Unfortunately that enthusiasm did not last long because, in college, he began doubting his acting skills when he was denied a few roles.
10. He wishes he had pursued music professionally instead of acting
In his interview with The Korea Times, the actor said that if he could go back in time, he would do music instead of acting. He reasoned that while with music, one can stay active permanently, with acting, you have to wait in between jobs.
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