Christopher Sommers

Christopher Grantley Sommers (born 30 June 1977) is an Irish-born actor who moved to Australia.

Education He received a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Acting) from the Queensland University of Technology (2000-2002). He undertook Master Classes at the 16th Street Studio (Melbourne) in 2012 with Ellen Burstyn, 2014 with Carl Ford and with Larry Moss in 2014 and 2016. He also attended a Masterclass with Ivana Chubbuch in Los Angeles in 2016.

Acting career While undertaking his degree Sommers acted in several stage productions, starting in 2001 in Uncle Vanya. Following his graduation he acted with several major companies mainly in Queensland although he did travel interstate with touring productions.

He has worked with Russell Crowe in The Water Diviner (2014), with Ethan Hawke and Sarah Snook in Predestination (2014) and John Cusack in Drive Hard (2014). Sommers stars in a feature film a zombie western Bullets for the Dead (set for release 2016) the first film for a joint venture between a Brisbane-based Cathartic Pictures and UK sales agent Stealth Media Group. It is intended to film a number of low budget genre films to be sold internationally.

Sommers has played diverse characters including a scientist, a bush bashing yokel, a soldier and comedy and says that growing older and changing your appearance allows you to play different roles. Sommers also plays a magical halfling professor in the series "The Bureau of Magical Things".

Teaching Sommers is a co-creator of the 21 Day Actors Challenge. Together with Angela Olyslager and Tanya Schneider they have put together a program to assist actors. The program is online and it includes acting exercises that will help participant be better prepared for stage and film roles. They also run Weekend Workshops.

Reviews A review by ABC Radio of the 2010 production of Fat Pig at the Bille Brown Studio, Brisbane, described him as "the always interesting Christopher Sommers", adding "In fact all performances were of the very highest quality. Sommers was likewise wonderfully sensitive".

Of the production of Beautiful (2008), the review in Stagediary stated:

... Christopher Sommers, as the mysterious almost sinister left-behind school friend, is the best example of this, and his triumph in this performance is to make his character almost seem like a bad actor who hasn’t learned his lines, until we notice the utter control he has over his movement and his voice. Stage presence doesn’t have to shout “Look at me acting!” – in this case, it’s all done by understatement.

Nathanael Cooper, in the Courier Mail review of Orphans (2011), wrote of Sommers:

The play is not easy to watch. It is troubling and harrowing and one particular scene sees Christopher Sommers absolutely own the audience as he describes, in gruesome detail, some of the darkest sides of life.

Awards 2006 Matilda Awards Emerging Artist

2010 Matilda Awards nominated Best Male Actor in a Leading Role

Filmography Film

Television

Theatre Christopher Sommers as actor unless otherwise stated Year TitleVenueYearTitleVenue 2001 Uncle Vanya QUT Gardens Theatre, Brisbane 2001 (25 Oct-23 Nov) The Merchant of Venice QUT Gardens Theatre, Brisbane 2002 Song of the Yellow Bittern QUT Gardens Theatre, Brisbane 2002 (7-23 Mar) The Jungle Woodward Theatre, Kelvin Grove 2002 (23 May - 1 Jun) Building The Wall QUT Gardens Theatre, Brisbane 2003 (10 -13 Dec) Stained Darlinghurst Theatre, Darlinghurst 2004 (24 May-26 Jun) Proof Cremorne Theatre, South Brisbane 2004 (3-5 Nov) Sleeping Around Belvoir Street Downstairs Theatre, Surry Hills 2005 The Oracle Brisbane Powerhouse, New Farm 2005 (8 -13 Feb) Trance Newtown Theatre, Newtown 2005 (Apr-Aug) Zigzag Street Touring Qld, NT, NSW, WA, Vic 2006 Trivia Metro Arts, Brisbane 2006 (24 Jan -4 Feb) Omon Ra Brisbane Powerhouse, New Farm 2006 (8 May) Hoods The Studio (Sydney Opera House), 2007 (8-18 Aug) Closer Sue Benner Theatre, Brisbane 2007 (23 Oct-3 Nov) The Laramie Project Visy Theatre, New Farm 2008 (Apr/May) Hoods NSW, Qld, SA 2008 (22 - 23 May) The People Next Door Metro Arts Studio, Brisbane 2008 (26 Nov-6 Dec) Anatomy Titus Fall of Rome Merlyn Theatre, Southbank 2008 (29 Nov-8 Dec) Beautiful The Loft, Kelvin Grove 2009 (18 Mar-4Apr) The Pillowman (Producer) Sue Benner Theatre, Brisbane 2009 (13-22 May) The Exception and the Rule Bille Brown Studio, Brisbane 2009 (Jul/Aug) The School of Arts Touring Qld 2009 (18-20 Sep) My Night with Harold (Assistant Director) Metro Arts Warehouse, Brisbane 2009 (26 Oct-14 Nov) The Crucible Playhouse, Southbank, Brisbane 2010 (6 Feb-14 Mar) Hamlet Roundhouse Theatre, Kelvin Grove 2010 (7-25 Apr) Blackbird (Producer) Roundhouse Theatre, Kelvin Grove 2010 (31 May-26 Jun) Fat Pig Bille Brown Studio, Brisbane 2011 (6-23 Apr) The Ugly One (Assistant Director/Producer) Metro Art Galleries 2011 (23 Jun-9 Jul) Orphans Bille Brown Studio, Brisbane 2011 (7-27 Nov) Pygmalion Playhouse, Southbank