Christopher Grantley Sommers (born 30 June 1977) is an Irish-born actor who moved to Australia.
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. [1]
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. [2]
His first role was in a short film, The Machine, in 2002 and he has since appeared in short film, television series and feature films. [3]
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. [4]
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. [5] Sommers also plays a magical halfling professor in the series "The Bureau of Magical Things".
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. [6] They also run Weekend Workshops. [7]
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". [8]
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. [9]
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. [10]
2006 Matilda Awards Emerging Artist [11]
2010 Matilda Awards nominated Best Male Actor in a Leading Role [12]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | The Machine | Scarred Man | Short film |
| 2007 | Counter | James Dalton | Short film |
| 2007 | Unfinished Sky | Mike Potter | |
| 2007 | All My Friends Are Leaving Brisbane | Kane/Negative Man | |
| 2008 | The Horseman | Pauly | |
| 2008 | The Prams | Earl | Short film |
| 2010 | Jucy | Nate | |
| 2011 | Attached | Michael | Short film |
| 2012 | Silver Stilletto | Trevor Fenton | Short film |
| 2012 | Jacob Fights Giants | Neil Rockford | Short film |
| 2013 | Cough | Brett | Short film |
| 2014 | Predestination | Mr. Miller | |
| 2014 | Sailboats | Adam | Short film |
| 2014 | Ouroboros | Linden Connor | Short film |
| 2014 | Drive Hard | Gas Station Attendant | |
| 2014 | Letter to Annabelle | James | Short film |
| 2014 | The Water Diviner | Tucker | |
| 2014 | Inverse | John | Short film |
| 2014 | Power State | Martin Andrews | Short film |
| 2015 | The Fear of Darkness | Detective Constable Gardiner | |
| 2015 | Actor's Apocalypse | Social Services Officer | Short film |
| 2015 | The Girlfriend | Steve | Short film |
| 2015 | Bullets for the Dead | James Dalton | |
| 2015 | Brothers | Police Officer | Short film |
| 2016 | The Insect & the Alien | Owen | Short film |
| 2017 | Emporium | Kent | Short film |
| 2017 | Australia Day | Desk Sergeant | |
| 2017 | Slaughter at Lonesome Rock | Sergeant Matthew Cooper | Short film |
| 2018 | A Picture of Other People | Paramedic | Short film |
| 2019 | A Guide to Dating at the End of the World | Ken | |
| 2019 | Danger Close: The Battle of Long Tan | Group Captain Peter Raw | |
| 2019 | Burden | The Man | Short film |
| 2022 | Elvis | Horace Logan | |
| 2023 | The Portable Door | Arthur Tanner |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Love Bytes | Neal | 4 episode |
| 2006 | Monarch Cove | Mechanic | Episode: "Episode 11" |
| 2007 | The Starter Wife | Clarity Harbor Staffer #2 | Episode: "Hour 3"; miniseries |
| 2008 | The Strip | Barry Barrington | Episode: "House of Ill Repute" |
| 2011 | Sea Patrol | Jason Merritt | Episode: "Dead Zone" |
| 2011 | Terra Nova | Earl | Episode: "Genesis: Part 1" |
| 2012 | Fatal Honeymoon | Inmate 1 | Television film |
| 2013 | Reef Doctors | Liam | Episode: "Episode 5" |
| 2014 | Parer's War | Dr. Bill McLean | Television film |
| 2015 | Texas Rising: The Lost Soldier | Settler | Episode: "Chapter 1"; miniseries |
| 2015 | Mako: Island of Secrets | Mr. Johnson | Episode: "The Siren" |
| 2016 | Wanted | Dirk | Episode: "Detour" |
| 2016 | Hunters | Sterling Martinez | 2 episodes |
| 2017 | Dirty, Clean & Inbetween | James | Television pilot |
| 2018 | Harrow | Detective Leichhardt | 2 episodes |
| 2018–present | The Bureau of Magical Things | Professor Maxwell | Main role (18 episodes) |
| 2019 | Secret City: Under the Eagle | John Smith | Episode: "Broken Bird" |
| 2019 | Nevernight | Hangman | Main role; miniseries |
| 2020 | The End | Beau | 2 episodes |
| 2021† | Sweet Tooth | Spaghetti | Episode: "Part One"; filming |
| 2021† | Interface | Lucian | 5 episodes; pre-production |
| † | Denotes television series that have not yet been aired |
Christopher Sommers as actor unless otherwise stated
| Year [2] | Title | Venue | Year | Title | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |