Craig Chester

Last updated
Craig Chester
Born (1965-11-08) November 8, 1965 (age 58)
West Covina, California, US
EducationThe American Academy of Dramatic Arts
Occupation(s)Actor, writer, screenwriter

Craig Chester (born November 8, 1965) is an American actor, writer, and screenwriter.

Contents

Early life

Chester was born in West Covina, California, the son of Cecil, lead singer in the rock band “Whiskey”, and Linda, a homemaker. He moved with his family to Carrollton, Texas at the age of twelve when his father accepted a corporate job with Nestlé. At age fifteen, Chester was diagnosed with the facial deformity long face syndrome. [1] The condition's most striking symptom is an excessively long lower face height. At eighteen, Chester spent a year undergoing multiple reconstructive surgeries. Chester moved to New York City in 1985, with a new face, to study at The American Academy of Dramatic Arts. Following graduation, he performed in various stage productions in New York, including a play written by Joanne Woodward who, upon noticing his naturalistic acting style, encouraged Chester to pursue a career in film.

Career

Chester's acting debut was in the feature film Swoon , a contemporary re-telling of the infamous Leopold & Loeb murder case, which earned Chester an Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best Actor. Janet Maslin of The New York Times described the film as “dazzling”. [2] Peter Travers of Rolling Stone described Swoon as “a great film…haunting and visionary”. [3] Chester went on to act in a string of critically acclaimed independent films. [4] He has been openly gay since the inception of his career, rare at that time. [5]

As a result, St. Martin's Press approached Chester to write about his life and experiences. His memoir Why the Long Face?: The Adventures of a Truly Independent Actor was published in 2003. In 2009, Showtime optioned the book with Chester set to adapt it into a television pilot with Don Roos, Dan Bucatinsky and Lisa Kudrow as producers. [6] Publishers Weekly described Why The Long Face as “witty, absorbing” with Chester an “engaging storyteller with a fresh voice”. [7] Kirkus Reviews described Chester's memoir as an “intriguing midpoint autobiography sure to rouse curiosity about what the next half has in store.” [8]

Chester transitioned into screenwriting with Adam & Steve , which he also directed and starred in with Parker Posey, Chris Kattan and Malcolm Gets. [9] [10] [11] The film was released on April 24, 2005. Writing for The Village Voice , Melissa Levine described writer-director Chester's debut as “truly enjoyable”, [12] while Ronnie Scheib of Variety praised his performance: “Chester’s Adam, effortlessly able to slide from bathos to pathos and back again with none of the smarmy schmaltz of sitcom humanism, is a marvel of nuanced comic timing.” [13] Chuck Wilson, writing for LA Weekly described the film as “something certain to make John Waters cackle with glee.” [14] Adam & Steve has since developed a cult following.[ citation needed ]

Since adapting his book for Showtime, Chester has been writing for television. He wrote for season seven of the hit HBO series, True Blood [ citation needed ] and has developed pilots with NBC and Ryan Seacrest for E! amongst others. [15] On the June 5, 2013 edition of NPR's “Moth Radio Hour”, Chester recounted how he has been haunted by the Academy Award-nominated actor, Montgomery Clift, who has been dead for over 40 years. [16]

In 2021, Chester shared that he had experienced homelessness for several months, beginning in mid-2019. [17]

In early 2024, Michael Musto announced that a sequel to “Adam & Steve” was in development and that Chester had penned the screenplay, titled “Adam & Steve 55+”. [18]

Filmography

YearTitleRoleNotes
1992 Swoon Nathan Leopold Jr.
1993 Grief Mark
1994 Out of Darkness BillTV film
1995 Frisk Henry
1996 I Shot Andy Warhol Fred Hughes
1997David SearchingMercedes Guy
1997 Kiss Me, Guido Terry
1998 The Misadventures of Margaret Richard Lane
1998Shucking the CurveSteven
1999Charlie!
2001 The Anniversary Party Party Guest
2001 Circuit White Party Customer
2001The Experience BoxRyan
2001 Sex and the City
"Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda"

Hermes Clerk		TV series
2002 Bumping Heads Craigshort film, 22 minutes; released in 2003 in Boys Life 4: Four Play
2002 Law & Order: Criminal Intent
"Phantom"
"Anti-Thesis"

Thor
Derek		TV series
2003The LookHenrik
2003QuintessenceThomasshort film, 25 minutes
2004AnonymousAuditor
2004Out on the Edgewriter
2005 Adam & Steve Adam Bernsteinactor; writer; director
2007 Save Me writer
2007–2008 The Big Gay Sketch Show writer (9 episodes)
2008 Pedro Counselor
2013 Kill Your Darlings Businessman
2021 Cam Boy Wegman

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Montgomery Clift</span> American actor (1920–1966)

Edward Montgomery Clift was an American actor. A four-time Academy Award nominee, he was known for his portrayal of "moody, sensitive young men", according to The New York Times.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lisa Kudrow</span> American actress (born 1963)

Lisa Valerie Kudrow is an American actress. She rose to international fame for her role as Phoebe Buffay in the American television sitcom Friends, which aired from 1994 to 2004. The series earned her Primetime Emmy, Screen Actors Guild, Satellite, American Comedy and TV Guide awards. Phoebe has since been named one of the greatest television characters of all time and is considered to be Kudrow's breakout role, spawning her successful film career.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phoebe Buffay</span> Fictional character from the American sitcom Friends

Phoebe Buffay is one of the six main characters from the American television sitcom, Friends. She was created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman and portrayed by actress Lisa Kudrow.

<i>The Opposite of Sex</i> 1998 American film

The Opposite Of Sex is a 1998 American independent romantic dark comedy written and directed by Don Roos, and starring Christina Ricci, Martin Donovan and Lisa Kudrow. A directorial debut for Roos, it marked the final film produced by Rysher Entertainment. Shortly before the film’s world premiere at the 1998 Sundance Film Festival, it was acquired by Sony Pictures Classics. The tagline: "You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll be offended."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Don Roos</span> American screenwriter and film director

Donald Paul Roos is an American screenwriter and film director.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roddy Bottum</span> American musician

Roswell Christopher Bottum is an American musician, best known as the keyboardist for the San Francisco alternative metal band Faith No More. He is also guitarist and co-lead vocalist for the pop group Imperial Teen, best known for their 1999 single "Yoo Hoo" used in the movie Jawbreaker. In addition to popular musical career, Bottum also scored three Hollywood movies and composed an opera entitled Sasquatch: The Opera, which premiered in New York in April 2015.

<i>The Comeback</i> (TV series) American comedy television series

The Comeback is an American comedy-drama television series produced by HBO that stars Lisa Kudrow as sitcom actress Valerie Cherish in modern-day Los Angeles. It was created by Kudrow and Michael Patrick King, a former executive producer of Sex and the City. Kudrow and King are also screenwriters and executive producers of the series, with King also serving as the director of some episodes. The series originally aired for a single season of 13 episodes from June 5 to September 4, 2005, before being cancelled. Nine years later, The Comeback was revived for a second season of eight episodes that aired from November 9 to December 28, 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leigh Whannell</span> Australian screenwriter, actor, producer, and director

Leigh Whannell is an Australian filmmaker and actor. He is best known for writing films directed by his friend James Wan, including Saw (2004), Dead Silence (2007), Insidious (2010), and Insidious: Chapter 2 (2013). Whannell made his directorial debut with Insidious: Chapter 3 (2015), and has since directed two more films, Upgrade (2018) and The Invisible Man (2020).

<i>Parting Glances</i> 1986 film by Bill Sherwood

Parting Glances is a 1986 American drama film. The film was one of the first motion pictures to deal frankly and realistically with the subject of AIDS and the impact of the relatively new disease on the gay community in the Ronald Reagan era and at the height of the pandemic. It is considered by film critics an important film in the history of gay cinema. The story revolves around a gay couple facing the challenges of a long-distance relationship. The film was well-received for its detailed evocation of gay and gay-friendly urbanites in 1980s Manhattan.

<i>Adam & Steve</i> 2005 American film

Adam & Steve is a 2005 American romantic comedy film directed by and starring Craig Chester, who also wrote the screenplay. It deals with the lives of two gay men, played by Craig Chester and Malcolm Gets. The film had its UK premier on November 19, 2005, at the Cardiff Film Festival, but was not on general release in the UK.

Paul Rudnick is an American writer. His plays have been produced both on and off Broadway and around the world. He is also known for having written the screenplays for several movies, including Sister Act, Addams Family Values, Jeffrey, and In & Out.

<i>Kiss Me, Guido</i> 1997 independent comedy film

Kiss Me, Guido is a 1997 independent comedy film. Written and directed by Tony Vitale and produced by Ira Deutchman and Christine Vachon, it stars Nick Scotti, Anthony Barrile, Anthony DeSando and Craig Chester.

Perry Frank Caravello is an American actor, comedian, and internet personality who is best known as the star of the 2003 movie Windy City Heat and the host of the internet stream Perry Caravello Live.

<i>La Cage aux Folles</i> (film) 1978 film by Édouard Molinaro

La Cage aux Folles is a 1978 comedy film directed by Édouard Molinaro, based on Jean Poiret's 1973 play of the same name. It stars Ugo Tognazzi and Michel Serrault as a gay couple operating a drag nightclub in a French resort town, Rémi Laurent as the former's son, and Michel Galabru and Carmen Scarpitta as his new fiancée's ultra-conservative parents. The French-language picture was a Franco-Italian co-production by United Artists.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dan Bucatinsky</span> American actor, writer and producer

Daniel Bucatinsky is an American actor, writer and producer, best known for his role as James Novak in the Shonda Rhimes drama series Scandal, for which he won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series in 2013. In 2014, Bucatinsky starred on NBC's Marry Me, as well as the revived HBO series The Comeback, which he also executive produced.

<i>The Big Gay Musical</i> 2009 American film

The Big Gay Musical is a 2009 gay-themed musical-comedy film written by Fred M. Caruso and co-directed by Caruso and Casper Andreas. The film follows a brief period in the lives of two young actors, one who is openly gay, the other closeted to his parents. The openly gay actor struggles with whether he should be sexually promiscuous or seek a life partner, while the closeted one wonders if he should come out to his conservative, religious parents.

<i>Web Therapy</i> (TV series) American TV series or program

Web Therapy is an American comedy television series that premiered on Showtime on July 19, 2011. It is based on the web series of the same name and stars Lisa Kudrow as Fiona Wallice, a therapist who works with patients over the Internet.

<i>Shahs of Sunset</i> American reality television series

Shahs of Sunset was an American reality television series that aired on Bravo. The series debuted on March 11, 2012, and ended on August 29, 2021. The series followed a group of Iranian Americans living in Beverly Hills, who are trying to juggle their active social lives and up-and-coming careers while balancing the demands of their families and traditions. It is the second American reality television show about Iranians after E!'s Love Is in the Heir in 2004. The series originally focused on Reza Farahan, Golnesa Gharachedaghi, Sammy Younai, Asa Soltan Rahmati, Mike Shouhed, and Mercedes Javid. Of the original shahs, Younai left after the first season and Soltan Rahmati departed after the sixth. The remaining shahs joined in later seasons, Rose and Vand in the seventh. Past shahs include Lilly Ghalichi, Asifa Mirza and Shervin Roohparvar.

<i>The Normal Heart</i> (film) 2014 film directed by Ryan Murphy

The Normal Heart is a 2014 American television drama film directed by Ryan Murphy and written by Larry Kramer, based on his 1985 play of the same name. The film stars Mark Ruffalo, Matt Bomer, Taylor Kitsch, Jim Parsons, Alfred Molina, Joe Mantello, Jonathan Groff, and Julia Roberts.

References

  1. ↑ Chester, Craig (2004-04-01). Why the Long Face?: The Adventures of a Truly Independent Actor. Macmillan. ISBN   9781429971980.
  2. ↑ Maslin, Janet (March 27, 1992). "Review/Film Festival; A New Vision of Leopold and Loeb". The New York Times .
  3. ↑ Travers, Peter (September 11, 1992). "Swoon". Rolling Stone .
  4. ↑ Shapiro, Gregg (June 25, 2003). "'Face' to Face: Gay Actor and Writer Craig Chester Windy City Times". Windy City Times.
  5. ↑ "Agent provacateur". The Advocate . Here Publishing. 18 February 2003. pp. 59–.
  6. ↑ Littleton, Cynthia (22 October 2009). "Kudrow, Bucatinsky feel 'Rapture'". Variety .
  7. ↑ "Nonfiction Book Review: Why the Long Face? by Craig Chester, Author L.A. Weekly Books $23.95 (288p) ISBN 978-0-312-28713-9". Publishers Weekly .
  8. ↑ "WHY THE LONG FACE? by Craig Chester - Kirkus Reviews". kirkusreviews.com.
  9. ↑ "A Tangy Twist of Love & Humor: Funny Quotes About Love". about.com. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2013-10-10.
  10. ↑ Pasolini, Antonio (24 August 2006). "An interview with Craig Chester". kamera.co.uk.
  11. ↑ "Chemistry lesson: in Adam & Steve, Craig Chester and Malcolm gets explore a screen romance grounded in the chemistry of two actual gay actors! Hollywood, are you getting this? - Free Online Library". www.thefreelibrary.com.
  12. ↑ Levine, Melissa (March 21, 2006). "'Adam and Steve'". www.villagevoice.com.
  13. ↑ Scheib, Ronnie (22 June 2005). "Adam and Steve". variety.com.
  14. ↑ "TLA Releasing US - Adam & Steve". tlareleasing.com.
  15. ↑ Andreeva, Nellie (22 April 2013). "E! Developing Scripted Projects From Diane Warren, Josh Schwartz, Kevin Spacey, Mark Schwahn, Ryan Seacrest & Gale Anne Hurd". deadline.com.
  16. ↑ "The Moth - Stories - Montgomery Clift: The Sequel". The Moth.
  17. ↑ "Actor-writer Craig Chester opens up about homeless nightmare: "This was the defining experience of my life"".
  18. ↑ "'Adam & Steve' sequel! Broadway tragedy! When Mary met Sally!". 25 February 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.