ACTING ON FAITH
Canadian-born actor Chris Kramer credits his faith life-and his promising career as an actor-on one unfortunate blessing: a wicked bout of insomnia. He recalls a period of his life when he was 22 years old and living in Vancouver, British Columbia, crashing on a series of friends' couches. But he was desperate to reconnect with God, and he was determined to succeed as an actor. "I didn't have any real focus other than wanting to be an actor. I was depressed, away from family, probably steeped in sin. When I was a kid, I used to pray Hail Marys to fall asleep. That night I did. And I fell asleep. I continued to do this more and more, and a kind of peace come into my life and I started to get some desire again." And though Chris is thrilled with the trajectory of his career and is eager to discuss the joys of being on-set, working with actors and directors, he's just as happy discussing the aspect of his life that really drives him-his faith. "There is nothing like being on the set.It's a thrill, it's a job that I absolutely love. It allows me to play and use my imagination. And so much of acting is using your imagination. It's a lot of fun." With his father in construction, Chris and his older sister Amy moved around frequently. "My parents were having problems. They stopped going to Mass so, obviously, as kids, we stopped going. They started enrolling us in public schools. And the friends that I had didn't talk about God or go to Church. I lost any sense of the religious, lifestyle and thinking about God." After Chris's parents divorced, he lived in Vancouver, but he felt powerless to repair his life and fortify his faith. He wanted to be an actor but was finding little success, he wanted to unlock the door to his faith but lost the key. Chris started devouring books on Catholicism and spirituality. He began praying the Rosary daily, going back to Mass and partaking in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Chris Kramer survived by serving in restaurants, hanging drywall and working as a concrete cutter. After a work injury forced his father into early retirement, Chris again found himself at a crossroads. "My dad couldn't work. He didn't have a lot of money. And I just remember praying. We needed help in this situation. And a month later I landed the lead character in THE COLLECTOR and it basically changed everything. I thought it was funny: just a few years earlier I had come back to the Church and now I was in a series that involved God and the Devil and the choices we make. It was a great opportunity. I got to travel around the world with it. And it allowed me to help out my dad." After THE COLLECTOR ended, Chris moved to Los Angeles for better opportunities. "When I look at a project, I look at what it is they're promoting. If it's just something that I'm totally against, then I won't even audition for it. My faith has really changed me. It has changed my whole life.
It has changed me as an actor, changed me as a friend, as a son, as an uncle, as a brother. It changed every part of my life."
It has changed me as an actor, changed me as a friend, as a son, as an uncle, as a brother. It changed every part of my life."
