Christopher Sommers


Christopher Grantley Sommers is an Australian actor born in Brisbane Queensland.

Education

He received a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Queensland University of Technology. He undertook Master Classes at the 16th Street Studio 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.
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.
He has worked with Russell Crowe in The Water Diviner, with Ethan Hawk and Sarah Snook in Predestination and John Cusack in Drive Hard . Sommers stars in a feature film a zombie western Bullets for the Dead'' 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.

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

In the 2010 production of Fat Pig at the Bille Brown Studio he was described in a review by ABC radio as, " the always interesting Christopher Sommers" and "In fact all performances were of the very highest quality. Sommers was likewise wonderfully sensitive".
In the production of Beautiful 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 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

Films

Television

Theatre

Christopher Sommers as actor unless otherwise stated
YearTitleVenueYearTitleVenue
2001Uncle VanyaQUT Gardens Theatre, Brisbane2001 The Merchant of VeniceQUT Gardens Theatre, Brisbane
2002Song of the Yellow BitternQUT Gardens Theatre, Brisbane2002 The JungleWoodward Theatre, Kelvin Grove
2002 Building The WallQUT Gardens Theatre, Brisbane2003 StainedDarlinghurst Theatre, Darlinghurst
2004 ProofCremorne Theatre, South Brisbane2004 Sleeping AroundBelvoir Street Downstairs Theatre, Surry Hills
2005The OracleBrisbane Powerhouse, New Farm2005 TranceNewtown Theatre, Newtown
2005 Zigzag StreetTouring Qld, NT, NSW, WA, Vic2006TriviaMetro Arts, Brisbane
2006 Omon RaBrisbane Powerhouse, New Farm2006 HoodsThe Studio,
2007 CloserSue Benner Theatre, Brisbane2007 The Laramie ProjectVisy Theatre, New Farm
2008 HoodsNSW, Qld, SA2008 The People Next DoorMetro Arts Studio, Brisbane
2008 Anatomy Titus Fall of RomeMerlyn Theatre, Southbank2008 BeautifulThe Loft, Kelvin Grove
2009 The Pillowman Sue Benner Theatre, Brisbane2009 The Exception and the RuleBille Brown Studio, Brisbane
2009 The School of ArtsTouring Qld2009 My Night with Harold Metro Arts Warehouse, Brisbane
2009 The CruciblePlayhouse, Southbank, Brisbane2010 HamletRoundhouse Theatre, Kelvin Grove
2010 Blackbird Roundhouse Theatre, Kelvin Grove2010 Fat PigBille Brown Studio, Brisbane
2011 The Ugly One Metro Art Galleries2011 OrphansBille Brown Studio, Brisbane
2011 PygmalionPlayhouse, Southbank---