Hey Chris!! So excited to be chatting with you! What is it like being apart of WWE NXT?
First of all so great to be chatting with you too so thank you!
So when I was a 15 year old boy and someone would ask me what my dream job is I would always answer, to be a WWE superstar. My WWE experience was a dream come true but reality is its not all bright lights and fame. Being that is all the hard work of bumping around in the ring in practice 3 hours a day 5 days a week. But then when the time comes to walk through the curtain and you hear and see the crowd cheering and all eyes are on me it makes it all worth it.
Where did your love of acting come from?
Even from a young age of around 12 Ive always had an interest in acting. My first choice in school was always drama. Maybe I just like the attention. Then around the age of 15 my sister and I would make movies around our house and edit them with a VCR. Thats when I truly knew I loved acting and knew I had to relocate to Los Angeles.
Do you have any rituals before filming a show?
Besides always pumping up with pushups I’d find a quiet spot backstage and take about 30 seconds to myself thinking about my family before all the mayham would happen.
What goals have you set out for yourself in your career?
I always say it takes no extra effort to dream big than it does to dream small so I like to set big goals, and then smaller ones along the way that will get me there. My ultimate goal is to achieve a lead role in a major blockbuster movie and of course giving back along the way. I truly believe in “give and you shall receive”
You are in an up-coming tv shoe called K-town coming out soon! Can you spill any details about this new series?
All I can say is there is a killer cast attached to this series with more announcements to come. So you’re definately not gonna wanna miss this show!
Overall, how has this whole acting career experience been for you so far?
Overall…..I have enjoyed every audition and role I have gotten. Obviously you hear more “no’s” from auditions than “yes’s” but its easy to get discouraged but I like to use that as motivation to make myself even better. What can I learn from this experience.
Whats your favorite part about being an actor?
Honestly for me it’s seeing the finished project. Because all the hard work and sacrifice we put into creating this art which takes weeks and even months is edited down into approximately an hour and a half. Thats a great feeling.
What is one movie that has greatly influenced your life?
Well being tall and muscular I always grew up watching 80’s action movies and seeing Terminator 2 for the first time drew me into Arnold Schwarzenegger. I saw him and I said that’s someone who influences me so I always tried to emulate Arnold. My sister and I actually remade Terminator 2 at home with our video camera.
What has been your favorite acting role to date?
Besides being a wrestler for WWE which was my favorite, in terms of tv I really enjoyed my part in an upcoming Netflix show called “primitive” in a scene with Billy Bourke.
What would be your dream acting role?
Its gonna be hard to not choose a role opposite Dwayne The Rock Johnson in one of his over the top action movies. On par with that is working with Leonardo DiCaprio.
Do you have any projects in the works you can tell us about?
Im very much looking forward to K-town which is going to be filmed in New Jersey and I love the east coast. Im also working on a movie with fellow Australian actor Guy Grundy “Mavrick n Grundy” based on true events. Gonna be a wild ride that one.
If you could have a gigantic billboard anywhere with anything on it- metaphorically speaking, getting a message out to millions or billions – what would it say and why? (If helpful, it can be someone else’s quote. Are there any quotes you think of often or live your life by?
Oh absolutely. WWE is all about quotes and I have adopted them in my everyday life. My favorite one ’s are,
Tough times may never last but tough people do.
Always be the hardest worker I the room.
Just remember, there’s always someone out there working harder than you.
Thoughts become things.
We are where we are today from the choices we made yesterday.
What is an unusual habit or an absurd thing that you love?
Not sure if I’m just crazy but I can’t walk upstairs without counting in my head how many stairs I’m walking up. Also I love cactus. Maybe I should’ve been born in Arizona.
What advice would you give to someone who wants to pursue a career in acting?
Try to not get too discouraged when things don’t go your way. Learn from them and grow. They always say practice makes perfect. Well in my eyes nothing will be “perfect” but practice sure does go along way!
When you feel overwhelmed or unfocused, or have lost your focus temporarily, what do you do?
Oh this one hits home for me because these things are real. What I like to do it take a step back from it all. Go outside to hit the reset button and remind myself “why” Im doing this. I also like to ask myself “how would 15 year old Chris be feeling in this moment” Gratitude!
What social media platform do you use most? Where can people find out what projects you have going on?
I use Instagram which is @chris_atkins89 to keep people up to date on my latest projects and also have a facebook fan page which @actorchrisatkins.
Do you have any other talents other than acting?
With WWE being so physical I definitely learned some good stunt work. And does Australian accent count as a talent? Joke
Any last thing you’d like to tell your supporters?
Sure, let’s throw one last bit of motivation in their direction. Remember it’s free to dream. If a kid from Melbourne Australia can get signed to the biggest wrestling company in the world then parlay over to Hollywood then that’s proof that anything is possible so set goals and do something towards that goal every single day. And of course a massive thank you to all my supporters. Let’s enjoy this journey together!
Thank you!
