Christopher Kriesa
- Actor
- Writer
Chris was born in Appleton, Wisconsin and raised in Davenport, Iowa where his father, a musician, taught at St. Ambrose College and his mother raised their 5 sons then went back to teaching home economics. Working as educators, his parents had the summers off, so the family traveled much of the US and Canada mostly as campers. Chris said all the boys caught the travel bug, and have never stopped - he has traveled in over 60 countries and says most of his brothers have outdone that. It was in his travels that he was introduced to acting.
He had a very Midwest upbringing, with a lot of emphasis on family values, education and sports. He was a decent wrestler (a team co- captain), a lousy poll vaulter, and a good student.
At the age of 18 his father got a job at St. Norbert College in Green Bay, Wisconsin. There, Chris graduated from SNC with a Biology Degree, spent some time in the Army Rerve before working as a medical supply salesman. He said the world of business was such a double edge sword - he made a lot of money but lost a lot of self-respect as he put making money ahead of the principles he was taught. After a year, he quit, bought a back pack and started on a journey around the world to find himself. He headed West from Green Bay determined to continue in that direction until he arrived back home in Green Bay.
Two years, 31 countries and about 29,000 miles later he returned. He said he met many, many wonderful, kind people, so kind that it was humbling to be around them. He had slept in fields, under bridges, on top of trains, on park benches, on beaches, in people's homes and in a lot of youth hostels. He worked in those countries where he could - picking apples in New Zealand and at a ski lodge in Australia. But it was in Hong Kong, while staying at Chun King Mansion Youth Hostel on Nathan Road, that he was asked to work in a Shaw Brothers film playing a "white devil" drug lord. After being killed in that film and in many more there, he continued West, becoming more and more fascinated philosophies and mysticism of the Far East. When he finally returned home to Wisconsin, the president of the medical supply company he had worked for offered him a lot of money to rewrite the company's sales training program. They agreed that it would take about a year to do that, and after that he would leave to continue his academic education.
With a new perspective and money in his pocket he ended up at Sonoma State University in N. California where he graduated with a MA in psychology, with an emphasis on the paranormal. During his two year program there, he was warned by many people in the paranormal arena that it would be very difficult for him to find a job in that field. And it was!
He then got involved with the Redwood Empire Players, a theatre group in Sonoma County, and being close to San Francisco, worked occasionally as a movie extra. Then he moved to San Francisco where he took acting and improv classes to see what it was all about. He said the way he saw it, an actor's life is about growing as a human being, learning how to feel and to take risks and to truly connect with others, and when that happens, there is magic for the actors and for the audience. He started doing commercials, industrial films and stage. After having a lead in a play at San Francisco's Fort Mason Theatre, he left for Los Angeles and has been there since, with some time off to refresh his soul with world travel.
Having been in Los Angeles since the 80's, he has been fortunate to train with some of the 'greats', including Kim Stanley and Larry Moss and to work with such directors as the Coen Brothers, Robert Zemeckis, Billy Bob Thornton, Carl Reiner, Phil Joanou, Wes Craven, John Avildsen, and Robert Downey Sr., Harry Harris, and Don Chaffey.
His resume includes over 175 different films, TV shows, and web series, plus a handful of plays and over 50 commercials.
His resume and some demo tapes can be found on imdbpro.com
He had a very Midwest upbringing, with a lot of emphasis on family values, education and sports. He was a decent wrestler (a team co- captain), a lousy poll vaulter, and a good student.
At the age of 18 his father got a job at St. Norbert College in Green Bay, Wisconsin. There, Chris graduated from SNC with a Biology Degree, spent some time in the Army Rerve before working as a medical supply salesman. He said the world of business was such a double edge sword - he made a lot of money but lost a lot of self-respect as he put making money ahead of the principles he was taught. After a year, he quit, bought a back pack and started on a journey around the world to find himself. He headed West from Green Bay determined to continue in that direction until he arrived back home in Green Bay.
Two years, 31 countries and about 29,000 miles later he returned. He said he met many, many wonderful, kind people, so kind that it was humbling to be around them. He had slept in fields, under bridges, on top of trains, on park benches, on beaches, in people's homes and in a lot of youth hostels. He worked in those countries where he could - picking apples in New Zealand and at a ski lodge in Australia. But it was in Hong Kong, while staying at Chun King Mansion Youth Hostel on Nathan Road, that he was asked to work in a Shaw Brothers film playing a "white devil" drug lord. After being killed in that film and in many more there, he continued West, becoming more and more fascinated philosophies and mysticism of the Far East. When he finally returned home to Wisconsin, the president of the medical supply company he had worked for offered him a lot of money to rewrite the company's sales training program. They agreed that it would take about a year to do that, and after that he would leave to continue his academic education.
With a new perspective and money in his pocket he ended up at Sonoma State University in N. California where he graduated with a MA in psychology, with an emphasis on the paranormal. During his two year program there, he was warned by many people in the paranormal arena that it would be very difficult for him to find a job in that field. And it was!
He then got involved with the Redwood Empire Players, a theatre group in Sonoma County, and being close to San Francisco, worked occasionally as a movie extra. Then he moved to San Francisco where he took acting and improv classes to see what it was all about. He said the way he saw it, an actor's life is about growing as a human being, learning how to feel and to take risks and to truly connect with others, and when that happens, there is magic for the actors and for the audience. He started doing commercials, industrial films and stage. After having a lead in a play at San Francisco's Fort Mason Theatre, he left for Los Angeles and has been there since, with some time off to refresh his soul with world travel.
Having been in Los Angeles since the 80's, he has been fortunate to train with some of the 'greats', including Kim Stanley and Larry Moss and to work with such directors as the Coen Brothers, Robert Zemeckis, Billy Bob Thornton, Carl Reiner, Phil Joanou, Wes Craven, John Avildsen, and Robert Downey Sr., Harry Harris, and Don Chaffey.
His resume includes over 175 different films, TV shows, and web series, plus a handful of plays and over 50 commercials.
His resume and some demo tapes can be found on imdbpro.com
