Chris Olivero – Mysterous Ways

Q) What are the current projects that you are working on?

A) I am working on “Kyle XY” and I just finished it. I am also up for a couple of projects that start this summer, but the problem is if we get picked up for a second season then we won’t know the start date. That kind of effects a lot of jobs in between.

Q) Please tell us about your character Declan on the show “Kyle XY.”

A) Declan is kind of the high school jock/popular guy. At first you think he seems quite one dimensional. He’s a teenager who, of course, likes to have fun and just wants to enjoy himself. He gradually learns through Kyle and his interactions with the Trager family that life isn’t that simple. He really starts to grow as a character and open up to much more than a generic view of life that involves simply hanging out and having fun.

Q) What made you want to be a part of the show?

A) I have worked with ABC and ABC Family quite a few times. I like all of the people. I have also worked with the director before and really liked the script, as well. I thought the show was interesting and had a solid foundation to be more than just another soap teen drama and not just another family show. I thought it could be a universal show that would appeal to many different people. I thought “Kyle XY” was interesting because it deals with teenage issues, every day issues that we hardly pay attention to, but to Kyle and a character who doesn’t know how humans react, it is a big deal. I thought it had a lot of potential to be something of quality.

Q) Does the cast have a lot of chemistry off the set as well as they do on the set?

A) Oh yeah! We have a better time off the set then we do on! Everybody has their own unique personalities, but we all get along really well. Bruce [Thomas], who plays the father, is like a kid so he’s really easy to get along with. We all have tons of things in common. We all got along right away, like from the first weekend we were doing the pilot. We all realized how much we got along and enjoyed each other’s company. It’s definitely a great cast to work with and hang out with on and off set.

Q) What has been your most memorable moment from filming?

A) It would probably be seeing Matt [Dallas] get covered in all of that goo and have to walk the streets naked. That was probably the most fun moment. Most of them involve silly things that would happen on the set because of the story line and how things happen. We have a lot of inside jokes regarding Kyle, his point of view and storyline. I’d probably say a lot of inside joke moments are quite funny.

Q) Why should viewers take the time to tune in to “Kyle XY?”

A) I think they are going to be surprised with the show. I think there are a lot of elements many people would find enjoyable. Nothing bores you. It’s not just a teen drama. There are those elements and moments that show how teenagers act, yet as the episodes progress, it becomes more true to how teenagers think and act. The parents are an open and comforting. They have a good relationship with their children and they are not strict disciplinarians. Plus, there is a whole mystery element to Kyle. There are numerous twists and turns. There is something for everybody. If you like science fiction, it’s there. If you like teen shows, it’s there. If you like family dramas, it’s there. If you like mysteries, there are clues in there for you to track and follow to the next episode. It’s a show you want to tune in to the next episode, I think.

Q) What made you originally want to be an actor?

A) Originally, I wanted to be an actor because I really found it as a kind of retreat. I was always interested in sports and I found the same thing with them. When you totally commit to playing a game and practicing, that’s all you’re thinking about doing at that moment. I found the same thing with acting; that you can really dive into your character. You get that sense of freedom and that sense of separation from your every day thoughts and worries. You really get to take it on and play someone else. You’re not just yourself dealing with your problems. You’re not bringing your past, emotions and problems into your characters. I think it’s interesting to play other people. I was an only child so I always had a vivid imagination and acting just seemed fit with how my mind worked. You get to meet a lot of new people, it’s exciting and fun. It’s very rewarding. It fit what I wanted to do and who I was really well.

Q) What has been your favorite project to work on?

A) My favorite project would probably be “Kyle XY” likely because of the length of time we’ve all been filming it. A lot of shows you know what is going to happen from script to script or you do a movie and it’s the same script. With “Kyle XY,” every week we are waiting to get the script for the next week. We usually get it two days before filming so we were all really waiting and anxious to get it. Because we have, not a large cast, but a small-medium size cast (there is the family and a couple outside characters that are regulars that are pretty much in every episodes) we all get along so well with each other. It’s also an exciting show. This is, probably, my favorite show to work on and my favorite job so far. 

Q) What do you do in your spare time?

A) I like to mountain bike, surf and play basketball. I play a lot of sports. I like to play golf. I try and stay busy. I play guitar and kind of hang out. I am kind of a homebody. I kind of like to stay home a lot and have my friends come over here and hang out.  I like to do things outside and sports.

Q) Do you have a latest obsession? A book? A sport? A movie? A band?

A) Music wise, I have always liked Jack Johnson and Ben Harper. I am kind of listening to Amos Lee now. Basketball and mountain biking I am kind of into a lot. Movie wise, I watch a lot of older films. I’ve been rewatching Donnie Darko. My favorite movies that I’ve always had and just not seen in a while, I am kind of now rewatching them. That’s what I like to do in the summer is rewatch old movies.