Christian Campbell
About
Biography
Filmography
Family & Companions
Biography
Fair, with dark hair, and a youthful, freckle-faced innocence, Canadian actor Christian Campbell did resemble his younger sister (Neve Campbell, of "Party of Five" fame), but had a multifaceted career all his own, active on stage and screen, and undertaking the duties of actor, director and producer. Campbell started his television career close to home, with a recurring role on the edgy Toronto-filmed CBC teen drama series "Degrassi High" (aired in the USA on PBS). He also starred in the early 20th Century children's adventure film "City Boy," lensed in Vancouver and aired on PBS as a WonderWorks Family Movie in 1994. The following year Campbell played a teen who, in a bid to win a contest, poses himself and his single mother along with his best friend and her single father as an ideal family in the ABC telefilm "Picture Perfect." 1996 saw the actor with a featured role in the NBC's "Seduced by Madness: The Diane Borchard Story" starring as one of three students coaxed into murder by their well-liked high school teacher (Ann-Margret) and two years later he was featured in the NBC thriller "I've Been Waiting For You," a tale of witchcraft. Campbell's guest series work includes a role in a 1993 episode of the ABC comedy "Jack's Place" and a 1995 recurring supporting part in "TekWar," a Sci-Fi Channel series based on William Shatner's genre novels. Campbell won a regular role on Aaron Spelling's drama "Malibu Shores" (NBC, 1996), starring as Teddy, a young man who tries to solve his home life problems with arson, but who emerges as an honest and loyal friend, one of the more likable characters on the ill-fated program.
The stage-trained Campbell's independent film work would offer more opportunities than his previous television work had afforded. On the big screen, Campbell starred in the acclaimed drama "Next Time" (1998), playing a young displaced white man who meets and develops a close friendship with an older black woman, set against the backdrop of a racial unrest in 1992 Los Angeles. The actor gave a memorable performance in the film, bringing an appropriate ingratiating innocence to his role. He worked alongside his younger sister Neve Campbell as co-producers of the odd romantic comedy "Hairshirt," with both also undertaking supporting performances in the film in the low-budget indie that debuted at the 1998 Toronto Film Festival. Campbell found his breakthrough role starring along with Tori Spelling and newcomer J P Pitoc in the engaging romantic comedy "trick" (1999), playing a sensitive young composer unlucky in love who meets the go-go boy of his dreams on the subway one night. Together they embark on a fruitless quest to be alone, and find love in their unfortunate situation. The film had a refreshing universality, and Campbell gave a particularly charming performance as Gabriel, a writer who pens grand and emotional songs but who has yet to experience such feelings in his real life.
In addition to film and television work, Campbell has been very active in the theater, from his professional acting debut in Herb Gardner's "A Thousand Clowns" to "Man of La Mancha" on the Toronto stage. Additionally, he took a role in a German production of "A Clockwork Orange" before acquiring the Lexington Theatre in his adopted home of Los Angeles in 1997. He founded The Blue Sphere Alliance, the Lexington's resident company, which has presented "Nagasaki Dust," starring Campbell, and "Reach," an acclaimed one-act starring Matthew Lillard and marking Campbell's directorial debut.
Filmography
Cast (Feature Film)
Producer (Feature Film)
Music (Feature Film)
Misc. Crew (Feature Film)
Cast (Special)
Cast (TV Mini-Series)
Life Events
1984
Began professional acting career at age 12 (date approximate)
1989
Was a featured cast member on the Toronto-filmed PBS series "Degrassi High"
1993
Guest starred on an episode of the ABC series "Jack's Place"
1993
Co-starred in the action feature "Born to Run" (aired in the USA on Fox in lieu of theatrical release)
1994
Starred in the WonderWorks Family Movie "City Boy", aired on PBS
1995
Co-starred in the ABC family TV-movie "Picture Perfect"
1995
Guest starred on two episodes of "TekWar", a series for the Sci-Fi Channel based on novels by William Shatner
1996
Was a regular on the short-lived Aaron Spelling drama "Malibu Shores" (NBC)
1996
Was featured as a murderous teen opposite Ann-Margret in the NBC TV-movie "Seduced by Madness: The Diane Borchardt Story"
1997
Acquired Los Angeles' Lexington Theatre and founded The Blue Sphere Alliance, its resident company
1997
Guest starred on an episode of the popular family drama "7th Heaven" (The WB)
1998
"Next Time", a drama set in 1992's racially charged Los Angeles starring Campbell debuted to rave reviews at the Hollywood Film Festival
1998
Was featured in the NBC movie thriller "I've Been Waiting For You"
1998
Filmed the vampire film "Cold Hearts"; screened at the Atlantic City Film Festival in 1999; released on video in 2000
1998
Along with sister Neve, co-produced and co-starred in the quirky romantic comedy "Hairshirt", screened at the Toronto International Film Festival
1999
Featured in CBS pilot for "Allies", a World War II drama following a romance between an American fighter pilot and a member of the French resistance
1999
Had leading role in stage musical version of the cult film "Reefer Madness"
1999
Starred as a young gay New York composer who meets an enchanting go-go dancer and vainly searches with him for a place to be alone in the charming independent feature "trick"
2000
Co-starred in the Fox fall drama "The $treet", written by Darren Star
2001
Recreated L.A. stage role in Off-Broadway production of "Reefer Madness"
2005
Recreated stage role for the film adaption of "Reefer Madness" (Showtime)
Family
Companions
