Published: January 24, 2010 6:39 PM EST
By: Isaac Davis Jr., BGS, MBA (Juniorscave.com)
JC Interview Exclusive (Celebrity Interview with Rising Actor/Producer) (February 2010 Edition) Chris Ivan Cevic
Chris Ivan Cevic Photo by: Oren Goldman (www.ogpics.com)
This young Actor/Producer is carving quite a niche in the entertainment industry. Meet the extremely talented Chris Ivan Cevic who has starred and performed in several successful indie projects, plays, and television series. Recently, Cevic added to his talents that of being a producer in a short film titled Sugartown. Our Webzine had a blast speaking to the actor/producer in this ultra cool spotlight. Here is what developed.
Isaac: Hi Chris, I wanted to first wish a wonderful day. Let's get started with the interview. Let's talk about your background. Elaborate a little about your upbringing and what led you to move to Los Angeles, California.
Chris: I was born and raised in Florida, but it wasn't until I was college that I fell into acting; landing my first role in Neil Simon's farce "Rumors". After graduating from Franklin College in Switzerland, I moved to New York City and worked a few years in corporate finance, and then in Internet marketing. Along the way, I yearned for a creative outlet, and so I started up acting again. After a few years of training on the stages of New York City, I decided to come out to Los Angeles and pursue film.
Isaac: You have been quite busy lately with several pictures under your belt including PENANCE ('09), BLED (Lions Gate Films '09), DAYS OF DARKNESS (Lions Gate Films '08), and THE CARDINAL CODE ('08). What are some of the best aspects about making these films and being an actor?
Chris: The best part of making a picture is the experience of collaborating with talented people to make the best film we can. The enthusiasm of being in it together with people who care enough to put the film above all personal motivations is the best aspect of working in this business, period. It's really a beautiful thing, and I've been lucky enough to have experienced it as an actor on all of these films.
Isaac: You have a great background in Theatre too. What has been the most rewarding aspect about working in Theatre for you as an actor so far?
Chris: The most rewarding aspect of working in Theater is the respect for the discipline of acting that, unless you are a method actor, you only get in Theater. It demands 100% of you all the time, from start to finish. There is no "cut"...it's balls to the wall, and for me, that's exhilarating.
Isaac: You have performed in movies, TV, and on stage. Which outlet do you prefer to perform at as an actor and why?
Chris: It's a good question, and yet the answer isn't that simple. I think different outlets appeal to me at different times. I've really enjoyed film...the pace of it, and how you have time to build a deep, rich, nuanced character, that can be based largely outside of your normal self. And yet, I'm really interested in process of television right now for its blunt dose of reality. In the casting process, you either are or are not that character. Sometimes that realization is very powerful and can lead to amazing insights. Theater on the other hand is something I'd like to come back to one day...it's almost a luxury because it's hardly something you can make a good living doing.
Isaac: What is the best part about being an actor in your opinion?
Chris: The best part is at the end of a day of acting, knowing that nothing was more important than my inner quest for what was honest and real in my heart and the heart of the character. That and everyone kisses your ass ;)
Isaac: Of the films, plays, and/or TV series you have worked in so far, which film, play and/or TV Series have been your favorite and why?
Chris: I'm going to give you the stock answer on that one, in that, they are all my favorite, for different reasons. Mostly because on each one I grew in a different way as an actor, and as a person, that has become invaluable to me as an artist. I don't yet know if I will have the complete acting experience in my career, in that I'll be able to say "that was the best it could ever be", but I'm going to certainly try for it every time and to work with people who feel the same.
Isaac: You are also a producer. Can you tell us about what was the main reason why you decided to become a producer and a couple of your projects that you are working on?
Chris: I became a producer soon after I started acting in film. I sat on set, even when I wasn't suppose to be, and watched everything. That's when I realized "I could do this". I just soaked it up, and one day realized that it wasn't all that different from when I was a teenager watching my Dad produce the grandest, most lavish parties Palm Beach had ever seen. It was then that I realized I too had the capacity to be a producer. It's really a thankless job, but having analytic ability combined with creative tendency and good communication skills is a wonderful gift, and I didn't want to waste it. Plus, I wasn't one to sit by the phone and wait for the next audition, or next job or great story, to come by. I want to tell the stories that I'm passionate about.
Right now, I'm producing and acting in a short called Sugartown, about the effects of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder on our soldiers. It's a monumental task to attempt to cover in a short film, but director JT Mollner and I feel like we have a truly amazing script that needs to be told. And because we are both in a place where we don't want to do anything within EASY reach, we are going to do it all in one take, which just happens to play really well into the plot twist.
Isaac: Have you ever seen one of your projects after it has been completed and thought to yourself, "this is crap!"? How do you promote a project that you may not be proud of in the end?
Chris: For sure, especially when you are starting out, and it's tough, whenever it happens. The reality is you go into each project trusting everyone you are working with, and when someone, even just one person, drops the ball, you can see it...at least I can see it. The more dropped balls, the more obvious. When this happens, you have to remind yourself to get up and support the film for the many people who didn't drop the ball. Sometimes, it is no doubt difficult, especially if the faults you are noticing are yours, but I think if you find the lessons, then you have reason to celebrate.
Isaac: What is the perfect movie or TV role for you to portray as an actor and why?
Chris: I really gravitate to pivotal characters like the hero, or the rebel, or the character who in the end makes a huge discovery and does the right thing (at least what's right to him), and potentially pays the consequences for it. One of my favorite characters is Ed Norton's character in Fight Club because the journey he goes on is so hugely transformational in its scope. He starts off not only changing his perception of himself, society, and life as a whole, but through the course of the film he comes full circle, initially rejecting all of those things to eventually finding a place of understanding and acceptance of them. What that character does is huge, and Norton does it beautifully.
Isaac: Name a director that you would love to work with and why?
Chris: That's a tough question because there are really many directors that I respect...Scorcese, Spielberg, Tarantino, Fincher, Nolan, and there are many more...but if I had to answer your question, here are a few directors that come to mind right now: Terrence Malick, because of his impeccable and uncompromising realism. Terry Gilliam, because he truly is a visionary. Darren Aronofsky, because his films are so beautifully, brutally honest. And Paul Thomas Anderson, because, well, he's genius.
Isaac: Has there been any film parts that you decided against pursuing because of the type of role? What movie role would you not do as an actor and why?
Chris: There are a few roles that I've turned down, each for different reasons. For instance, there was one role where I had gone in to read for the young romantic lead, and after I read, the director was convinced I could play the 50 year old life-long rancher who's thrown in the towel and decided to move to suburbia. Although I was flattered that she considered me for such a stretch, I just didn't think I was the best person to play someone that old. I knew somewhere out there was an older actor who could knock that role out of the park. So, the producer in me came out and I referred someone else. He eventually read for the role and got the part. As far as something I would not do, I don't think I would know it until I'm there being considered for the role and truly look at what I can the role can bring to me and what I can bring to the role.
Isaac: What is next for Chris Ivan Cevic?
Chris: I'm always interested in good projects to act in, so therefore I'm continually auditioning. I also try to keep my ear to the ground for good projects or good people to pursue. In addition, I'm developing scripts, and I am producing and acting in a feature film called "A Wake in Denver". (The pitch: three estranged siblings, who while coming together to bury their physically, mentally, and emotional abusive father, come to discover he was not the miser they thought he was, but in fact beloved by the whole community they had left behind years ago. Their journey forces them to come to terms with their relationship to their father, each other, and themselves.) It's "Death at a Funeral" meets "The Savages" meets "Little Miss Sunshine". It's an amazing script by a wonderful Australian writer named Helen Castles. I've also been writing a lot lately, and that has been very rewarding, for me at least, because along with it has come the strong desire to direct...one day ;)
Isaac: Where can fans connect with you online? And how important is it for your fans to connect with you online?
Chris: My website (www.chrisivancevic.com) and my company's website (www.burntpictures.com) are good places to find the most current info on me and what I'm working on. I'm on Twitter as well. So far, I'm blessed; fans have been very generous to me, so I love to hear from them.
Isaac: What are some other future projects that you will be starring in?
Chris: Besides Sugartown and A Wake in Denver, I don't know...we'll see :)
Isaac: Final words from Chris Ivan Cevic...
Chris: I love this quote: "There are many things in life that catch your eye, but only a few catch your heart...pursue those."
