Today we’d like to introduce you to Chris Rodway.
Hi Chris, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I grew up in Goochland, Virginia, which is right outside of Richmond. Movies and music have always been a huge part of my life. I started out singing and playing guitar in rock bands when I was 12, after high school I went to Berklee College of Music in Boston for vocal performance. But one day, I saw an open call for a student film casting nearby & decided to go audition.
I didn’t know what I was doing & didn’t land the role, but I completely fell in love with acting & filmmaking in general. I knew I had to do it, so I transferred from music school to a film school in Miami, Fl. I started working bg jobs in major movies and TV shows there and in Va while I studied. My little brother Sean and I even got a music video of ours on national TV. Then I had a few terrible things happen that completely changed the course of my life. First, a bad concussion that left me bedridden for about six months. During this time, I couldn’t read or write or watch TV but could listen to audiobooks and music. My older brother Randy suggested I listen to a book he was reading the sequel of, written by a former Delta Force operator turned NY times bestselling author (Dalton Fury’s popular Kolt “Racer” Raynor series), and I became completely obsessed with it. I felt that obligation again to take action when I began to recover, and ended up optioning the series, and am currently producing the motion pictures alongside a team of seasoned Hollywood pros!
The first book is called Black Site, and the movie will be of the same title. I will be playing a small role in the picture as well. The next terrible thing that happened was the same time I became SAG eligible. My little brother Sean suddenly passed away in a car crash. We always did everything together, played in bands, wrote scripts, etc. So when I registered for SAG, I put my name in as Chris Rodway (real last name Reynolds) because Rodway is Sean’s middle name. I’m out here doing this for the both of us, he is my inspiration to work harder and be stronger and do what it takes to really do and be more than I ever thought possible.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It’s been a rollercoaster ride, that’s for sure. The ups are way up on cloud 9, and the downs are a plummet straight through the damn floor. But honestly I wouldn’t have it any other way! The key is consistency, a whole lotta persistence, and most importantly, you’ve got to have a genuine love for what you’re doing and you’ve got to need it. You can make anything happen if you truly need to.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m a Producer, Actor, Writer, and Rock & Roll Singer. I’m very proud of everything that I’ve done, but I’m even prouder of what I’m doing now every single day, and even more so of what’s to come.
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
There will undoubtedly be a lot of big changes because of everything going on in the world right now. I just sincerely hope that movies will come back into theaters stronger than ever when things are able to reopen. I’ve a lifelong love affair with cinema, and “going to the movies”. I’ll always be in support of the theater experience, and WHEN THINGS ARE SAFE, I highly encourage everyone to flock back to the movies once more.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.thehappenagency.com
- Instagram: @chrisrodwayofficial
Image Credits
The headshot images are by John McCrocklin.
