Chris Showerman is know for his role in “George of the Jungle 2”. He is featured in the upcoming “Complacent” co-starring Cerina Vincent. Chris is also a writer and director and co-partner of a production company with Clint Morris called Shorris Film. Movie Mikes had the chance to ask Chris a few questions about his career and his very busy future.
Click here to purchase “George of the Jungle 2”
Mike Gencarelli: How was it working on “George of the Jungle 2”?
Chris Showerman: Incredible. The cast was fun, the crew was amazing, and the apes had gas for most of the shoot.
Mike Gencarelli: Did you feel any pressure taking over the role first played by Brendan Fraser?
Chris Showerman: Of course! He left a big loin cloth to fill. Everyone on the project was so supportive of me being the new guy. And the line they put in the script about me being the new George was a big bonus – helped everyone get past the fact that I wasn’t Brendan. Incidentally, I met Brendan about a year after we shot the movie. Great guy! He was real supportive of me as well – though I don’t know if he ever watched my movie – he never said.
Mike Gencarelli: In addition to acting you’re also now writing and directing your own films. Is it easy wearing so many hats?
Chris Showerman: Writing is really cerebral. It’s a pretty lonely art form. It’s great for me because I can go into hermit mode pretty easily so it’s a nice energetic change from my acting side. It’s more of an introverted exercise where yo
u’re going within for the answers. Directing is a natural outcropping of writing for me. It’s just following through on the ideas I had already formulated when I was writing. They always say that a good writer doesn’t direct from the typewriter. That is true, but I can’t help but “Watch” the movie in my mind as I’m writing it so I can go into the directing part with a good preview of roughly how I want the scene to look. Now producing, on the other hand, is a heart attack waiting to happen. My blood pressure goes up about 200 points when I have to juggle all of the details that concern the producer. I have such a renewed respect for producers of low budget projects that take on such a load. It might be different with bigger projects where everybody gets an assistant. And the assistants get assistants. And their assistants go get coffee for everyone.
Mike Gencarelli: We recently just interviewed Cerina Vincent last month, tell us about your recent role in the film “Complacent”?
Chris Showerman: Complacent is a beautifully told movie written and directed by Steven Monroe. It’s a pretty heavy drama about what happens under the surface of our psyches when we allow ourselves to get too comfortable – thus “Complacent”.
MG: When and why did you and Clint Morris decide to form Shorris Film?
CS: Clint and I had been pals for a while and he was the one who had the great idea to team up our strengths. I think we made it official on January 1st – I just don’t remember the year. Perhaps 2006? Our first project was a werewolf film – that’s currently on pause due to the passing of one of it’s attached cast members – with Clint’s good friends Eric Stoltz and Stephen Tobolowsky. Then a western. We’re currently filming a top-secret project in L.A.
MG: Your most recent film is “B
ig Game”. Can you tell us about it and your working relationship with C. Thomas Howell?
CS: This is one of my favorite projects I have had the pleasure of acting in. I got to play completely against type and play a red neck murderer rapist…with a heart. It was a great challenge and I always looked forward to every day on set. I laughed so hard working with Tommy and John Deignan I thought I’d have a hernia right there on set. I also worked with Tommy on a remake of “The Land That Time Forgot” for SyFy and the upcoming comedy “Commander and Chief”.
MG: Tell me about some of your future projects, for example “Vauxhall Crossed” and “Death Keeps Coming”, if you can?
CS: Well those projects are developing as we speak, so I’ll know more once I’m officially brought into them, but “Vauxhall Crossed” is a British spy thriller about an MI6 agent. I believe Tanit Phoenix, from the upcoming “Death Race 2”, is the star. The other is a western that my good friend Dee Wallace is also involved in.
MG: According to the IMDB, You’re playing a character named Dr Hamilton Manning in two films, “Parfection” and “Beach Bar: The Movie”. What are they?
CS: “Parfection” is a goofy frat mentality comedy about a golfer who loses a bet and get’s breast implants put in. I had a great time working with Dean Cameron on that one. I think the next one, which is somewhat of a spin-off, is starting to get rolling soon.
Thanks to Clint Morris to setting up the interview and providing the images.
Click here to purchase “George of the Jungle 2”