40 Things About Chup 21-30
21. When Chup was in college he had a roommate who was into acting. This roommate started noticing Chup's uncanny ability to pick up on accents (Australian! Indian! Utahan!) and asked if Chup had ever thought about trying acting. The power of this suggestion was strong enough that Chup auditioned for a play at BYU and got the part. And as these things go, he's been an actor ever since.
22. The first time I ever laid eyes on my husband was on stage. He had a part in my brother Topher's cheerfully directed Merry Wives of Windsor. I remember thinking he was one of my favorites in the ensemble.You could say I had a fascination with Chris Kendrick early on.
23. When Chup attended BYU he was a cast member of the Garrens Comedy Troupe which was started by the genius of Eric D. Snider (who you must follow on Twitter and who, incidentally shares Chup's same birthday--they still call every year to wish each other sarcastic birthday greetings). The Garrens combined sketch comedy with improv and sadly I only saw him perform once . . . unless you count all the Garren videos that continue to resurface on line, oh, like this one, Second Chance Cafe:
24. When we first started dating Chup took a role in Twelfth Night as the ridiculous character Sir Tolby Belch. Only for this particular Shakespeare interpretation, it was set in the 1800's wild west. This meant Chup had to carry on reciting Shakespeare with a Foghorn Leghorn accent and a pair of cowboy boots. I will never love seeing him play a character more than Sir Toby. Still makes me smile.
25. Thanks to his deep, vibrating voice (GO AND FIND THE COWS) Chup does a lot of voice over work. We love voice over work, it pays well and asks so much less than actual acting with your body. (I have attempted voice over work, and it was a nightmare for my self esteem, it really does take talent I concede). Big manly voices actually run in Chup's family. His dad Ernie was a DJ at KING radio in Seattle (partied with the Beach Boys) and his cousin also makes a living using his voice. You might know him if you live in Utah:
Ron Bird y'all!
(I also concede that is the worst picture of me in the world.)
26. Speaking of voice over work, Chup narrates the Messiah Series from BYUtv. Sometimes I watch it with my eyes closed because I love the sound so much. You can actually hear Chup's voice or see his face in a lot of LDS productions from Temple Visitor Centers to LDS spots on tv. He voices Jesus Christ in The Light of Men radio series and has a part in the beautiful Joseph Smith movie. We can't go anywhere in Mormondom without people recognizing him. If the church paid in pure gold bars from the secret vault WE'D BE RICH!!!
27. After we were married I daydreamed of Chup being on an episode of ER. ER was my favorite show at the time, you see. One day while working at Sunset View Elementary taping my student's short stories to the hallway wall I got a call from Chup saying he had booked a part in the upcoming season premiere of ER. I screamed and ran up and down the hallway all by myself. I thought it was the most exciting thing in the world. (He played the officer who finds Sam's son Alex after he runs away to find his dad in prison in Season 12. The drama! Loves!)
28.Once he had a scene in the World's Fastest Indian with Sir Anthony Hopkins.
(But he told Chup to just call him "Tony").
29. When Chup was in Dracula last year he was so excited about the whole production. For a month he went to rehearsals, and for a month the momentum built until I couldn't stand it. It was thrilling to see Chup involved in acting again after a three year hiatus. I went the opening night and sat in the best seat in the house. After the show was over I waited by the stage door anxious to gush to him about the whole show. But when he came out he looked defeated.
"I got nervous because you were in the audience," he admitted.
"I thought you were great!" I said, and I meant it too.
But he wouldn't have it.
"You will have to come back so I can try again," he said.
And so I did. I came back on the very last night. He was great again.
But this time he knew it.
30. If you asked Chup he'd tell you his favorite acting gig came when he worked on a show called I Shouldn't Be Alive from the Discovery Channel. His episode is called Nightmare Canyon and it's about two brothers who go hiking in a canyon and barely come out alive (thus, they really shouldn't be alive). In this dramatization Chup's brother is named Jeremy. In real life Chup's brother is named Jeremy. Chup didn't have to dig deep to find his "motivation."
Dear Chup, I'm glad you're alive.
