Christian Campbell Discusses MAGNETIC NORTH

The nuns in parochial school were fond of saying that "the eyes are the windows of the soul." There may be some truth to that adage. After all, TV cameras zoom in on public figures in hopes of catching a glimpse of something in their eyes that will be a clue to their inner feelings.

Anyone who gives a close look to the eyes of Christian Campbell finds them reflecting excitement, energy, intelligence and sensitivity. They are they eyes of an actor who was prominently featured in the films Trick and Reefer Madness: The Musical. On television, Campbell was featured in the short-lived The Book of Danie l and All My Children. The actor's eyes are an intense almost-emerald green and are framed in dark lashes that almost make one think that "Irish eyes are smiling." Only Campbell isn't Irish: He's Scottish and Dutch. He's also the brother of actress Neve Campbell.

If his eyes weren't enough to "sell" this fiNe Young actor, he has one of the whitest set of teeth this side of a Pepsodent ad. In short, he's an extremely fine looking fellow.

Meeting Christian Campbell at a mid-town diner finds him to be friendly and articulate. He's just spent the day rehearsing a new play called MAGNETIC NORTH and is brimming over with excitement about it.

The Toronto native was born to parents and grandparents from the Theatre World. He got an introduction to theatre at an early age because his father was a teacher. He explains: "My sister and I found ourselves sitting beside our Dad in theatres all the time as he was directing productions. He would often lean over and ask us what we thought of a scene or the blocking or what we thought was going on between the actors. As children we had minds like sponges and picked up everything, so we pretty much became his assistants. I don't know if I was into it or whether I was reluctant but I became an actor. I wanted to go into the military for a while and was making a track towards that but the Theatre World kept pulling me, so here I am!"

Campbell's first on-stage appearance was in a Gilbert and Sullivan operetta. "My father directed a production of HMS PINAFORE and I was a boson's mate who got lowered to the stage on a rope. I think my only line in the show was, ‘Ship's company: Attention!' and I said it really well!" Looking further back, Campbell realizes that he had an even earlier experience on stage: "I played Jesus in a Christmas pageant in nursery school. It was a very itchy production because I was in a bale of hay and I remember scratching myself all day."

After sipping his coffee, Campbell reminisces about his first professional job as an actor. "I would say my first paying gig-living on my own-- was when I was sixteen. I'd moved out of the house and was paying the rent by being a waiter. My first professional stuff was in television; being in commercials. I had done a production of Herb Gardiners's A THOUSAND CLOWNS at my mother's dinner theater. That kind of felt like a professional production I played Nick, the kid. I was in eighth grade. The first big job I had was something with James Brolin when I was 19 years old. It was called CITY BOY. That was my big taste of something. I was doing lots of theatre. Always theatre. That's my first love."

When it was mentioned that he's done plenty of movies and television, Campbell agrees, saying: "Oh, yeah, but movies and television are my bread and butter! I love theatre, though. That's what I do in between TV and film jobs to keep myself lubricated. Television's always been part of my life ‘cause a fella's gotta eat!"

Okay, it's very interesting to learn HOW Campbell became an actor, but the question about WHY he remains an actor stumps him briefly. He fidgets with his napkin for a moment, repeats the question and takes a deep breath. "I ask myself that question almost every day, because I don't know why I'm staying. Sometimes this is a very frustrating career but if I think of myself outside of it I become sad. I can't see myself outside of it I just can't imagine myself doing anything other than what I do: working in the arts, whether it be acting or directing or creatively developing projects. That's what I do. I enjoy the people I work with-the creative staff and the actors. The rest are ‘civilians'. You know civilians are great, but that's the civilian life and we just don't seem to speak the same language. I mean people in the theatre have such an exuberance for life. They're very engaged and alive. Heck, we have to be sort of sponges and I enjoy being a part of them. Yes, they're tempestuous and that's something I'm impatient with. At the same time, there's something at least: they're characters. They're big! It makes my life interesting."

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