Chris Hayes(XIV)
- Actor
- Producer
- Writer
Timothy Christopher Hayes was the first of three sons born to Tim
Hayes, an executive for Bayer Healthcare, and Susan Hayes, an interior
refiner. Though Hayes took his first breaths in San Antonio, Texas, his
time in the Lone Star State would be short-lived, due to the demands of
his father's career. In fact, Hayes moved around to 8 different states
as a child before eventually settling in Chester, New Jersey at the age
of 10.
It was in New Jersey where Hayes's love for acting first revealed itself, when in 8th grade he was intent on being cast as the lead in his class production of "Romeo & Juliet" for the sole purpose of kissing the girl who played Juliet. Unfortunately for the ambitious middle schooler, Hayes, who describes himself back then as a "chubby little troll," did not exactly look like Romeo-at least in the conventional sense. Instead, Hayes was cast as Mercutio, where his natural comedic timing allowed him to steal the show. His quest to become a working actor began that night, and his love for comedy and his penchant for stealing scenes have continued to this day.
From that point, Hayes began a torrid pace of making short films with his friends throughout high school and college. Among the hundreds of films that he shot during this period were low budget homages to "Jurassic Park," "Back to the Future," and "Upright Citizens Brigade." He also produced an abundance of original improv material.
After graduating from West Morris Mendham High School in 2003, Hayes attended Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, NC, where he pledged Sigma Pi Fraternity and graduated with honors with a degree in economics. Despite what his degree says, Hayes's actual focus during this time was the theater, where he was able to really stretch himself as an actor through works as diverse as Ibsen's "An Enemy of the People" to Charles Busch's "Psycho Beach Party." Studying abroad in both Australia and Spain also contributed heavily to the breadth of experiences that Hayes is able to draw on for each role that he plays.
In 2007, almost immediately after graduating from college, Hayes took the plunge and moved out to Los Angeles. Within a year, Hayes booked the lead in his first feature film, "The Loneliest Road in America," a story of three friends on a road-trip along America's beautiful and desolate Route 50. The film was shot on-location in Colorado, Nevada, Utah, and California.
While working at a casting office, not long after wrapping this first film, Hayes displayed a bit of ingenuity in procuring his next feature film role. He asked to work as a "reader" during auditions for "Beneath the Dark," which his office was casting. Hayes impressed the film's producers so much that towards the end of the process, they offered him a small role in the film. Not only did this role earn Hayes his SAG eligibility, but he also attended the film's world premier at the 2010 South by Southwest film festival in Austin, Texas, where his grandmother did him the honor of being his date on the red carpet.
Since that time, Hayes has managed to increase his profile even more. He recently finished filming a principal role in "Black Gold" starring Billy Zane, Eric Roberts, Tom Sizemore and Michael Madsen. He has another film, "The Grief Tourist," starring Melanie Griffith and Michael Cudlitz opening this year. Hayes provided a lead role in the short-film, "Shooting for Something Else," which was recently accepted into the 2011 Cannes Film Festival. In addition, he was recently cast to appear in two more feature films set to begin filming soon.
Though Hayes often plays the boy next door with a darker side, he is a versatile talent, whose sincerity and eagerness to learn have allowed him to find relative success in a short period of time. Strong relationships with family and friends will serve to keep him grounded as his star rises even higher.
It was in New Jersey where Hayes's love for acting first revealed itself, when in 8th grade he was intent on being cast as the lead in his class production of "Romeo & Juliet" for the sole purpose of kissing the girl who played Juliet. Unfortunately for the ambitious middle schooler, Hayes, who describes himself back then as a "chubby little troll," did not exactly look like Romeo-at least in the conventional sense. Instead, Hayes was cast as Mercutio, where his natural comedic timing allowed him to steal the show. His quest to become a working actor began that night, and his love for comedy and his penchant for stealing scenes have continued to this day.
From that point, Hayes began a torrid pace of making short films with his friends throughout high school and college. Among the hundreds of films that he shot during this period were low budget homages to "Jurassic Park," "Back to the Future," and "Upright Citizens Brigade." He also produced an abundance of original improv material.
After graduating from West Morris Mendham High School in 2003, Hayes attended Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, NC, where he pledged Sigma Pi Fraternity and graduated with honors with a degree in economics. Despite what his degree says, Hayes's actual focus during this time was the theater, where he was able to really stretch himself as an actor through works as diverse as Ibsen's "An Enemy of the People" to Charles Busch's "Psycho Beach Party." Studying abroad in both Australia and Spain also contributed heavily to the breadth of experiences that Hayes is able to draw on for each role that he plays.
In 2007, almost immediately after graduating from college, Hayes took the plunge and moved out to Los Angeles. Within a year, Hayes booked the lead in his first feature film, "The Loneliest Road in America," a story of three friends on a road-trip along America's beautiful and desolate Route 50. The film was shot on-location in Colorado, Nevada, Utah, and California.
While working at a casting office, not long after wrapping this first film, Hayes displayed a bit of ingenuity in procuring his next feature film role. He asked to work as a "reader" during auditions for "Beneath the Dark," which his office was casting. Hayes impressed the film's producers so much that towards the end of the process, they offered him a small role in the film. Not only did this role earn Hayes his SAG eligibility, but he also attended the film's world premier at the 2010 South by Southwest film festival in Austin, Texas, where his grandmother did him the honor of being his date on the red carpet.
Since that time, Hayes has managed to increase his profile even more. He recently finished filming a principal role in "Black Gold" starring Billy Zane, Eric Roberts, Tom Sizemore and Michael Madsen. He has another film, "The Grief Tourist," starring Melanie Griffith and Michael Cudlitz opening this year. Hayes provided a lead role in the short-film, "Shooting for Something Else," which was recently accepted into the 2011 Cannes Film Festival. In addition, he was recently cast to appear in two more feature films set to begin filming soon.
Though Hayes often plays the boy next door with a darker side, he is a versatile talent, whose sincerity and eagerness to learn have allowed him to find relative success in a short period of time. Strong relationships with family and friends will serve to keep him grounded as his star rises even higher.
