Christopher Larkin is Full of Surprises
“Acting is all about constant failure. Failing again. And again. And then learning to fail better. It’s important not to let these failures get the better of you, or let them get you down,” says Christopher Larkin.
Christopher Larkin, at the age of 30, not only has words of wisdom, but quite the unique background. Born in South Korea, adopted at four months old by parents of Irish and French-Canadian descent, raised in Connecticut, Fordham University alum, theatre professional, television actor, musical artist, and was once a nationally-ranked Irish step dancer? Oh, and his name isn’t actually Christopher.
Larkin went to college knowing full well that he wanted to be a theatre major. It was always his goal. People often ask what other profession he would choose to pursue if acting was not an option and, for him, many alternatives do not come to mind.
Choosing to attend Fordham University Lincoln Center was a prime location to make that dream become a reality. Inspired by both his favorite actor Sidney Poitier and his favorite play A Raisin in the Sun, Larkin knew he wanted to pursue theatre. Although he reluctantly admits, he still hasn’t seen the film A Raisin in the Sun…of which Sidney Poitier stars in.
“Growing up, I didn’t have any role models who looked like me. I didn’t idolize Asian actors, specifically because there weren’t any Asian actors to idolize. I related to Sidney because in my eyes, he was the next best thing. A person of color breaking ground in uncharted territory. A pioneer,” says Larkin.
Director Martha Coolidge discovered Larkin back in 2000, and casted him in the lead of the young son in Hallmark Entertainment’s The Flamingo Rising. From there, he then trained at the Greater Hartford Academy, and later attended Fordham College Lincoln Center where he majored in theatre, earning his degree in 2009.
It was during Larkin’s sophomore year of college where he made his professional theatre debut in the off-Broadway production of Back from the Front. During his college career, he also part of the cast of Kafka on the Shore at the Steppenwolf Theatre Company in Chicago, Illinois.
Once Larkin chose to relocate to Los Angeles in hopes of more opportunities for work, he was able to gain more success — in both theatre and television. There, he booked several off-Broadway productions, multiple co-starring roles on the soap opera One Life to Live, a recurring role in the CW pilot Cooper and Stone, guest-starring roles on Awkward and 90210, as well as becoming a series regular on the CW’s The 100.
Christopher is also a founding member of the band d’Artagnan. Their track Confession was a winner of the 2012 Red Bull Soundstage Competition. It appears on the soundtrack of the feature film We Made This Movie, as well as the CW series The 100. Larkin also chooses to perform under the name Carry Hatchet and has self-released two albums. The first one entitled, The News Today in 2015 and the second is entitled The Happiest Album Ever Made in 2017.
While he has gained lots of success from the performance industry due to his talent, he also recognizes the importance of appearances. A lot of experiences in this industry can vary depending on what sort of image put out into the world and, frankly, what you look like physically. Having the ability to understand that before it can be perceived as a negative, can help many people who have dreams of being successful and aspire to work in the performance industry.
Larkin believes that while the business he is a part of has given him many opportunities, it is also a business that can unfortunately be very shallow. He explains that there are times where others will try to “pigeonhole” you even if it has nothing to do with who you are, your creative drive, or your talent.
“I think it’s imperative that any prospective actor take a good, long look in the mirror and be honest about what they see. Not how they see themselves. But, how the world sees them,” he says. “Knowing this, is essential for two reasons. One, to soften the inevitable blow that comes from people constantly judging you by your looks rather than the content of your character. Two, to understand the biases against you from the start, and prepare to fight them every chance you get. Fight to destroy stereotypes. Fight to break out of the box,” he continues.
Once you decide to be a part of this industry, like many other professions, you simply cannot stop fighting for greatness. When asked about one of his most memorable moments from acting thus far, the first thing that came to his mind was actually being screamed at on set. Moments like these are certainly far from enjoyable, yet they are memories that he is grateful for and can learn from.
“These were far from the most pleasant experiences, but they’re easily some of the most memorable,” Larkin says. “I’ve been yelled at by numerous directors and producers over the years. Let me tell you, it is a wonderful way to publicly humiliate another person and make them feel small. It was also a solid reminder to be kind and never act that way myself. So I’m grateful for the memories in that sense,” he continued.
Moving to Los Angeles back in 2012 was surely another moment in Larkin’s life where he went through various struggles, but learned from them as well. Being homeless and jobless in New York City, no prospects in sight, all of his best friends having already left for the west coast, he felt it was the right thing to do and that there was no other choice. It is truly spectacular how a change in location can really be the catalyst for opportunities to start opening up.
“My life circumstances hadn’t changed all that much, but I was just happy to be surrounded by new people in a new environment. I eventually got a gig bussing tables at a restaurant. One year later, I was booked as a series regular role on The 100. Los Angeles gave me an opportunity. I’ll always be grateful to the city for that.”
Today, Larkin is most likely best known for his acting on The 100. The CW drama series is set ninety-seven years after a nuclear war has destroyed civilization. A spaceship housing humanity’s lone survivors sends one hundred juvenile delinquents back to Earth, in hopes of possibly repopulating the planet, according to imdb.com. On the series, Larkin plays Monty Green, who is considered a major character of seasons one through five.
Having worked in both theatre and television, Larkin claims that they are “two very different beasts” and require different types of skill.
“To me, television is like sprinting. Rapid bursts of energy interrupted by prolonged periods of waiting around. Theatre is like running a marathon. It’s an endurance test. From rehearsals to tech to the run itself, you’re in for the long haul,” he says.
Since his performing roots originate in theatre, he considers it to be his preferred medium of choice of the two. But he still sees value with working in both types of skill.
“I think it’s healthy to switch things up every now and then. Not just to make sure your bills get paid, but to keep things fresh. It’s nice to rehearse and shoot something new every single day,” he says.
Throughout his time performing for both the stage and the screen, he has definitely learned the importance of being able to “let go and move on”. When you’re in an industry that is so focused on other’s perceptions of you, it can be hard to try not to take criticisms and rejections personally. It is a very vulnerable choice to go into the performing arts and it does not always work out for everyone. Learning from one’s failures and not letting them stop you from growth is something Larkin believes is absolutely vital.
“Take what lessons you can from them [failures] and keep pushing forward. That’s the most effective way to continue growing, progressing, and evolving as an artist,” he says.
As he does just that, the future for Larkin is as unknown to him as it is to us. He explains that it can be “wildly unpredictable”. Where you are one day, you can be in the complete opposite situation in just twenty-four hours. His realistically humble view of the performance business makes him seemingly ready for any changes that might come his way.
“Things rarely turn out the way you think they will. You’re riding high one minute, and completely down on your luck the next. I’d like to think I’ll keep finding steady work decades from now, but you never know,” he says.
While Larkin is truly fulfilling his dream of being an actor and doing what he loves every single day, there are moments where he questions if the industry is somewhere he should stay. Although it brings him joy, he still wonders if acting is what he should be doing right now and if he can be doing it in a way that is more beneficial to others. Not many people have the ability to say that they are living out their biggest goal in life, and even with that great accomplishment, there are repercussions to it as well.
“I often question whether or not to stay in this industry. I’ve loved being an actor the last eighteen years, but it’s never lost on me that this is a very greedy life choice. Acting is a luxury. Being an artist of any kind is a luxury. There’s a lot of terrible shit going on in this world, and I constantly question whether I’m doing all I can to contribute; to give back in some kind of meaningful way. That’s something I hope to redefine for myself as time goes on,” he explains.
As his journey continues with his acting, Chritopher is glad that his career has worked out thus far. Yes, that’s right. Not a typo. Chritopher. That is Christopher Larkin’s true legal name.
“Whoever was writing out my birth certificate forgot to add the necessary “s” and my parents missed the mistake. To this day, my closest friends and family call me Chrit or Chritopher,” he explains.
Definitely, a man full of surprises.