In 2019, Christopher was nominated for the “Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series” Emmy award for his portrayal of Stefan DiMera on Days of Our Lives on NBC. “That felt great. I’ve been fortunate enough to be on that stage a few times and it feels just as good each time,” he said.
Speaking of his character Stefan DiMera on the show, he is drawn to him due to his “very complex” nature. “Stefan wasn’t just pure evil. He was humorous, exuberant and outlandish,” he explained.
Christopher had nothing but the greatest remarks about working with fellow actor Billy Flynn on Days of Our Lives, who also scored an Emmy nomination with him in the same “Outstanding Lead Actor” category. “Billy and I are really good friends now. We check in on each other at least once a week. I love Billy and consider him one of my best friends,” he said.
When asked how he handles being dialogue-heavy, where he had to memorize many pages of scripts, Christopher said, “It’s like anything else: you work at it long enough and if you work hard enough, you are going to get better and better at it. I don’t envy anybody new these days that is entering the soap world that hasn’t done a soap opera before. It is not easy.”
“The brain is a muscle and the more you work on memorization, the better you get,” he said.
Regarding the best advice he was ever given in his career, Christopher said, “Work a little harder and care a little less.”
Digital transformation of the entertainment business
On the impact of technology and streaming on the entertainment industry, he said, “That’s the way television is going, and eventually it is all going to be that way. Disney and Apple are getting in the streaming game and my company, SkipStone Pictures, is getting in the streaming game. There is too much money.”
“I just watched Murder Mystery on Netflix last night. That was pretty good,” he said, prior to noting that he would love to someday make his way back to Port Charles in the future, thus implying General Hospital.
Being an actor in this digital age affords “more opportunity.” “The paychecks are a little smarter but there are more opportunities than there ever was,” he said. “When I first started 25 years ago, television shows were primarily on the major networks: ABC, NBC, Fox, and CBS, and you had your HBO and FX series here and there.”
For young and aspiring actors, his advice is as follows: “If you are not willing to make the ultimate sacrifice, then stay in Missouri.”
On the key to longevity in acting and entertainment, he said, “You have to plow through rejection and disappointment. You need to stick through it. There are countless others that I have encountered that didn’t want to wait that long. I was fortunate enough to become successful in the first 18 months of launching my career, and I’ve been able to do that for a quarter of a century.”
“If you have some talent and you stick it out, you are eventually going to find work, but you have to plow through those beginning years,” he said.
In 2016, Christopher took home the “Lead Actor” Emmy Award for his work on General Hospital as Nikolas Cassadine. “That was good material, all written by Ron Carlivati. He wrote both of these Emmy nominations and one win. I need to give props to him too,” he said.
Christopher also spoke highly about Linda Rohe and Coastal Entertainment, and the fan events they organize. “I love Linda. While I am not in the soap opera world right now, her events go off without a hitch each time,” he said.
He shared that he is a fan of Ronnie Marmo and his portrayal of Lenny Bruce in I’m Not A Comedian, I’m Lenny Bruce. “I saw it twice. It is fantastic. I love Ronnie. He does a fantastic job as Lenny Bruce,” he said.
Each day, he is motivated by the “need to survive and to support his family.” “The stability and wellness of my family is my entire motivation in life,” he said.
Christopher defined the word success as “a happy and healthy family.”
For his fans and followers, he said, “Stick with me. I am not going anywhere. I am Vice President of a production company, SkipStone Pictures. That’s my new venture.”
To learn more about SkipStone Pictures, check out its official website.
