By Christina Radish
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Chris Olivero at the 2006 San Diego Comic Convention held at the Convention Center in San Diego, Calif. |
Born in Stockton, California, 22-year-old Chris Olivero first became interested in acting when he took drama in high school. Even though he never appeared in any plays, due to the fact that he was in sports, Olivero ended up booking a Chevrolet commercial in his senior year of high school, after a casting director saw his photo. She then sent his headshot to a modeling agency that paid for him to move to Los Angeles to become a model. Once he realized that modeling was not his calling, he began seriously studying acting, later booking jobs every month.
Having done three other pilots for ABC Family, prior to auditioning for Kyle XY, Olivero says that the script stood out to him because it was so different, and he knew that he wanted to be a part of the series. Now in it’s second season, Olivero tells MediaBlvd Magazine that he is quite pleased with the direction his character, Declan, has taken and he’s looking forward to seeing his growth in future episodes.
MediaBlvd Magazine> How did you come to be a part of Kyle XY? Was it through the regular auditioning process?
Chris Olivero> The director of the last pilot that I did was the same director of the first episode of Kyle XY, so ABC Family knew me and the director knew me. I went in for Declan and they thought they were going to cast Declan out of Canada. So then, I went in for Kyle, and I went to the producers for Kyle (played by Matt Dallas), but I guess I wasn’t as innocent looking as Matt. They were like, “No, but we’re going to go ahead and cast Declan out of California now.” I had more ins because Touchstone is the studio, and they were the same studio as the pilot that I did before Kyle XY. It was a comedy, so it was a different division, but it was the same studio, the same channel and the same director. I had a lot of things going for me, but I still had to go to producers again -- I went to them twice for Kyle and once for Declan -- and then went to the studio, then the network, and then I got it. It was all within two days.
MediaBlvd> What was it about the script for this show that made you want to be a part of it? And, had you been a fan of sci-fi prior to doing the show?
Chris> I like sci-fi. I’ve always liked The X-Files. I would really love to do a comic book movie, just ‘cause I enjoy them. With Kyle XY, I saw a show with a lot of potential. I saw that it could be something really good. And then, once I met with the writers and Julie Plec, who writes the best teen storylines -- I think our best episodes are written by her -- and most realistic, up-to-date and current issues, I thought that it dealt with things very well. I wasn’t in much of the pilot, so I couldn’t really judge my character, but when I talked to the writers about where they were going with Declan and what they wanted to do, and it sounded fun, it sounded good, it sounded interesting to do.
MediaBlvd> When you were cast on the show, did you sign on as a regular?
Chris> From day one, I was a series regular. I was actually the first person to sign onto the show. Most of the storylines are based around Kyle, so whenever you can fit into Kyle’s story, you’ll be on the show. In the first season, they didn’t entirely know what to do with Declan. They wanted him to be a bigger part of the show, but they didn’t really know where to go with him. And then, when they found where to go with him, that’s how it got bigger. But, I knew, from day one, that it was always going to be a growing character, through the season. It’s the same thing for season two. For the first few episodes, I’m in two or three scenes, every show, and then it builds. I knew that, going into it. It starts out with one storyline, and then I become involved with Kyle XY and Jessi XX, and I become involved in everybody’s storylines. I’m the outside character involved in everybody else’s storylines.
MediaBlvd> How has the new, longer season changed things for you?
Chris> In the first part of the season, I have a lot of days off, so I fly back to California and hang out, and then fly back. But, when we get to episodes six and seven, I start to be in the whole episode. It’s going to be interesting, being up there. It rains all the time, so that’s the hard thing. They say the summers are nice, but I’ve done a couple other projects up there in June and it rained the whole time. The longer season is great. It’s exciting for the show, and it’s good for me, too, even though it limits other projects I can do. I was offered this movie, and they’re going to push it now until next year, so they can try to work around the schedule. We thought we were going to do 26 episodes, which means we wouldn’t be done until November, and not a lot of stuff films in November, December or January because of the holidays and the weather. The only negative side is working other projects into the schedule now.
MediaBlvd> Declan was a bit of a jerk in the early episodes. Had they always intended to make him more layered and more of a good guy, or did that evolve over the course of the season?
Chris> It’s a little of both. You first see Declan as this normal, typical guy, who everything goes easy for. But then, the layers start to slowly reveal. I didn’t want to just play a character that was the high school jock jerk, and that’s it. That’s not interesting to play. I’ve done it before, and it just would not have been that interesting, if that’s what they were going to do long-term, but they said they had a lot of things in store for Declan. Once I got to play him, and really create him, I realized the similarity he has to a lot of normal guys in high school, when you act one way because you think you’re supposed to, but yet there’s this other, deeper side to you. That’s what happens in the second season, too. He doesn’t know how to handle everything the right way, or the best way, but things work out for him, in the end, because he starts to be more himself. I always knew there was going to be a better side of Declan that was going to be revealed.
MediaBlvd> Once you were all cast on the show, did you get to do any rehearsals or spend any time getting to know each other, prior to filming?
Chris> With the pilot, I was doing another project, at the same time, so I flew up the day I worked, and then I flew back for that other project, and then I flew back for Kyle XY. So, right then, I didn’t really get a chance to mingle too much. I worked two or three days on the pilot. There were other scenes that they cut out because that’s just what happens. But, once the season started, we hung out all the time and got to know each other. When you’re in Vancouver for four months, you have plenty of time to spend with one another, on and off set, especially when you’re isolated from all your friends and family in California.
MediaBlvd> Now that you’ve had time to figure your character out a little bit, does it make it easier to come back and do another season? Or, did the long delay between seasons make it more difficult for you to get back into character?
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Matt Dallas, April Matson & Chris Olivero at the 2006 San Diego Comic Convention held at the Convention Center in San Diego, Calif. |
Chris> Declan was born and dies with me. I created him. The writers write what happens, but I’m acting it out. He’s part of me. That’s the easiest way to put it. What’s great this year is that we got the first six episodes before we started filming. Last year, we literally got the episodes the day before we were supposed to start shooting, so we really didn’t have time to prepare for the next episode. This time, we got to read six, so I got to see where they were going with them, and talk to the writers and see what they were going to do long-term, at least for the first 13 episodes. I had about two months, before filming began, to really start thinking and planning and coming up with reasons, as to why he’s doing what he’s doing. So, it wasn’t that difficult of a thing to do, even with the delay.
MediaBlvd> Were you concerned about recalling what it was like to be a high school student, or was that pretty easy for you?
Chris> It was pretty easy. The oldest character I’ve ever played was 20 years old. 99% of the characters I’ve played are seniors in high school, or right around there. I feel more like a high schooler than I do an adult. I haven’t grown up. I’ve pretty much played the same age for the last six years. I’m looking for film roles that will be a little bit older, just to move out of the high school area. But, I feel more in tune with seniors and high schoolers because, in my acting life, I haven’t really aged.
MediaBlvd> How did it feel to find out that Kyle XY had the ABC Family Channel’s highest rated original series premiere? And, do you feel pressure to live up to that success again for season two?
Chris> Yeah, there’s pressure. We all wanted it to do good, and then everything that happened surpassed that. Our ratings were great. We moved to ABC and are on both channels, and it did really good on ABC. In my opinion, if you liked the first season, the second season is 100 times better. I think the first season got more interesting, as it went on. Once we got to the middle of the season, it definitely got more enjoyable. I think it took a little bit of time to find its ground and find where it was going. Like a racehorse, once it hit its stride, it just took off. And, I think it takes off immediately, in the second season, and it doesn’t stop, at least through the first seven episodes that I’ve seen. So, there’s the pressure of whether people will still enjoy it. Once Kyle figured out what everything was, he got more into everyday life, and that’s how it is now. It’s a little more mature this year, but it’s really good. I’m hoping season two does well. Last year, it was more like, “Will it, or won’t it? Okay, good.” This year, it’s more like, “It better do well.”
MediaBlvd> Without giving anything away, what can fans expect from season two?
Chris> Season two will have a lot more mystery. Last year was based on who Kyle is, and we explained that right away. We didn’t use that as our big hook point. Right from the beginning of season two, you find out who Kyle is, where he came from and what’s going on. And then, they bring in Jessi XX, who is a female version of what Kyle is. Declan gets involved with Jessi (Jaimie Alexander), Kyle, Lori (April Matson) and Tom Foss (Nicholas Lea). They are really going to dive into Kyle’s past and relate it to the future. What’s going on is going to be way more involved than just who Kyle is, like last year. There’s a lot more mystery, as far as who this corporation is, what this corporation is, what’s going to happen, how the Tragers are involved, how I’m involved, and that sort of thing.
MediaBlvd> Are you happy with the direction that the show, and your character, has gone in? And, do you get to talk to the writers or producers at all, in regard to what you would like to see happen with your character?
Chris> They have the overall direction in mind and they know, first-hand, where things are going, but I can put in input, as far as my character. I absolutely trust the writers. There are times when I read the script and I’m like, “No. This is not what Declan’s doing now, right?” And then, I talk with them and they say, “This is why this happens,” and I’m like, “Okay.” You read the future scripts and you understand why. With my character, last year, the audience didn’t like me at first, and then they grew to like me, or at least forgive me, when they saw a deeper side of Declan. You can’t betray the audience. Declan can’t go back there and then come back again. The audience is not going to want that. They won’t want to be emotionally involved with Declan again, if that happened. I absolute trust in the writers, to not ruin my character.
MediaBlvd> Will some more of Declan’s personal life and family life be explored in season two?
Chris> In the beginning of season two, there’s a lot involved with keeping Kyle’s secret. It shows what it’s done to Declan, emotionally and mentally, to keep that secret. What you see in the beginning is how hard it was for him to hold this secret from Lori and to cut himself off from life because this has affected him so much, since it’s such a huge secret. And then, you see deeper into the emotional side of him. You might not agree with what he does or how he handles things, but you see why he does it. They give answers for that. And then, as far as his past is concerned, it’s going to come up. Now that we know that we’ll have a 20-episode season, they’re pushing a lot of different storylines, but they will get into my father and my personal life. There’s some nice twists, as to Kyle’s past and how Declan is related to that.
MediaBlvd> You had quite a few scenes with April Matson last season. What has it been like to work with her, and will your characters be exploring their relationship more in season two?
Chris> A very integral part of Declan and Lori’s storyline is our relationship, what happens to it and where it goes. She’s great to work with. We’re very comfortable and friendly with one another. We get along really well and it’s really easy to work with her. It’s really matured, as to where we can jump right into our characters, and it flows really well.
MediaBlvd> When you work on a show like this, that’s all about the big mystery, how much are you made aware of? And, do you spend any time coming up with theories of your own, as far as what those possible mysteries could turn out to be?
Chris> We definitely come up with theories. We don’t know anything. We are in the dark. When we ask about what happens, they give us very general ideas of what could happen, but nothing specific. A lot of it’s to keep the mystery. It’s good for us, too, because then we can be surprised about the mystery part of it when we’re filming. That way, it’s a little more natural. They definitely hold back a lot because they don’t want it out there. We’re definitely in the loop, but we’re only made aware when it’s absolutely necessary, or we demand, character wise, to know, and then they give us a description of what we can expect.
MediaBlvd> The show explores a lot of complicated and more adult subjects, such as teen sex and alcohol use. Have you been surprised about the subjects that ABC Family has allowed you to address?
Chris> Somewhat, yeah, I have been. I think they let it happen, and they’ve encouraged it, because of the realism of the show. They dealt with the sex issue by making it to be awkward and uncomfortable, after getting drunk at a party. Unfortunately, that’s how a lot of girls will lose their virginity. They say, “Screw it, I’m done with it,” get drunk at a party and do something, like what happened to Lori and Declan. Their relationship suffered from it, even though it eventually grew to be a trusting relationship. I think they’ve allowed it because it’s dealt with in a realistic, non-soap opera-ish manner. It’s deal with in a way that people can relate to easily and understand, tangibly. There’s some things that are going to be in season two that I’ve been like, “Are you kidding me? You’re going to let this go on? Okay.” I’m interested to see how people will respond. But, a lot of the storylines are very realistic, even to my life. I think that’s why they’re okay with it and let it happen.
MediaBlvd> Do you consider the show a sci-fi series, or do you prefer to think of it as a family drama with some sci-fi elements?
Chris> I think I prefer to consider it a drama with sci-fi elements. The sci-fi elements are built to keep the mystery. That’s what makes it different. But, overall, the show’s about relationships. It’s about Kyle’s relationship to the world, and Kyle’s relationship to Adam Baylin, Tom Foss, Declan, the Tragers. I would definitely say it’s a drama, but they use sci-fi elements and mystery to explore a different way of storytelling.
MediaBlvd> How has the success of this show changed things for you? Do fans recognize you a lot more?
Chris> I did a couple other Disney movies, so kids knew me from that, but I would get a lot of, “Are you an actor?” Now, people definitely know Kyle XY and they’ll come up and call me Declan. It doesn’t happen in L.A. that much, but anytime I go outside of L.A., like Northern California or anywhere in the mid-West, people recognize me more. I was in Temecula a couple months ago and I went to Lowe’s and a couple other stores and, at every store, someone came up to me and knew the show and asked me for an autograph. The best part about it was to see who is really watching the show. It’s pretty fantastic, the amount of people, in so many different places of the United States, that know and watch the show.
MediaBlvd> Are you hoping that the success of this show leads to more film work for you? And, are there particular types of roles that attract your attention?
Chris> My career has been based in television, so I’m excited to get into film. I’m not picking out of 50 projects, but there projects that I would definitely choose to do. I’m looking for things that take me out of what Kyle XY is, and the teenage storylines. I’d really like to explore different avenues and different characters. Things that are completely opposite of Kyle XY, or Declan, is what interests me. That’s what I’m looking for right now.
