Biography
Who is Chris Zylka?
Early life and real name
Chris Zylka was born Christopher Michael Settlemire on May 9, 1985, in Warren, United States, and grew up in Howland Township, Ohio. He graduated from Howland High School in 2003 and later studied art at the University of Toledo for two years. He eventually left school to care for his maternal grandfather, who was from Ukraine. During his youth, he took his mother maiden name, Zylka, to use as his professional stage name.
At the age of nineteen, Chris moved to Los Angeles, California to pursue a career in acting. Upon arriving in the city, he experienced a difficult period of homelessness lasting six months, during which he lived in his car parked at a local establishment in Burbank. He eventually found work at various restaurants, where a manager and acting coach named Jon Simmons discovered him.
Career highlights
Chris began his professional acting career with a television guest appearance on the teen drama series 90210 in 2008. He went on to secure recurring roles in shows such as Everybody Hates Chris and the sitcom 10 Things I Hate About You, where he portrayed the character Joey Donner across multiple episodes. He also made appearances in other popular television programs including Hannah Montana, Cougar Town, and Zeke and Luther.
Transitioning into film, Chris appeared in the comedy movie The People I've Slept With and the horror television film My Super Psycho Sweet 16 in 2009. He returned for the sequel the following year and portrayed Thor in the mystery comedy Kaboom, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival. He later starred in Shark Night and Piranha 3DD, before landing the role of Flash Thompson in the superhero blockbuster film The Amazing Spider-Man in 2012.
Television and film success
Throughout the 2010s, Chris continued to build a diverse acting portfolio on both television and the big screen. He played Jake Armstrong in the supernatural drama series The Secret Circle from 2011 to 2012. Following this, he took on the prominent role of Tom Garvey in the HBO supernatural drama television series The Leftovers, appearing in episodes from 2014 through 2017.
His subsequent film projects included the crime drama Dixieland, the drama Novitiate, and the drama film The Death & Life of John F. Donovan. In 2019, he joined the cast of the USA Network teen drama series Dare Me as Officer Corporal Kurtz. More recently, he appeared in the thriller television film Killer Infatuation and the movie Model House.
Modeling and art projects
In addition to his work in television and film, Chris established a career as a professional model. Early in his professional path, he was featured in an advertising campaign for Abercrombie & Fitch captured by photographer Bruce Weber. He also appeared on the front cover of several prominent fashion and lifestyle publications, including Wonderland, Glamoholic, and Bello.
Expanding into other creative fields, Chris ventured into the art world. In August 2018, he launched his very first art exhibition. The collection was titled Why Use A Name and took place at Pikes Hotel located in Ibiza, Spain.
Birthday and age
Chris Zylka was born on May 9, 1985, which makes Chris 41 years old today. That birthday falls under the Taurus sign. Chris shares the date with 30 other famous people.
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