Chris Evans

Biography:

Christopher Robert Evans was born on June 13, 1981, in Boston, Massachusetts, and was raised in Sudbury, a neighboring town. His mother, Lisa (formerly Capuano), serves as the artistic director at the Concord Youth Theater, while his father, Bob, works as a dentist. Evans’ heritage includes Irish ancestry from his father’s side and a combination of Irish and Italian ancestry from his mother’s. His parents divorced in 1999.

Growing up, Evans shared his childhood with two sisters, Carly and Shanna, and a brother, Scott Evans, who later pursued a career in acting. The family adhered to the Catholic faith. Evans discovered his passion for performing arts early on and participated in musical theater, including playing the role of Randolph MacAfee in Bye Bye Birdie. His enthusiasm for acting led him to attend acting camp and perform with his siblings during Christmas gatherings, fostering his love for the stage. Before his senior year of high school, Evans spent a summer in New York City, studying at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute. He graduated from Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School in 1999, where he was classmates with Jeremy Strong.

Evans’ first credited appearance was in a short educational film titled Biodiversity: Wild About Life! in 1997. He gained attention as the model for “Tyler” in Hasbro’s Mystery Date board game special edition in 1999. Later, in September 2000, Evans relocated to Los Angeles, where he resided at the Oakwood Apartments in Toluca Lake, mingling with other aspiring actors. He made his screen debut in the television film The Newcomers (2000) and had a lead role in the short-lived series Opposite Sex. Additionally, Evans appeared in an episode of The Fugitive titled “Guilt.”

In 2001, Evans starred in Not Another Teen Movie, a parody of teen films, portraying a high school athlete. Despite mixed reviews, the film performed moderately well at the box office. He continued to build his resume with roles in films like The Perfect Score (2004), a teen heist-comedy, and Cellular (2004), an action-thriller, where he showcased his versatility as an actor. Reflecting on his early career, Evans acknowledged that some of his early projects were not critically acclaimed.

In 2005, Evans took on roles in two films: the independent drama Fierce People, adapted from Dirk Wittenborn’s novel, and London, a romantic drama where he portrayed a troubled drug user. London received predominantly negative reviews, with Variety magazine criticizing it as “noxious” and singling out Evans’ character as particularly unappealing, while film critic Roger Ebert dismissed it as “dreck.”

Making his debut in comic book roles, Evans starred as Johnny Storm / Human Torch in Fantastic Four (2005), based on the Marvel Comic of the same name. Despite mixed reviews, the film achieved commercial success, with Joe Leydon of Variety praising Evans for his “charismatic breakout performance.” He reprised the role in the sequel Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007), which received more favorable reviews compared to its predecessor. Reflecting on his experience with the Fantastic Four films later on, Evans expressed some unease with how they turned out, feeling they didn’t align with his initial vision.

In 2007, Evans lent his voice to the character Casey Jones in the animated film TMNT, based on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comic series, and starred in Danny Boyle’s science fiction thriller Sunshine. He also appeared in the comedy drama The Nanny Diaries, playing Scarlett Johansson’s love interest. Additionally, he featured in Battle for Terra, a science fiction animation premiered at the 2007 Toronto International Film Festival.

Moving on to 2008, Evans appeared in the thriller Street Kings as Detective Paul Diskant, alongside Keanu Reeves and Forest Whitaker. He also took on a role in The Loss of a Teardrop Diamond, which received negative reviews, with Evans’ performance being criticized as “catatonic.” The following year, he starred in the science fiction thriller Push, where he performed his own fight scenes and suffered bruises during filming in Hong Kong. Despite its negative reception, Evans’ potential was recognized by critics.

In 2010, Evans appeared in The Losers, based on the comic book series from DC Comics imprint Vertigo, and Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, where he portrayed one of Ramona Flowers’ evil exes. He also starred in Puncture, a drama based on a true story, and the romantic comedy What’s Your Number? alongside Anna Faris. Critics had mixed opinions on these projects, with some praising Evans’ performances while others found faults in the films’ execution.

In 2010, Evans inked a multi-film contract with Marvel Studios to portray Steve Rogers / Captain America, a character from Marvel Comics. Initially hesitant, Evans sought advice from Robert Downey Jr., who encouraged him to take the role. Eventually, he accepted after Marvel’s persistence, although he felt the need to seek therapy afterward. Finding the character enjoyable to portray, Evans remarked positively on Marvel’s current trajectory. The first installment of this collaboration was Captain America: The First Avenger (2011), which follows the transformation of Steve Rogers into the super-soldier Captain America, tasked with thwarting the villain Red Skull’s plans for world domination using the Tesseract. The film garnered critical acclaim and achieved commercial success, grossing over $370 million worldwide.

A year later, Evans reprised his role in The Avengers, joining a star-studded ensemble cast for another commercial triumph, grossing over $1.5 billion worldwide. The film received widespread critical praise, earning nominations for Academy Awards and British Academy Film Awards. In the same year, Evans appeared as hitman Robert Pronge in the biographical film The Iceman, delivering a performance distinct from his Captain America persona.

Returning to the science fiction genre, Evans starred in Bong Joon-ho’s Snowpiercer (2013), based on the French graphic novel Le Transperceneige. Despite initial hesitation from the director, Evans was cast after impressing with his performances in previous films. Snowpiercer received critical acclaim, with Evans’ performance lauded as “sensational.”

In 2014, Evans returned as Captain America in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, which explored the character’s involvement in unraveling a conspiracy within the spy agency S.H.I.E.L.D. The film was praised for its action and Evans’ portrayal of the titular character. Alongside his acting career, Evans made his directorial debut in the romantic comedy Before We Go (2014), where he also starred opposite Alice Eve. The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and received moderate reviews. Additionally, Evans appeared in Playing It Cool (2014), another romantic comedy.

Continuing his role as Captain America, Evans starred in Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015) and Captain America: Civil War (2016), both of which were box office successes. In 2017, he headlined the family drama Gifted, which received positive reviews. Additionally, Evans received an invitation to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

In 2018, he took on the lead role in the follow-up film Avengers: Infinity War, followed by the fourth installment Avengers: Endgame in the spring of 2019. Directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, these sequels were originally planned to be filmed simultaneously but ended up being shot separately due to logistical challenges. Evans revealed that neither he nor Scarlett Johansson had access to the full script for Avengers: Infinity War during filming, having to contend with receiving only partial scenes on iPads instead of a complete paper script. While some reviewers, like those from USA Today, praised Evans and his co-star Chris Hemsworth for their performances in Avengers: Infinity War, others, like Time magazine, criticized the film for its pacing and substance. Filming for Avengers: Endgame concluded in October 2018, which Evans described as an emotional experience, admitting to feeling overwhelmed, nostalgic, and grateful throughout the process, with his emotions culminating in tears on the final day of shooting. The film went on to gross $2.7 billion worldwide, earning accolades from critics like Robbie Collin of The Telegraph for its entertainment value within the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

In 2018, Evans made his debut on Broadway in the play Lobby Hero, directed by Trip Cullman. His performance earned praise from critics such as Ben Brantley of The New York Times, who commended his Broadway debut and characterized his portrayal as skillfully nuanced. Evans received a nomination for a Drama League Award for his performance. In 2019, he portrayed an Israeli Mossad agent in the Netflix thriller The Red Sea Diving Resort, followed by his role as Ransom Drysdale in Rian Johnson’s mystery film Knives Out, which garnered critical acclaim and performed well at the box office. Evans’s portrayal in Knives Out was particularly lauded by critics, with Linda Holmes of NPR describing his performance as a delightful balance of charm and obnoxiousness.

In subsequent years, Evans starred in various projects, including the Apple TV+ crime drama miniseries Defending Jacob in 2020, where he played a father grappling with his son’s murder accusation. His performance in the series earned positive reviews, with critics praising his portrayal of empathy and fear. Evans also made cameo appearances in Adam McKay’s Netflix comedy Don’t Look Up and voiced the titular character in the Disney/Pixar animation Lightyear in 2022. Additionally, he starred in the Netflix thriller The Gray Man, directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, which garnered mixed reviews but achieved strong viewership on the streaming platform. Evans’s upcoming projects include the action comedy film Red One.