Christian is a first generation American of Ecuadorian descent. He’s an actor, reiki healer, clown, bouffon, visual artist, and painter. His mother’s ancestors—Isabella and Demosthenes—journeyed from Chile to the beaches of Guayaquil in the early part of the 20th century. In 1962, Christian’s grandfather Miguel, a merchant marine, migrated from Ecuador to the Bronx as an undocumented citizen. Then a few years later, his mother Maria followed to NY, where she met Tony from Harlem (like in West Side Story). On Christmas Day, 1986, Christian was born.
In the past, Christian worked as a garbageman, graphic designer and (self-proclaimed) three time all-county cartwheel champion. He recently returned from three months overseas studying at L’Ècole Philippe Gaulier in France. Christian especially enjoys an obscure comedic style called Bouffon, which strikes a balance between physically grotesque satire and charm.
After a near death experience in 2011, he's conveyed stories in dozens of advertisements with brands including APPLE, AUDIBLE, and LG; along with independent and graduate MFA films at Columbia University, NYU and the School of Visual Arts. He's a humanist actor who can take adventures, laugh, cry, and just play. He has an aptitude for curiosity, compassion, intensity, imagination and humor. Christian loves to cook rice and beans, watch Garry Shandling comedies, and dance cumbia with his shadow self. There's a warm, golden palace in his heart for Lord of the Rings, Twin Peaks: The Return, lavender scent, psychology, and his westies, Scout and Sookie.
He's trained extensively with some inspirational teachers such as French master clown professor Philippe Gaulier, Sundance Film Festival nominated filmmaker/master teacher Deborah Kampmeier, Elizabeth Kemp formerly Associate Artistic Director of the Actor's Studio, Chris Roberti (High Maintenance), Virginia Scott (FIZGIG, The Funny School of Good Acting), director Heidi Miami Marshall, Karen Kohlhaas, Craig Bacon, Dianna Schoenborn, Sybille Bruun-Moss, Tyler Moss, Claire Warden, Jon Korkes, Andrew Dolan, Bill Hopkins, Anthony Abeson, Dena Levy, Kevin Cragg, Jamie Cummings and Leslie Collins of People's Improv Theater.
instagram: @cuoconut
In the past, Christian worked as a garbageman, graphic designer and (self-proclaimed) three time all-county cartwheel champion. He recently returned from three months overseas studying at L’Ècole Philippe Gaulier in France. Christian especially enjoys an obscure comedic style called Bouffon, which strikes a balance between physically grotesque satire and charm.
After a near death experience in 2011, he's conveyed stories in dozens of advertisements with brands including APPLE, AUDIBLE, and LG; along with independent and graduate MFA films at Columbia University, NYU and the School of Visual Arts. He's a humanist actor who can take adventures, laugh, cry, and just play. He has an aptitude for curiosity, compassion, intensity, imagination and humor. Christian loves to cook rice and beans, watch Garry Shandling comedies, and dance cumbia with his shadow self. There's a warm, golden palace in his heart for Lord of the Rings, Twin Peaks: The Return, lavender scent, psychology, and his westies, Scout and Sookie.
He's trained extensively with some inspirational teachers such as French master clown professor Philippe Gaulier, Sundance Film Festival nominated filmmaker/master teacher Deborah Kampmeier, Elizabeth Kemp formerly Associate Artistic Director of the Actor's Studio, Chris Roberti (High Maintenance), Virginia Scott (FIZGIG, The Funny School of Good Acting), director Heidi Miami Marshall, Karen Kohlhaas, Craig Bacon, Dianna Schoenborn, Sybille Bruun-Moss, Tyler Moss, Claire Warden, Jon Korkes, Andrew Dolan, Bill Hopkins, Anthony Abeson, Dena Levy, Kevin Cragg, Jamie Cummings and Leslie Collins of People's Improv Theater.
instagram: @cuoconut
FUTURE:
RECENT PAST:
- Developing Short Films based on bouffon characters
- Travelling to Reggio Emelia, Italy to study Commedia d’ell Arte with Antonio Fava
RECENT PAST:
- Studied Le Jeu, Melodrama, and Bouffon at renowned clown theater school, École Philippe Gaulier
- Starred in Columbia MFA short Lejana Tierra Mia Official Selection of New Faces New Voices International Film Festival
- Clyde in Jessica Litwak’s staged reading of THE NIGHT IT RAINED
- Produced alongside Punch Drunk Productions and portrayed Donald Trump in an avant garde political play, A SHIFT: POLITICAL OUTCRIES
- Jimmy in the table reading of Sonejuhi Sinha's Love Comes Later
