In the movies or in a television series, viewers will curiously fall in love with the main character or with some other person in the main cast. Most everyone gets enthralled and lost with the characters, storylines, and one-liners. Yet there is those least talked about moments about a featured guest actor who can make up a memorable scene and become an integral character to the storyline of an episode. They typically get the top-of-show billing – meaning their name appears in the beginning of the opening credits.
Chris Agos is an actor, known for playing “white collar” male roles (IMDB bio). He is known for his roles on NBC’s Chicago PD as the ASA Steve Kots or playing the astronaut Buzz Aldrin on Apple TV’s For All Mankind. Chris was the youngest of three children, born in Joliet, Illinois. Chris now resides in Los Angeles with his wife and twin boys.
Being a working actor
What inspired you to be an actor?
I got into acting while in college after I started doing voice over work. My Voice Over (VO) agent asked if I had ever done on-camera work and I actually didn’t understand her question. I had been in a few plays in high school, and as a kid I even took a commercial acting class (which I dropped out of after the second week), but I honestly didn’t know what she meant. She laughed at me and told me to go take a class, which I did, and I loved it. So I branched into acting that way.
How long have you been acting?
This summer marks my 25th year as a professional actor.
How did you prepare for the role?
The role of Steve Kot on Chicago PD came to me through an audition. I didn’t know much about prosecutors when I read for it, so I asked an attorney friend for advice. She put me in touch with someone in the State’s Attorney’s office in Chicago, and I had quite a few fruitful conversations with them. That was really helpful in the sense that it gave me a window into why Kot would have the relationship he did with Voight. As the show’s writers used the character more, I went back to those interviews a lot.
What role would you like to play?
I’ve always wanted to do a project set in 1940’s America. I like exploring other time periods and that one is fascinating to me because that decade was defined by the war effort. A lot of stories from that time have already been told, but I’m sure there are plenty left to suss out. Put me in a brown dress uniform and give me a good argument to fight for in that old-timey language and I’d happy as can be.
Do you have a preference for theatre, film or TV, voice-over?
I love doing TV but the logistical ease of voice over wins this question. With VO I don’t have to worry about how I look or what I wear. I don’t have to memorize anything, and I don’t have to put in 15 hour days on a set. VO is a home-based business now, so to being able to work from my house in my pajamas is hard to beat.
What advice do you usually give for upcoming actors?
I tell them a lot of things but mostly I remind them that there are many paths to becoming an actor, and there is no right way of doing it. It’s important to find your own way, even if it looks like you’re headed in an unexpected direction. I tell them to say yes to everything in the beginning. New actors typically have a dream for themselves and their future careers, but it’s rare when it goes exactly like they picture it, so it’s important to stay open to possibilities. If you’re too laser-focused on one goal, idea, or way of doing things, you can miss out on the thing that could take you where you want to go.
What can you tell them about the entertainment industry that they should be prepared for?
They should forget the idea that someday they will “make it” because there is no such thing. No matter how much work you’ve done or money you’ve made, you’ll always be wondering what else you could be doing. Took me a long time to realize that, because I thought, like so many other actors, that once you reach a certain point you’re no longer pursuing business, the work just comes to you. But people who are in that position are there temporarily. Nothing is forever. So know that you can never get complacent because there’s always more to do.
What would you do if you couldn’t act?
I would probably be a physician. I was on my way to medical school when I got into voice over, and sometimes I still think about going. But then I realize I probably made the right choice. I don’t think being a doc today is like what I thought it was back then.
Is there a role you have not played but would like to someday?
Yes. I want to play all of them. All the roles! I’ve never played a bad guy that would be a logical next step for me.
Which of your roles were the most challenging for you to capture?
Playing Buzz Aldrin in For All Mankind required a lot of research. It was more about getting it right than anything. I had never played a historical figure before, let alone one who might see the performance, so it was important to me to have a handle on what he might have been like during the Apollo era. I had a great time playing Buzz.
