Christian Meoli
Encyclopedia
Christian Meoli is an actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...

, writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....

, producer and film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...

 executive.

Christian is the son of Jerry Mayo (1934–2011) bandmember of the group Freddie Bell and the Bellboys
Freddie Bell and the Bellboys
Freddie Bell and the Bellboys were an American vocal group, influential in the development of rock and roll in the 1950s.-Career:Ferdinando Dominick Bello was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Italian American parents. He became a trombonist, bassist, drummer, and singer, playing in various...

. He is married to Beverly Leech
Beverly Leech
Beverly Leech is an American actress who is perhaps best-known for her portrayal of Kate Monday on Square One TV's Mathnet....

, an actress who is best-known for her portrayal of Kate Monday on Square One TV's Mathnet
Mathnet
Mathnet is a segment on the children's television show Square One, of which five seasons were produced . This parody of Dragnet featured detectives at the Los Angeles Police Department who solved mysteries using their mathematical skills. There were two main characters: detectives Kate Monday and...

 and a stepfather to Kate Smeal.

Early Life


Christian Meoli was born in Philadelphia and began his acting career in his early teens in regional theatre productions. He is an alumnus of the famous Stagedoor Manor
Stagedoor Manor
Stagedoor Manor is a performing arts summer camp located in Loch Sheldrake, New York. Over the past 36 years, it has trained thousands of young actors, many of whom have gone on to success in film, television, and theatre....

 and credits Jack Romano as being a constant motivator throughout his life. He graduated from Performing Arts School in Philadelphia, PA and recipient of Outstanding Academic Scholarship to Temple University
Temple University
Temple University is a comprehensive public research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Originally founded in 1884 by Dr. Russell Conwell, Temple University is among the nation's largest providers of professional education and prepares the largest body of professional...

. He also appeared in dozens of plays on the East Coast such as the Washington/Baltimore company of Tony-N-Tina’s Wedding in the role of bandleader Donny Dulce and productions at The Philadelphia Drama Guild, Walnut Street Theatre
Walnut Street Theatre
The Walnut Street Theatre , located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at 825 Walnut Street, is the oldest continuously operating theatre in the English-speaking world and the oldest in the United States...

, Plays-n-Players, Wilma Theatre
Wilma Theatre
The Wilma Theatre was built in 1921 in Missoula, Montana. The theater is managed by Missoula based Simba Entertainment. The Wilma was built by William "Billy" Simons and dedicated to his wife, light opera artist Edna Wilma...

, McCarter Theatre
McCarter Theatre
McCarter Theatre is a not-for-profit, professional company on the campus of Princeton University in Princeton, New Jersey. It is one of the most active cultural centers in the nation, offering over 200 performances of theater, dance, music and special events each year...

 in Princeton
Princeton, New Jersey
Princeton is a community located in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States. It is best known as the location of Princeton University, which has been sited in the community since 1756...

, Surflight Summer Theatre, Paper Mill Playhouse
Paper Mill Playhouse
Paper Mill Playhouse is a regional theatre with approximately 1200 seats, located in Millburn, New Jersey, less than 25 miles from Manhattan. Due to its location, it can draw from the pool of actors who live in New York City. Its location, as well as its focus on producing large-scale shows, makes...

. In 1991, Meoli appeared opposite actor-playwright Jason Miller
Jason Miller (playwright)
Jason Miller was an American actor and playwright. He received the 1973 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for his play That Championship Season, and was widely recognized for his role as Father Damien Karras in the 1973 horror film The Exorcist...

 and Malachy McCourt
Malachy McCourt
Malachy Gerard McCourt is an Irish-American actor, writer and politician. He was the 2006 Green Party candidate for governor in New York State, losing to the Democratic candidate Eliot Spitzer. He is the younger brother of Frank McCourt.-Personal life:Born in Brooklyn, New York, McCourt was raised...

 in a production of Inherit The Wind
Inherit the Wind (play)
Inherit the Wind is a play by Jerome Lawrence and Robert Edwin Lee. The play, which debuted in 1955, is a parable that fictionalizes the 1925 Scopes "Monkey" Trial as a means to discuss the then-contemporary McCarthy trials.-Background:...

 that was staged in a Philadelphia court in City Hall.

Career

Meoli’s first role included in the movie Alive
Alive (1993 film)
Alive is a 1993 American movie based upon Piers Paul Read's 1974 book Alive: The Story of the Andes Survivors, which details the story of a Uruguayan rugby team who were involved in the crash of Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571, which crashed into the Andes mountains on October 13, 1972.The film was...

(1993) as Federico Aranda and directed by Frank Marshall, he was next cast in the movie The Low Life
The Low Life
The Low Life is a 1995 American film starring Rory Cochrane and directed and co-written by George Hickenlooper.-Plot:A Yale graduate, with dreams of becoming a writer, moves to Hollywood and struggles with low-paying jobs, poverty, romance and slacker friends....

(1995) together with actors Kyra Sedgwick
Kyra Sedgwick
Kyra Minturn Sedgwick is an American actress.Sedgwick is best known for her starring role as Deputy Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson on the TNT crime drama The Closer. Sedgwick's role in the series won her a Golden Globe Award in 2007 and an Emmy Award in 2010...

 , Rory Cochrane
Rory Cochrane
Rory Cochrane is an American actor. He is known for playing Ron Slater in Dazed and Confused, Lucas in Empire Records, and Tim Speedle in CSI: Miami.-Early life:...

 and Ron Livingston
Ron Livingston
Ronald Joseph "Ron" Livingston is an American film and television actor. His roles include a disaffected corporate employee in the film Office Space, a sardonic writer in a short-term relationship with Carrie Bradshaw in the TV show Sex and the City, and Captain Lewis Nixon in the miniseries...

 and also Persons Unknown(1996) with Jon Favreau
Jon Favreau
Jonathan Kolia "Jon" Favreau is an American actor, screenwriter, film director and comedian. As an actor, he is best known for his roles in Rudy, Swingers , Very Bad Things, and The Break-Up. His notable directorial efforts include Elf, Iron Man and its sequel, and Cowboys & Aliens...

, Naomi Watts
Naomi Watts
Naomi Ellen Watts is a British actress. Watts began her career in Australian television, where she appeared in series such as Hey Dad..! , Brides of Christ , and Home and Away . Her film debut was the 1986 drama For Love Alone...

 and Antoni Carone.

He played the lovable and street smart comedy relief role of Boz Bishop for four seasons on the hit CBS television show Nash Bridges
Nash Bridges
Nash Bridges is an American television police drama created by Carlton Cuse. The show starred Don Johnson and Cheech Marin as two Inspectors with the San Francisco Police Department's Special Investigations Unit. The show ran for six seasons on CBS from March 29, 1996 to May 4, 2001 with a total of...

opposite Cheech Marin
Cheech Marin
Richard Anthony "Cheech" Marin is an American comedian, actor and writer who gained recognition as part of the comedy act Cheech & Chong during the 1970s and early 1980s, and as Don Johnson's partner, Insp. Joe Dominguez on Nash Bridges...

 and Don Johnson
Don Johnson
Donnie Wayne "Don" Johnson is an American actor known for his work in television and film. He played the lead role of James "Sonny" Crockett in the 1980s TV cop series, Miami Vice, which led him to huge success. He also played the lead role in the 1990s cop series, Nash Bridges...

. After his Mother Sandra Meoli died from Cancer, Christian created the performance event The Big C which annually plays for Cancer Survivors at Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center
Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center
Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center, formerly known as Queen of Angels-Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center, is a private hospital located at 1300 North Vermont Avenue in Los Angeles, California. The hospital has 434 beds.-History:...

. The Big C Foundation was created to continue a focus of education and outreach on the subject of Cancer.

He appeared in the pilot episode of the television show Dollhouse (directed by Joss Whedon
Joss Whedon
Joseph Hill "Joss" Whedon is an American screenwriter, executive producer, director, comic book writer, occasional composer and actor, founder of Mutant Enemy Productions and co-creator of Bellwether Pictures...

), Martial Law
Martial law
Martial law is the imposition of military rule by military authorities over designated regions on an emergency basis— only temporary—when the civilian government or civilian authorities fail to function effectively , when there are extensive riots and protests, or when the disobedience of the law...

 (Stanley Tong
Stanley Tong
Stanley Tong is a film director from Hong Kong.According to IMDb , he customarily attempts stunts himself before asking actors to risk themselves...

) the Masterpiece Theatre PBS presentation of Song of the Lark opposite Allison Elliot, as well as Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...

 winning episodes of NYPD Blue
NYPD Blue
NYPD Blue is an American television police drama set in New York City, exploring the internal and external struggles of the fictional 15th precinct of Manhattan...

, The Practice, and opposite Jack Lemmon
Jack Lemmon
John Uhler "Jack" Lemmon III was an American actor and musician. He starred in more than 60 films including Some Like It Hot, The Apartment, Mister Roberts , Days of Wine and Roses, The Great Race, Irma la Douce, The Odd Couple, Save the Tiger John Uhler "Jack" Lemmon III (February 8, 1925June...

 and Hank Azaria
Hank Azaria
Henry Albert "Hank" Azaria is an American film, television and stage actor, director, voice actor, and comedian. He is noted for being one of the principal voice actors on the animated television series The Simpsons , on which he performs the voices of Moe Szyslak, Apu Nahasapeemapetilon, Chief...

 in the acclaimed Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey is an American media proprietor, talk show host, actress, producer and philanthropist. Winfrey is best known for her self-titled, multi-award-winning talk show, which has become the highest-rated program of its kind in history and was nationally syndicated from 1986 to 2011...

 telefilm production of Tuesdays With Morrie
Tuesdays With Morrie
Tuesdays with Morrie is a 1997 non-fiction novel by American writer Mitch Albom. The story was later adapted by Thomas Rickman into a TV movie of the same name directed by Mick Jackson, which aired on 5 December 1999 and starred Jack Lemmon and Hank Azaria...

.

In 2003, Meoli wrote the play The Dadaists, which was lauded by The Beverly Hills Outlook as one of the five worst plays ever written. The majority of the other reviews were much more positive. The production, a retelling about the Dada art movement and Cabaret Voltaire, which originated in February, 1916, in Zurich
Zürich
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...

, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....

 at Spiegelgasse 1, led Meoli to create a modern Cabaret Voltaire
Cabaret Voltaire (Zürich)
Cabaret Voltaire was the name of a nightclub in Zurich, Switzerland. It was founded by Hugo Ball, with his companion Emmy Hennings on February 5, 1916 as a cabaret for artistic and political purposes. Other founding members were Marcel Janco, Richard Huelsenbeck, Tristan Tzara, and Jean Arp...

 in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...

,which showcases performers through intelligent, socially relevant events through a cross-pollination of creative energies. He is also credited by the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....

 as being the first to initiate 'flashmobs' in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...

.

In 2004, Meoli was one of the co-directors and producers of the documentary Beats for Baghdad featuring Jerry Quickley.

He has produced and hosted a number of radio shows for Pacifica Radio KPFK 90.7FM including The Hope Show, Tea Time with Harold Lemon and the Cabaret Voltaire Radio Show. In 2007, He curated Dada, Surrealism, Readymade & Found Object Exhibit at 2nd City Council Art Gallery and Performance Space. Christian also appeared in commercials for the likes of Volkswagon, Olympus Camera, Microsoft, Time Warner, Coors Light among others.

In 2009, Christian (under the moniker Chris Voltaire) wrote the book and lyrics, acted, produced and directed the underground theatre hit Octomom the Musical, which garnered national press via CBS, The Tonight Show
The Tonight Show
The Tonight Show is an American late-night talk show that has aired on NBC since 1954. It is the longest currently running regularly scheduled entertainment program in the United States, and the third longest-running show on NBC, after Meet the Press and Today.The Tonight Show has been hosted by...

, TMZ
TMZ.com
TMZ.com is a celebrity news website that debuted on November 8, 2005. It was a collaboration between America Online and Telepictures Productions, a division of Warner Bros., until Time Warner divested AOL in 2009. However, it is still affiliated with AOL News and has the AOL News logo affixed in...

, Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...

, and the New York Times with its jolting parody of the Whittier born Nadya Suleman
Nadya Suleman
Nadya Denise Doud-Suleman , known as Octomom in the media, is an American woman who came to international attention when she gave birth to octuplets in January 2009. The Suleman octuplets are only the second full set of octuplets to be born alive in the United States...

. That same year he starred in the Victor Goss directed film The Apocalypse According to Doris and also became the Vice President for Marketing at Bigfoot Entertainment
Bigfoot Entertainment
Bigfoot Entertainment is the parent company of Bigfoot Films, Bigfoot Productions, Bigfoot Production Services, Bigfoot Partners, the International Academy of Film and Television, and New Cebu Films...

. The company is located in Cebu, Philippines with offices in Hong Kong and Los Angeles and among the films Meoli actively worked on include Deep Gold
Deep Gold
-External links:*...

(2011), The Girl with No Number (2012), Midnight Movie: Killer Cut (2011), 9000 Needles
9000 Needles
9000 Needles is a 2009 documentary film about the story of a young husband and father and his family as they struggle to deal with the aftermath of a devastating stroke.-Background:...

(2011) as well as casting and work on reality shows produced by Bigfoot for the Fashion One Network
Fashion One
Fashion One is a global fashion and entertainment television network, which was launched on 8 April 2010.Fashion One broadcasts 24/7 internationally and is the only channel to present a unique mix of lifestyle, travel, entertainment, film and fashion....

.

Filmography

  • Should’ve Been Romeo as Eddie (2012)
  • The Girl with No Number as Mr. Johnson (2011)
  • Apocalypse According to Doris as Apperson (2011)
  • Dollhouse “Ghost” (TV Series) as Thug 1 (2009)
  • Eli stone “The Path” (TV Series) as Janitor (2008)
  • In Plain Sight “Stan” by Me (TV Series) as Jason (2008)
  • Everybody Hates Chris (TV Series) as himself (2008)
  • Life-The Fallen Woman (TV Series) as Ron (2007)
  • Final Approach
    Final Approach (2007 film)
    Final Approach is an action/thriller TV movie that premiered on Hallmark Channel on May 24, 2008. The ensemble cast is led by Dean Cain as disgraced FBI hostage negotiator Jack Bender.-Plot summary:...

     (TV Movie) as himself (2007)
  • Alias(TV Series) as Semanko (2006)
  • JAG “Automatic for the People” (TV Series) as P.O Dave Mooney (2005)
  • Joan of Arcadia “The Gift”(TV Series) as Ben Pollack (2004)
  • The Division(TV Series) as Vinnie Praiser (2004)
  • Crossing Jordan “Devil May Care” (TV Series) as Seth Pale (2004)
  • Cold Case “Fly Away” (TV Series) as Angel Rivera (2003)
  • Without a Trace “The Bus” (TV Series) as Carl (2003)
  • Looking for Jimmy as himself (2002)
  • Wanderlust
    Wanderlust
    Wanderlust is a strong desire for or impulse to wander or travel and explore the world.-Etymology:The loanword from German language became an English term in 1902 as a reflection of what was then seen as a characteristically German predilection for wandering that may be traced back to German...

     as Brian (2001)
  • Nash Bridges(TV Series) as Boz Bishop (1999–2001)
  • Tuesdays with Morrie
    Tuesdays With Morrie
    Tuesdays with Morrie is a 1997 non-fiction novel by American writer Mitch Albom. The story was later adapted by Thomas Rickman into a TV movie of the same name directed by Mick Jackson, which aired on 5 December 1999 and starred Jack Lemmon and Hank Azaria...

     (TV Movie) as Aldo (1999)
  • The Practice “Target Practice” (TV Series) as Charles Best (1999)
  • Walker, Texas Ranger “Livegirls.now” as Rolf Gaines (1999)
  • V.I.P. “One Wedding and Val’s Funeral”(TV Series) as Waiter (1998)
  • The Secret Diary of Desmond Pfeiffer(TV Series) as Telegraph Operator (1998)
  • Martial Law “ Shanghai Express”(TV Series) as Detective Jones (1998)
  • Hitz “Give the Drummer Some” (TV Series) as Jimmy (1997)
  • Bongwater
    Bongwater (film)
    Bongwater is a 1997 comedy film, based on the book of the same name, set in Portland, Oregon, and stars Luke Wilson, Alicia Witt, Amy Locane, Brittany Murphy, Jack Black, and Andy Dick.-Cast:* Luke Wilson as David* Alicia Witt as Serena...

      as himself (1997)
  • Persons Unknown as himself (1996)
  • L.A. Firefighters “Fuel and Spark”( TV Series) as Freddy the Store Manager *(1996)
  • Boy Meets World “Turkey Day”
    Boy Meets World
    Boy Meets World is an American comedy-drama series that chronicles the events and everyday life lessons of Cory Matthews, played by Ben Savage, a kid from suburban Philadelphia who grows up from a young boy to a married man. The show aired for seven seasons from 1993 to 2000 on ABC, part of the...

      (TV Series) as Carl (1996)
  • The Pretender “The Paper Clock” as Marcus Whittaker (1996)
  • Dogtown
    Dogtown (film)
    Dogtown is a 1997 drama film by George Hickenlooper about life in the small Missouri town of Cuba, Missouri starring Mary Stuart Masterson, Jon Favreau, Rory Cochrane, Harold Russell, and Natasha Gregson Wagner. The film is 93-minute long and was shot entirely in Torrance, California...

     as Mickey Jenks (1996)
  • NYPD Blue “The Girl Talk”(TV Series) as Phil Farr (1996)
  • The Naked Truth (TV Series)as Vanjacker (1996)
  • The Low Life
    The Low Life
    The Low Life is a 1995 American film starring Rory Cochrane and directed and co-written by George Hickenlooper.-Plot:A Yale graduate, with dreams of becoming a writer, moves to Hollywood and struggles with low-paying jobs, poverty, romance and slacker friends....

     as Leonard (1995)
  • Cleghorne! “This Magic Moment” (TV Series) as Magini the Magician (1995)
  • Chicago Hope “Wild Cards” (TV Series) as Luigi (1995)
  • Weird Science “Quantum Wyatt”(TV Series) as Dangerous Felon (1995)
  • Ellen “The Christmas Show” as Grunge Guy (1994)
  • Nunzio’s Second Cousin (short) as himself (1994)
  • In This Corner
    In This Corner
    In This Corner is a television show in which the host, James Smith, interviews famous international boxers. It began airing on April 1, 2004 and is showed on regional sports networks through satellite TV.-External links:* In This Corner TV...

      as Julio (1994)
  • Beverly Hills, 90210
    Beverly Hills, 90210
    Beverly Hills, 90210 is an American drama series that originally aired from October 4, 1990 to May 17, 2000 on Fox and was produced by Spelling Television in the United States, and subsequently on various networks around the world. It is the first series in the Beverly Hills, 90210 franchise...

    ( TV Series) as Pablo (1993)
  • Alive
    Alive (1993 film)
    Alive is a 1993 American movie based upon Piers Paul Read's 1974 book Alive: The Story of the Andes Survivors, which details the story of a Uruguayan rugby team who were involved in the crash of Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571, which crashed into the Andes mountains on October 13, 1972.The film was...

    as Federico Aranda (1993)

External links

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