Christian Convery can be seen in the upcoming series Sweet Tooth. The Show was released on Netflix on June 4th. Sweet Tooth is a drama fantasy produced by Robert Downey Jr. and based off of a popular comic book series. Christian portrays a character by the name of Gus who is half human and half deer, who survives in a post-apocalyptic world with other hybrids. YEM was able to speak with Christian about being on set, his character Gus, and what it was like filming his scenes in the show.
Young Entertainment Mag: What was it like on the set?
Christian Convery: The set of “Sweet Tooth” was so beautiful. I loved it so much because you’re just there experiencing all the magical wonder of New Zealand. It feels so prehistoric just getting to be there with the different biomes, vast landscapes, mountains, colours and lush vegetation. Everyone was so nice, professional and they made me feel like I was at home, like I knew everybody there for years. Just being there and getting to see everything in New Zealand was so majestic and beautiful!
YEM: What did you do to prepare for the role of Gus?
Christian: To prepare for the role of Gus I had to research about deers and learn their movement, reflexes and reactions. I did lots of parkour training and I also got to do lots of stunt training while wearing a harness, and wire training! In addition, I read all of Jeff Lemire’s DC Comic Books “Sweet Tooth” and learned all about Gus. I then was prepared to act it out and I felt like I really was in character and was able to make Gus come alive.
YEM: Who is your favorite superhero?
Christian: I have so many favourite Marvel superheroes that I can’t choose, but what I can say is that my favourite superhero is… well it’s just gotta be Gus! I get to do cool stunts, epic adventures and it’s just such an honour to play his character! I really loved it and I felt like he was his own type of superhero.
YEM: Are you a DC or Marvel fan?
Christian: I am a fan of both, but I’m a bigger fan of the “Sweet Tooth” universe that has begun!
YEM: Did you get to work directly with Iron Man aka Robert Downey Jr.? If you did, did he give you any cool tips (or was there one thing you learned from any of the actors on set)?
Christian: I got to FaceTime Robert Downey Jr. and I loved it! I spoke to him and his wife Susan Downey and they were sitting in the living room and made me feel like we are best friends and have known each other for years! We had such an amazing connection and they were so positive. And, you know, Robert Downey Jr. is Iron Man so that was pretty cool! The fact they took the time to get to know me, and that we got to discuss more in depth about the series was overall an amazing experience.
YEM: Was there a scene in the film that was hard for you? How did you overcome it?
Christian: There was a scene in “Sweet Tooth” where I have to cry and give a very emotional performance. I had to overcome that emotional barrier and push through. Actually, there were many different emotional scenes that required a lot of me as our director Jim Mickle knew exactly what he wanted, which was to go deep into the arc of Gus’s character. He challenged me to push my limits and do the best I possibly could. Jim was amazing, open, and so talented and really helped me get to those emotional beats he needed.
YEM: What’s it like once the camera starts rolling?
Christian: When the camera starts rolling I get into character, I get to where my emotional state needs to be and I do it. I just love being there in the moment and doing most of my own stunts. I love everything about acting, the people I get to meet, and all the experiences I get to do. When the camera stops rolling, I’m back to myself having a good time in between takes no matter how emotional the scene might be as I love to have a good time, laugh and make jokes.
YEM: Do you feel that you have similar traits to Gus?
Christian: I actually have many similar traits to Gus like we both love nature, being outside, running around, jumping but best of all…we’ve both have an insane “Sweet Tooth!” We both love our sour candies and chocolates! It’s unhealthy, but once in a while it’s OK. 😉
YEM: What was the costume like in this film?
Christian: What an incredible team we had! It was so important for costumes to really think about the authenticity of re-creating Gus’ outfit and how he would really get these clothes and shoes to wear as he was living in a secluded forest with his father. For example, his shoes are very unique as he’s wearing shoes that are made out of rubber tires, actual rubber tires! How could Gus’ father have shoes for him over the years if they just live together secluded from the outside world. So Amanda, our head of costume, really thought about each piece of clothing I wore, where it came from, how Gus’ father make it etc. So much thought and back story went into not only my character, but all our characters on the show!
YEM: What can you tell someone who wants to be an actor?
Christian: You must get acting lessons, work hard, think positive and most of all… never give up!!!
