The Tic Code

Background:

“I want to be acting until I’m dead. I would hope in ten years that I would have sort of the freedom to not want or crave acting as much as I do now. I don’t know if that makes too much sense, but I want to get to a point where I don’t have to worry about booking a part or worrying about not getting a film that I really want.” Chris Marquette

Chris Marquette’s name immediately gained public notice after he portrayed Miles Caraday, an aspiring jazz musician with Tourette syndrome, in the drama The Tic Code (1999, won a Giffoni Film Festival’s Bronze Gryphon). Beginning his screen career in the popular show “Saturday Night Live” (1995), Marquette later presented celebrated performances in the soap opera “Another World” (1996-1997), the medical drama “Strong Medicine” (2000-2004, as Marc Delgado), the horror action Freddy vs. Jason (2003, as Charlie Linderman), “Joan of Arcadia” (2003-2005, played Adam Rove), The Girl Next Door (2004) and Just Friends (2005). The oldest brother of actors Eric and Sean Marquette also had Broadway stints in “An Inspector Calls” and “A Christmas Carol.”


Count Chocula’s Voice

Childhood and Family:

Born on October 3, 1984, in Stuart, Florida, Christopher George Marquette moved with his parents to Texas where he worked in some commercials, including the voice-over for cereal products Trix, Lucky Charms Count Chocula and Coco Puffs. Chris, whose younger brothers Eric and Sean are also actors, later pursued his acting career in New York. He now lives with his family in L.A. Instead of attending regular school, Chris was home schooled.

“I was sort of a loser in high school for a while. I got out of high school and started doing home school and I think once I got more confidence in not trying to impress people, I think then I found my own kind of cool side.” Chris Marquette


Joan of Arcadia

Career:

Christopher Marquette (or Chris Marquette) pursued his acting passion by taking part in the Broadway staging of “An Inspector Calls” and “A Christmas Carol,” as well as accepting an unaccredited role in the high-profile TV show “Saturday Night Live” (1995). Marquette then acquired a number of screen roles, such as Adam Brody in the short-lived comedy series “Aliens in the Family” (1996), Gregory John Hudson in the soap opera “Another World” (1996-1997), Daniel in the TV romantic comedy Noah (1998) and Arthur Keneth Venderwall in the animated series “The Kids from Room 402” (1999, voiced).

“Before my audition I had no idea what Tourette syndrome was, so they sent me about five different videos on Tourette’s. One was an episode of Maury Povich having young kids with Tourette syndrome on the show and one was a tape of when they auditioned kids with Tourette’s for the role, so I was sort of seeing the difference in all the tics and how Tourette’s affects people in completely different ways. I also spent time with the writer’s husband who did the score for the film, a good friend of mine named Michael Wolff, who has Tourette’s and he was sort of my guide for everything; the one I went to with questions. There was also this really nice guy [with Tourette’s] on the set, Frank, who they hired. He was there for me and Gregory Hines, to help us out. He basically knew everything about Tourette’s. I spent time with them talking about Tourette syndrome.” Chris Marquette on what he did to delve into his role in The Tic Code (1999)

Demonstrating his acting skill, the teen actor starred as Miles Caraday, a young aspiring jazz pianist with Tourette syndrome, in the drama The Tic Code (1999), alongside Gregory Hines and Molly Draper. For his superb portrayal, Marquette was handed a Bronze Gryphon for Best Child Actor from the Giffoni Film Festival when the movie was screened in the Italy festival.

On the small screen, Marquette became a regular on the medical drama “Strong Medicine” (2000-2004, as Marc Delgado) and the soap drama “Pasadena” (2001-2005, played Mason McAllister), as well as guest starred in acclaimed series like “ER” (2000), “Judging Amy” (2001) and “Boston Public” (2002). In 2003, the actor detoured to the gore action horror genre with the role of Charlie Linderman in Freddy vs. Jason, where he first collaborated with actor Jason Ritter. He next re-teamed with Ritter in the drama series “Joan of Arcadia” (2003-2005), where he costarred as Adam Rove, opposite Amber Tamblyn.

Following his supporting turn as the porn-obsessed Eli in the teen romantic comedy The Girl Next Door (2004), Marquette was nominated for an MTV Movie award and a Teen Choice award for his kissing scene with Anna Faris in the romantic comedy Just Friends (2005). He was recently cast as Keith Stratten in the star-studded ensemble movie Alpha Dog (2006), along with Emile Hirsch, pop star Justin Timberlake, Sharon Stone, Lukas Haas, Bruce Willis and more.

Still in 2006, Marquette will star as Carl Jenkins in the crime comedy drama Graduation. The prolific actor is also set to take roles in the David S. Goyer-directed drama thriller The Invisible (2007), the comedy drama The Beautiful Ordinary (2007), Lucas Elliott’s Choose Connor (2007, as Tony) and the independent drama The Education of Charlie Banks (2007), helmed by Limp Bizkit frontman Fred Durst.

Marquette, who will costar with Sam Huntington in Fanboys (2007), is currently filming Calvin Marshall (2007, stars as the titular Major League Baseball star wannabe) and the remake movie Revenge of the Nerds (2007).


Award:

- Giffoni Film Festival: Bronze Gryphon for Best Child Actor, The Tic Code, 1998