Whenever I see Chad Michael Collins in any role, or even see a photo of him, my first reaction is “There’s a leading man”. He has the look and possesses that certain charm befitting of such roles and once you see him on screen, you know he’s got the talent to match. We’ve been connected via social media for a while now and I’ve had the pleasure of a few chats with him. If you don’t follow him, make sure to click the links here to do so, he’s a great follow plus you’ll want to keep up with all he’s got going on. There are sure to be a few BIG announcements soon! 

I asked him if he would be so kind as to grant me the opportunity to share a bit about him with everyone in an interview, which he so kindly agreed to. Then, as luck would have it, I found out that he had signed on with LoMOPro, which kind of makes us coworkers now. That also makes me pretty lucky. So, look for him at a convention near you!

You may know Chad from playing the franchise lead role ‘Gunnery Sgt Brandon Beckett’ in the very successful “Sniper” military action films. Or you may know him as as the lead in the Orson Scott Card/Aaron Johnston-created television series “Extinct”. You may also recognize him from is countless roles in “Christmas Cupid’s Arrow”, “Once Upon a Time”, “Freakish”, “Company of Heroes”, “NCIS”, “NCIS: New Orleans”, “Blue Bloods”, “2 Broke Girls”, “Castle”, “Bones”, “Lake Placid 2”, just to name a few……..

I’m really looking forward to what he has coming up, like the Film ‘High Moon’ and then some other top secret projects that will blow your minds. For now, let’s get to know Chad Michael Collins a little better:

Q: I know you were born and raised in upstate New York, I was born in raised in Brooklyn. Tell me what it was like growing up and did you ever have the desire to move into the city at any point?

Chad Michael Collins: Yes, I was born and raised in a small rural town west of Albany, NY. It was a great country-style upbringing, living in an area surrounded by nature. I played a lot of sports, read a lot of books, worked a lot of blue collar jobs. It was really grounding, but at 17 I was off to college and never looked back. By 21 I was in Los Angeles, and while I do always appreciate a trip into NYC, I knew LA was a better fit for me. LA is spread horizontal with beautiful weather year-round; NYC is very compact and vertical, and I enjoy driving around in my pickup truck too much to give that up!

Q: You got your degree in journalism and then headed to Los Angeles but you didn’t get into acting until after someone suggested you try acting classes. Did you really not have intentions to go into acting when you moved to LA? 

Chad Michael Collins: Not a one. I never acted a day in my life before I took my first class in my mid-20s. I always loved TV and film, but never saw myself doing it personally. Played school sports, but never stepped foot on a stage. But when I did try a class, I discovered that it was like athletics – there is a creative process that combines the physical with the mental that I really enjoyed. And I think the discipline and values I picked up playing sports directly translated to my approach to acting. The reps, the practice, the schedules, taking care of your body and mind…it was what I applied to acting and it has served me well.

Q: Do you ever feel the urge to get back to journalism or public relations? Although, I’m sure you still do your fair share of PR for yourself with social media being so big for anyone in entertainment.

Chad Michael Collins: After  spending over a decade in an office, I can’t say I really miss it. It was a great experience for me, the white collar setting and learning about the business and relationship-building in entertainment. So I’ve definitely taken those writing and PR skills with me and applied them to my acting career. But I’ve always been curious, a learner and an experiencer – there’s no better profession that provides that on a regular basis than acting. The travel, the research, the variety of roles…it speaks to me on many levels.

Q: Your resume is quite impressive! Network shows, film, guest starring and recurring roles on so many of our favorites. Do you have a preference between drama, comedy, and action? 

Chad Michael Collins: Why thank you! It’s taken years to amass the credits, but each one has helped me to learn and grow as an actor. I value each experience, and I love all the roles I’ve been able to play. Really though, I got into acting for the fun of it, and what’s fun to me is a bit on the nerdy side – sci-fi, fantasy, comic books. So any role where I get to step into one of those worlds, that’s where I’m truly following my bliss!

Q: You have a new film coming out very soon. What can you tell us about High Moon. When is the official release date and what was it like working on that?

Chad Michael Collins: Yes, HIGH MOON releases 5/14 on digital and 7/2 on blu-ray and DVD here in the US. Its an action-horror-western film where I play an old West gunslinger who hunts werewolves. I come back from the dead under mysterious circumstances and find myself a fish-out-of-water in the present day, where I resume the hunt as I try and navigate a strange new world. It’s a lot of fun, a throwback to an 80s John Carpenter film. A lot of action and fight scenes, and a ton of other fun elements like me driving a hot rod, and outlaw werewolves who ride custom choppers. It was shot as a low-budget independent film, but it’s unique and a really great popcorn movie that we’re proud of.

Q: Extinct was one of my favorite shows but was only given one season! What do you think would have happened or what would have liked to see for Ezra if we had been given more time to explore that story? 

Chad Michael Collins: Yes, EXTINCT went extinct far too soon, much to the disappointment of a lot of fans. Such a fun all-ages sci-fi series that could’ve had a nice run given the support it deserved. But that’s show business for you! I played the lead character, Ezra, and I’d like to think he’d be peacefully enjoying time with his family after so much separation and conflict. But, that would make for a boring season two, now wouldn’t it? No doubt a threat would arise, and he’d be the first to take up arms!

Q: Will we be seeing more of Gunnery Sgt Brandon Beckett in the Sniper series?

Chad Michael Collins: I certainly hope so! There has been talk of doing the eighth installment, but nothing solid yet. I’ve been very fortunate to be a part of that military action franchise, and it’s been so fun to do four movies as Brandon Beckett. I’m always blown away by how popular they are, especially overseas, so I do hope I’ll be back behind scope for more!

Q: What is one thing you absolutely cannot live without and one thing you wish we could all live without?

CMC: I’m a real bookworm, always reading multiple things at once – novels, comic books, scripts, and personal growth and development books. So anytime I have a book in my hand, I’m a happy guy. In terms of something I think we could all do without, I’d have to go with judgment. I try to live a life free of judgment, because judgment is only an indication that something is off inside of you. I’m a big fan of taking personal responsibility in all things, as I have no use for blame or victim-hood at this point in my life.

Q: Who haven’t you worked with that you would just give anything to be on a project with?

CMC: Good question! There are a lot of answers to that, but I’d definitely love to be on a Clint Eastwood set. His films always speak to my sensibilities. Taylor Sheridan as well. But then again, it would be incredible to work with anyone that successful – Spielberg, JJ Abrams, Kathryn Bigelow – as I’d have so much to learn. I’m a sponge by nature, so anyone who has achieved things in the direction that I’m headed, it would be a gift to collaborate with them.

Q: Where can we find you and what you are up to on line?

CMC: I’m on the three big platforms – @CollinsChadM on Twitter and Instagram, and @chadmichaelcollins on Facebook. I’m on there pretty regularly, as I always try to engage with my fans and friends there often. I do appreciate the way social media keeps us connected and accessible, it’s a great tool for actors and a wonderful way to express gratitude.

Q: What’s up next for Chad Michael Collins?

CMC: I’ve been working on a top-secret project for a while now, so hopefully I’ll be able to say something about that in the coming months. I’ll be on an episode of AMC Shudder’s CREEPSHOW reboot when that series airs. A few other projects that I’m attached to that might pop as well. Always irons in the fire!