How cool is it that in his Broadway debut Christopher Richards gets to play not one but three of the Davies boys (Peter, Jack and George) in Finding Neverland
?! The Davies were the actual family who inspired J. M. Barrie to create Peter Pan, and Richards has been with blockbuster musical since it opened last April. Below, BroadwayBox gets to know the talented young actor better as we talk about backstage celebs, his passion for magic and his future as a billionaire.1. The biggest pinch-me moment I've had since Finding Neverland opened:
The biggest pinch me moment for me was when Finding Neverland was invited to The White House and we performed for the First Lady. And I got to meet so many of the amazing stars I know and love, including Christian Borle, Kristin Chenoweth, Gloria Estefan, Stephen Schwartz, Andrew Lloyd Weber and many more.
2. My favorite part about playing each of the boys:
My favorite part about playing Peter is getting to explore his emotion and depth. In the beginning of the show Peter’s dad has just passed away and he's dealing with being depressed and sad. But then along comes Mr. Barrie, played by the amazing Matthew Morrison, and he restores Peter's faith in believing that anything is possible. The highlight of the show as Peter is getting to sing the beautiful and emotional duet, "Feet Don't Touch The Ground" with Matthew Morrison.
My favorite part about playing Jack is that he is so different from Peter. Jack (or as we call him in the cast, the leader of the crazies) is pretty much the opposite of Peter. He's crazy, sassy, hilarious and fun, and playing him never gets old.
3. In 25 years, a role I'd love to play:
I love acting on stage but I was also lucky enough this year to be in a new TV series on Showtime called Billions, where I play billionaire Damian Lewis' son and we have a yacht and helicopter and all kinds of cool stuff; so how's this for greedy: in 25 years, I'd like to play the grown-up-son-turned-billionaire
in the sequel to Billions and at night I'd love to play J.M. Barrie in Finding Neverland on Broadway (as part of the longest-running American musical in Broadway history—hey as long as I'm dreaming why not dream big!) :-)
4. Special skill on my resume I'm really proud of:
I'm really proud of my skills with a deck a cards...and because of being in Finding Neverland I got to meet one of the greatest magicians in the world, David Blaine. I also have to give much of the credit to the boys in FN for helping me discover my passion for magic.
5. Since my parents are also both actors, the best advice they've given me about performing:
You may not get every part you audition for, but as long as you do what you love you'll never work a day in your life.
6. Favorite backstage hobby of mine:
Magic, because it's so much like performing on stage.
7. Movie I love so much I could watch it once a week:
I really love movies. My dad says that I don't watch movies, I study them...but if I had to pick one I would say...I would say I can't pick one, so I'll say any super hero movie or the new Star Wars movie :-)
8. Most played album on my iTunes:
Not counting the Finding Neverland cast album, I would most definitely have to say Hamilton, of course! I love that I can be entertained
and learn about history...and because of FN I even got to meet Lin-Manuel Miranda.
9. Moment in Finding Neverland that brings me the most joy each night:
The moment that brings the most joy each night is when we all take our final bow and the two dogs, Jack and Jill, come out for the encore and the
audience goes wild, and we all start dancing and I realize how incredibly lucky I am to be working with all these amazing actors!
10. Coolest celeb I've had the pleasure of meeting backstage at Finding Neverland:
Meeting Jennifer Lawrence was so cool; she even let us call her J.Law!! She really is a movie star and she even hung out with the
boys backstage after the show!
See Chris Richards in 'Finding Neverland' at Broadway's Lunt-Fontanne Theatre
