His father is a dentist and his mother, Lisa Evans, a dancer. He is of Irish and Italian descent and is a Catholic. Chris also has a younger sister, Shanna, and brother, Scott, who is an actor too. Her older sister, Carly - who acts too - encouraged Chris to give acting a try.
Evans lived quite a comfortable childhood in Boston. At home he had a supportive family and in high school he was considered a popular guy, with loads of friends and a busy social life. Academics were said to never be his strong point anyway, and his high school experience was more centered on socializing than studying. Anyway, he scored 1180 on his SAT. Despite his calm demeanor, Chris admits to being somewhat of a bad boy. In high school, he was quite the agitator.
His first steps were in theatre, starring in regional Masachusetts productions of "A Midsummer Nights Dreams," "A Wrinkle in Time" and a few other plays. His professional acting career started in plays at the Boston Playwrights' Theatre.
Some of his older friends moved to New York to try their hand at the craft, and Chris was convinced he should put in the same effort for his career. Finally, he decided to give in to the acting bug and went to New York City the summer after his junior year of high school. He moved to Brooklyn and, with little money in his pockets, landed a small apartment and an internship at the Spin City casting agency, where Chris was working the phones and talking to agents – getting contacts. That same summer he also took a summer acting program.
During his senior year, Evans worked hard in order to graduate in January, and then
returned to New York and, with a little help from an agent he made that summer, attended several auditions. Chris got lucky early on and earned a part on Opposite Sex, a TV teen dramedy series that debuted in 2000.
Chris played cheeky Cary Baston, friend of Milo Ventimiglia’s - Heros star - character, and it was his first break on the small screen. After the directors shopped the pilot around, only eight episodes aired before it was cancelled.
Knowing what he was capable of, Evans took the disappointment in stride and even landed a guest role on an episode of (the modern-day) The Fugitive in 2000. This time he was Zack, town sheriff’s rebel son.
By the end of the year he got the role of Judd in the film The Newcomers, with Kate Bosworth. The film was about a family forced to adjust after moving from the big city to a small town. Though the movie wasn’t a hit at all, it gave Chris some experience on film sets. Chris then looked to take the next step, and as a struggling young actor, he needed a break.
In 2001, Chris made an appearance in the popular prime-time drama Boston Public, in the chapter nine of the first season, playing Neil Mavromates, a guilty alumn who takes Jessalyn Gilsig’s character as hostage.
And this is the point when his career kicks into overdrive thanks to the role of Jake Wyler in the teen comedy - parody that spoofed corny adolescent flicks -Not Another Teen Movie. Cast as the popular jock who transforms an ugly duckling into a popular princess, Evans ran with the role and proved a more than capable comic talent. The movie did quite well and, along with Chyler Leigh, Jaime Pressly and Mia Kirshner, Evans was now viewed as a young promising actor. He even grabbed some headlines after the paparazzi caught him several times with actress Jessica Biel, who he dated from that year to 2006.
Following the smash hit spoof, Evans was slated to have a role in the new FOX series Eastwick in 2002, but the pilot was never aired. Next year, Chris appeared in the short dark film The Paper Boy and later that same year, Evans appeared in the pilot of FOX's pornography-themed series Skin, but that was cancelled after three episodes -- despite being backed by mega-producer Jerry Bruckheimer.
In 2004, he joined Erika Christensen and Scarlett Johansson in 2004's teen thriller The Perfect Score, but was the role as an unsuspecting young man who receives a desperate phone call from a kidnapping victim – Kim Basinger – in the thriller Cellularwhich offered some relief from the seeming drought of choice roles.
A subsequent role in the same year's The Orphan King, with Alexis Bledel – Gilmore Girls, Sin City – and Bill Pullman, served as a strong follow-up before hearty roles in such 2005 releases as Fierce People – sharing scenes with Donald Sutherland and Diane Lane – and The Fantastic Four, with Jessica Alba and The Shield's Michael Chiklis, playing well-known Human Torch.
Laid-back and pretty low-key, Chris Evans lets fame seek him out, instead of the other way
around. He comes across as very accessible and "real" as a result, showing that the only thing that has changed since he burst onto the scene is the size of his bank account. The ladies apparently love this unpredictable quality of his otherwise relaxed self, and his energy; that’s probably why he’s considered a real heartthrob by tweens and teens. Nevertheless, Chris has quickly garnered a loyal fan base due to his good looks and affable personality.
That same year he also took part in the independent film London, with Jessica Biel y Jason Statham, which is a drug laden adventure that centers on a party in a New York loft where a young man is trying to win back his ex-girlfriend.
In 2006, although he has not released any film, he has been working hard to 2007 realeases The Nanny Diaries, Sunshine, Fantastic Four: the rise of the Silver Surfer, Battle in Seattle and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, putting his voice for Casey Jones character. In 2008 it is foreseen to release Under the blue sky, The Night Watchman, Terra (voice) and The loss of a teardrop diamond.
Young, fairly rich and fairly famous, Chris Evans is definitely in a great position for a man in his early 20s. With two popular movies under his belt and more on the way and having already proven his worth and his range by successfully portraying the funny man, the hero and the drama king, he remains a down-to-earth dude. He was named 'Male Superstar of Tomorrow' at the 2005 Young Hollywood Awards, but, by moment, he is intent on charting his own way through Hollywood and, so far, has been successful doing it. Talent-wise, Evans has yet to reach his full potential. What we have seen, though, has been impressive.
"The fact is there's a lot of better actors than I am who are out there and aren't working, so I'm still trying to come into my own. I think if I thought I had a distinguishing quality, I think that might be a step in the wrong direction. I think trying to remain as humble as possible is the best way to aid that progression with your acting." -Chris Evans
