Interview: Brahms is Back! Star Christopher Convery Discusses His Role w/ the Devious Doll.

At age 12 Christopher Convery has already amassed quite an impressive resume. Known for his roles in Stranger Things, The Girl in the Spiders Web and Gotham, the young actor is now tackling terror in Brahms: The Boy 2! Brahms, a continuation of The Boy released in 2016, tells the tale of an American Nanny that surprisingly finds herself as a caregiver for a life-sized doll. Shocking events unfold, leaving fans to wonder… “Is Brahms really gone?” Well…

“Unaware of the terrifying history of Heelshire Mansion, a young family moves into a guest house on the estate where their young son (CONVERY) makes an unsettling new friend, an eerily life-like doll he calls Brahms.” – Brahms: The Boy 2

Fan Fest News had the awesome opportunity to chat with young Mr. Christopher Convery about his budding career in entertainment, his starring role in Brahms: The Boy 2 and much more! Check it out…

Linda: Hi Christopher. You’ve developed quite an impressive resume at such a young age. I wanted to ask you how that got started.

Christopher: I think when I was five and even younger, I’d always sing around the house. I’d always sing and dance, and I always wanted to act. I ended up auditioning for a part in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang in a community theater, as Jeremy. I got the role and I think that was my first big experience as an actor [and] then, I ended up getting an audition for Kinky Boots, the Broadway show in New York. We flew out to New York and did the audition, and right before we were about to fly back, we got a call saying, “Oh, can you stay another night? You have call back.” So we stayed, did the callback, and we waited I think three days [and when] we’re about to fly back they say, “Hey wait, you got the role!” So I ended up getting Kinky Boots. And then [after] I did that, I started getting auditions for TV shows and movies. I started doing The Girl in the Spider’s Web, Gotham, all these different projects and I really started getting into the business and it kind of started my career.

Linda: Let’s talk about this movie you have coming up, Brahms. How did that come about? What did the filmmakers see in you that they said he’s going to be great for the role?

Christopher: Well, it’s actually really funny. I was driving back from just finishing up Stranger Things and heading to the airport [when] I got the audition on the way. I got the lines, I memorized them, I knew it, of course, had a dark tone. I went in, I did the audition and then went straight to the airport. It was actually really funny how it happened and I guess they just saw, you know, emotion in me, kind of the right tone for the movie. What’s really funny is while I was on the plane, I think I was just about to land, we actually got the call that I got it. So it’s amazing.

Linda: That’s awesome. How did you prepare for this role? Can you tell me a little bit about the character?

Christopher: When I first got the role, I straight away went to go see The Boy. It had an amazing twist and it kind of sold the tone of the movie, and I guess I brought that tone into the movie when I was reading the script for the part. So my character, Jude, you see… I have two parents, the dad (Owen Yeoman), and the mom (Katie Holmes), and we end up moving to Heelshire mansion after wanting a break from the city, and I make a kind of evil friend… I think you understand who that is but I don’t really want to reveal anything else of the story. But yeah.

Linda: What was most fun about this role?

Christopher: I think the most [fun] thing is probably the cast and the doll, Brahms. Brahms was honestly, just so fun. The first time I met the doll, he was so terrifying, because the skin was actually silicone. In the first movie it’s made out of porcelain but in this movie, it’s life-like skin. It feels so real. His eyes, they’re made out of glass and look so human-like. I actually have a really creepy moment with him. I was in the scene where all the lights were off and I was holding him, [then] I put him down when we were done and, before lights turn on, I feel this weird thing like touching my neck really slowly. When the lights turn on, no one’s in the room but Brahms. It was so crazy.

Linda: Wow…

Christopher: I’m now scared of dolls, because of him.

Linda: That is really creepy! I have to say, I’m not a big fan of dolls myself. I’ll watch the movies but you know, it creeps me out a bit. It’s neat though how they created the doll so lifelike.

Christopher: Oh yeah, definitely. It looks so real.

Linda: Do you like horror movies, TV shows, any of that?

Christopher: I love horror movies. They’re just so thrilling. I just love it when they get jump scares. It’s just so fun. You’re watching the movie, nothing, and then out of nowhere, it just goes full on dark, and you can get scared and get jump scared. I just think that’s so fun because you’re always at the edge of your seat waiting for something to happen. You’re always getting scared.

Linda: So you like to get the heart racing.

Christopher: I love it. Yeah.

Linda: Before Brahms came along, did you have a particular favorite scary movie?

Christopher: Oh yes, definitely. I think my, one of my favorite movies is Us. Have you seen Us?

Linda: I have seen Us.

Christopher: It’s so good. Like the concept of it, it’s just so unique.

Linda: Are there other genres of acting you’d like to pursue? Do you have a favorite yet? Horror, drama, comedy…

Christopher: I don’t have a preference, I will do anything. I really do enjoy dramas and thrillers because it’s more challenging emotionally… for an actor like to use all these emotions and different acting skills, I really enjoy that.

Linda: What or who inspires you? I read that you like Leonardo DiCaprio.

Christopher: Oh yeah. I really love Leonardo DiCaprio. I mean he just inspires me so much. When I first saw him in Titanic, he showed me that he can play a charming, funny guy, and also dramatic… like at the end of Titanic. Then you see him in [What’s Eating] Gilbert Grape playing a completely different character. It’s such a wide variety of acting skills and [it] just really inspires me. I feel like I could kind of play a younger version of him.

Linda: I think you could too. I pretty much think you could do anything you wanted to do.

Christopher: Thank you.

Linda: I had forgotten about Gilbert Grape until you just mentioned it, a great movie. I love that movie. It’s safe to assume you would jump on a chance to work with Leonardo then, yes?

Christopher: Yes.

Linda: Is there anybody else that you’d like to work with?

Christopher: Oh yeah, definitely. I think I’d want to work with Timothée Chalamet because he brings such an amazing deep character, which is so cool. He also inspires me in the same way [as Leonardo DiCaprio], yeah.

Linda: You’ve been on Broadway, which is very impressive… I’ve seen Kinky Boots, it was fantastic. Regarding TV, movies and theater, do you have a favorite or do you want to tackle them all?

Christopher: I think I would have to prefer a film and TV, because you can play a variety of characters or if you’re in a TV show you play one character but you’re always doing a different thing. While, if you’re on Broadway, you’re doing the same character every single night for, I don’t know, a year or six months. I think that’s one of the main reasons I really enjoy film and TV, you’re always doing something different.

Linda: What do you enjoy doing outside of acting? What are your hobbies? What do you do for fun?

Christopher: I really enjoy singing. I play the piano a lot. I like hanging out with my friends. I like to compose the piano sometimes and, speaking of that, when I was playing the piano it actually incorporated into me being on set! There was one time where Katie Holmes was actually watching me play the piano on Instagram, and she really liked it. She showed it to the director, William Brent Bell, and what was crazy is that they both agreed to put a new entire scene of me just playing the piano which was just amazing.

Linda: Fantastic. That’s in the movie then, you’re playing piano.

Christopher: Yes, it’s so cool.

Linda: I can’t wait to see that part.

Christopher: Yeah. Yeah. Same.

Linda: Do you have any advice for the younger generation looking to make their way in the entertainment industry? What would you say to them?

Christopher: Yeah, definitely. I would say, just keep doing what you love. Before you get into professional acting, I think what I would do is… I would get my friends together and we would do like these little short films and these little skits where it was just us, we would just experiment and do so many different things. We would do comedies, dramas and horrors, and just have so much fun.

Linda: It sounds like you have a true passion for this and you’re having fun doing it, I think that’s wonderful advice. Is there anything coming up that you can talk about? 

Christopher: Well, I do have a cool few things in the pipeline, but I cannot announce them yet. But they will be coming out soon, so I look forward to that, yeah.

Linda: We’ll definitely keep an eye out for everything that you have going on. I’m excited for you and I can’t wait to see the Brahms! I wish you all the best of luck, I know I’m going to see your name a lot more in the future.

Christopher: Thanks so much.

Linda: Thank you so much, Christopher. It was a pleasure speaking to you.

Christopher: You too. And go check out the movie, February 21st.

Linda: Oh, yes, I definitely will!

Be sure to check out Christopher and his delightfully devious doll in Brahms: The Boy 2, hitting theaters February 21st, 2020!