Damian Chao
Biography
An award winning professional actor known for his AMPIA nominated performance in the film U17, & Feature Film Three. Damian is a Canadian professional actor who grew up in Sherwood Park, Alberta. He is half Chinese, with Scottish roots. He's mainly known for his on-camera work in film and television. Although he has been in numerous stage productions all over North America including: Jean Anouilh's "Antigone" in 2006 for which he garnered rave reviews from critics alike for his intense and riveting performance of Haemon. He was also part of the 2008 Edmonton Fringe Festival's production of "Closer" written by British playwright Patrick Marber, and subsequently made into a film in 2004 directed by Mike Nichols. For which he received high praise from critics for his portrayal of Larry in which is the oldest and largest fringe theatre festival in the world. He played the lead Character of David in the play, "Love and Human Remains" in Vancouver, British Columbia. He toured through out the U.S. doing various shows with different plays over the years. He also toured the U.S. and Canada for ten months with the play "Pitstop", that was adapted from the screen to the stage by his long time collaborator Ajay Patel. He won the Best Acting Prize at the South Film and Arts Academy Festival in Chile in 2019 for his performance in the feature film 'Paris's Apple.' He also notably won the Best Acting Prize in 2018 at the same South American annual Festival, for his performance in the film 'U17
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' where he played an inmate on death row.
Known for his intense dedication he puts fourth in truly immersing himself with the characters he portrays. For the feature-film "Money" he lost a whopping 17 lbs to play Wes, a heroin-addict going through withdraw. Damian went on a lemon juice diet for a month without eating solid food, only allowing himself to have coffee besides the lemon juice, and cigarettes. He also chose not to sleep very much and kind of became an insomniac before and during production of the film. For his 2019 portrayal of Reece Kesan, an inmate on death row in the short-film U17, Damian grew a handlebar mustache, and mutton chops for four months in preparation, while shaving the sides and back of his head every morning while styling the top of his hair just the way the character would do it. He also refused to shower for the complete duration of the filming process, and slept on the hard surface of his 6"x 6" bathroom for Fourteen days where he wasn't even able to stretch out his legs all the way; as it was just too small of a space. He put himself through this all this so he could get an idea of what it might be like to live in such a small, enclosed environment twenty-four hours a day just as the character would have to endure. In the process of doing this he had horrendous back pain from a prior injury, but also from sleeping on such a hard surface for so long that he had to hunch down a bit when he moved around. So he used the pain he was in from sleeping to inform how his character would sit and walk in his cell. For the feature film Paris's Apple he slept in his living room on the carpet for two months, while living completely cut off from the world. He would only leave the house to go for walks late at night when the street was empty, to allow him to feel the grief and isolation of his character. He also wore the same pair of clothes and hiking boots that were his only wardrobe for the film; for the four months before filming. As well as walking around with a hunch during his preparation period, and for the duration of the filming process.
His Grandfather was an actor in China and Japan where he worked in film and television, and directed and acted in his own stage productions. Damian followed suit and decided to become an actor after High School. He would later train for two-years at the Citadel Theatres 'Foote Theatre School' in the Film and Television program. After the program was complete, he would be asked to stay on and work as a teachers assistant under his instructor Shomee Chakrabartty. Damian was also a graduate of the renowned Vancouver Film School "Acting Essentials" program. A school in which he says, "really gave him the tools, and foundation with which to work with going forward as an actor." He also said, "His instructors at the school taught him how much work and discipline is required to become not just an actor, but a truly great actor." which is something that has since been instilled into him.
Damian can be seen next in the film 'The Re-membering', and in the Docuseries 'Labeled' both due out sometime in 2024. As well as an ACTRA horror short film where he plays the male lead Bjorn. He had can be seen in the upcoming film Dark Match on Netflix, and in 2025 for the film Windows for which he is a co-lead & executive producer.
In the role of actor
Dark Match – Blood in the Snow 2024 (18/11/2024)
This Review Was Originally Published as Part of Our Coverage of Fantasia 2024 The stars of a 1980s professional wrestling league find themselves part of a Satanic cult’s ritual in Dark Match. SAW is a ragtag 1988 wrestling league managed by Rusty Beans (Jonathan Cherry) and featuring a roster of stars that includes Mean Joe […]
Dark Match – Fantasia 2024 (22/07/2024)
The stars of a 1980s professional wrestling league find themselves part of a Satanic cult’s ritual in Dark Match. SAW is a ragtag 1988 wrestling league managed by Rusty Beans (Jonathan Cherry) and featuring a roster of stars that includes Mean Joe Lean (Steven Ogg), Lazarus Smashley (Leo Fafard), Enigma Jones (Mo Adan), Miss Behave […]