Chris Carmack

Currently: Playing the mischievous title character that takes advantage of pair of middle-aged siblings in the Roundabout Theatre Company's revival of Joe Orton's 1963 comedy Entertaining Mr. Sloane.

Hometown: Rockville, Maryland. He moved to Gotham when he enrolled in New York University. After attending NYU for two and a half years, Carmack headed to Hollywood to pursue an acting career.

Computer Geek to Billboard Chic: To earn a few extra bucks while at NYU, Carmack worked in the school's computer lab. While in New York, Carmack was discovered by a modeling scout that brought him to the attention of photographer Bruce Weber and his 2000 Back-to-School campaign for Abercrombie and Fitch. "I decided to take it because it paid better than the computer labs," Carmack says. So, how did it feel to see his face--and half-naked body--on a huge Sunset Blvd. billboard? "That was weird!" Carmack has subsequently appeared in ads for Guess, Target, and is currently the featured model for A&F's spin-off label, Ezra Fitch.

Getting his TVQ: Carmack's big break came when he landed the role of bad boy Luke on The O.C.. Along with millions of teens across the country who tuned into the hit show each week, Carmack too found himself glued to the tube--not out of narcissism but in a quest to learn his craft. "It was a great opportunity for me to improve my work as actor," he explains. "It was the first time I'd been able to do work and then watch it soon afterward. The first couple of episodes, I looked at myself and went, 'Oh my God! What are you doing?!' I was just appalled. So I managed to eliminate, or at least, improve upon some of my bad habits--things I was doing that I wasn't even aware of!" His method must have worked because soon after The O.C., Carmack landed another recurring television role on Related. Still, Carmack decided to leave that show so that he could come to New York to play Mr. Sloane.

Becoming Baldwin's Boy: To prove he was more than just another Hollywood hunk, Carmack was hungry to tackle a stage play to show off his acting chops. When it was announced that the Roundabout would stage a revival of Entertaining Mr. Sloane, Carmack took charge and didn't wait for the audition to come to him. "I went to the play," he says. "I auditioned for it in Los Angeles for the casting director, then for the director, Scott [Ellis]. Then I flew to New York and auditioned with Scott again. Then the next day I read with Alec [Baldwin]. And then got the part. I like to think that I earned the part." That's something Baldwin seems to know a lot about. Once cast in Hollywood for his pretty boy looks, Baldwin has gone on to prove as in his Tony nominated turn in Streetcar Named Desire that he is a serious actor with serious talent. Carmack can only say, admiringly, "He's had a lot of helpful input and a lot of great ideas. Plus," Carmack adds, "he's a lot of fun."

To Bare, Or Not To Bare: When people talk about Carmack being in the play, one topic always comes up: nudity. While the former model isn't shy about his body, he's not going to take off his clothes for no reason. "If it's needed in a scene and it's necessary for the scene, then yes," Carmack explains, matter-of-factly. "But if the idea is, 'Let's get you naked and parade you on stage,' that's unacceptable." As for Sloane's intentional disrobing, Carmack says, "it is scripted that Kath [Jan Maxwell] takes my pants off to treat my wound. And we're experimenting with me coming down [the stairs] while putting a shirt on, but at this point, we don't have any nudity."

Keeping His Day Job: Entertaining Mr. Sloane is not Carmack's first theater experience, though it does mark his New York stage debut. Despite acting in numerous showcase productions in Los Angeles, "this is by far the most professional experience I've had," he reports. "I'm used to furnishing myself with wardrobe and props. I've never worked on something of this scale. I'm used to people scheduling rehearsals around auditions," he laughs. Marveling at the Roundabout's "whole committee of people working on this play," Carmack says with amazement, "This is our day job!"