Local actor nominated for youth film award

Published: March 20, 2006

Like most teenagers, Christopher Plumley has changed quite a bit in the past five years.

The 13-year-old still has dark, curly hair, but it frames a thinner face with less prominent freckles. He is taller, his voice deeper and his limbs lankier than the 9-year-old boy who starred in the family film "The Metro Chase."

With his altered appearance, no one has recognized the Nichols Hills teen from repeated airings of the TV movie. But his performance in "The Metro Chase" has been recognized with a Young Artist Award nomination.

Christopher Plumley, who will be 14 in April, has been nominated for best performance in a TV movie, miniseries or special (leading young actor). He and his mother, Leslie, plan to attend the invitation-only awards ceremony Saturday at the Sportsmen's Lodge in Studio City, Calif.

He will be competing against Michael Mitchell of "Silver Bells" and Jeremy Sumpter of "Cyber Seduction: His Secret Life" in the TV movie category.

In their 27th year, the Young Artist Awards are a sort of Golden Globe Awards for performers younger than 18. Founder and President Maureen Dragone is a member of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, which awards the Globes. Dragone's mother was one of the Golden Globes' founders.

Dragone said the purpose of the Young Artist Awards is to promote good family entertainment and honor the talents of fine young actors and performers.

Past winners and nominees include Jodie Foster, Diane Lane, Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Dillon, Scarlett Johansson and Drew Barrymore.

"It's helped a lot of them, too, because ... it's good to get their names out there," Dragone said in a phone interview. "There are so many talented kids, and it's just heartbreaking to make a decision in the nominating."

In Plumley's category, past nominees are Joaquin Phoenix, Elijah Wood, Giovanni Ribisi and Rick Schroder.

"I told Chris they have all been nominated for this same award ... and they didn't even win. And they still went on to have really great careers," Leslie Plumley said.

Oklahoman Ryan Merriman, who recently starred in "Final Destination 3," won in the category twice, and other winners include Gregory Smith, Stephen Dorff and the late River Phoenix.

Christopher Plumley said the nomination is exciting even though he played the part years ago. In "The Metro Chase," he stars as Zac Monroe, 8, an amateur sleuth and photographer who helps solve a crime during a family vacation in France.

"It's cool, pretty much, because I still remember shooting a lot of it," he said. "I just think it's a good experience."

The nomination is an honor for the whole Plumley clan, since they all were involved in making the independent film. Leslie Plumley wrote and produced "The Metro Chase" as a starring vehicle for her youngest son.

Plumley patriarch Gene was executive producer for the $800,000 film. Oldest son Michael, 24, was second assistant director, and middle son Matt, 18, was an extra. Daughter Jessica, 21, played one of the bad guys in the movie.

"If I win ... Matt wanted me to say he was the star and looked up to him as my favorite celebrity," Christopher Plumley said with a laugh.

The idea behind the film was to give Christopher the chance to build on his acting experience in commercials and TV guest spots without splitting the family between Los Angeles and Oklahoma.

But the family's lack of filmmaking experience made the process long and challenging. The movie filmed on location in Paris in summer 2001, but the family didn't finish postproduction until 2003.

In 2004, they secured international TV and DVD distribution, but they didn't get a domestic distribution deal until last year. Since the Young Artist Awards recognize the top performances from the previous year, Christopher Plumley's work in "The Metro Chase" wasn't eligible until the film aired in the United States last year.

He said he didn't expect to be 13 by the time the movie hit local television.

"I didn't really think it would be that way. ... I just kind of figured that you would shoot, and like a month later it would be over and come out and that would be it," he said.

Although he hopes to one day pursue a career as an actor or casting director, the teen is taking a break from acting until his growth slows. His mother said teenage boys are difficult to cast since their looks and voices are constantly changing.

In the meantime, Christopher Plumley is enjoying his seventh-grade year at Heritage Hall, where he competes in football, basketball and track. And "The Metro Chase" continues to air on Starz Kids & Family (Cox channel 393, Dish Network channel 365).

"We hope to see it on TV still when he's 23," Leslie Plumley said.

"I think that would be kind of cool to look back and remember, 'Hey, I was 9 when we did that, and it's been running for 14 years," Christopher Plumley added with a grin.