ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, October 12, 1996 TAG: 9610150003
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: B9 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BARRY KOLTNOW KNIGHT-RIDDER/TRIBUNE
Burst unexpectedly into Chris O'Donnell's hotel room and get the surprise of your life.
Slumped down in a chair, his steel-tipped boots resting on a glass coffee table, the actor is chain-smoking unfiltered cigarettes while he regales his friends with stories of recent sexual conquests. It is obvious O'Donnell is heavily into body piercing, and his arms abound with gruesome tattoos. He is swigging Jack Daniels from the bottle. There is evidence of an all-night drug party. Automatic weapons are visible. His bed is real messy.
No, wait, wrong hotel room.
Next door, the real Chris O'Donnell sits on the edge of a couch, munching on a tuna sandwich and looking every bit the all-American boy. He is polite, charming and friendly. He is wearing a white, button-down shirt, green corduroy pants, moccasins with no socks and a preppy watchband. A knapsack sits beside him.
``I get so tired of journalists who are always looking for a new angle to their stories,'' said O'Donnell, shaking his head. ``They're all looking to uncover the REAL Chris O'Donnell. Well, guys, this is it.''
OK, guilty as charged. The beginning of this story was, in fact, a journalist's fantasy, but you can't fault a guy for trying. It just seems that this talented, sexy, well-behaved young man from Chicago is too good to be true.
But longtime O'Donnell watchers will get to see a different side of their favorite actor in ``The Chamber,'' which opened Friday. In the latest John Grisham courtroom thriller, O'Donnell plays an idealistic lawyer who travels to Mississippi to represent a racist murderer facing an impending execution. The convicted killer, played by Gene Hackman, is his grandfather.
``If you want to know if taking this role is some sort of career strategy, the answer is yes,'' the actor said.
``I had just finished the `Batman' movie (he played Robin in ``Batman Forever'' and will reprise the role in ``Batman and Robin'') and I knew I'd be in another `Batman' movie in a couple of years. I love those action movies and I appreciate everything `Batman' has done for me, but I needed something to challenge me as an actor.
``Not only would I get to play opposite Gene Hackman, but I would finally get to play someone my own age (26). You've got to find roles that satisfy you or this all gets pretty stale.''
O'Donnell, who grew up in a Chicago suburb, the youngest of seven children, started modeling at 13 and was doing TV commercials within three years. At 17, he was discovered in a McDonald's commercial and cast in his first film, playing Jessica Lange's son in ``Men Don't Leave.''
After finishing the film, he attended Boston College as a marketing major but left two years later to appear opposite Al Pacino in ``Scent of a Woman.'' He never went back to college, but he has done well for a dropout, starring in ``Circle of Friends,'' ``Mad Love," ``Fried Green Tomatoes,'' ``School Ties'' and ``The Three Musketeers.'' His next film, before ``Batman and Robin'' is released, is with Sandra Bullock in ``In Love and War.''
``I know I have been very fortunate to have worked with so many great people who have taken me under their wing and taught me about acting and the business,'' O'Donnell said.
``But as lucky as I am to have gotten those early breaks, nobody has worked as hard as I have to get where I am. I was given a great opportunity, but I took advantage of it.''
O'Donnell, who, we are duty-bound to report, has a steady girlfriend back in Chicago, attributed much of his success to his parents, whom he describes as conservative.
``When I go into a store and see a great TV, I want to buy it right now,'' he said. ``My father is the opposite; he is patient and can wait forever. He always taught me to be cautious, and that's a good thing in Hollywood.
``This is a very seductive town, and I really don't trust people out here. They're so insincere a lot of the time. That's why I use the guidance of my family and some of the friends I've made in Hollywood to help guide my career.''
O'Donnell said he sometimes looks at his close friends - they're all from his high school and college days - and wonders whether he might prefer a regular job and a non-Hollywood life. Then he looks at his paycheck and comes to his senses.
``This is a funny, weird business, but if you realize it's all about the work, then you can find happiness in Hollywood,'' he said.
``So many people make it worse for themselves by seeking the spotlight. That part of the business is a joke. I understand the importance of promoting a movie, but when I'm not promoting a movie, I want to be away from it. I don't ever want to feel the pressure of having to play that glamour game.
``This whole sex-symbol thing attached to me is ridiculous, and my sisters and girlfriend keep me grounded by making fun of me. But if it helps to sell tickets, then I'll go along with it. This is a business, and I never forget that. I was a marketing major, you know.
``But that doesn't mean you have to get caught up in it. When you go after a career based on glamour, you find out how fleeting fame is in this town. I don't want to be the new hot kid on the block. I want to be around for a long time.''
Hmmm, maybe nice guys can finish first.
LENGTH: Medium: 95 linesby CNB