Authority control databases
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
Christian J. Meoli | |
|---|---|
| Born | July 6, 1972 |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation(s) | actor, writer, producer and film executive |
| Known for | Cabaret Voltaire Inc. |
Christian Meoli (born July 6, 1972 ) is an actor, writer, producer who runs Voltaire Media and film executive.[1]
Christian Meoli was born on July 6, 1972, in Philadelphia, the son of Jerry Mayo (1934–2011) bandmember of the group Freddie Bell and the Bellboys.[2] and began his acting career in his early teens in regional theatre productions.[3] He is an alumnus of Stagedoor Manor. He graduated from Performing Arts School in Philadelphia and received a scholarship to Temple University. He also appeared in the Washington/Baltimore company of Tony-N-Tina's Wedding in the role of bandleader "Donny Dulce. " In 1991, Meoli appeared opposite Jason Miller and Malachy McCourt in a production of Inherit The Wind that was staged in a Philadelphia court in City Hall.[4]
Meoli's first film role was the movie Alive (1993) as Federico Aranda and directed by Frank Marshall. He was next cast in the movies The Low Life (1995) and also Persons Unknown (1996).[5]
He played the comedy relief role of Boz Bishop for four seasons on the hit CBS television show Nash Bridges. After his mother, Sandra Meoli died from Cancer, Meoli created the performance event The Big C which annually plays for cancer survivors at Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center. The Big C Foundation was created to continue a focus of education and outreach on the subject of cancer.[6]
He appeared in the pilot episode of the television show Dollhouse (directed by Joss Whedon), Martial Law (Stanley Tong), the Masterpiece Theatre PBS presentation of The Song of the Lark, as well as Emmy Award winning episodes of NYPD Blue, The Practice, and the telefilm production of Tuesdays with Morrie.[7]
In 2003, Meoli wrote the play The Dadaists, a retelling about the Dada art movement and Cabaret Voltaire, which originated in February 1916, in Zürich, Switzerland at Spiegelgasse 1, and led Meoli to create a modern Cabaret Voltaire in Los Angeles.[8] He is also credited by the Los Angeles Times as being the first to initiate 'flashmobs' in Los Angeles.[9]
In 2004, Meoli was one of the co-directors and producers of the documentary Beats for Baghdad featuring Jerry Quickley.[10]
In 2009, Christian (under the moniker Chris Voltaire) wrote the book and lyrics, acted, produced and directed Octomom the Musical, a parody of Nadya Suleman.[11] That same year he starred in the Victor Goss-directed film The Apocalypse According to Doris, and also became the Vice President for Marketing at Bigfoot Entertainment where he worked on the film Deep Gold (2011).[12]
He produced The Singafest Asian Film Festival in Los Angeles, which showcased 30 new films from Philippines, Taiwan, Korea, China and Japan.[13]
Meoli's company (Voltaire Media) also expanded its services to include sales and producer representation, handling distribution acquisition for companies such as Potent Media (Deer Crossing) and American Motion Picture Company (Character).[14] In 2012, Meoli's company began a new single screen art house known as Arena Cinema Hollywood.[15] The endeavour in conjunction with Theatre of Arts has run engagements of Academy Award-winning films and works with distributors such as IFC, Tribeca Film, Phase 4 Films, First Run Features, Kino-Lorber, Breaking Glass Pictures, XLrator Media and Submarine.[16][17]
In 2013, Meoli starred in the new film "Treachery"[18] opposite Michael Biehn, Sarah Butler and Caitlin Keats.
Meoli's Voltaire Media represented Bruce Ramsay's Hamlet and the film was acquired by Breaking Glass Pictures, opening theatrically in January 2014 in New York and Los Angeles.[19]
