Christopher Thornton was born and raised in the vibrant city of New Orleans, Louisiana, where his father, an amateur opera singer, first introduced him to the world of acting by taking him to rehearsals at a local church theatre. This early exposure sparked a passion in Christopher, which he further nurtured by majoring in drama at the University of New Orleans.
During his time at university, Christopher had the opportunity to perform in a wide range of productions, from the works of Mamet to Shakespeare. However, he eventually decided to leave school after two years and move to Los Angeles to study at the prestigious Stella Adler Conservatory.
In Los Angeles, Christopher joined a student theatre group and performed frequently onstage, where he was eventually spotted by an agent and began to book small roles on television. Despite his growing success, Christopher remained committed to his theatre roots, appearing constantly with his small company in numerous plays on the Los Angeles equity waiver scene.
Tragedy struck Christopher's life at the tender age of 25, when he sustained two fractured vertebrae in a rock climbing fall, leaving him paralyzed from the waist down. This devastating accident left Christopher unsure of his future, but he was quickly cast in a lead role by his theatre company in a small production of Waiting For Godot, just six months after the accident.
Christopher's performance in Waiting For Godot earned him a Drama-Logue award, playing the role of Estragon in a wheelchair. He went on to do several more stage roles for the company, eventually being spotted by a new agent and sent to audition for a network pilot.
Although the pilot was not picked up, Christopher's performance in Waiting For Godot had brought him to the attention of the theatre world, and he was soon cast as Hamlet at the Lillian Theatre in Los Angeles. This performance, in which he played the iconic role in a wheelchair, earned him rave reviews and is considered to be a break, of sorts, in the theatre world.
Christopher's performance as Hamlet also brought him to the attention of the Mark Taper Forum and playwright John Belluso, whose plays often deal with issues of disability. Christopher auditioned and was cast in a supporting role in Belluso's The Body Of Bourne at the Taper, and went on to take over the leading role.
This experience formed a strong working relationship between Thornton and Belluso, and Christopher went on to perform a leading role in the premiere of Belluso's Pyretown in upstate New York. He later made his Off-Broadway debut reprising the role to glowing reviews in New York City.
In addition to his work in the theatre, Christopher has also had a successful career in television, starring in four network pilots and guest starring in shows such as Unhitched, My Name Is Earl, and Larry David's Curb Your Enthusiasm. Despite his success, Christopher remains committed to his first love, the theatre, and has recently received rave reviews for his performance as a drug addicted Iraqi veteran in The Poor Itch at the Public Theatre in New York in 2008.
