J.T. Chinn

Recently, after deciding to pursue acting professionally in the last few years, JT was offered, without an audition, a starring role as “Willie Kool” in his very first feature film KRUEL, distributed by Maxim Media Marketing, Inc. and Breaking Glass Pictures in association with Sunset Studios and Boo Reese Productions.  The Director, Robert Henderson rewrote the script to accentuate JT’s talents after viewing several clips of his work. In Robert’s own words, “Ultimately, working closely with JT on his character, I believe we have created a true classical movie villain”.

JT Chinn is an award winning actor with extensive theatre, film, and television experience.  He has a deep passion for acting and filmmaking. He has honed his craft as an actor by studying acting and performing mostly lead roles in 50 plays, 40 short films, a web series, and most recently a feature film, playing a variety of diverse characters in both comedies and dramas.  His range is wide and far reaching.  He can make you laugh or cry or scare the hell out of you.

On a whim he took Acting 101 at West Virginia University. He felt the acting bug bite him when he performed his final scene as Biff Loman in Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman. He graduated with a BS in Journalism-Advertising, but he felt the calling to act. On his very first stage and film auditions he secured roles, where he played an Elvis impersonator in Romulus Linney’s Holy Ghosts on stage and a dirty drug dealing cop in his first film The Deal. He has studied at The Actor’s Conservatory in Baltimore, The Actors Center in Los Angeles, and Terry Schreiber Studios in Manhattan.

His Film credits in L.A. were both in front of and behind the camera. On his first film, a producer promoted JT from PA to Prop Master on the car ride to the set the first day of production. Moving up fast he assistant directed on the film Party starring Gary Coleman and written by award winning screenwriter Jay Woefel. As an actor, The Fakers, a short film in which he starred and played a deranged, quirky boss won an award at the Savannah Film Festival. Some of his other short films have been featured in film festivals including Terminal of The Mind at The Sunscreen Film Festival, and Reset Button and Death Over Dishonor in The Enzian Film Slam. He has worked with many independent producers and at some of the top Film Schools in the country.

In many regional productions JT has accepted every acting challenge he encountered.  They include acting, singing, dancing, children’s theater, murder mystery, and acting in and producing the improv audience interactive Tony ‘n’ Tina’s Wedding. Twice, he received the honor of Best Supporting Actor Award from The Savannah News Press for his roles as Billy Bibbitt in One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest and Barry in The Boys Next Door. One of his favorite roles showcased his ability to sing, dance and act when he played the gender bending role of Jerry/Daphne in Sugar, the musical version of the film Some Like It Hot. He originated the role of “Mr. Harrington” in the musical, An American Family Christmas, at the Broadmore Hotel in Colorado. Favorite roles: The Cowardly Lion in The Wizard of Oz, John Smith in Run For Your Wife, Mortimer in Arsenic and Old Lace, and Joseph in My Three Angels.

Press

“JT Chinn was absolutely brilliant as Willie Kool. Although I was confident from the beginning, I believe he exceeded everyone’s expectations with his performance”.
—Director, Robert Henderson