Chuck : What's Hot?

At the beginning of this past fall’s television season, there was much talk about the fresh faces emerging on the scene. Of those relative newcomers, one face in particular has managed to stand out among the pack. Zachary Levi currently stars as the computer geek-turned government agent, Chuck Bartowski, on NBC’s hit tv show, “Chuck.” He has the looks to attract the ladies, a role on one of the most successful new shows this season and the acting chops it takes to succeed and survive in show business. He is definitely someone to keep your eye on!

This 27 year old was born in Louisiana, but he and his family traveled all over the United States before finally settling in Ventura County, California. You can say Zachary Levi was one of the lucky ones who knew what he was destined to do from a very young age. At 6 years old, Zachary began acting, singing and dancing in school and local theater productions like “Grease,” “The Outsiders,” “Oliver” and “The Wizard of Oz.” By the time he graduated from high school, he was ready to take a shot at fulfilling his dreams, and he moved to Los Angeles.

In 2002, he started to tackle the small screen. He soon had roles in television movies such as “Big Shot: Confessions of a Campus Bookie” and “See Jane Date.” He followed those projects up with guest starring roles in television series like “The Division” and “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” Prior to his current role on television, he may be best remembered as the scheming, narcissistic assistant, Kip Steadman, on all four seasons of the series, “Less Than Perfect,” starring Sara Rue, Andy Dick and Eric Roberts.

In 2007, he was cast in the lead role on NBC’s “Chuck,” a series created by Josh Schwartz of “The O.C.” fame and McG, the director of “Charlie’s Angels” and “We Are Marshall.” This hour long, action-comedy show centers around Zachary, who plays a hapless geek who works at an electronics store and accidentally becomes the government’s most vital secret agent when he opens an e-mail that subliminally encodes government secrets and sensitive data into his brain. In an otherwise relatively ho-hum television season, “Chuck” has become a favorite of television addicts everywhere thanks to both the entertaining writing and the comedic timing and charm of its leading man.

Zachary is also slowly getting a foothold on the big screen. In 2006, he was featured in the Martin Lawrence comedy, “Big Momma’s House 2.” Recently he wrapped his leading role in the independent film, “Shades of Ray,” a comedy about a man of Pakistani and Caucasian ancestry, who is trying to revive his parents’ marriage while waiting to see if his own girlfriend will accept his marriage proposal. In addition, he completed the feature film, “Wieners,” a comedy about three friends taking a road trip in a Wiener Wagon across the country in the hopes of beating up a popular daytime talk show therapist. The film also stars Kenan Thompson of “Saturday Night Live” and Jenny McCarthy. Both films are slated for a 2008 release.

With starring roles on both the big and small screens, talent, good looks and charm, it is only a matter of time before this comedic actor attracts the attention of film and television lovers everywhere. He is a favorite of ours here at Young Hollywood and we have been watching him closely, as he is truly a rising star who is on the verge of major stardom. For those of you looking to catch up, you can currently see Zachary on NBC every Monday at 8 PM or watch full episodes online at www.nbc.com.

Original page : www.younghollywood.com