Biography

Chris Kerson is an American Actor, best known for portraying Nails in the hit series True Detective, and Willie Boy in Gotti. Chris started honing his thespian talents in drama clubs throughout his upbringing in Manhattan and Westchester, New York. Despite aiming for a career in finance, he continued performing theater during his undergraduate studies at the College of William and Mary. Following graduation, he found success as an investment banker and corporate finance analyst--notably taking one company public.

Despite his early corporate achievements, Chris' passion for acting proved greater. It wasn't long before he was splitting time between LA and NY, booking theater, film and television work while sharpening his craft with prominent industry coaches. One of his primary tutors included Al Pacino's long-time mentor Charlie Laughton, whose influence would also impact the trajectory of Chris' career. Chris' Off-Broadway repertoire includes a sold-out showing of Stephan Morrow's Hurry, at the Blue Heron Art Center. He was also well-reviewed as Carl the Usher in the never-before-produced Tennessee Williams play, These are the Stairs You Got the Watch. Another notable performance was his starring role in Missionaries, opposite theater icon, Rose Gregorio. Although Chris' roots are in theater, his on-camera castings have been in greater demand.

With a filmography spanning more than two decades, Chris has come to be recognized for a variety of works on television and the silver screen. These include many remarkable independent productions from some of the industry's high-rising creatives. His earliest works include a few NYU student films produced by Oscar winner, Mollye Asher. One film in particular, The Ride, was Martin Scorsese's pick for the film school's best short production of the year.

Other highlights include Cost of a Soul, the AMC Big Break Movie Contest feature film winner, in which Chris played lead. He also co-starred opposite Lance Henriksen in Chad Law's Project Greenlight submission, Daylight's End. Independent Spirit Award nominee, Tim McCann, cast Chris as the starring detective in the crime drama, Zero in the System. Notably, McCann also cast ex-cons, including parolees, to specifically bring authenticity to characters, conveying the natural grit of street culture. Most recently, Chris co-starred in the 2019 suspense-thriller, Rendezvous, which is regarded as the most-decorated American Short film of all time, with nearly 200 international award wins. He also co-stared in 2020's Equal Standard, a timely story addressing racism in the New York Police Department, starring and produced by famed rapper/actor, Ice-T. Chris was told by Producers that he was the one New York hire that they thought could work well with Bruce Dern in IFC's Last Call - casting Chris as Bruce's son in the film.

- IMDb Mini Biography By: S. W. Kozak