Exclusive Interview: Chris Brochu Talks Zero Contact, the Unique Filming Experience, and More

Chris Brochu is the star of the must-see thriller, Zero Contact.

Produced in 17 different countries entirely virtually during the 2020 global pandemic, Zero Contact follows five characters based all over the world, connected only by their devotion to the late founder and tech titan Finley Hart (Anthony Hopkins). The characters are then forced to work together to shut down Hart’s most secret invention, a machine that is either the solution to mankind’s problems or the end of life on earth.

Pop Culturalist was lucky enough to Chris about Zero Contact.

PC: Tell us about Zero Contact and your character in the film.
Chris: Zero Contact is a global thriller that was filmed during the pandemic of 2020. The title Zero Contact came from the fact that we had zero contact with one another. Every shot that you see in the movie was done by an actor. Wardrobe, makeup, lighting, camera, sound, set design—everything was done by that actor. We shot in seventeen countries. That’s a taste of what the film is.

My character Sam Hart is the son of Finley Hart, who is this tech icon. Finley is like this Elon Musk, Tony Stark-type character. Essentially what happens is my character and four other individuals get this note from my late father that says we have X amount of minutes to enter this code or humanity ends. My character and the other characters have to figure out whether or not they can trust each other and whether or not they can trust Sir Anthony Hopkins’ character Finley in going through with this. It’s this anxiety-filled thriller that has a lot of sci-fi in it.

PC: You’ve done it all throughout your career. What was it about this particular character and script that attracted you to this project?
Chris: First and foremost, the main thing that attracted me was Rick Dugdale, the producer and director. This is my third film with him. He called me at the beginning of the pandemic, maybe a couple of months into lockdown, and asked me, “Do you want to do a film?” I said, “Absolutely, I want to do a film. Please send over the script.” He sent over the script, I read it, and we had a conversation about it. I understood his intention and vision for the film, and I jumped right on board. It was very much an art experiment between highly gifted and talented friends during a very uncertain, crazy time.

PC: Your character in the film is struggling with the decision of whether or not he should help the person who basically has abandoned him his whole life. As an actor, how did you create the space for yourself to dive into that journey?
Chris: It’s about going back into my own life and figuring out where I’ve felt betrayed or abandoned, asking “Where have I felt this before?” and putting myself in those circumstances and bringing my own personal realities to it as well. There are so many different ways to go about it. I have a mix of method acting and other avenues of acting that I bring to it. It’s about imagination. It’s also a matter of bringing my personal truth to the character. It’s mostly trying to empathize with Sam and then going back and asking myself, “Chris, when did you feel this way? Who made you feel this way? Why?” then trying to bring that truth as authentically as I could to the character.

PC: There are so many heartbreaking moments when your character is speaking about his lack of relationship with his father, and you bring so much nuance to it. Often when you’re filming those scenes, you have a scene partner to react off of, but this was all done through screens. How challenging was that to adjust to?
Chris: It was interesting because, like you mentioned, we didn’t have somebody to act off of. The actors that we were acting across from weren’t even on the Zoom meeting with us. A majority of us were in different time zones. They’d shoot in Seattle, LA, Vancouver, and then it was time to go to Tokyo and Dubai. Was it a challenge? Sure. But like anything, I jumped into it. Where there’s a will, there’s a way. Movies are made in so many different ways, and this was one of them. I think I could only have done this with the crew that we did it with because there is so much trust that is involved in shooting a film the way that we shot it and I don’t know if I could have done it with anybody else. I’m very grateful for the whole cast and crew.

PC: Like you were saying earlier, each actor had a lot of responsibilities. How has working behind the scenes on this project impacted the way that you approached the character on screen?
Chris: I tried to keep both separate. There’s Chris who was talking with the director, the producers, the writer, and the DP and making sure that, “Okay, the camera’s set up. The lighting is on. The sound is speeding. We’re shooting scene 102. I’ve got what I need for that scene. The background looks good.” Once that checklist is done, I can forget about it. Chris is no longer here. Now, it’s Sam and it’s “Action. Let’s go through this script.” We were block-shooting a majority of it, which basically means we start from the top of the script, since it’s only three locations: the original setup, the kitchen, and then the porch. We basically went through the whole script and did each scene two to four times, and we went for it. I tried to keep them as separate as possible because it’s definitely stressful to go from making sure the technical side of everything is done to making space for the emotional aspect of it.

PC: Great answer. In addition to acting, you’re also a teacher. With this being such a unique project, what’s been the biggest lesson you learned from this experience that you’ll share with your students?
Chris: For me, the biggest takeaway is treating everything like it’s your first and your last. Like I was saying earlier, this was an art experience. Once we finished filming, Rick had it in the editing room. He was like, “You know what? This is actually something bigger than what we even anticipated.” My intention with every role was to do it to the best of my ability no matter what. We had limited time and resources for this film, but I still spent countless hours on the script making sure that I was as invested in this film and character as I possibly could. I would relate that to my students. There are no small projects or roles.

There is nothing of that nature. There is only work. You put in the work, and then you can have fun. You can have peace of mind when it gets into the editing room, and then they bring in other people of acting merit like Sir Anthony Hopkins to the film, which was a complete surprise to me. I did not expect that and could never have dreamt of it. That’s the thing that I would reiterate over and over to my students.

PC: This film has so many twists and turns. It’s going to keep audiences on the edge of their seats. When it drops, is there a particular scene that you’re really excited for your fans to see?
Chris: There are a couple. One in particular is when Sam is talking to his wife about his relationship with his father. What I always say about Sam’s relationship with Finley is that he doesn’t trust him, but he has to believe him. It’s bigger than his relationship with his father. This is about humanity. This is about his son, his wife, his family, and the people that mean the world to him. He has to navigate that. There’s this one moment where I’m talking to my wife about this one memory that I hadn’t shared with her or really anybody other than a therapist. I hope that scene leaves an impression.

PC: It definitely does. It’s probably my favorite scene in that film. It’s already been announced that this franchise is going to continue. What are you looking most forward to as you prepare to step into this character’s shoes again?
Chris: Being able to be with my co-stars in person and acting in a more conventional sense. I’m also looking forward to taking our characters and the audience all over the globe. A taste of that is seen in our first location, which was Antarctica. If you liked Zero Contact, please stay tuned because we’re only at the beginning. We’re going to take you to a bunch of very beautiful, historic places.

PC: Outside of this project, where can fans see you next? What’s ahead for 2022?
Chris: Right now, I’m focused on two or three. There are some projects bubbling up towards the end of the year. I’m also focusing on teaching until we start up again—and my music. I’ve got a couple of demos that I’m working on.

To keep up with Chris, follow him on Twitter and Instagram. Watch Zero Contact wherever you stream movies.