We’ve all seen or heard about The Social Network, by far one of the best movies of the year. But did you know someone in your BC network is in The Social Network? One of our very own, sophomore Chris Gouchoe, appears in the film for approximately 35 seconds of screen time.
In case you live under a rock, The Social Network tells the controversial story of Facebook’s creation. Now one of America’s youngest billionaires in history, Mark Zuckerberg started Facebook in his Harvard dorm room in 2003 while still an undergrad. As the social network grew into a multi-billion dollar company, Zuckerberg was slapped with lawsuits claiming he stole the idea from fellow Harvard students.
If you haven’t seen the movie yet, go to the O’Neill Media Center immediately and check it out. The Social Network has been wildly successful and has grossed over $96.9 million, $22.4 million of which was earned in the opening weekend alone. It recently won Golden Globes for Best Director, Best Motion Picture Drama, Best Original Score and Best Screenplay. It was also nominated for 8 Oscars, including Best Motion Picture of the Year. It won 3 – Writing (Adapted Screenplay), Music (Original Score), and Film Editing.
Chris landed the part last October after an open call audition and three call backs. His introduction to acting is reminiscent of Troy Bolton in High School Musical. His senior year of high school, the hockey captain and lacrosse player decided to audition for the school play. He landed the lead and soon discovered a passion for acting. Since then, he has done a couple of plays at BC and he hopes to act and write in the entertainment industry after college.
Sophomore Chris Gouchoe, third from the left, filming alongside Andrew Garfield in The Social Network.
He filmed his scene alongside Andrew Garfield, otherwise known as Eduardo Saverin, one of the co-founders of Facebook. As a pledge for a secret society, Chris is asked questions about Harvard for his initiation. Chris was a little “nervous about the situation” since he was on the set of a $40 million budget Columbia Pictures film. But when the scene called for him to dress down to his boxers, he “didn’t think twice about dropping his pants”!
His scene took about ten hours to shoot, but he described being on set as “surreal.” He was driven to the set in a black Escalade and he even got part of a trailer. Though it looks like the Harvard campus, they actually filmed at Phillips Academy Andover, shipping a replica of the famous Harvard statue and covering the ground in fake snow.
Chris had only good things to say about his English co-star, Andrew Garfield, describing him as a nice, great guy. Garfield is currently working on his next role as Peter Parker in the upcoming film The Amazing Spider-Man.
While his family and close friends knew about his scene, many others were surprised to see Chris on screen. Tons of old friends and teachers contacted him after seeing the movie, most via Facebook.
Chris certainly doesn’t feel like a campus celebrity, despite being part of a huge box-office success. Though it was just two lines, he feels “so lucky and grateful” for the opportunity. Being on set gave him so much more hope and drive to pursue his acting career. We can’t wait to see him on the big screen again soon!