JEBSTUARTDUKE.COM
CAPTAIN CALIFORNIA
Chris started off playing football and singing in the choir in middle school and then doing musicals and talent shows in high school and was performing professionally in Pittsburgh for Don Brockett productions (Chef Brockett on Mr. Roger's Neighborhood) in the mid to late 70's.
At that time he was studying Engineering at the Univ. of Pittsburgh where he got the bug while starring in their production of "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum" so he switched to Theater and Teaching, which almost gave his Engineer father and Art Professor mother, cause for great concern ( not really). After a couple of years there he took off and left for NYC where he was very lucky and starred in a couple of original OFF Broadway roles. He then had an opportunity to drive to Los Angeles , CA to help out a friend and the rest was history.
After getting into an acting class and running around trying to learn the ropes, he got an agent, a meeting with the Dukes people at CBS, and several weeks of auditioning, he got the part of Jeb Stuart Duke, a series regular, but because of politics and agent feuds and a long writer's strike, it ended up being a one-time stint, but it started my television career and was very fulfilling working with all the wonderful stars of the show.
Of course then came The Family Feud with Richard Dawson as The Dukes of Hazzard Family and three other amazing shows for the on air competition,(Dallas, It's a Living and The Jeffersons).
Chris went on to star in "The Kid Super Power Hour with Shazam" right after filming the Dukes where he had 14 songs on national television and national attention for the next couple of years. Then came some nice film roles and more TV like "The Renegades" with Patrick Swayze and Keenan Ivory Wayans, to name a few.
From there it's been soaps and movies and Broadway tours and cruise ships all over the world and his album of easy listening tunes called "Tell the Wind". Chris' singing career was really taking off with touring and cruise ships and bands and the album when out of the blue Chris was diagnosed with cancer. Even though it was classified as skin cancer with an unknown primary, it was a lump in the throat that required surgery and heavy radiation and chemo to make sure they got all the surrounding areas. Well that sidelined him for years as he is well known for his speaking and singing voice.
Finally after seven long years he is coming back strong with Dukes of Hazzard connected shows, Comicons for Captain California, and he is out auditioning for major Film and Television roles once again and he loves his fans and wants them to know he will be up and at it again starting right here and now.
@2018 Christopher Hensel
CHRISTOPHER HENSEL
SAG/AFTRA