Wes Chatham

Wes Chatham (lahir 11 Oktober 1978) adalah aktor Amerika yang terkenal karena perannya sebagai Amos Burton dalam serial fiksi ilmiah The Expanse (2015–2022) dan Castor dalam serial film The Hunger Games (2014-2015). Chatham lahir di Atlanta dan dibesarkan di Georgia Utara. Orang tua Wes bercerai ketika dia berusia dua tahun dan dia menghabiskan sebagian besar masa kecilnya bersama ibu, saudara perempuan, dan saudara laki-lakinya. Tiba-tiba, ibu Wes mengajak adiknya mengikuti audisi iklan Tide di Savannah, Georgia dan mengajaknya. Sambil menunggu saudara perempuannya di lobi, direktur casting menemukan Wes dan, pada usia tujuh tahun, dia menerima pekerjaan akting pertamanya untuk Tide. Pada usia tiga belas tahun, Chatham tinggal bersama ayahnya dan, tanpa banyak pengawasan dan sebagai remaja yang gelisah dan memberontak, dia dikeluarkan dari sekolah menengah atas dan dikirim ke sekolah kesempatan kedua di Lawrenceville untuk menyelesaikan pendidikannya. Saat menghadiri kelas, sebuah perusahaan teater profesional dari Atlanta memulai program mentoring dengan sekolah tersebut dan Chatham terpilih untuk menulis drama yang kemudian dibawakan oleh teman-teman sekelasnya. Dari pengalaman ini, Chatham menemukan kecintaannya pada seni. Setelah lulus SMA, Chatham bergabung dengan militer sebagai petugas pemadam kebakaran penerbangan di dek penerbangan USS Essex, bekerja dalam kecelakaan dan penyelamatan selama empat tahun. Terobosan Chatham ke dunia akting terjadi hanya tiga bulan sebelum turnya selesai ketika Denzel Washington memilih kapalnya untuk syuting film Antwone Fisher. Saat mencari beberapa personel militer asli untuk film tersebut, Chatham ditemukan oleh sutradara Robi Reed dan diberikan pengalaman pembuatan film pertamanya; saat itulah dia memutuskan ingin mengejar impian seumur hidupnya di dunia akting. Mengikuti Antwone Fisher, Reed meyakinkan Chatham untuk pindah ke Hollywood dan tak lama kemudian memasukkannya ke dalam peran reguler seri pertamanya di Showtime's Barbershop. Chatham mendapat perhatian lebih lanjut saat berakting bersama Tommy Lee Jones sebagai Kopral Steve Penning dalam In the Valley of Elah (2007) karya Paul Haggis dan sebagai Frank Benedict, saudara persaudaraan George W. Bush, dalam film biografi Oliver Stone W. (2008). Tahun berikutnya, Chatham mendapatkan peran reguler serial lainnya di acara TV terkenal CBS, The Unit, sebagai Sersan Staf Sam McBride, bekerja dengan pembawa acara David Mamet dan Shawn Ryan. Chatham juga berperan sebagai Brian dalam film horor supernatural Husk (2011). Pada tahun 2011, Chatham menjadi bagian dari pemeran The Help, memerankan Carleton Phelan, saudara dari karakter Emma Stone. Pada tahun 2012, film ini memenangkan Outstanding Ensemble di Screen Actors Guild Awards, dan menerima empat nominasi Academy Award termasuk Film Terbaik. Pada tahun 2012, ia mendapatkan peran utama pertamanya dalam The Philly Kid karya Joel Silver; sebagai penggemar seni bela diri campuran, Chatham mendalami karakter Dillion McGwire, melakukan semua aksinya sendiri. Chatham memperoleh pengakuan yang lebih luas karena memerankan Castor dalam The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1 (2014) dan Part 2 (2015), sebuah adaptasi dari novel dystopian dewasa muda terlaris karya Suzanne Collins, sebelum mendapatkan peran utama sebagai Amos Burton dalam serial SyFy The Expanse (2015-2022).

Wes Chatham (born 11 October 1978) is an American actor best known for his roles as Amos Burton in the science fiction series The Expanse (2015–2022) and Castor in The Hunger Games film series (2014-2015). Chatham was born in Atlanta and grew up in North Georgia. Wes's parents divorced when he was two and he spent most of his childhood with his mother, sister, and brother. On a whim, Wes's mother took his sister to a audition for a Tide commercial in Savannah, Georgia and brought him along. While waiting for his sister in the lobby, the casting director discovered Wes and, at the age of seven, he received his first acting job for Tide. At the age of thirteen, Chatham moved in with his father and, without a lot of supervision and as a restless and rebellious teen, he was kicked out of high school and sent to a second chance school in Lawrenceville to finish his education. While attending classes, a professional theater company out of Atlanta started a mentoring program with the school and Chatham was chosen to write a play that was later performed by his classmates. From this experience, Chatham found his passion for the arts. After graduating high school, Chatham joined the military as an aviation firefighter on the flight deck of the USS Essex, working in crash and salvage for four years. Chatham's break into acting came just three months before his tour was finished when Denzel Washington chose his ship to shoot the movie Antwone Fisher. While searching for some authentic military personnel for the film, Chatham was discovered by casting director Robi Reed and given his first movie-making experience; that's when he decided he wanted to pursue his lifelong dream of acting. Following Antwone Fisher, Reed convinced Chatham to make the move to Hollywood and shortly thereafter cast him in his first series regular role on Showtime's Barbershop. Chatham gained further attention acting alongside Tommy Lee Jones as Corporal Steve Penning in Paul Haggis's In the Valley of Elah (2007) and as Frank Benedict, George W. Bush's fraternity brother, in Oliver Stone's biopic W. (2008). The following year, Chatham landed another series regular role on CBS' hit TV show The Unit as Staff Sergeant Sam McBride, working with showrunners David Mamet and Shawn Ryan. Chatham also starred as Brian in the supernatural horror film Husk (2011). In 2011, Chatham was a part of the ensemble cast of The Help, portraying Carleton Phelan, the brother of Emma Stone's character. In 2012, the film won Outstanding Ensemble at the Screen Actors Guild Awards, and went on to receive four Academy Award nominations including Best Picture. In 2012, he landed his first title role in Joel Silver's The Philly Kid; as a fan of mixed martial arts, Chatham dived into the character of Dillion McGwire, performing all of his own stunts. Chatham gained wider recognition for playing Castor in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1 (2014) and Part 2 (2015), an adaptation of Suzanne Collins' best-selling young adult dystopian novel, before landing a starring role as Amos Burton in the SyFy series The Expanse (2015-2022).