BP’s Prince Charming makes it big

His acting career began with a role as Prince Charming in the Blooming Prairie High School musical, Cinderella.
"I didn't want to do it but my drama teacher encouraged me to take the part," recalls Jay Alan Christianson, a 1979 graduate of Blooming Prairie High School and now a professional actor.
He accepted the role and points out that his sister Renae, and Blooming Prairie educator LeMar Nelson's daughter, Terry, were the ugly step sisters in Cinderella.
Christianson also participated in the "Music Man" and competed in speech contests while attending Blooming Prairie High School. 
"Yes, I am an Awesome Blossom and proud of it," laughs Christianson as he reflects on his high school days in Blooming Prairie. It was his drama teacher, Renee Felchle Burns, who talked him into taking the Cinderella part and is glad she did.
"I always had a secret desire at a young age to be an actor but those plans didn't really take root until my 30s," Christianson says.
Far from doing a Walt Disney part, Christianson, 57, most recently played the lead role in Garrow, a dark film and dramatic re-creation of the life and crimes of serial killer, Robert Francis Garrow.
The film, which was shot over a five-month period in 2018 (May to September), follows Garrow and his twisted trail of torture that he executed upon his innocent victims.
Garrow's reign of terror paralyzed the North Country between the years of 1960 and 1978. He was born in Mineville, N.Y. in 1936.
Garrow's childhood was an endless cycle of unimaginable horror including beatings, sexual abuse, bestiality and bloodshed. 
As an adult, Garrow would became a sadomasochist, rapist and serial killer. The exact number of his victims to this day remains uncertain. 
A knife-wielding psychopath who could charm his victims before carving them to death, Garrow was clever and cunning. He was able to manipulate the law, fake his own paralysis, escape from prison, and avoid capture for over a decade.
The Garrow movie was released last Dec. 1 in Johnstown, N.Y. It sold out five theaters in one day. The film sold out at the 950-seat Strand Theater in Plattsburg, N.Y., outside of Montreal. This was the first time that had happened since 1924.
Garrow has continued to have private screenings and has been shown at several festivals. "We don't know where it will go now, whether it be Net Flicks or Hulu," said Christianson.
The Garrow filming actually started in 2001 by the Adirondack Film Company in Mineville, N.Y. Christianson was to play an attorney in the film. The production company went under after two weeks of filming.
After 17 years away from the Mineville project, Christianson was contacted by his agent and by director Lori Bailey, who offered Christianson the chance to play the lead role of Robert Garrow.
Christianson accepted the offer and said he had one week to learn a full script. Two other well-known actors, Mark Valley and Philip Casnoff, played the parts of Garrow's lawyers, Frank Armani and Francis Belge.
Christianson's drama teacher, Mrs. Burns, said she has been following Christianson's success in this latest movie adventure. "He's perfect for this role," said Burns.
"I am really proud of Jay and it proves that a small-town boy can make it big," Burns continued. "If you really want to follow your dream, you can make it," she added.
Burns called Christianson a "good student" and a high-spirited young man who was "very lively" and got along with his peers.
"Acting is my life, and I never want to retire," Christianson confessed. "I can't imagine retirement; I am an actor, I act and it is a joy to do it."
Garrow has definitely given him his most prominent exposure, Christianson says. "It seems like I'm working more as I get older," he muses.
He has three films lined up for this year. One is a comedy about the mythical creature, Minotaur. Much of this movie will be filmed in Israel and Morocco. He also plans on working on a 12-episode web series in New York.
Christianson says he is a Minnesotan at heart and is currently, in between movie projects, residing with his sister Renae Smith in the Twin Cities. He also has a sister Holly, who resides near Red Oak Grove Lutheran Church. Their parents are the late Rosmon and Ethel Christianson.
His father passed away in 1992, and his mother died at age 94 on Nov. 1, 2017. His last visit to Blooming Prairie was at his mother's funeral.
Christianson grew up on a small farm near Red Oak Grove Lutheran Church and was confirmed there in 1974. 
Following high school, Christianson attended Concordia College in St. Paul, earning a bachelor's degree in organizational behavior.
His future acting career did not come into focus until after he worked at Disney World and also worked as a flight attendant for Northwest Airlines. He said he secretly and strategically got the flight attendant's job to open the doors for an acting career.
He moved to New York and taught school in Spanish Harlem. He then began doing plays in New York and earned his actor's Equity Card in 1998. Christianson played seven different characters in the production, "The Dining Room."
Christianson picked up his Screen Actors Guild (SAG) card in 2000 and this led him to a part on the Sopranos. He also appeared on Law and Order and As the World Turns.
He said he did a few independent films and moved to Los Angeles at age 41. His movie career continued to grow as he lived in Hollywood, his current home.
Christianson is hopeful that his role in Garrow will lead to more work. Playing the part of a psychopath may be questioned by some, but Christianson said he feels lucky that he can jump into a character and jump out as quickly.
When not acting, Christianson said he is a guest artist at the California Institute of the Arts. This school was started by Disney in 1961. He also teaches directorial students in an on-camera acting class.
"I love to play tennis and also enjoy snow skiing, riding bike, hiking and doing yoga four to five days a week. 
Christianson said he feels "blessed" that he has been able to grow up in a small town like Blooming Prairie. He said he stays in contact with friends from Blooming Prairie and maintains those good friendships.
"I feel so lucky I had the parents I did," Christianson says. He also brags about being able to tell people he is still an Awesome Blossom.