Chris Wood

Chris Wood – Life, Career, and Notable Highlights


Learn about Chris Wood (born April 14, 1988), an American actor known for roles in The Vampire Diaries, Supergirl, Containment, and Masters of the Universe: Revelation. Explore his early life, career path, advocacy, and key roles.

Introduction

Christopher Charles Wood (born April 14, 1988) is an American actor who rose to prominence through roles on various CW television series. He’s best known for playing Kai Parker in The Vampire Diaries, Mon-El in Supergirl, and for his lead in the epidemic drama Containment.

Beyond television, Wood has also ventured into voice acting and stage performance, and is active in mental health advocacy.

Early Life & Background

  • Chris Wood was born in Dublin, Ohio, USA.

  • As a child, he spent much of his free time writing plays and staging them with his sister and friends.

  • Around age 11, he began making short films using a Super 8 camera, entering them into local festivals.

  • He played baseball through high school and at one point considered pursuing it more seriously.

Wood attended Elon University in North Carolina, graduating in 2010 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Music Theater.

Acting Career

Theater & Early Work

  • After graduation, Wood joined the national tour of Spring Awakening, playing the role of Melchior Gabor.

  • He also appeared in regional theater productions of The Little Mermaid and Damn Yankees.

Television Breakout & Major Roles

  • In 2013, Wood made his screen debut with a television film Browsers and guest roles on shows like Major Crimes.

  • He landed a recurring role as Adam Weaver in The Carrie Diaries.

  • In 2014, Wood joined The Vampire Diaries as Kai Parker, a memorable villain in season six.

  • In 2016, he took on the lead role of Jake Riley in Containment, a CW series about an epidemic outbreak.

  • Also in 2016, he was cast as Mon-El in Supergirl. He was a regular through seasons 2 and 3, with guest appearances later.

  • In 2021, he voiced He-Man / Prince Adam in Masters of the Universe: Revelation.

  • In 2022, he made his Broadway debut in Almost Famous, playing Russell Hammond.

Other Projects

  • Wood wrote, directed, and produced the short film The Stew (2019), starring Melissa Benoist and Carlos Valdes.

  • He also released another short film, Snowshoe, in 2023, shot in a continuous take, in which he also starred.

Personal Life & Advocacy

  • Wood has been friends with actor Grant Gustin since their university days.

  • In 2017, he began dating Supergirl co-star Melissa Benoist. The two were engaged in February 2019, and married on September 1, 2019.

  • They have one son, Huxley Robert Wood, born in 2020.

  • Wood has been open about his experiences with mental health and has become an advocate in that space.

  • Motivated by his father’s struggle with untreated mood disorder, he founded IDONTMIND, a campaign to destigmatize mental illness and promote mental health awareness.

Style, Strengths & Public Image

Chris Wood is known for:

  • Versatility — transitioning between genres (supernatural drama, superhero, medical drama)

  • Charismatic villainy — his role as Kai Parker was a standout portrayal of a charming but dangerous antagonist

  • Passion for storytelling — taking control behind the camera (writing/directing)

  • Authenticity — openness about mental health issues has endeared him to fans

Articles by the author

The sexiest thing my girlfriend has ever done for me is when she planned three full days of events, meals, and surprises for my birthday. It was like one continuous gift.

Chris Wood

I only hope that people understand that if I've just come from the gym or am fresh off a red-eye flight and look like a sweaty mess, I might not be super keen on photo ops!

Chris Wood

I drink regular pour-over coffee, black. It's all about the beans. I'm always stocked at home with single-origin coffees from around the world, never more than two weeks old, kept in airtight containers.

Chris Wood

I did a severe amount of plays in high school. I was in every single show that my drama club produced. Then in the summer I would do plays, and I was also playing sports. I was probably a hellish kid, come to think of it, for my parents' schedule. But then I went to college in North Carolina.

Chris Wood

Any other illness, any other disease that we're faced with, there's sympathy and understanding. We get help for those. With mental illness, our go-to is to categorize them as, 'Oh, they're crazy,' to belittle the problem.

Chris Wood