Los Angeles, CA. (6/01/04) -- Norman Bates, Travis Bickle, Willard Stiles--what do these characters all have in common? They were breakout roles for the actors who played them. Ordinary guys pushed to extraordinary limits by their circumstances, to leave lasting impressions in the minds of moviegoers the world over. Add to that list now, Sean Crawley, as played by talented newcomer Chris McKenna in Stuart Gordon's disturbing noir thriller King Of The Ants. Touted as "a brave, abrasive, alarmingly realistic debut" by the Daily Mail, King Of The Ants has been a favorite on the film festival circuit and will finally be released on DVD, through DEJ Productions, on June 29, 2004.

The latest masterpiece of acclaimed director/screenwriter/producer Stuart Gordon, King Of The Ants follows the twisted path of average guy Sean Crawley--a part-time house painter and full time drifter--who is contracted to dispose of a pesky City Hall accountant (Ron Livingston) by the owner of a construction company (Daniel Baldwin) and his right-hand heavy (George Wendt). The arrangement quickly proves that there truly is no honor amongst thieves and begins Sean's descent into madness and revenge. Called "a New-Millenium Travis Bickle hiding behind the inviting grin of Tom Cruise," by Nitrite OnLine, McKenna has been singled out for giving "a blinding performance [that] manages to evoke sympathy" by The Dark Side and for being "absolutely fearless and surprisingly flawless," by Cult Cuts.

All of this acclaim is no coincidence, as far as director Stuart Gordon is concerned. "The reality was that we had a lot of people who auditioned for this role and there were pretty big names that read for it," he says. "The producers were really pushing for a name actor to do the lead role and I was pushing for Chris... I felt we needed someone who had a certain charm and charisma, and Chris has that, there is an innocence to his performance which I think is really wonderful... My instincts were telling me that this is the guy."

Chris McKenna first came to prominence at the age of 12, on the daytime series, One Life To Live. During his three-year stint, Chris was nominated for a Soap Opera Digest Award, as Outstanding Child Actor, and two Young Artist Awards, for Best Young Actor In A Soap Opera and Best Young Actor In A Daytime Series. Taking time off after this auspicious debut to hone his craft at Hofstra University in New York and the Beverly Hills Playhouse--where he studied under famed acting coach, Milton Katselas--McKenna moved on to small roles in such notable films as In & Out and Wishcraft, as well as the short-lived television series, Opposite Sex. He also made many memorable appearances in such shows as The Practice, Touched By An Angel, That's Life and That '70s Show. The role of Sean Crawley in King Of The Ants has proved to be his toughest and most exciting opportunity to date.

Find out more about Chris McKenna on the world wide web at: http://www.ctc-pr.com. ContactJoe Venegas at Creative Talent Communications for more details, to set up interviews with Mr. McKenna and/or to discuss potential story ideas for the DVD release of King Of The Ants

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