Whether saving universe or Christmas, Chris Evans savors ‘special moments’
Chris Evans still hears it. “Hey Cap,” a fan will yell when he is in the cereal aisle. Or the DMV. Or out on a run. “When will you return to the ‘Avengers?’ ”
There is life after saving the universe.
The Captain America shield might be in his basement, but that doesn’t mean Evans isn’t having a thrilling time.
“You get to an age where life boils down to what’s simple and amazing at the same time,” the 43-year-old actor says. “Give me a good movie that makes me cry, a stunning sunset or a beautiful waterfall or my dog wagging hard. I like to stop and really take it in.
“Those special moments take you right out of your head. It has nothing to do with me and is just about the beauty all around me. Just give it a chance. It’s there.”
Evans is finding the special moments in his post-Avenger life. He is back on the big screen for the holiday season with “Red One,” opening next weekend in theaters. Dwayne Johnson, Lucy Liu and J.K. Simmons also star in the film.
When Santa (Simmons) is kidnapped in “Red One,” it’s up to Callum Drift (Johnson), the North Pole’s head of security, and Jack O’Malley (Evans), a bounty hunter, to save Christmas.
Evans is all about a holiday movie that makes you laugh and cry.
“I grew up with those holiday movies that would stick with you like ‘Rudolph.’ How do you get through that, even now, with a dry eye? Those classics felt so real and rare to me as a kid and even now. That’s what ‘Red One’ felt like to me — a classic,” he says.
Evans, who is married to actress Alba Baptista, lives in Boston with their rescue dog, Dodger. His good life tips:
Striking balance
Evans and Johnson mix action and a touching holiday film in “Red One.” “Luckily for me, I didn’t have to figure out how to balance action with a classic holiday movie. We had a great team who could crack that code,” Evans says. “The film was a lot of fun for me because there’s so much Christmas folklore out there — both in the U.S. and around the world. You hear about all the creatures, stories and mythology. It almost begs for an action adventure movie. Plus, there is a real-world issue here: Santa is kidnapped. ”
Try, try again
His character in “Red One” underscores the power of redemption, Evans says. “It’s a lovely message that we all deserve a second chance,” he says. “There is that ribbon in the film that says you should approach life with heart and humanity — which is especially the idea of the holiday season. It’s about remembering priorities and how certainly, if folks around you are looking for forgiveness, then perhaps they should have that second chance.”
Louder the better
What is Christmas like for Evans and his new wife? “It’s loud,” he says with a laugh when describing their big family gatherings. “My family can be very vocal. At our holidays, you really do have a wonderful group of people who are laughing, yelling across the room and quick with an opinion. Everyone is smart and has a lot to say … and I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Holidays memories
Evans says that thinking about the holidays of his childhood instantly fills him with joy. “I’m one of four kids. We’d would write letters to Santa on Christmas Eve,” he recalls. “My siblings and I are close in age, so we’d decide whose room to sleep in. There would be that old TV in someone’s room with the VCR. … The most fun was just deciding what Christmas movie to watch. … The rest of it was trying desperately to fall asleep with the goal that all four kids would wake up at the same time, which never happened. Someone woke up first and yelled, ‘It’s Christmas!’ ”
Captain’s orders
Evans is still in Avengers shape. He credits clean eating with daily workouts. “It’s not about being more muscled and more sculpted. It’s about feeling good,” he says.
His secret to getting a workout in on a cold Boston day? “You have to self-motivate in life,” he says. “I like to work out on my own with a pair of headphones. It doesn’t have to be fancy. You just have to motivate yourself to get out there, get on that path, start running or walking. I find that once I get going there isn’t an issue. Once you’re moving, you’re probably going to love it.”
His secret weapon for extra hours spent moving during the average week? “Call a few friends. Playing different sports doesn’t even feel like a workout. You get to hang out with your friends and get your exercise in.”
Dogged devotion
Evans and Baptista are thinking of expanding the pack. He might even go with an older dog. “You see those stories about some 8- or 9-year-old dog that gets adopted and had a rough life, and it just kills you,” he says. “To some degree that’s what we’ve been thinking about as we debate a puppy or an older dog.”
