‘One of the best ever’ - Christopher McFarlane remembered as dynamic actor

For those who have interacted with or seen any on-stage performance by late actor Christopher McFarlane, his incredible ability to immerse himself in a role and bring that character to life was simply spellbinding.

The award-winning Ghett'a Life actor died on September 10, after reportedly battling an undisclosed illness.

As the film and theatre community mourns his passing, they tell of his versatility on the stage and the impact that he has had on their careers and performances.

Speaking with THE STAR, Jerry Benzwick, a close friend and colleague of McFarlane, said he can recall being so captivated by his work on stage that he would sometimes forget that he was 'Chris' and not the character he was portraying.

"My favourite way of remembering him was watching him perform on stage and bring each character to life. He would become a completely different person, and when I see him on stage, I don't see my friend anymore; I see the character only, and I identify with that character and even cuss off that character cause me nuh think a Chris mi a watch," he shared

Benzwick told THE STAR that he last spoke to McFarlane just a day before his death.

Often playing the role of the 'bad man' villain, director Chris Browne, who worked with the award-winning actor on the film Ghett'a Life, said he took on the character of Don Sin perfectly.

"He always brought with him so much variety in his ability to showcase different characters. I would have seen him in Me and Mi Kru, where he took on the bad guy character and did it so well. It really showed off his diversity and range as an actor. So when I was casting for Ghett'a Life and I was thinking about someone to play the don, Chris was the first person that came to mind, and he was amazing. I don't think we could have found anyone more perfect for the role," Browne said.

Andrea 'Delcita' Wright, who had worked with McFarlane in plays such as Corpral Del, also expressed shock at his death and said he was always amazing to work with.

"He is extremely dynamic," she said. "One of the best ever, really. It is really hard to find a voice like Chris. Very strong and crisp and clear. When you want to get a real gentleman voice, very clean, Chris is the man for the job. He is just a great actor. Extremely professional. Just good," said Wright.

Known for his roles in several local productions, including films and plays, McFarlane received several Actor Boy nominations and two awards, including Best Supporting Actor for his performance in Who God Bless by Basil Dawkins and Best Actor in a Lead Role for his performance in A Tempest.

He is survived by his mother, Pauline; sister, Tenaj; nephews; aunts and cousins.