Christoph Sanders
Sanders in 2012
Born (1988-04-21) April 21, 1988
Arden, North Carolina, U.S.
OccupationActor
Years active2006–present
Known forLast Man Standing

Christopher "Christoph" Sanders (born April 21, 1988) is an American actor who is best known for his role as Ned Banks in the television series Ghost Whisperer and Kyle Anderson in the sitcom Last Man Standing on ABC (2011-2017) and FOX (2018-2021).

Early life

Sanders was born in Arden, North Carolina and grew up in nearby Hendersonville, North Carolina. He was home-schooled and participated in such extra curricular activities as soccer and the Boy Scouts of America. He went on to attain scouting's highest rank of Eagle Scout. Concerning the difference Scouting made in his life, Sanders says, "when you spend that much time working on something, it becomes a part of you. Being an Eagle Scout affects your outlook on your fellow man." While growing up, he considered engineering as a possible career.[1] He took drafting classes at Blue Ridge Community College for two years[2] and had been accepted at UNC Wilmington, but decided that acting was what he wanted to do instead.[3]

Career

Sanders, with fellow Last Man Standing stars Héctor Elizondo and Tim Allen.

Sanders first became interested in acting at the age of 9 when he began taking classes at the Flat Rock Playhouse, the state theater of North Carolina. He began with basic drama classes before moving on to an intermediate level and finally being invited to join their YouTheater company and gaining membership in its elite conservatory.[3] He graduated from the conservatory program at the age of 18.[4] While there he appeared in more than 16 productions including A Christmas Carol; The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe; and Bye, Bye Birdie.[2] He got his first agent when he was 12[4] and at the age of 16 did a series of television commercials in Georgia for General Mills.[2]

He made his film debut in 2006 with a small role in Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby[5] which was filmed primarily in and around Charlotte, North Carolina. A role soon followed that in the somewhat controversial movie Hounddog which was shot on a plantation near Wilmington, North Carolina. Much of the film's controversy stemmed from a pivotal scene in which a young girl, played by then 12-year-old actress Dakota Fanning, was raped by Sanders' character. It was a role he found to be challenging but one that gave him a chance to prove the range of his acting ability. When asked about the controversial scene, Sanders responded, "That's just one part of the film. Tragedies like that happen daily in real life, and I think if this film opens a few more eyes, it is definitely worth it. Movies can have that power."[1]

In January 2007, he moved to Los Angeles, where there were more opportunities to pursue acting full-time. He got a part in a TV pilot within three months of being in Hollywood, but the network didn't pick the show up. He spent the next several months auditioning before landing a part in the movie Legally Blondes[6] and the role of Ned Banks on Ghost Whisperer. He took over the role of Ned, which was previously held by Tyler Patrick Jones, when producers decided to age the character by few years in order to explore more mature storylines.[4] This was only a recurring guest role in season three, but due to the character's popularity, Sanders became a part of the regular cast at the beginning of season four.

He was cast as Kyle Anderson in the Last Man Standing TV show starring Tim Allen. His character was initially the boyfriend of the eldest daughter of Tim Allen's character, but after the first season, the producers aged the eldest daughter to play a more motherly role. Sanders' character eventually became the boyfriend, and later husband, to the middle daughter.

Personal life

An avid outdoorsman, Sanders enjoys such activities as hiking, camping, and surfing. He also describes himself as "a pretty great cook."[1]

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role
2006 Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby Pizza Delivery Boy
2007 Hounddog Wooden's Boy
2009 Legally Blondes Brad
2010 Lies in Plain Sight Christian
2018 Big Kill Jim Andrews
2020 Faith Based Hoyt

Television

Year Title Role Notes
2007 Family of the Year Mark Anderson series pilot
2008–2010 Ghost Whisperer Ned Banks Recurring Season 3, Main Cast Seasons 4-5
2010 Pair of Kings Tristan Episode: "Big Kings on Campus"
2011 CSI Kurt Dawson Episode: "Turn On, Tune In, Drop Dead"
2011–2021 Last Man Standing Kyle Anderson Main cast; Director: "Love & Negotiation"

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Official Christoph Sanders Website". Christophsanders.net. Archived from the original on 2011-12-17. Retrieved 2011-12-21.
  2. 1 2 3 "Got a Minute with Christoph Sanders". BlueRidgeNow.com. 2008-06-02. Retrieved 2011-12-21.
  3. 1 2 Rich, Jonathan (2007-01-26). "Local actor at the center of Fanning film controversy". BlueRidgeNow.com. Retrieved 2011-12-21.
  4. 1 2 3 Kim Moses and Ian Sander, Ghost Whisperer Spirit Guide, Titan Books, 2008
  5. ↑ Busch, Jenna (2008-10-17). "Interview with Christoph Sanders from Ghost Whisperer – UGO.com". Tvblog.ugo.com. Archived from the original on 2009-04-24. Retrieved 2011-12-21.
  6. ↑ 0 Like0 Dislike0 Oct 21, 2007 by B. Alan Orange (2007-10-21). "Christoph Sanders Joins Legally Blondes". MovieWeb.com. Retrieved 2011-12-21.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
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