Focus Features

In Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck’s comedy It’s Kind of a Funny Story, 18-year-old Keir Gilchrist plays Craig, the movie’s hero. A teen who takes the troubles of the world upon himself, Craig finds a way back to his life through checking himself in to the adult ward of a local mental health center.  Gilchrist says, “I think anyone who was in high school can relate to Craig and the feelings he has; I definitely can.” To keep in character, Gilchrist explained that he “didn’t do research because I didn’t think Craig would have any idea of what it was like in such a place. I felt that was the appropriate way to go.”

While Keir Gilchrist was born in London, England on September 28, 1992, his family moved to Boston and New York before ending up in Toronto. It was in Toronto where he developed a passion for acting, studying at the Annex Children's Theatre. Pushed by his acting coach to pursue his ambition, at 10 he snagged his first professional gig playing the son of police chief Jim Stockwell on Queer as Folk (which was filmed in Toronto). A few years later, he made his film debut in Canadian comedy The Right Way.  He continued to be cast in both television and film, receiving his first starring part in 2007 in The Winner playing alongside Rob Corddry. While the series was short-lived, it lead to Gilchrist being cast in his most notable role, that of Marshall Gregson, the insightful gay teenage son on the Showtime hit The United States of Tara.  Gilchrist admits his family is pleasantly surprised by his success: “Not to say they doubted, but you know, you don't expect to make it, like, to here. Everyone's pretty stoked.”