An abbreviated version of this profile appeared online, but my Cuppers deserve the full Monty ... or the full Awesome, as the case may be.
When you play a character named "Captain
Awesome" - and your chair and script pages also say "Awesome" - that could be a
little intimidating for an actor.But it's all in a day's work for "Chuck" star Ryan McPartlin, a former Abercrombie & Fitch model and varsity linebacker for the Fighting Illini (and certified personal trainer).
"I gotta be honest," says McPartlin, who can be seen on the hourlong action comedy-drama Mondays on NBC, "the whole first season, I was like, 'What's my name again? I forget.' Just Captain Awesome is what I went by."
For the record, Awesome's real name is Devon Woodcomb. He's a cardiologist married to another doctor, Ellie (Sarah Lancaster), sister of Chuck Bartowski (Zachary Levi), a big-box electronics store employee who became a spy after a top-secret computer was downloaded into his brain.
Chuck gave Devon his nickname because he's confident, easygoing and "awesome" at everything he does (and Devon also uses the word a lot). As of season two, he became aware of Chuck's spy alter ego; now, in season four, he's also an expectant father.
Even in season one, where no one was sure whether Devon knew people called him Awesome,
McPartlin says, "I just played it like I knew I was Captain Awesome. I took ownership of the name, and I took pride in it. We've slowly worked it through the first season, so that people would call me it to my face, and it never fazed me. I obviously took pride in the name.
"To be honest, it's a great name, the best character you could hope for."
In his real life, McPartlin is a
husband and father of two who is "about to get a minivan."
As to whether he also mows his own lawn, McPartlin says, "I don't have a lawn. I have a lot of concrete. This is the glamorous lifestyle that I live."
Birthplace: Chicago, on July 3, making him a Cancer
School cred: Graduate of University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
TV cred: "The Nanny," "Three Sisters," "According to Jim," "Still Standing," "North Shore," "Passions," "What I Like About You," "Pepper Dennis," "CSI: NY," "Notes From the Underbelly," "Living With Fran," "Swingtown," "Mad Men"
Music video cred: In 2010, he appeared in Sugarland's music video "Stuck Like Glue," playing a man stalked and abducted by lead singer Jennifer Nettles.
Nearly superhero cred: McPartlin auditioned for the role of Clark Kent/Superman in "Superman Returns" but lost out to Brandon Routh, who later guest-starred on "Chuck."
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