'Chaos' actor has close ties to Wichita

When I heard actor Eric Close was coming to Wichita to speak to a business group, I was ready to buy a ticket immediately.

But after talking to the blue-eyed actor from TV's "Without a Trace," I was more convinced than ever that I couldn't miss it.

Eric will speak on May 10 at the 80th annual meeting of the Wichita Independent Business Association.

During our phone interview, he showed right off the bat how smart he was by telling me he had married a Wichita girl, Keri Moyers, in 1995.

"We got married there and I consider Wichita a second home, in a sense," he said.

An avid golfer, he's looking forward to playing at Flint Hills National Golf Course again while he's here.

These days, he spends most of his time in Vancouver shooting a new TV series called "Chaos." That word pretty much describes his life, he said with a laugh.

His wife and two daughters live in California, so he flies home sometimes and they travel to see him sometimes. "It takes time and planning, but it's important," he said.

A big fan of the series "M*A*S*H," Eric says he hopes his new series strikes that same balance of comedy and drama.

CBS describes the show as a comedic drama about a group of rogue CIA spies in the Clandestine Administration and Oversight Services (CHAOS). It airs at 7 p.m. Fridays.

"It's one of those types of shows that has a quirky subject matter," Eric says. "It will take a while for the specific audience to catch on, but I think they'll like it. I like it because there's not a bunch of violence and mayhem."

Even with a full career of acting and some directing, Eric says preparing his talk for WIBA took him into new territory. When WIBA chairwoman Alicia Holloway sent him a list of proposed topics, he thought to himself, "I don't know anything about these things."

"I've been in the business 20 years but she actually challenged me to get out and learn about the producing side of it and look at certain things that aren't necessary for me to know as an actor," he says. "This has been good. I like a challenge."

But as we talked, it seemed he knew a great deal about the business. He's learned a lot doing nine or 10 television series, with some of them lasting just a year.

He says the new series also has gone through some challenges.

"But there are a thousand different ways to make something happen," he says, citing the movie "The King's Speech" as an example.

"It took 10 years to get that film made, but look at the awards it won," he says.

Regardless of how long a TV show is on the air, Eric approaches it with the same philosophy.

"I always take the attitude I'm going to do the best job I can and then let it happen the way it happens. All I have control over is showing up on time and doing the best I can," he says.

All of this television talk was interesting, but I couldn't help myself. I wanted to know if he had a favorite fashion designer.

"When they give me suits to wear, the ones that fit me best and the ones I like are (Hugo) Boss," he says.

If you want to hear Eric present a talk on "The Business of Hollywood," call 316-201-3264 or e-mail membership@wiba.org. Tickets are $55, which includes cocktails, dinner, a silent auction and the keynote presentation at 7 p.m.

This story was originally published April 18, 2011 at 12:00 AM with the headline "'Chaos' actor has close ties to Wichita."