Tuesday, November 18, 2008

WHERE ARE THEY NOW: ATWT's Paul Korver

Back in 1999, a handsome young actor, Paul Korver, took over the role of Chris Hughes on AS THE WORLD TURNS from Ben Jorgensen. He found success in the role and left the show in 2002. During his tenure on the soap, Chris fell in love with Abigail, slept with her mother, Molly, and later became smitten with Emily, who wasn't far removed from having his brother's baby (some things never change).

Korver was born in the suburbs of Akron, Ohio to Gig, a dedicated father and organic chemist and Marilyn, a loving mother and physical therapist. They moved to suburban Washington State when he was 5 and to suburban SF Bay Area when he was 12.

He attended UCLA and graduated in 1997 with a degree in Anthropology (switching from pre-med in his final year). When he joined the ATWT cast, Korver had just starred in a CHiPs reunion movie, his only major credit. After leaving the show, he played a few small roles in films before starting a new business and setting off on a new career.

Continue reading to find out about Korver's new career and the pop diva whose video he directed earlier this year...


Having a mild obsession with all things mechanical, Korver had fun shooting some Super 8 mm growing up but never thought of it as a possible profession. He got back into Super 8 mm when he moved to New York and took over an apartment that had been abandoned by its previous owner. Part of the deal with the landlord was he had to clean out all the junk. Most of it was crap, but one thing he found in the rubble was a working Minolta Autopak-8 camera.

A few years later a friend was getting married and she knew he had some Super 8 mm cameras. She asked him to shoot her wedding on Super 8 mm. The results were phenomenal. He married his wife about a year later and looked to hire someone to shoot Super 8 mm at his wedding, but couldn't find anyone. He saw an opportunity, and also a calling. Not only to start a business but also to expose the elephant in the room. To reveal part of the reason the word "wedding video" had become synonymous with "cheese". To reveal the secret ad agencies and movie studios had known for years - film looks better than video.

Korver created Fifty Foot Films which has grown into a bi-coastal collaboration of talented filmmakers and cinematographers with shoot teams based in Los Angeles and New York. The company shoots events across the country and around the world including weddings, honeymoons, parties, births, family vacations and more.

Earlier this year, Korver was asked to shoot and direct a new Christina Aguilera video for her song, "Save Me From Myself." You can watch it below.


In May he was featured in LA Times Magazine.


Korver turned 37 today.

4 comments:

  1. thanks for the article on Paul Korver. Loved him as Chris and always wondered what happened to him.

    Mike

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  2. You're welcome. I always liked him. I'll never forget the scene where Henry finds Emily and Chris naked and asleep on the sofa at The Intruder and covers them with newspapers.

    It's too bad he's not still acting, but sounds like he really loves his new career.

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  3. Paul was the best Chris Hughes, I think. I hope his career is successful.

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  4. Cool, but I didn't like him as Chris. Too "typical soap hunk." I missed Ben Jorgensen! Whatever happened to Ben J?

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