A Love Letter to Chris Lowell, Who Is Definitely Not a Piz IRL
He should not be second in anyone's hearts
Welcome to TV Guide's 12 Days of Chris-Mas, a festive celebration of famous dudes named Chris. Every day leading up to Dec. 25, we will honor a single Chris, counting down to the best Chris of the year. Today, that honor goes to Chris Lowell, the ninth best Chris.
Chris Lowell might not be the first Chris you instinctually think of when you think of the Chrises, but the GLOW actor and seriously talented photographer is more than worthy of our attention and affection.
Unfortunately, for many people, Lowell is still probably best known for his role as Stosh "Piz" Piznarski in the third season of the UPN-turned-CW series Veronica Marsand its 2014 revival film (he is not set to appear in Hulu's upcoming limited series, though). Although Lowell was not challenged for screentime by another famous Chris, he was not the leading man of Veronica Mars. That honor went to Jason Dohring's Logan Echolls (though some, like me, might argue it was really Enrico Colantoni's Keith Mars), and it was clear long before the film saw Veronica (Kristen Bell) break up with Piz (again) and reunite with Logan (again) after nearly a decade apart that Veronica and her passionate fans preferred Logan's dashing charm and fire over Lowell's handsome, lovely and totally nice Piz. The guy just really couldn't catch a break! But Lowell is not a Piz. He should not be tossed aside like he doesn't matter. And I stand here before you today to tell you why via a small selection of Lowell's body of work.
12 Days of Chris-Mas, Explained
Exhibit A: GLOW
Netflix's '80s-set wresting series GLOW rightfully shines its spotlight on its many complex female characters, which makes sense for a show about the Gorgeous Ladies of Wresting. But Lowell's supporting performance as producer Sebastian "Bash" Howard is yet another bright spot in what is already a great show. Most people will probably point to the iconic gif of Bash from Season 1 that is seen above as proof of this, but as we learned in Season 2, Lowell's Bash is so much more than just amazing glitter eyeshadow. If Season 1 required Lowell to deliver the laughs as the carefree producer and ringside announcer, Season 2 was all about deepening his character, who I feel compelled to note also owned a robot that dispensed cocaine. His Season 2 storyline, which saw him struggle to come to terms with his attraction to men, was a real gut-punch, and Lowell more than delivered when the script called for it. GLOW may belong to the ladies, but Lowell and Bash belong in our hearts.
Exhibit B: Enlisted
On the canceled-before-its-time comedy Enlisted, Lowell portrayed Derrick, one of three brothers who ended up on the same Army base after the eldest (Geoff Stults) was sent home from overseas. It's fair to say that no one was ever going to outshine Parker Young as Randy on Enlisted, but Lowell also didn't need to. As Derrick, his comedic skills shined while Enlisted quickly found a rhythm and turned into a great comedy that poked fun at the institution at its center while also respecting it. Although the series had far too short of a run, thanks to Lowell's talents and the show's stellar writing, Derrick became more than just the guy who never wanted to be in the Army. Also, this is the part where I petition someone to buy the streaming rights to Enlisted. Come on, guys! You know you want to!
This Bracket Will Settle the Hollywood Chris Debate Once and for All
Exhibit C: This interview
I would be lying if I said I didn't write this entire story just to talk about this interview, which I think might be Lowell's best work. If you really still need convincing of Lowell's abilities or why he should be held close in your hearts, I give you this comedic masterpiece. Conducted with Kristen Bell during the filming of that fateful third season of Veronica Mars, this interview, which might actually be the greatest interview ever recorded by man, is as timeless as Bell's face. Although we may never know just where that camel bit Bell, I do know this interview is all the proof you need to be convinced of Lowell's greatness. He's not a man of one talent, but a man of many, and this proves it.
