I first saw CMM on One Tree Hill and I was mesmerized, not only with his good looks but also, or rather especially with his acting prowess. I could not and still cannot imagine another actor playing his role on One Tree Hill and that is just about the highest compliment I can give him.
On first sight, CMM looks like the average pretty boy whose career cannot go beyond a few random chick flicks. And the reason why this is not the case is because CMM can actually act and give his best to whatever role he may be playing.
If Lucas Scott is an introvert basketball player cum budding writer, CMM's role as Charlie Todd on Dawson's Creek was the extrovert flirt cum budding rock star. I discovered Charlie Todd after Lucas Scott but it was just as amazing to see CMM perfecting those little mannerisms that made you love and hate Charlie Todd at the same time.
I had seen Tristan on Gilmore Girls way before discovering Lucas or Charlie but it took me a long time to figure out it was the same guy. Such is his ability to make each role as different from the other, as much as possible. (Other tv roles being on CSI, The Lone Ranger, Murphy's Dozen,etc).
Nevertheless I believe CMM is better suited for tv rather than movies, maybe because of the not-so-great movie roles he has been given. Freaky Friday, House of Wax and A Cinderella Story are the only movies I have watched with CMM and while there are a few more, I can still say from what I've seen that there is no scope for good acting in any of the roles. He was absolutely adorable playing the modern day Prince Charming but there was no depth to the character nor any room to create any depth. I am still to watch Home of the Brave and I hope it is a turning point in CMM's movie career.
I'm reviewing CMM the actor so I don't think there is any need to delve into his personal life and all the drama that comes with it. From what I've seen of CMM as himself, he seems to be a good person as far as an individual goes. The rest does not matter to me as long as he maintains his talent.
And speaking of talent, I have also discovered one talent CMM does not have; singing. His rendition of Cheap Trick's I Want You To Want Me as Charlie Todd, standing under Joey's dorm window and his rendition of Baby One More Time in Freaky Friday never fail to crack me up. I actually have the latter downloaded, just for kicks.
Nevertheless, I believe CMM is a good actor and has a long way to go. And he will forever be in my good books for being the only actor who was and is capable of bringing out Lucas Scott exactly the way Mark Schwann would have envisioned him and making me fall head over heels in love with Lucas and wish, for the first time in my life, that a television character was real.
