A cockatoo, Christopher St. Nicholas Minton was hatched on
Christmas day 2000. At two months old he chose his human mom when she was
visiting the bird store where he was living. Although she was not there
to get a bird, he saw her comforting another baby bird that was making a lot of
noise and he waddled over, grabbed her finger and wouldn’t let go. A few
weeks later, after being weened, he went home to live with his new mom and two
cat siblings, whom he promptly scared silly by landing on their heads.
Chris’s first year was an adventure in discovering the world of humanity.
He accompanied his mom to her then job in the aviation industry most days
and became very well socialized.
Shortly after his first birthday, he started his modeling career. Chris’
mom volunteered to help with a charity event for a veterinary school and she was
asked if she knew any famous people to appear in an issue of Town & Country
Magazine with their pets to promote the event. She got the founder and
CEO of JetBlue, David Neeleman, to agree to pose and since he did not have a
pet of his own, Chris’ mom volunteered Chris. It was during that
photoshoot that Chris exhibited a natural talent for modeling and posing so his
mom found him an agent and the rest is history.
Chris is now registered with several animal talent agencies. He has
appeared on Saturday Night Live twice, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and Million
Dollar Listing New York. He has also modeled for the Neiman Marcus
catalog, Stussy clothing brand and appeared in two Walmart videos. In
addition, he has made appearances on NY1, the CBS Early Show and WPIX.
Chris loves being on the set and he loves a live audience. He takes
time out to say “hello” to his fans and sit on their arms and, of course, pose
for endless photos. He also loves indulging in the craft services tables
and all the goodies that are laid out. Occasionally he will even be given
a toy to take home and get a ride in a car service to and from the set.
As a celebirdy, Chris is very comfortable around human celebrities. He
has worked with Daniel Craig, One Direction, Kate McKinnon and Josh Cooke, to
name a few. One highlight for him was being serenaded by One Direction on
the SNL set in 2012. And, his recent job with Daniel Craig, was an
inspiration. We are so pleased to present Chris Minton as our newest Peachy's Pet Pal. Peachy Deegan interviewed Chris for Whom You Know.
Peachy Deegan: Other than the one you were born, which have been your favorite Christmases and why?
Chris Minton: The Christmases when my parrot brother and best friend, Rozy, was living (he passed in 2016) and we would play together at Grandma’s house and get special treats and presents. I still get those things, but they were more fun when I had my buddy with me.
What parallels would you draw between yourself and Jesus, since you share the same birthday?
We both draw a crowd and inspire people.
How do you differentiate your Christmas wish list from your birthday wish list?
My Christmas list is usually standard parrot toys, especially the foot toys I love, but my birthday list is usually for something bigger, like a playhouse. And, I get more presents than the other pets because it’s my birthday (hatchday).
What defines Cockatoos?
Aside from the blood curdling screams, tantrums and demanding nature, probably how cuddly we are.
Have you ever thought about flight school or do you find it entirely unnecessary?
Ha! Never! I’m a pro at this point, because I’m fully flighted and I fly around the house.
What do you like about your cat siblings?
I just have one now, a kitty girl. We adopted her as a kitten and I trained her how to behave around parrots, so she’s purrfect.
We believe you are the first bird interview on Whom You Know. What should everyone know about birds that they don’t know yet?
Cool, I’m a trailblazer! A parrot is a lifetime commitment. We have special needs and require companionship and nurturing, like a human child.
I don’t believe there is an award like that for animal actors, but there certainly should be! In fact, mom and I were reading the comments about my SNL sketch on social media and a lot of people were saying I deserved an award like an Emmy or Oscar. I think we need an animal actors’ union and then we can petition for a category at the Academy Awards.
What do you know about Daniel Craig from your firsthand experience with him on television that no one else knows that you can share with the world please?
Daniel Craig is a bird whisperer.
Craft service tables can indeed be amazing. What is on your ideal craft service table?
Pizza, pasta, ice cream, edamame, sugar snap peas, tofu, Swedish fish, Indian samosas & Chinese food. (I’m not supposed to eat half of that stuff, but I want it.)
What do you like to do during your down time on tv sets? Do you sit in holding or satellite holding? Do you have your own trailer and servants?
I like to be carried around so I can meet people and dance and sit on everyone. My agents like me to rest, but I like to engage my fans. Sometimes I hang with the extras and sometimes I get to be in the thick of things watching everyone else rehearse, but there is usually a private area just for me so I can have privacy if I want it. The thing is everyone wants to meet me and take photos, so they find me anyway. I always have servants. My mom is my servant and my agents are my servants.
We think the airline industry is having rough days now; what do you love about it and how do you like flying in an airplane versus flying your natural way with your wings?
I’ve only flown in an airplane once when I flew from Florida to New York as a chick so I don’t really remember it. Having a captive audience and people serving me food sounds pretty good though. I liked going to work with my mom and meeting aviation people because a lot of them really like birds. But I doubt anything can compare to flying the way nature intended with the wind beneath my wings.
What make and model of aircraft are your favorite and why?
I’m going to have to say the model JetBlue plane I stood on during my very first modeling assignment. I rode that thing like a pro!
What makes birds the best pets?
Birds are fun and entertaining and very intelligent, but we really don’t make the best pets because we’re not domesticated like dogs and cats and most people can’t adequately meet our special needs. Leaving a bird in a cage all the time is cruel.
What or who has had the most influence on your pursuit of excellence?
Probably my desire for attention. I keep teaching myself new dance moves and now I’m starting to sing, because I love to entertain and I love a live audience.
What are you proudest of and why?
I’m proud to be a cockatoo because cockatoos are smart and funny and beautiful.
What is your favorite toy and why?
I love toys I can shred. Right now my favorites are cardboard toys we order from a bird toy company in Canada.
What do you get in trouble for and why is that not fair?
Chewing the furniture. It’s not fair because chewing wood is in my nature.
What do you take your sense of identity from?
Growing up my mom provided an encouraging and enriching environment for me to thrive and be myself, but she also made sure I knew I was a cockatoo and could say the word cockatoo, because cockatoos are special.
What is your favorite place to be?
Besides in the limelight…..my Grandma Barbara’s house.
What is the funniest thing that has ever happened to you at a cocktail party?
Before the #metoo movement and before I got that memo, I hit on a woman at a Christmas cocktail party who came over to meet me. I said “hello”, whistled and then said “I love you.” Her husband came over and asked “did that bird just whistle at my wife?”
Who would you like to be for a day and why?
I would like to be a king so I could do anything I wanted and have everyone waiting on me all day.
What has been your best athletic experience?
I got loose and flew across Grandma’s property one time and hid in a tree. That was fun, although I’m guessing mom didn’t think so judging from the thirty minutes of hysteria until I was found.
What do you like best about Manhattan?
I love going for walks down the street and to Central Park because I meet lots of people.
Where do you like to vacation and why?
Grandma Barbara’s house because I am obsessed with her and I get pizza and waffles there.
If you could have dinner with any person or animal living or passed, who would it be and why?
My deceased brother Rozy, because I miss him.
What has been your best art or music experience?
Being serenaded by One Direction the first time I was on SNL.
What do you personally do or what have you done to give back to the world?
Just being my entertaining self seems to make people very happy, but I’m planning to become a therapy bird. Mom took the class a few years ago but there wasn’t anyone who knew about birds to test me, so we’re going to try again.
Other than Peachy's Pet Pals of course, what is your favorite WhomYouKnow.com column and what do you like about it?
What else should Whom You Know readers know about you?
That I’m a night owl and I hate bedtime. I love other animals, especially iguanas, ferrets and big dogs and one time I went catback riding (I’m not allowed to do that ever again.) And I love riding in taxi cabs.
How would you like to be contacted by Whom You Know readers?
Via Instagram @ christhecockatoo or my Facebook page, also Chris the Cockatoo.
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