Charles Michael "Chaz" Harrison III
Fancast: Charlie Wernham
Date of Birth:
March 15th, 1994
Profile written/edited with the asssistance of AI (learn more about this in our AI statement)
A Bit About Chaz
Charles Michael "Chaz" Harrison III is one of the three deuteragonists of Order Up! and serves as the point-of-view character of Episode 5, Head Like a Hole.
The youngest child and only son of Debra and Charles Harrison Sr., Chaz grew up in Solihull in a family where food and cooking became an important part of his life. From an early age, he knew that cooking was more than just something he enjoyed — it was what he wanted to do with his life.
Chaz idolised chefs such as Marco Pierre White, Anthony Bourdain and Heston Blumenthal, absorbing everything he could about the culinary world.
At fourteen, Chaz got his first job washing dishes at a Chinese restaurant. Although it was hardly glamorous, it gave him his first real taste of working in a professional kitchen and only strengthened his ambition to become a chef.
He later studied catering at Stratford College before moving to Stratford-upon-Avon with his then-partner, Kayleigh. Chaz worked a succession of cooking jobs around the town, gradually building up his experience before eventually joining Red's Coffee & Diner under Head Chef Max.
However, his personal life began to unravel.
Chaz's relationship with Kayleigh became increasingly unhealthy before eventually turning abusive. The relationship ultimately fell apart, leaving Chaz to rebuild his life on his own.
With the cost of living becoming increasingly difficult, Chaz offered his kitchen assistant and best friend, Ryan Foster, a place to stay. What began as a way of helping with the bills quickly became another expression of the friendship between the two men.
Chaz is fiercely protective of Ryan and is one of the biggest supporters of his dream of eventually opening his own restaurant. He sees something in Ryan that Ryan doesn't always see in himself and constantly encourages him to aim higher.
Despite his sometimes loud personality and tendency to get himself into trouble, Chaz has a heart of gold. He is one of those people who will always try to be the biggest softie in the room, even when he'd rather everyone believe he's tough.
Outside of cooking, Chaz is a passionate heavy metal fan, with Black Sabbath and Nine Inch Nails among his favourite bands. He's also an avid supporter of Aston Villa FC.
Casting
If Order Up! were adapted for television, Charlie Wernham would be the first choice for Chaz Harrison.
Wernham has had an unusually varied career. He first came to public attention as a contestant on Britain's Got Talent before moving into acting, appearing in The Inbetweeners, School of Comedy, Hollyoaks and EastEnders. He is perhaps best known for playing Mitchell in Bad Education.
That combination of comedy and drama makes Wernham particularly suited to Chaz.
Chaz needs an actor capable of bringing a natural comedic energy to the workplace while also handling the darker elements of his past. His history with Kayleigh and the impact that relationship has had on him require Chaz to have genuine emotional depth beneath the jokes and bravado.
Wernham's cheeky-chappy energy is a major part of the appeal. He could make Chaz instantly likeable while still allowing the character's more vulnerable side to emerge when the comedy drops away.
Most importantly, Wernham feels capable of capturing Chaz's defining quality:
He is a big softie who desperately wants everyone to think he's tougher than he really is.
Chaz may be loud, opinionated and occasionally difficult, but underneath it all is a man who cares deeply about his friends, his cooking and the people around him.