Star of new feature film '16-Love' has North Ga. ties

UNDATED - A young actor with North Georgia ties has a new feature film hitting selected theaters this week.

Chandler Massey is one of the co-stars of "16-Love," a movie about a junior tennis champion who gets injured and finds out what it's like to live the life of a normal teenager.

"It was such a positive experience filming in San Diego... everyone I worked with on the movie was fantastic," he said.

Massey, who plays Farrell Gambles in the film, is the son of Gainesville native and former Georgia Secretary of State Lewis Massey, and he is the grandson of Gainesville resident Abit Massey, president emeritus of the Georgia Poultry Federation.

He said the movie's tennis scenes weren't too far of a stretch for him, since he grew up playing the sport with his family in Georgia.

"Fortunately I played tennis growing up, my whole family played tennis and everything, and I was very passionate about tennis from a young age," said Massey.

He is also a 2009 graduate of Norcross High School.

Shortly after graduation, Massey landed the role of Will Horton on NBC's "Days of Our Lives," a role that earned him a 2011 Daytime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Younger Actor in a Drama Series.

He has also appeared in episodes of "One Tree Hill," "Eastbound & Down" and "Army Wives."

"16-Love" will be released Friday in select markets, including Atlanta, where it will be playing at the AMC Colonial 18 in Lawrenceville. It will also be playing at Hollywood Cinemas in Gainesville Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m.