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Christian Vance is fictional character of the After novel series written by Anna Todd. He is the biological father of the male protagonist, Hardin Scott.
In the After film series, Christian is portrayed by Charlie Weber and Stephen Moyer.
Biography
Christian Vance was born in England, UK. While in college, Christian met Ken Scott. He became best friends with Ken and, subsequently, Ken's wife, Trish. Christian harbored feelings for Trish but buried them out of respect for Ken and their friendship. His relationship with Trish progressed and they had an ongoing affair, mainly when Ken was out of town on business or drinking. When Trish became pregnant with her first child, Christian suspected that the child was his, and not Ken's. Trish lied and said the child was Ken's, even though the conception date was more accurate to her affair with Christian.
Trish gave birth to a boy, whom she and Ken named Hardin. Christian requested a DNA test which Trish faked for the sake of her marriage and said the paternity test was negative for Christian. Christian backed off after that and continued his dream of opening his own publishing house, which he affectionately called Vance Publishing. His work took him out of the country, primarily to Washington, but when he did return to England he always visited the Scott family. He felt a connection to Hardin and would bring the boy novels and tried to be present in his life as a distant Uncle. He still had doubts regarding the paternity test but wasn't prepared to fight Trish harder.
When Hardin was eight, Trish was attacked in their home and they moved in with Christian for a year. They returned to their home when the year was up, and it can be presumed that Christian and Trish were just friends during this time. Christian moved to the states permanently after the year and made his company one of the largest publishing houses in the state. He married a woman named Rose and they had a son together, Smith. Rose fell ill with cancer when Smith was only a few years old. She died after a long battle with her disease, leaving Vance a widow and single father to Smith.
As the years passed, Vance's life continued to change and he hired an assistant to help him manage things. His assistant was a brilliant woman named Kimberly. Kim and Vance initially had a professional and friendly relationship, as Vance wasn't looking for anything romantic given his tragic past with romance. However, the duo couldn't deny their connection for long and began dating at some point.
When Hardin attended Washington Central University, he met Tessa Young. Tessa wanted to dedicate herself to the world of literature, Hardin and Ken recommended her for a paid internship at Vance Publishing. Vance himself looked at her application which was referred to him by Kimberly, and he decided to hire her for her brilliance. Though, Hardin's influence did play a role in his choice. Tessa became friends with Kimberly and he began socializing with Tessa and Hardin outside of work.
Physical Appearance
Christian is a middle-aged man in his forties, with sandy blonde hair and dimples. He has bright green eyes, a trait that he passed down to Hardin. He is extremely physically fit and works out regularly, using his home gym daily. Christian briefly used a black wheelchair after his leg was injured in the fire.
Personality
Christian is an extremely caring individual and makes many sacrifices to make others happy. He is witty and sarcastic, as well as, friendly and welcoming. He has many traits that are reflected in Hardin, such as his deflection in the way of sarcasm or anger. He struggled with his temper when he was younger, though he managed to maintain it, something he tries to help Hardin through to little avail. Christian loves learning new things, reading, and collecting novels.
The After Film Franchise
Christian is portrayed by American actor, Charlie Weber in the After film series, making his debut in the second film, After We Collided. Both versions of the character appear in the second novel after having been mentioned in the first adaptations. Christian is the owner of Vance Publishing and the father of Smith Vance.