Chris Chittell | |
---|---|
Born | Christopher John Chittell 19 May 1948 |
Occupation | Actor |
Years active | 1964–present |
Known for | Role of Eric Pollard in Emmerdale |
Spouses | |
Children | 2 |
Christopher John Chittell BEM (born 19 May 1948) is an English actor, known for his role as Eric Pollard in the ITV soap opera Emmerdale . He has portrayed the role since 1986, making him the longest-serving cast member in the soap's history. [1]
Chittell was born in Aldershot, Hampshire. His father served in the Indian Army, and on leaving school Chittell intended to join the Royal Navy, but instead, he became a model. [2] His first acting stint was in 1964, with the National Theatre, at Chichester Festival Theatre, in Peter Shaffer's The Royal Hunt of the Sun . [3]
He appeared as Potter in the 1967 film To Sir, with Love . [4] In 1968 he appeared as a Trooper in The Charge of the Light Brigade , and made an uncredited appearance in If.... . [5] This was followed by a starring role as one of the Freewheelers , made as an action/adventure children's serial by Southern Television between 1968 and 1973. [6]
Chittal acted for two seasons in the 1970s science fiction TV drama The Tomorrow People . [7] [8] His other film appearances included roles in The Beast in the Cellar (1970), The Weekend Murders (1971), The Raging Moon (1971), The Last Valley (1971), Erotic Inferno (1975), Golden Rendezvous (1977), Zulu Dawn (1979) and Game for Vultures (1979). [5] He also appeared in a number of Swedish sex films in the 1970s including Swedish Sex Games (aka The Intruders and Let Us Play Sex) in 1975 (which also featured a young Stellan Skarsgård).
He performed on stage at the Old Vic in Macbeth with Peter O'Toole. [2] [9] In 1972, Chittell appeared in the untransmitted Doomwatch episode "Sex and Violence", playing Dick Burns, widely believed to be a parody of Cliff Richard and Richard's part in the Nationwide Festival of Light. [10] The "Sex and Violence" episode was included as part of the Doomwatch DVD box set release in April 2016. [11]
Chittell is married to his Emmerdale co-star Lesley Dunlop, who plays Brenda Walker.
He was awarded the British Empire Medal (BEM) in the 2019 Queen's Birthday Honours List for services to drama and charity. [12]
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1967 | To Sir, with Love | Potter | |
1968 | The Charge of the Light Brigade | Trooper | |
1968 | The Avengers | Bassin | |
1968 | If.... | Senior | Uncredited |
1970 | The Breaking of Bumbo | The Prisoner | |
1970 | The Weekend Murders | Georgie Kemple | |
1971 | The Raging Moon | Terry | |
1971 | The Last Valley | Svenson | |
1971 | The Beast in the Cellar | Baker | |
1971 | They Call Him Cemetery | John McIntire | |
1974 | The Intruders | Richard | |
1974 | Man About The House | Alan | |
1975 | Erotic Inferno | Martin Barnard | |
1977 | Molly | Peter | |
1977 | Ta mej i dalen | Richard | |
1977 | Golden Rendezvous | Rogers | |
1978 | The Wild Geese | Philips | Uncredited |
1978 | Night Ride | TV movie | |
1979 | Zulu Dawn | Lt. Milne | |
1979 | Game for Vultures | McAllister | |
1980 | Les Visiteurs (The Visitors) | L'interprète (The Interpreter) | TV Mini Series. Episode entitled: Pirvii |
1982 | Triangle | Lorry Driver | TV series. Series 2. Episode 17 |
1984 | Tucker's Luck | Junior | TV series. Recurring role |
1986–present | Emmerdale | Eric Pollard | ITV Soap Opera. Series regular |
2016 | Doomwatch | Dick Burns | 1 episode |
Anne Gwendolyn "Wendy" Craig is an English actress who is best known for her appearances in the sitcoms Not in Front of the Children, ...And Mother Makes Three, ...And Mother Makes Five and Butterflies. She played the role of Matron in the TV series The Royal (2003–2011).
Doomwatch is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC, which ran on BBC1 between 1970 and 1972. The series was set in the then present day, and dealt with a scientific government agency led by Doctor Spencer Quist, responsible for investigating and combating various environmental and technological dangers.
Michael Roy Kitchen is an English actor and television producer, best known for his starring role as Detective Chief Superintendent Christopher Foyle in the ITV drama Foyle's War, which comprised eight series between 2002 and 2015. He also played the role of Bill Tanner in two James Bond films opposite Pierce Brosnan, and that of John Farrow in BBC Four's comedy series Brian Pern.
Eric Richard Porter was an English actor of stage, film and television.
Anthony Samuel Selby was an English actor. He was best known for his roles as Clive Mitchell in EastEnders, Corporal Percy Marsh in Get Some In!, and Sabalom Glitz in Doctor Who.
Judith Amanda Geeson is an English film, stage, and television actress. She began her career primarily working on British television series, with a leading role on The Newcomers from 1965 to 1967, before making her major film debut in To Sir, with Love (1967). She starred in a range of films throughout the 1970s, from crime pictures to thriller and horror films, including The Executioner (1970), Fear in the Night (1972), Brannigan (1975) and The Eagle Has Landed (1976). She played heiress Caroline Penvenen from 1975-1977 in the BBC series Poldark, from the Winston Graham novels.
John William Francis Hallam was a character actor from Northern Ireland, who frequently played hard men or military types.
Lesley Jane Dunlop is an English actress, known for her role as Brenda Walker in the ITV soap opera Emmerdale. Her other roles include Anna Kirkwall in Where the Heart Is and Zoë Angell in May to December.
Valerie "Val" Pollard is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera Emmerdale, played by Charlie Hardwick. She made her first screen appearance in the episodes broadcast on 1 February 2004. Val was introduced as the sister of established character Diane Sugden. She later married Eric Pollard. Hardwick took a three-month break from Emmerdale to appear in a play and the character left on 10 February 2012. Val returned in June 2012 and was surprised to learn that Eric had begun in a relationship with Brenda Walker. She moved into Diane's pub after her marriage breakdown and helped to run it while Diane was away visiting her daughter.
Joseph Fürst was an Austrian-born international film and television actor known for his English language roles in Britain and Australia, after first appearing on the Canadian stage.
Francis George Middlemass was an English actor, who even in his early career played older roles. He is best remembered for his television roles as Rocky Hardcastle in As Time Goes By, Algy Herries in To Serve Them All My Days and Dr. Alex Ferrenby in 20 episodes of Heartbeat. Middlemass was also active in the Royal Shakespeare Company and was the fourth and final actor to play Dan Archer in The Archers.
Eric Pollard is a fictional character from the British soap opera Emmerdale, played by Chris Chittell. He made his first appearance in the soap on 30 September 1986. Having appeared continuously since, he is currently the longest-serving actor and the longest-serving character in the history of the soap. The character originally served as the show's villain, but this has been noticeably toned down in recent years, particularly since Eric's marriage to Val Lambert and the introduction of his long-lost son, David Metcalfe.
Reginald Albert Saltmarsh, known by the stage name Reginald Marsh, was an English actor who is best remembered for supporting roles in many British sitcoms from the 1970s onwards.
Christopher Winton Beeny was an English actor and dancer. He had a career as a child actor, but was best known for his work as the footman Edward Barnes on the 1970s television series Upstairs, Downstairs, as Billy Henshaw in the sitcom In Loving Memory, and as the incompetent debt collector and golfer Morton Beamish in Last of the Summer Wine.
Robert Dorning was an English musician, dance band vocalist, ballet dancer and stage, film and television actor. He is known to have performed in at least 77 television and film productions between 1940 and 1988.
Walter Llewellyn Rees was an English actor.
Victor Winding was a British actor born in Lambeth, London. Among his best-known roles was Spencer, an airline pilot taken over by a chameleon in the 1967 Doctor Who serial The Faceless Ones. He also appeared, from 1968 to 1971, as Det Chief Inspector Fleming in seasons one to three of the TV series The Expert. In addition, he enjoyed a long stint in the daytime soap Crossroads, playing garage manager Victor Lee from 1978 to 1981.
Hugh Gardner Manning was an English film, radio and television actor. He is best remembered as the Reverend Donald Hinton, in the soap opera Emmerdale Farm, a role he played from 1977 until 1989. From 1964 to 1965 he appeared in the ITV drama The Sullavan Brothers. He also starred in the tv series Mrs Thursday, alongside Kathleen Harrison in 1966, playing a suave and imperturbable business adviser, which also carried over into popular tv commercials where his character endorsed the qualities of Robinsons barley water. Also in 1966 he appeared in The Avengers in the episode entitled "The Thirteenth Hole" as Colonel Watson. In 1967 he appeared in The Avengers episode entitled "The Superlative Seven" as Max Hardy. He regularly played Inspector Vosper in the BBC radio detective series, Paul Temple.