Chris Ellis (actor)

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Chris Ellis
Chris Ellis (actor).png
Ellis in Bean (1997)
Born (1949-11-27) November 27, 1949 (age 75)
OccupationActor
Years active1979–present

Chris Ellis (born 27 November 1949) is an American actor. [1]

Contents

Early life

Ellis grew up in Frayser, Tennessee, a suburb of Memphis, in a middle class/working class area. [2] He always wanted to be an actor because of what he saw on television.

It took him seven years to finish college however, because "I have always been shiftless". During those years Chris became involved in community theatre in Memphis, Tennessee, where "I did and do still think the quality of the work has always been quite good". By the time he moved to New York, he had worked with many excellent actors in about two dozen plays, classical and contemporary. "I cannot imagine what might have supplanted that background for a newcomer in New York." [2]

Career

His first part in either television or film came in 1979, where he played a truck driver in the television movie The Suicide's Wife, which starred Angie Dickinson. The role resulted in little further work.[ citation needed ] After working in regional theater for a year or so, Ellis did not work for about ten years. During that time he lived in "bone-grinding poverty" [2] in Manhattan's Hell's Kitchen. In one nine-month period of 1987, Ellis accepted 102 dinner invitations. "I don't know why they kept arriving, nor why I counted them, though I do know why I accepted them." [2]

In 1990, a break came when he got a part in Days of Thunder . This seemed to jump-start Ellis's career[ citation needed ] as parts in My Cousin Vinny , Addams Family Values and Apollo 13 as former NASA Mercury Seven astronaut Deke Slayton. He began picking up credits on well-known television series including Melrose Place , NYPD Blue and The X-Files .

After working with Hanks on Apollo 13, the two worked together on That Thing You Do! , the television miniseries From the Earth to the Moon and Catch Me If You Can . Ellis played fictional NASA Mission Control when he played a flight director in 1998's Armageddon .

Ellis's additional appearances include Bean: The Movie , Home Fries , Jessabelle , Gospel Hill , October Sky , Live Free or Die Hard , Tim Burton's Planet of the Apes and Transformers . His television credits also include The West Wing , Ghost Whisperer , Chicago Hope , The Pretender , Alias , JAG , CSI: NY , Burn Notice , Cold Case , Veronica Mars and Political Animals .

He appeared in three season one episodes of Millennium as group member Jim Panseayres. He established a reputation for portraying Southern lawmakers or serious military or police-type characters. He played a priest in The Dark Knight Rises (2012).

He appeared in Criminal Minds as Sheriff Jimmy Rhodes. He had two guest appearances in NCIS as Gunnery Sergeant John Deluca. Ellis's appearance in the season 1 episode "The Curse" was uncredited while his second and final appearance in the season 2 episode "The Bone Yard" was credited.

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1990 Days of Thunder Harlem Hoogerhyde
1992 My Cousin Vinny J.T.
1993 Ghost in the Machine Lieutenant
1995 Apollo 13 Deke Slayton
1996Sticks & StonesCoach Osterman
1996 That Thing You Do! Phil Horace
1997 Con Air BOP Official Grant
1997 Bean Detective Butler
1997 Sparkler Buddy #1
1997 Wag the Dog M.P. Officer
1998 Max Q Bob Matthews
Godzilla General Hunter Anderson
Armageddon Flight Director Clark
Home Fries Henry Lever
1999 October Sky Principal Turner
2000 The Watcher Detective Hollis Mackie
2001 Daddy and Them Dewey
2001 Domestic Disturbance Detective Warren
2001 Planet of the Apes Commander Karl Vasich
2002 Love Liza Patriot Model Aeronautics Clerk
2002 Catch Me If You Can Special Agent Witkins
2003The Bus Stops HereSelf-Centered Man At Bus StopShort film
2005 The Island Aces & Spades Bartender
2005 The Devil's Rejects Coggs
2005 Fun with Dick and Jane Grand Cayman Bank Vice President
2006The DarkroomJackson
2006 Believe in Me Jim Stovall
2007 Transformers Admiral Brigham
2007 Live Free or Die Hard Scalvino
2008 Crazy Glen, Carousel ManagerUncredited
2008 Gospel Hill L. Donn Murray
2009 G-Force FBI DirectorCredited as Chris Ellis, Jr.
2012 The Dark Knight Rises Father Reilly
2013 Grace Unplugged Pastor Tim Bryant
2014 The Guest Hendricks
2014 Jessabelle Sheriff Pruitt
2015 McFarland, USA Coach JenksCredited as Chris Ellis, Jr.
2016TriggerPatrickShort film
2017 The Show Keller
2017 Pitching Tents Principal Don Bishop
2017Amelia 2.0Senator Thafdeus
2018 What Still Remains Harvey
2018 The Oath Hank Creason
2019 Silo Mr. Adler

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1979 The Suicide's Wife Truck DriverTelevision movie
1982 Rascals and Robbers: The Secret Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn ClownTelevision movie
1983 Chiefs Bobby PatrickEpisode: "Part 3"
Television miniseries
1993 NYPD Blue MarshalEpisodes: "Brown Appetit" and "Emission Accomplished"
1994In the Line of Duty: The Price of VengeanceNews VendorTelevision movie
1996 Murder One Mr. SwitzerEpisode: "Chapter Eleven"
1996Innocent VictimsAlan HallisTelevision movie
1996 The X-Files Sheriff Lance HindtEpisode: "Quagmire"
1996 Space: Above and Beyond Admiral StennerEpisode: "... Tell Our Moms We Done Our Best"
1996 If These Walls Could Talk Crowd LeaderSegment: "1996"
Television movie
1996 Her Costly Affair WesTelevision movie
1996 Millennium Jim Penseyres3 episodes
1997 The Pretender Daniel CrockettEpisode: "Mirage"
1997 Chicago Hope Secret Service Agent Bill ErskineEpisode: "The Day of the Rope"
1998 The Pentagon Wars General KeaneTelevision movie
1998 From the Earth to the Moon Bob Parker Television miniseries
Episode: "Le voyage dans la lune"
2002 First Monday Mr. PattonEpisode: "Strip Search"
2002 The Practice Mr. Blain, Zoning Board ChairmanEpisode: "Neighboring Species"
2002 Alias Agent ChapmanEpisode: "The Counteragent"
2003 Lucky UnknownEpisode: "The Tell"
2003–2004 NCIS Gunnery Sergeant John DeLucaEpisodes: "The Curse" and "The Bone Yard"
2004 JAG Detective KushEpisode: "Good Intentions"
2004 Line of Fire VigsEpisode: "The Senator"
2004 Helter Skelter Sergeant WhiteleyTelevision movie
2004 Tiger Cruise Captain AndersonTelevision movie
2005 CSI: NY Vincent WilliamsEpisode: "Dancing with the Fishes"
2006 Criminal Minds Sheriff RhodesEpisode: "The Tribe"
2006 The West Wing Congressman FieldsEpisode: "Requiem"
2006-2007 The Unit Congressman Bruce GelberEpisodes: "Report by Exception" and "Pandemonium: Part 1"
2006 Ghost Whisperer Captain Ken NilsenEpisodes: "Free Fall" and "The One"
2006 Vanished SheltonEpisode: "The Velocity of Sara"
2007 Veronica Mars Reverend Ted CapistranoEpisode: "There's Got to Be a Morning After Pill"
2007–2008 Burn Notice Virgil WatkinsEpisodes: "Unpaid Debts" and "Rough Seas"
2009 Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles HayesEpisodes: "Today Is the Day: Part 1" and "Today Is the Day: Part 2"
2009 The Office Former Congressman Chris O'KeefeEpisode: "Shareholder Meeting"
2010 The Mentalist 'Sheriff Mullery'Episode: "Red Moon"
2010 Zeke and Luther 'Buzz'Episode: "Rocket Men"
2010 Justified Douglas CooperEpisode: "Riverbrook"
2011 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Warden Clinton MaltonEpisode: "The List"
2013 Warehouse 13 Colonel Arnold CassellEpisode: "What Matters Most"
2015 Mad Men Del HillEpisode: "The Milk and Honey Route"
2015 Murder in the First Judge Mitchell Ellis6 episodes
2015 K.C. Undercover ChristosEpisodes: "Runaway Robot: Parts 1 & 2"
2017 Hand of God Principal Matt WasserEpisode: "Telling Me Your Dreams"
2018 Young Sheldon Marty SteinbeckerEpisode: "Family Dynamics and a Red Fiero"
2020 9-1-1: Lone Star Derek PooleEpisode: "Studs"

References

  1. "Chris Ellis". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved 6 November 2024.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Chris Ellis". Industry Central. Retrieved 6 November 2024.