Chris Makepeace

Last updated
Chris Makepeace
Born (1964-04-22) April 22, 1964 (age 60)
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Years active1974–2001
Known for Meatballs
My Bodyguard
The Last Chase
Vamp
Spouse
Elizabeth
(m. 2015)

Christopher Makepeace (born April 22, 1964) is a Canadian former actor, known for his starring roles in the coming-of-age film My Bodyguard (1980) and comedy horror Vamp (1986), and supporting roles in the screwball comedy Meatballs (1979) and the dystopian sci-fi film The Last Chase (1981), during his teen and young adult years.

Contents

Life and career

Makepeace was born in Montreal, Quebec, the son of Doreen and Harry Makepeace. [1] His older brother, Tony Makepeace, is a Canadian photographer.

He began his acting career in a 1974 Canadian television special, The Ottawa Valley. His next role was in a 1979 Canadian comedy, Meatballs , in which he starred opposite Bill Murray, portrayed as a shy, loner teen attendee of a summer camp, who has trouble fitting in. The movie was a hit, grossing more than $43 million at the box office, and Makepeace received good notices for his work in the film. He was then cast in the lead role in the Fox film, My Bodyguard , released in July 1980 to positive reviews, [2] earning $22.5 million domestically. [3] In his review of the film, critic Roger Ebert said that Makepeace's performance resulted in "one of the most engaging teenage characters I've seen in the movies in a long time." [4] Makepeace also starred opposite Lee Majors and Burgess Meredith in the 1981 film The Last Chase . Makepeace's subsequent roles included appearances in made-for-television films and a few more feature films, including Mazes and Monsters with Tom Hanks, The Falcon and the Snowman in 1985 and 1986's Vamp .

In 1981, Makepeace recorded spoken dialogue for the Kiss album Music from "The Elder" with Producer Bob Ezrin, but it was not used in the final mix; plans to turn the album into a feature film never materialized.

He has not appeared in any films since 2001, moving instead behind the camera as an assistant director.

Filmography

Film and television credits

YearTitleRoleNotes
1974The Ottawa ValleyUnknownUncredited
1979 Meatballs Rudy GernerFilm
1980Other People's Children TV Movie
1980 My Bodyguard Clifford PeacheFilm
1981 The Littlest Hobo Willie(1979 TV series) Episode: "East Side Angels"
1981 The Last Chase RingFilm
1982 Going Great Series Host(1982 TV series)
1982 The Mysterious Stranger August Feldner TV Movie
1982 Mazes and Monsters Jay "Jay-Jay" Brockway Made-for-television movie CBS
1983 The Terry Fox Story Darrell FoxTV movie
1983-1984 Going Great HostTV series
1984The OasisMattFilm
1985 The Falcon and the Snowman David LeeFilm
1985The UndergradsDennis "Jody" AdlerTV movie
1986 Vamp KeithFilm
1987 Captive Hearts RobertFilm
1988 Aloha Summer Mike TognettiFilm
1988Why on Earth?Franklin SmithTV series Pilot
1989 The Jim Henson Hour Zeb Norman(1989 TV series) Episodes: "Science Fiction" and "Aquatic Life"
1989 The Hitchhiker Jeremy(1983 TV series) Episode: "Power Play"
1991 Beyond Reality Anthony Bowen(1991 TV series) Episode: "Miracle Worker"
1996 Memory Run Andre FullerFilm
1996A Holiday for LoveJoe MarsdonTV movie
1998Short for NothingGlenFilm
2001 Full Disclosure PilotVideo

Awards

YearAwardCategory/RecipientResultRefs
1980Genie AwardBest Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role for: Meatballs (1979)Nominated [5]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andie MacDowell</span> American actress and model (born 1958)

Rosalie Anderson MacDowell is an American actress and former fashion model. MacDowell is known for her starring film roles in romantic comedies and dramas. She has modeled for Calvin Klein and has been a spokeswoman for L'Oréal since 1986.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leslie Nielsen</span> Canadian actor (1926–2010)

Leslie William Nielsen was a Canadian-American actor and comedian. With a career spanning 60 years, he appeared in more than 100 films and 150 television programs, portraying more than 220 characters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bill Murray</span> American actor (born 1950)

William James Murray is an American actor and comedian, known for his deadpan delivery in roles ranging from studio comedies to independent dramas.

The decade of the 1980s in Western cinema saw the return of studio-driven pictures, coming from the filmmaker-driven New Hollywood era of the 1970s. The period was when the "high concept" picture was created by producer Don Simpson, where films were expected to be easily marketable and understandable. Therefore, they had short cinematic plots that could be summarized in one or two sentences. Since its implementation, this method has become the most popular formula for modern Hollywood blockbusters. At the same time in Eastern cinema, the Hong Kong film industry entered a boom period that significantly elevated its prominence in the international market.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Judd Nelson</span> American actor (born 1959)

Judd Asher Nelson is an American actor. His acting roles include Hot Rod/Rodimus Prime in The Transformers: The Movie, John Bender in The Breakfast Club, Alec Newbury in St. Elmo's Fire, Alex in Cybermutt, Joe Hunt in Billionaire Boys Club, Nick Peretti in New Jack City, Billy Beretti in Empire, and Jack Richmond in the television series Suddenly Susan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Caan</span> American actor (1940–2022)

James Edmund Caan was an American actor. He came to prominence playing Sonny Corleone in The Godfather (1972) – a performance that earned him Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations for Best Supporting Actor. He reprised his role in The Godfather Part II (1974). He received a motion-picture star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1978.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matt Dillon</span> American actor (born 1964)

Matthew Raymond Dillon is an American actor. He has received various accolades, including an Academy Award nomination and Grammy nomination.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Saxon</span> American actor (1936–2020)

John Saxon was an American actor who worked on more than 200 film and television projects during a span of 60 years. He was known for his work in Westerns and horror films, often playing police officers and detectives.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geneviève Bujold</span> Canadian actress (born 1942)

Geneviève Bujold is a Canadian actress. For her portrayal of Anne Boleyn in the period drama film Anne of the Thousand Days (1969), Bujold received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress. Her other film credits include The Trojan Women (1971), Earthquake (1974), Obsession (1976), Coma (1978), Murder by Decree (1979), Tightrope (1984), Choose Me (1984), Dead Ringers (1988), The House of Yes (1997), and Still Mine (2012).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ivan Reitman</span> Canadian filmmaker (1946–2022)

Ivan Reitman was a Canadian film director and producer. He was known for his comedy films, especially in the 1980s and 1990s. Reitman was the owner of The Montecito Picture Company, founded in 1998.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lesley-Anne Down</span> British actress (born 1954)

Lesley-Anne Down is a British actress, singer and former model. She made her motion picture debut in the 1969 drama film The Smashing Bird I Used to Know and later appeared in films Assault (1971), Countess Dracula (1971) and Pope Joan (1972). She achieved fame as Georgina Worsley in the ITV period drama series, Upstairs, Downstairs (1973–75).

<i>Chasing Liberty</i> 2004 film by Andy Cadiff

Chasing Liberty is a 2004 romantic comedy film directed by Andy Cadiff and starring Mandy Moore and Matthew Goode. Written by Derek Guiley and David Schneiderman, it is about the 18-year-old daughter of the President of the United States whose rebellion against the constant presence of Secret Service agents in her life leads to a European adventure and an unexpected romance. It was filmed on location in Prague, Venice, Berlin, London, Chelmsford and Washington, D.C.

<i>Meatballs</i> (film) 1979 film by Ivan Reitman

Meatballs is a 1979 Canadian comedy film directed by Ivan Reitman. It is noted for Bill Murray's first film appearance in a starring role and for launching the directing career of Reitman, whose later comedies include Stripes (1981) and Ghostbusters (1984), both starring Murray.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris Evans (actor)</span> American actor (born 1981)

Christopher Robert Evans is an American actor. He began his career with roles in television series such as Opposite Sex in 2000. Following appearances in several teen films, including 2001's Not Another Teen Movie, he gained attention for his portrayal of Marvel Comics character the Human Torch in Fantastic Four (2005) and Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007), a role he later reprised in Deadpool & Wolverine (2024). Evans made further appearances in film adaptations of comic books and graphic novels: TMNT (2007), Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010), and Snowpiercer (2013).

<i>Vamp</i> (film) 1986 film by Richard Wenk

Vamp is a 1986 American black comedy horror film directed by Richard Wenk, co-written by Wenk and Donald P. Borchers, and starring Chris Makepeace, Sandy Baron, Robert Rusler, Dedee Pfeiffer, Gedde Watanabe, and Grace Jones.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Theresa Russell</span> American actress

Theresa Lynn Russell is an American actress whose career spans over four decades. Her filmography includes over 50 feature films, ranging from mainstream to independent and experimental films.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Phillip Law</span> American actor

John Phillip Law was an American film actor.

<i>My Bodyguard</i> 1980 film by Tony Bill

My Bodyguard is a 1980 American family comedy drama film directed by Tony Bill, and written by Alan Ormsby. The film stars Chris Makepeace, Adam Baldwin, Matt Dillon, Martin Mull, and Ruth Gordon.

<i>The In-Laws</i> (2003 film) 2003 film directed by Andrew Fleming

The In-Laws is a 2003 American action comedy film starring Michael Douglas, Albert Brooks, Robin Tunney, Ryan Reynolds and Candice Bergen. The film is a remake of the original 1979 cult classic of the same name. Scenes for the 2003 film were shot on location in Chicago. The film was a box office failure and received mixed to negative reviews.

References

  1. "Chris Makepeace Biography (1964-)". Film Reference.
  2. "My Bodyguard (1980)". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved March 3, 2016.
  3. "My Bodyguard". Box Office Mojo . Retrieved March 3, 2016.
  4. Ebert, Roger (January 1, 1980). "My Bodyguard". Chicago Sun-Times . Archived from the original on September 28, 2012. Retrieved March 3, 2016.
  5. "Chris Makepeace is going places" by Donald Martin, The Globe and Mail (21 Jan, 1984) Retrieved from ProQuest   386511222