Dennis Christopher

Last updated

Dennis Christopher
Dennis Christopher @ the Flanvention.jpg
Christopher in 2005
Born
Dennis Christopher Carrelli

(1950-12-02) December 2, 1950 (age 73)
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
OccupationActor
Years active1967–2016

Dennis Christopher Carrelli (born December 2, 1950) is an American former actor whose film credits include Breaking Away (1979), Fade to Black (1980), Chariots of Fire (1981), It (1990), and Django Unchained (2012).

Contents

Early life

Dennis Christopher Carrelli, the youngest of four children, was born in Philadelphia on December 2, 1950, [1] [2] [3] [4] to Vincent Albert Carrelli, an insurance salesman, and the former Anna Marie Doogan. [5] [6] His parents married in 1936. [5] He had two brothers, Vincent Carrelli Jr. (a talent manager who later went by the name Vince Cannon) and Edward Carrelli, and one sister, Patricia Kratzinger Laros. [6]

Christopher graduated from Monsignor Bonner High School in 1968. [7] He attended Temple University and dropped out in 1969. [8]

Career

In 1967, Christopher made a guest appearance on The Time Tunnel in the episode "Merlin the Magician" (S1E27). A chance encounter with Federico Fellini, who was filming in Rome at the time, led to the director casting him as a hippie in the film Roma (1972). [9] After that, Christopher worked as an assistant to the fashion designer Halston. [10]

Dennis Christopher with Pat Ast (left) and Shelley Duvall (right). August 1975 Pat Ast, Dennis Christopher, and Shelley Duvall (1975).jpg
Dennis Christopher with Pat Ast (left) and Shelley Duvall (right). August 1975

Christopher's breakthrough role was as Dave Stohler in the coming-of-age classic Breaking Away (1979). His performance won him the BAFTA Award for Most Promising Newcomer and the Youth in Film Award for Best Juvenile Actor in a Motion Picture, [11] as well as garnering a Golden Globe nomination.

Christopher's other roles include American track star Charlie Paddock in Chariots of Fire (1981), as well as tragic film-buff psychopath Eric Binford in Fade to Black (1980), Damon in The Falling (1985), Nathan Flowers in A Sinful Life (1989) and Leech in Plughead Rewired: Circuitry Man II (1994). Television roles include "Jack of All Trades" in the Profiler TV series, Eddie Kaspbrak in Stephen King's It (1990), Desmond Floyd in Jake Speed (1986) and in the HBO series Deadwood .

Christopher guest starred in two Star Trek episodes: the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode "The Search (Part II)" and the Star Trek: Enterprise episode "Detained". He guest-starred as the demon-sorcerer Cyvus Vail in three episodes of Angel .

He reunited with his Breaking Away "father" Paul Dooley, playing Dooley's son for a third time, in a 2003 episode of Law & Order: Criminal Intent . The two had first played father and son in Robert Altman's A Wedding (1978). In December 2006, he played Dr. Martin Ruber in the Sci Fi Channel miniseries The Lost Room .

Christopher was cast as Leonide Moguy in Quentin Tarantino's Django Unchained (2012). He learned through his agent that the screenplay had been re-written to accommodate him. Furthermore, Tarantino later told Christopher that he had seen every one of his films the week that they were released, even Dead Women in Lingerie (which Christopher considers his worst). Production of the film made a very positive impact on Christopher, who stated, "...a lot of my idea of happiness came from working on this film...". [12]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1971 Blood and Lace Pete
1971 The Young Graduates Pan
1972 Roma The Hippieuncredited
1977 3 Women Soda Delivery Boyuncredited
1977 September 30, 1955 Eugene
1978 A Wedding Hughie Brenner
1979 California Dreaming T.T.
1979 Breaking Away Dave Stohler BAFTA Award for Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Role
Nominated – Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year — Actor
1979 The Last Word Ben Travis
1980 Fade to Black Eric Binford Taormina International Film Festival for Bronze Mask Award
Young Artist Award for Best Juvenile Actor in a Motion Picture
Nominated – Saturn Award for Best Actor
1981 Chariots of Fire Charles Paddock
1982 Don't Cry, It's Only Thunder Brian Anderson
1983Didn't You Hear...Kevin
1986Flight of the Spruce GooseStan
1986 Jake Speed Desmond Floyd
1986 Alien Predator Damonalso known as "The Falling"
1988 Friends John
1989 A Sinful Life Nathan Flowers
1990 Circuitry Man Leech
1991The Disco YearsMr. ReeseShort film
1991Dead Women in LingerieLapin
1993 Doppelganger Doctor Heller
1993 Necronomicon: Book of the Dead Dale Porkelpart 2
1994 Plughead Rewired: Circuitry Man II Leech
1995 Aurora: Operation Intercept Victor Varenkov
1995Bad English I: Tales of a Song of a Britunknown role
1996 It's My Party Douglas Reedy
1996The SilencersComdor
2001Mind RageSteve
2004 Nine Lives Mikey
2010 Queen of the Lot Odin Johannessen
2012 Django Unchained Leonide MoguyNominated – Gold Derby Award for Ensemble Cast
2013 Prisoners Mr. Jonesuncredited
2013The Slippery SlopePastor TomasoShort film

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1967 The Time Tunnel Young Merlin Uncredited
Episode: "Merlin the Magician"
1976Bernice Bobs Her HairCharleyTV movie
1979 Elvis Nick AdamsTV movie
1983 Faerie Tale Theatre JackEpisode: "Jack and the Beanstalk"
1984 Tales of the Unexpected KillerEpisode: "Number Eight"
1984 Trapper John, M.D. Daryl KirbyEpisode: "Promises...Promises"
1985 Moonlighting Benjamin WylieEpisode: "The Lady in the Iron Mask"
1986 Cagney & Lacey Dr. StanleyEpisode: "A Safe Place"
1986 The Equalizer Father Nicholas KostmayerEpisode: "The Cup"
1987 Stingray Joshua WilliamsEpisode: "The Second Finest Man Who Ever Lived"
1987 The Law & Harry McGraw Jacob HosslerEpisode: "Murder by Landslide"
1987 Hooperman Danny WellesEpisode: "Blues for Danny Welles"
1988 Christabel U.S. AirmenMiniseries
Episode: "#1.3"
1989 Matlock Noel BishopEpisode: "The Star"
1990 It Eddie Kaspbrak Miniseries
1990–93 Murder, She Wrote Dr. Henry Carlson / Lyman TagartEpisodes: "Shear Madness", "Final Curtain"
1991 Monsters Laurence BauerEpisode: "Hostile Takeover"
1991 False Arrest Wally RobertsTV movie
1992 Civil Wars Jamie BerneEpisode: "Oceans White with Phone"
1992 Willing to Kill: The Texas Cheerleader Story RandyTV movie
1993CuracaoFriedrichuncredited
TV Movie
1994 Winnetka Road Sam FranklinEpisode: "Women in Love"
1994 Star Trek: Deep Space Nine BorathEpisode: "The Search: Part II"
1994 The Cosby Mysteries Eric HumboldEpisode: "Mirror, Mirror"
1995 The Watcher SaschaEpisode: "Heartburned"
1995 Deadly Invasion: The Killer Bee Nightmare Pruitt Taylor BeachaumpTV movie
1996 SeaQuest 2032 Ambassador DillingtonEpisode: "Reunion"
1996 The Sentinel Dr. Anthony BatesEpisode: "Cypher"
1996 Pacific Blue Dr. Mortimer T. AntonEpisode: "The Phoenix"
1996 Tarzan: The Epic Adventures Philip D'ArnotEpisode: "Tarzan's Return: Part I"
1996 The Burning Zone Dr. BalfourEpisode: "Lethal Injection"
1996–99 Profiler Jack of All Trades / Albert Newquay / Sheriff Ed Postrecurring role (45 episodes)
1997SkeletonsJim NortonTV movie
1998 New York Undercover Dr. RoyceEpisode: "Spare Parts"
2000–01 FreakyLinks Vince Elsingseries regular (13 episodes)
2001The Ballad of Lucy WhippleJoshua 'Carrots' BealeTV movie
2001 Roswell Bobby DupreeEpisodes: "Disturbing Behavior", "How the Other Half Lives"
2001 Kate Brasher JesusEpisodes: "Jeff", "Georgia"
2001 18 Wheels of Justice Vin MalfiEpisode: "The Game"
2002 Star Trek: Enterprise DanikEpisode: "Detained"
2002 Crossing Jordan Charles RutledgeEpisode: "One Twelve"
2003 Six Feet Under Kevin LambEpisode: "Nobody Sleeps"
2003 Law & Order: Criminal Intent Roger CoffmanEpisode: "Cherry Red"
2004 Angel Cyvus VailEpisodes: "Origin", "Power Play", "Not Fade Away"
2004 NYPD Blue Gerard ProsserEpisode: "The Vision Thing"
2006 Deadwood Bellegarderecurring role (5 episodes)
2006 The Lost Room Dr. Martin RuberMiniseries
3 episodes
2006Trapped!AdrienTV movie
2007 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Richard Dorsey / Homeless GuyEpisodes: "Cockroaches", "Lying Down with Dogs"
2008 Criminal Minds Abner MerrimanEpisode: "Damaged"
2013 Unforgettable Lukas EmmingerEpisode: "Line Up or Shut Up"
2014 Perception Fred GormanEpisode: "Cobra"
2016 Graves Martin Treadwellrecurring role (4 episodes)

Theatre

YearTitleRoleVenueNotes
1981 The Little Foxes Leo Hubbard Martin Beck Theatre 126 performances
1983BrothersTommy Music Box Theatre 1 performance

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References

  1. "Dennis Christopher". Internet Broadway Database. Archived from the original on December 16, 2023.
  2. "Christopher, Dennis (1950–)". snaccooperative.org.
  3. "Dennis Christopher". aveleyman.com. Archived from the original on May 8, 2023.
  4. "Actors and Actresses Born in December 1950". onthisday.com.
  5. 1 2 "In Memoriam". The Philadelphia Inquirer. March 20, 1966.
  6. 1 2 "Death Notices". The Philadelphia Inquirer. January 3, 1981.
  7. 1968 Bon-Aire (Yearbook). Monsignor Bonner High School, Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania. p. 144.
  8. Swift, Pamela (April 22, 1979). "Keeping Up...With Youth". The Morning Call. Christopher, who left Temple University 10 years ago to try his luck in Hollywood, plays an 18-year-old townie who convinces a sorority girl that he is an Italian.
  9. "'Breaking Away' was this actor's breakout role. Fans say it changed their lives, too". PBS . November 22, 2019.
  10. https://www.huffpost.com/us/entry/3698096/amp [ dead link ]
  11. "1st Annual Youth In Film Awards". YoungArtistAwards.org.
  12. Riley, Jenelle (December 14, 2012). "Dennis Christopher on Tarantino, DiCaprio, and 'Django Unchained'". Backstage.