Chris Ellis

Chris Ellis Movies and TV Shows

Chris Ellis is an American film and television actor who was born April 14, 1956 in Dallas, Texas. Ellis always wanted to be an actor because of television. He grew up in the 50's in the deep south in a "world of privation and violence", but saw on television people who seemed to have lives of ease and privilege. 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, 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." His first part in either television or film came in 1979, where he played a truck driver in the TV movie The Suicide's Wife, which starred Angie Dickinson. The role resulted in very little TV or film work. After working in regional theatre for a year or so, Chris fell off the radar screen and did not work for about ten years. During that time he lived in "bone-grinding poverty" in Manhattan's Hell's Kitchen. In one nine-month period of 1987, Chris 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." In 1990, a break came when he got a part in Days of Thunder, which starred Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, Cary Elwes, Robert Duvall, and Randy Quaid. John C. Reilly and Fred Dalton Thompson also appear. This seemed to jump-start Ellis' career as parts in films like My Cousin Vinny with Joe Pesci and Marisa Tomei, a small part in Addams Family Values, and a larger one in Apollo 13 as former NASA Mercury Seven astronaut Deke Slayton, alongside Tom Hanks, followed. He also began picking up credits on well-known television shows like Melrose Place, NYPD Blue, and The X-Files. Since working with Hanks on Apollo 13, the two have worked together on That Thing You Do, the TV miniseries From the Earth to the Moon, and Catch Me If You Can. Ellis returned to a fictional NASA Mission Control when he played a Flight Director in 1998's Armageddon. Additional films in which Ellis has appeared include Home Fries, October Sky, Live Free or Die Hard, and Transformers. His television credits also include The West Wing, Ghost Whisperer, Chicago Hope, The Pretender, Alias, JAG, CSI: NY, Burn Notice, and Cold Case. He appeared in three season one episodes of Millennium as group member Jim Panseayres. He has established a reputation as being particularly talented at portraying Southern lawmakers or serious military or police-type characters. He also appeared in Criminal Minds as Sheriff Jimmy Rhodes who calls for the BAU's help in investigating a string of murders in New Mexico. In addition to that, he also 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 Season 2's "The Bone Yard" was credited. Description above from the Wikipedia article Chris Ellis (actor), licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Personal info

  • Gender: Male
  • Date of birth: 4/14/1956 (68 years old)
  • Place of birth: Dallas, Texas, USA
Year
Genre
IMDB
TMDB
Available on the following streaming services in the United States
The Oath
IMDB 5.6
TMDB 60%
role:
Hank
2018

Comedy

5.6
60%
2018

Drama

Thriller

4.7
52%
The Show
IMDB 5.6
TMDB 58%
role:
Keller
2017

Drama

5.6
58%
Amelia 2.0
IMDB 5.3
TMDB 58%
role:
Senator Thaddeus
2017

Drama

Sci-Fi & Fantasy

5.3
58%
Pitching Tents
IMDB 4.5
TMDB 60%
role:
Principal Don Bishop
2017

Comedy

4.5
60%
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Jessabelle
IMDB 5.4
TMDB 54%
role:
Sheriff Pruitt
2014

Horror

Thriller

5.4
54%
The Guest
IMDB 6.7
TMDB 66%
role:
Hendricks
2014

Action

Mystery

Thriller

6.7
66%
Faults
IMDB 6.7
TMDB 66%
role:
Dad
2014

Drama

Thriller

6.7
66%
2012

Action

Crime

Drama

Thriller

8.4
78%
Teenage Dirtbag
IMDB 7.0
TMDB 63%
role:
Pops
Not available
2009

Drama

7.0
63%
Not available
G-Force
IMDB 5.1
TMDB 54%
role:
NSA Director
2009

Action

Adventure

Comedy

Family

Sci-Fi & Fantasy

5.1
54%
Gospel Hill
IMDB 5.5
TMDB 49%
role:
L Donn Murray
Not available
2008

Drama

Mystery

Thriller

5.5
49%
Not available
Transformers
IMDB 7.0
TMDB 68%
role:
Admiral Brigham
2007

Action

Adventure

Sci-Fi & Fantasy

7.0
68%
2007

Action

Thriller

7.1
66%
Fun with Dick and Jane
IMDB 6.2
TMDB 62%
role:
Vice President - Grand Cayman Bank
2005

Comedy

6.2
62%
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2005

Crime

Drama

Horror

6.7
68%
The Island
IMDB 6.8
TMDB 67%
role:
Aces & Spades Barman
2005

Action

Adventure

Thriller

Sci-Fi & Fantasy

6.8
67%
In Enemy Hands
IMDB 6.0
TMDB 59%
role:
Samuel Littleton
2005

Thriller

War & Politics

6.0
59%
Love Liza
IMDB 6.9
TMDB 64%
role:
Patriot Model Aeronautics Clerk
2002

Comedy

Drama

6.9
64%
Catch Me If You Can
IMDB 8.1
TMDB 80%
role:
Special Agent Witkins
2002

Crime

Drama

8.1
80%
Domestic Disturbance
IMDB 5.6
TMDB 58%
role:
Detective Warren
2001

Crime

Mystery

Thriller

5.6
58%
Planet of the Apes
IMDB 5.7
TMDB 57%
role:
Commander Karl Vasich
2001

Action

Adventure

Thriller

Sci-Fi & Fantasy

5.7
57%
The Watcher
IMDB 5.3
TMDB 50%
role:
Hollis
2000

Mystery

Thriller

5.3
50%
October Sky
IMDB 7.8
TMDB 76%
role:
Principal Turner
1999

Drama

Family

7.8
76%
Home Fries
IMDB 5.1
TMDB 51%
role:
Henry Lever
1998

Comedy

Drama

Romance

5.1
51%
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Armageddon
IMDB 6.7
TMDB 68%
role:
Flight Director Clark
1998

Action

Adventure

Thriller

Sci-Fi & Fantasy

6.7
68%
Godzilla
IMDB 5.4
TMDB 56%
role:
General Anderson
Not available
1998

Action

Thriller

Sci-Fi & Fantasy

5.4
56%
Not available
Bean
IMDB 6.5
TMDB 64%
role:
Detective Butler
1997

Adventure

Comedy

Family

6.5
64%
Con Air
IMDB 6.9
TMDB 67%
role:
BOP Official Grant
1997

Action

Crime

Thriller

6.9
67%
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
IMDB 8.3
TMDB 82%
role:
Flight Director Clark
Not available
1997

Action

Adventure

Comedy

Drama

Sci-Fi & Fantasy

8.3
82%
Not available
That Thing You Do!
IMDB 7.0
TMDB 69%
role:
Phil Horace
1996

Comedy

Drama

Music

Romance

7.0
69%
Apollo 13
IMDB 7.7
TMDB 74%
role:
Deke Slayton
1995

Drama

History

7.7
74%
Crimson Tide
IMDB 7.3
TMDB 72%
role:
Additional Magician
1995

Action

Drama

Thriller

War & Politics

7.3
72%
1993

Comedy

Family

Sci-Fi & Fantasy

6.8
69%
1992

Comedy

7.6
75%
Days of Thunder
IMDB 6.1
TMDB 63%
role:
Harlem Hoogerhyde
1990

Action

Adventure

Drama

6.1
63%

FAQs

Some movies or TV shows available in the United States starring or involving Chris Ellis are, for example, The Oath, What Still Remains and The Show.
The streaming services with the largest selection are Prime Video, iTunes and Google Play.
The best Anystream ratings are Catch Me If You Can (8.1), The Dark Knight Rises (8.1) and October Sky (7.7).
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