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Chris Ellis
Actor
Born April 14, 1956 (66 years)
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.
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Filmography
| 2020 | 9-1-1: Lone Star (TV Series) · as Derek Poole |
| 2019 | Silo · as Mr. Adler |
| 2018 | What Still Remains · as Harvey |
| 2018 | The Oath · as Hank |
| 2018 | Homecoming (2018) (TV Series) · as Richard Lehmann |
| 2017 | The Show · as Keller |
| 2017 | Pitching Tents · as Principal Don Bishop |
| 2017 | Amelia 2.0 · as Senator Thaddeus |
| 2017 | Young Sheldon (TV Series) · as Marty Steinbecker |
| 2016 | Trigger · as Patrick |
| 2015 | K.C. Undercover (TV Series) · as Christos |
| 2015 | McFarland, USA · as Coach Jenks |
| 2014 | Jessabelle · as Sheriff Pruitt |
| 2014 | The Guest · as Hendricks |
| 2014 | Faults · as Dad |
| 2014 | Murder in the First (TV Series) · as Judge Mitchell Ellis |
| 2014 | Sequestered (TV Series) · as Ron Pritchard |
| 2014 | Hand of God (TV Series) · as Principal Matt Wasser |
| 2013 | Grace Unplugged · as Pastor Tim Bryant |
| 2013 | Legit (2013) (TV Series) · as Captain Chambliss |
| 2012 | The Dark Knight Rises · as Fr. Reilly |
| 2012 | Political Animals (TV Series) · as Jubal Jacobs |
| 2012 | The Finder (TV Series) · as Warden Nick Larsen |
| 2011 | Harry's Law (TV Series) · as actor |
| 2011 | Fairly Legal (TV Series) · as Maddox Resor |
| 2011 | Pistachio - The Little Boy That Woodn't · as Quad Guy |
| 2010 | The Good Guys (2010) (TV Series) · as Beau Teague |
| 2010 | Law & Order: LA (TV Series) · as D.A. Walter Exley |
| 2010 | Justified (TV Series) · as Unknown |
| 2009 | G-Force · as NSA Director |
| 2009 | Teenage Dirtbag · as Pops |
| 2009 | Warehouse 13 (TV Series) · as Colonel Arnold Cassell |
| 2009 | Zeke & Luther (TV Series) · as Buzz |
| 2008 | Crazy · as Glen the Carousel Manager |
| 2008 | Gospel Hill · as L Donn Murray |
| 2008 | In Plain Sight (TV Series) · as Reidell |
| 2008 | Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (TV Series) · as Hayes |
| 2008 | The Mentalist (TV Series) · as Sherrif Mullery |
| 2008 | Knight Rider (2008) (TV Series) · as Phil Driscoll |
| 2007 | Live Free or Die Hard · as Scalvino |
| 2007 | Transformers · as Admiral Brigham |
| 2007 | The Third Nail · as Colonel Reeves |
| 2007 | The Memory Thief · as Mr. DeSilva |
| 2007 | Mad Men (TV Series) · as Del Hill |
| 2007 | Burn Notice (TV Series) · as Unknown |
| 2006 | The Darkroom · as Jackson |
| 2006 | Vanished (TV Series) · as Shelton |
| 2006 | The Unit (TV Series) · as Unknown |
| 2006 | Believe in Me · as Jim Stovall |
| 2005 | The Devil's Rejects · as Coggs |
| 2005 | Fun with Dick and Jane · as Vice President - Grand Cayman Bank |
| 2005 | Death to the Supermodels · as Ed |
| 2005 | Silver Bells · as Doctor |
| 2005 | The Island · as Aces & Spades Barman |
| 2005 | Revelations (TV Series) · as Unknown |
| 2005 | Criminal Minds (TV Series) · as Sheriff Rhodes |
| 2005 | Ghost Whisperer (TV Series) · as Captain Ken Nilsen |
| 2005 | The Office (US) (TV Series) · as Chris O'Keefe |
| 2004 | In Enemy Hands · as Samuel Littleton |
| 2004 | Helter Skelter · as Sgt. Whiteley |
| 2004 | Tiger Cruise · as Captain Anderson |
| 2004 | Death and Texas · as Phillip Brodeur |
| 2004 | Veronica Mars (TV Series) · as Unknown |
| 2004 | CSI: NY (TV Series) · as Vincent Williams |
| 2003 | My Dinner with Jimi · as Sergeant |
| 2003 | Line of Fire (TV Series) · as Vigs |
| 2003 | Lucky (TV Series) · as actor |
| 2003 | NCIS (TV Series) · as Gunnery Sergeant John Deluca |
| 2003 | Las Vegas (TV Series) · as Dr. Sassen |
| 2003 | Cold Case (TV Series) · as Jim Horn (2008) |
| 2003 | Wonderland · as Captain Nimziki |
| 2002 | Catch Me If You Can · as Special Agent Witkins |
| 2002 | Love Liza · as Patriot Model Aeronautics Clerk |
| 2002 | First Monday (TV Series) · as Unknown |
| 2002 | Birds of Prey (TV Series) · as Larry Ketterly |
| 2001 | Planet of the Apes · as Commander Karl Vasich |
| 2001 | Domestic Disturbance · as Detective Warren |
| 2001 | Daddy and Them · as Dewey |
| 2001 | Rip It Off · as Det. Hanson |
| 2001 | Six Feet Under (TV Series) · as Construction Worker #2 |
| 2001 | Alias (TV Series) · as Agent Chapman |
| 2000 | CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (TV Series) · as Warden Clinton Malton |
| 2000 | The Watcher · as Hollis |
| 1999 | The Last Marshal · as O'Brien |
| 1999 | The West Wing (TV Series) · as Congressman Fields |
| 1999 | Family Law (TV Series) · as Unknown |
| 1999 | Roswell (TV Series) · as T. Greer |
| 1999 | Harsh Realm (TV Series) · as Jasper McKinley |
| 1999 | Atomic Train (TV Series) · as Ed Brown |
| 1999 | October Sky · as Principal Turner |
| 1998 | Godzilla · as General Anderson |
| 1998 | Home Fries · as Henry Lever |
| 1998 | The Pentagon Wars · as General Keane |
| 1998 | Max Q · as Bob Matthews |
| 1998 | Armageddon · as Flight Director Clark |
| 1998 | From the Earth to the Moon (TV Series) · as Bob Parker |
| 1997 | Wag the Dog · as Officer |
| 1997 | Con Air · as BOP Official Grant |
| 1997 | Sparkler · as Buddy #1 |
| 1997 | On the Line · as Officer Roux |
| 1997 | Bean · as Detective Butler |
| 1997 | The Practice (TV Series) · as Zoning Board Chairman Donald Blane |
| 1996 | That Thing You Do! · as Phil Horace |
| 1996 | If These Walls Could Talk · as Crowd Leader |
| 1996 | Innocent Victims · as Alan Hallis |
| 1996 | Sticks & Stones · as Coach Osterman |
| 1996 | Arli$$ (TV Series) · as Henneman |
| 1996 | Millennium (TV Series) · as Unknown |
| 1996 | Promised Land (TV Series) · as Brian Pascal |
| 1996 | The Pretender (TV Series) · as Daniel Crockett |
| 1995 | Apollo 13 · as Deke Slayton |
| 1995 | Crimson Tide · as Additional Magician |
| 1995 | The Tie That Binds · as Security Guard #1 |
| 1995 | Space: Above and Beyond (TV Series) · as Adm. Stenner |
| 1995 | JAG (TV Series) · as Detective Kush |
| 1995 | Murder One (TV Series) · as Mr. Switzer |
| 1995 | A Little Princess · as Policeman |
| 1994 | Chicago Hope (TV Series) · as Unknown |
| 1994 | In the Line of Duty: The Price of Vengeance · as News Vendor |
| 1993 | Addams Family Values · as Moving Man |
| 1993 | Ghost in the Machine · as Lieutenant |
| 1993 | Desperate Rescue: The Cathy Mahone Story · as actor |
| 1993 | NYPD Blue (TV Series) · as Marshal |
| 1993 | The X-Files (TV Series) · as Sheriff Lance Hindt |
| 1993 | Diagnosis Murder (TV Series) · as Leonard Wilson |
| 1993 | Undercover Blues · as Burt |
| 1992 | Melrose Place (TV Series) · as Unknown |
| 1992 | My Cousin Vinny · as J.T. |
| 1990 | Days of Thunder · as Harlem Hoogerhyde |
| 1988 | |
| 1983 | Chiefs (TV Series) · as Bobby Patrick |