Chris Ellis
Biography
Biography
A go-to character actor for tough authority figures for nearly two decades, Chris Ellis distinguished himself through small but memorable turns in features like "Days of Thunder" (1990), "Apollo 13" (1995), "Catch Me If You Can" (2002) and countless television shows. A native of Memphis, Ellis' Southern roots informed many of his roles, lending a degree of folksy humanity to the scores of police detectives, Army generals, lawyers and occasional rough-hewn criminals. Like many character players, Ellis moved largely into television in the 2000s, where he enjoyed recurring roles on "NCIS" (CBS, 2003- ), "Ghost Whisperer" (CBS, 2005-2010) and "Burn Notice" (USA Network, 2007-2013) in addition to scores of one-off guest performances. Though most viewers knew Chris Ellis by appearance rather than his name, he remained one of the hardest-working and most appreciated supporting talents in features and television.
Born in Memphis, TN on April 14, 1956, Ellis was raised in Frayser, a working class suburb in northern Memphis where his mother made ends meet by renting out rooms to boarders. He began acting in community theater as early as 1970, during which he also took seven years to complete his college education. Ellis later relocated to New York City, where he performed in approximately two dozen plays. His screen debut came at the end of the 1970s in the TV-movie "The Suicide's Wife" (CBS, 1979), but it was followed by a period of lengthy inactivity, during which Ellis reportedly existed in dire poverty in New York's Hell's Kitchen. He resurfaced in 1990 with a colorful turn as a NASCAR pit crew member in the Tom Cruise vehicle "Days of Thunder." The success of the film led to regular work as a bit and supporting player in major features like "My Cousin Vinny" (1992), "Addams Family Values" (1993) and "Crimson Tide" (1995). Ellis finally earned his breakout role as Mercury Seven astronaut Deke Slayton in Ron Howard's "Apollo 13," a performance that led to several subsequent collaborations with the film's star, Tom Hanks, including roles in "That Thing You Do!" (1996), the HBO miniseries "From the Earth to the Moon" (1998), and as Hanks' FBI supervisor in "Catch Me If You Can."
By the late 90s, Ellis had settled into steady work as authority figures in numerous features and television series, including "Con Air" (1997), Barry Levinson's "Wag the Dog" (1997), "Godzilla" (1998) and "Armageddon" (1998). He remained amazingly prolific into the new millennium, enjoying small but notable roles in "Transformers" (2007) and "Live Free or Die Hard" (2007), though television soon became his primary showcase, most notably on "NCIS," "The West Wing" (NBC, 1999-2006) and "Burn Notice." From 2010 to 2013, Ellis logged in numerous guest appearances - up to five per year in 2011 alone - before returning to features with a small role as a priest in "The Dark Knight Rises" (2012).
Filmography
Cast (Feature Film)
Cast (TV Mini-Series)
Life Events
1979
Television debut in "The Suicide's Wife"
1990
First feature film role in "Days of Thunder"
1995
Gained attention for performance as Deke Slayton in "Apollo 13"
1996
Second collaboration with Tom Hanks in "That Thing You Do!"
1998
Third collaboration with Hanks in "From the Earth to the Moon"
1998
Played a flight director in "Armageddon"
2002
Fourth collaboration with Hanks on "Catch Me If You Can"
2003
Recurring role on "NCIS"
2005
Landed a small role in "The Island"
2007
Recurring role on "Burn Notice"
2007
Played Admiral Brigham in live-action "Transformers" feature
2012
Small role in "The Dark Knight Rises"
2015
Had recurring role of Judge Mitchell Ellis on "Murder in the First"
2018
Appeared in Ike Barinholtz-helmed action comedy "The Oath"
