Chris Ellis
Biography
Chris Ellis is an American film and television actor who was born on April 14, 1956, in Dallas, Texas. Growing up in the deep South during the 1950s in an environment he described as a world of privation and violence, he was inspired to pursue acting because television portrayed people leading lives of ease and privilege. It took him seven years to finish college, a delay he attributed to being shiftless. During those years, he became involved in community theatre in Memphis, working on about two dozen classical and contemporary plays alongside many excellent actors before eventually moving to New York. In his professional career in acting, he has accumulated 108 known credits.
Career overview
Chris Ellis is an American film and television actor who was born on April 14, 1956, in Dallas, Texas. Growing up in the deep south during the 1950s in a world of privation and violence, he always wanted to be an actor because of television, having seen people on the screen who seemed to have lives of ease and privilege.
It took him seven years to finish college because he described himself as always being shiftless. During those college years, he became involved in community theatre in Memphis, where he believed the quality of the work has always been quite good. By the time he eventually moved to New York, he had worked with many excellent actors and performed in about two dozen classical and contemporary plays.
Today, Chris Ellis is credited on The Movie Database with 108 known credits in the acting category for his work in film and television.
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Frequent co-stars
Career timeline
Full filmography
- The Ghost Trap (2024) as Doug Kane
- Silo (2021) as Mr. Adler
- 9-1-1: Lone Star (2020) as Derek Poole
- Homecoming (2018) as Richard Lehmann
- What Still Remains (2018) as Harvey
- The Oath (2018) as Hank
- Kenny (2018) as Al
- Young Sheldon (2017) as Marty Steinbecker
- The Show (2017) as Keller
- Amelia 2.0 (2017) as Senator Thaddeus Williams
- Pitching Tents (2017) as Principal Don Bishop
- K.C. Undercover (2015) as Christos Markos
- McFarland, USA (2015) as Coach Jenks (as Chris Ellis Jr.)
- The Guest (2014) as Hendricks
- Jessabelle (2014) as Sheriff Pruitt
- Faults (2014) as Dad
- The Dark Knight Rises (2012) as Fr. Reilly
- The Finder (2012) as Warden Nick Larsen
- Political Animals (2012) as Jubal Jacobs
- Harry's Law (2011)
- Fairly Legal (2011) as Maddox Resor
- Justified (2010) as Douglas Cooper
- Law & Order: LA (2010) as Walter Exley
- The Good Guys (2010) as Beau Teague
- Warehouse 13 (2009) as Colonel Arnold Cassell
- G-Force (2009) as NSA Director
- Teenage Dirtbag (2009) as Pops
- The Mentalist (2008) as Sherrif Mullery
- Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (2008) as Hayes
- In Plain Sight (2008) as Reidell
- Gospel Hill (2008) as L Donn Murray
- Crazy (2008) as Glen the Carousel Manager
- Mad Men (2007) as Del Hill
- Burn Notice (2007) as Virgil Watkins
- Live Free or Die Hard (2007) as Capt. Jack Scalvino
- Transformers (2007) as Admiral Brigham
- The Unit (2006) as Congressman Bruce Gelber
- Vanished (2006) as Shelton
- The Darkroom (2006) as Jackson
- Sissy Frenchfry (2006) as Willinger McDodey
- Believe in Me (2006) as Jim Stovall
- Criminal Minds (2005) as Sheriff Rhodes
- The Office (2005) as Chris O'Keefe
- Ghost Whisperer (2005) as Captain Ken Nilsen
- The Island (2005) as Aces & Spades Barman
- Fun with Dick and Jane (2005) as Vice President - Grand Cayman Bank
- The Devil's Rejects (2005) as Coggs
- CSI: NY (2004) as Vincent Williams
- Veronica Mars (2004) as Reverend Ted Capistrano
- Helter Skelter (2004) as Sgt. Whiteley
- In Enemy Hands (2004) as Samuel Littleton
- Tiger Cruise (2004) as Captain Anderson
- Death and Texas (2004) as Phillip Brodeur
- NCIS (2003) as John Deluca
- Cold Case (2003) as Jim Horn (2008)
- Las Vegas (2003) as Dr. Sassen
- Wonderland (2003) as Captain Nimziki
- My Dinner with Jimi (2003) as Sergeant
- Catch Me If You Can (2002) as Special Agent Witkins
- Birds of Prey (2002) as Larry Ketterly
- First Monday (2002)
- Love Liza (2002) as Patriot Model Aeronautics Clerk
- Six Feet Under (2001) as Construction Worker #2
- Planet of the Apes (2001) as Commander Karl Vasich
- Alias (2001) as Agent Chapman
- Domestic Disturbance (2001) as Detective Warren
- Beyond the City Limits (2001) as Det. Hanson
- Daddy and Them (2001) as Dewey
- CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2000) as Clinton Malton
- The Watcher (2000) as Hollis
- The West Wing (1999) as Congressman Fields
- Roswell (1999) as T. Greer
- Family Law (1999) as Mr. Reese
- October Sky (1999) as Principal Turner
- Armageddon (1998) as Flight Director Clark
- From the Earth to the Moon (1998) as Bob Parker
- Godzilla (1998) as General Anderson
- Home Fries (1998) as Henry Lever
- On the Line (1998) as Officer Roux
- The Practice (1997) as Zoning Board Chairman Donald Blane
- Con Air (1997) as BOP Official Grant
- Bean (1997) as Detective Butler
- Wag the Dog (1997) as Officer
- Sparkler (1997) as Buddy #1
- Arli$$ (1996) as Henneman
- Arli$$ (1996) as Maynard Dupree
- Millennium (1996) as Jim Penseyres
- The Pretender (1996) as Daniel Crockett
- Promised Land (1996) as Brian Pascal
- That Thing You Do! (1996) as Phil Horace
- If These Walls Could Talk (1996) as Crowd Leader
- Her Costly Affair (1996) as Wes
- Murder One (1995) as Mr. Switzer
- Apollo 13 (1995) as Deke Slayton
- Space: Above and Beyond (1995) as Adm. Stenner
- Crimson Tide (1995) as Additional Magician
- A Little Princess (1995) as Policeman
- The Tie That Binds (1995) as Security Guard #1
- Chicago Hope (1994) as Bill Erskine
- In the Line of Duty: The Price of Vengeance (1994) as News Vendor
- The X-Files (1993) as Sheriff Lance Hindt
- NYPD Blue (1993) as Marshal
- Diagnosis: Murder (1993) as Leonard Wilson
- Addams Family Values (1993) as Moving Man
- Undercover Blues (1993) as Burt
- Melrose Place (1992) as Cop
- My Cousin Vinny (1992) as J.T.
- Days of Thunder (1990) as Harlem Hoogerhyde
- Rascals and Robbers: The Secret Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn (1982) as Clown