- Christopher Elliott
-
Christopher Elliott 
Christopher ElliottBorn 18 December 1962
Brisbane, AustraliaYears active 1988 - present Spouse Sara Elliott Children Charlie Elliott Website http://www.cjelliott.com For the American actor, see Chris Elliott.Christopher Elliott (born in Brisbane, Australia, 18 December 1962) is an Australian Actor in Sydney represented by Carolyn White [1]. He grew up at 14 Sheldon Street Nudgee,[2] Qld., and attended Virginia State Primary School[3] 1967-1974 and then Brisbane Grammar School[4] 1975-1979.
Contents
Background
Study
Christopher is an alumnus of Stella Adler Studio Of Acting New York, famous for Alumni including Marlon Brando, Robert DeNiro, Melanie Griffith. Christopher graduated in May 1995 after 2 years in the fulltime conservatory program.[5] His teachers included the late Alice Winston,[6] Tom Oppenheim (School Director and Stella's Grandson),[7] James Tripp.[8]
Having done mostly TV and Film,[9] Christopher returned to Adler New York in January 2008 to do a year's refresher in their fulltime Evening Conservatory classes.
Career Beginnings
Christopher first started working in Film/TV in December 1988 in Los Angeles as an extra, playing a cop on the Film '"Revenge of Al Capone" [10] starring Keith Carradine, and in thirtysomething (TV series), the episode where Carly Simon came to town. Returning to Australia in 1989, (inspired by his brother Rob Elliott who had been host of Wombat and Talking Telephone Numbers, and later host for 7 years of Wheel of Fortune), Christopher approached Rob's Agent BMA in Melbourne seeking representation. He was accepted and soon after cast in two episodes of Australia's Most Wanted. Soon after Berris Underhill and Irene Baker at Frog Management took Chris onto their books and he was cast in Ratbag Hero,[11] a small role opposite Peter Fisher[12] as a young farmer. Still having never studied acting, in 1992 Christopher moved to New York having been accepted into the fulltime program at the prestigious Stella Adler Studio of Acting [13]. On returning to Australia he resumed representation with the new owner of Frog Management in Melbourne, and when Joanne Baker closed Frogs doors near the end of the 20th Century, Christopher moved across to The Actors Agency Melbourne[14] with Naomi West.
Television
Without a lesson, Christopher made his debut Australian television appearance in 1989 on Australia's Most Wanted as "The Floppy Hat Bandit", and soon after on the same series as "The Glen Iris Rapist" and then the "Deepdene Fire Witness". Then followed roles as a Dad in Animal Park, an American cop in the US TV Series Time Trax - both the Telemovie and Episode 7, and a Dad in the TV Series Animal Park.
Since graduating from Stella Adler, Chris has worked primarily on TV series, mostly cast as a bad guy including several episodes of Stingers as the dodgy and sleezy Wharf Manager Kevin Trainer and the dodgy Mr Bayer. Also the dodgy Doctor Townsend in State Coroner, the dodgy Deer Farmer Simon Morse in Blue Heelers, a Journo opposite Lisa McCune in MDA.
Christopher also played several roles on Neighbours including Trevor Marsh, and the quirky and bizarre Doctor Strand (the botox doctor),[15] a Newsreader in Backlands - a Telemovie based on a true story of the backpackers who disappeared in Queensland,[16], Bethany's photographer in Pacific Drive, the Journo Des Lonergan in Bush Patrol, and in the Thunderstone 3 in which Christopher portrays the regular role of goofy Agent Cummings[17] who tries so hard to lay down the law, and is always being outwitted by a child prodigy.[18] The series won the best TV Series in the world for Children at the English Film and Television Awards.[19]
Film
In 2008 during his return to Stella Adler New York for a year of further study, Christopher auditioned for a role in Under Jakob's Ladder a Cube City Film.[20] After 3 callbacks Christopher was cast as the evil Nikolai, head of a 1938 Russian Prison Camp, alongside leading Actor Jeff Stewart (actor) ('Reg' from The Bill TV series).
Writer/Co-Director Robert Munoz auditioned 1000 people for the roles in the film, which was shot on location in Chester, New York in April/May 2009. During the shoot Robert told Christopher that at his audition he brought an understated evil to the role which they hadn't anticipated so they changed the script to accommodate it.
Christopher first role in Film was in "Flynn" 1989,[21] starring Guy Pearce. Christopher had a small role with one single line, playing a member of Errol Flynn's Film Crew (the clapper board man). In 2005 he was cast in a role in the Australian film 'The Line' playing a corrupt anti-corruption officer. He is also heard as a voice of one of the letter writers in the 1998 film, The Dead Letter Office.
Theatre
Christopher's first appearance on stage was before he had studied acting. He was cast in Centerpiece Melbourne's 1990 production of Oliver Twist in Melbourne. After graduating from Adler he performed in New York Off Off Broadway in Pericles, and Cloud Nine.
Immediately on his return to Australia in June 1995 Christopher contacted brisbane theatres about any jobs, and auditioned for the role of Miguel Cervantes/Don Quixote in the 1995 Brisbane production of Man of La Mancha. After casting him in the lead role, Directors Robbie and Dave Parkin told Chris they had cast everyone except for the lead because they couldn't find the right person. With time running out they said to themselves maybe the guy we are looking for is still overseas. Rehearsals started that week.
Christopher also played Flan in the Melbourne production of Six Degrees of Separation at Chapel Street Theatre, and George in the Melbourne production of Amendment to Terror at La Mama Theatre (Melbourne).
In 2008 Christopher returned to New York and was cast as the Old Man in the Off Off Broadway production of the Sam Shepard play Fool For Love.[22] In the audience was Larry Loonin, director of the Fool For Love production in the 70's.
Music
Christopher's hobby is songwriting, specializing in American Country Music and RnB. As a 17 year old, he used to sing at the Northern Suburbs Country Music Club, where he met Keith Urban who offered to play guitar for him when he sang.
Personal life
On 21 July 2009, Christopher married Sara Agustina Nathan Sambo in a traditional ceremony in her home town of Rantepao in Toraja, South Sulawesi, Indonesia. They have one child Charlie Barani Elliott and are based in Sydney.
Since 2010
On 9 December 2010, Christopher confirmed his new homebase as Sydney, after returning from overseas and joined Carolyn White Management [23] and was relisted in Showcast.[24]
List of productions involving Christopher Elliott
Filmography
Year Production 2005 The Line 1998 The Dead Letter Office[26] 1989 Flynn Television
Year Production 2006 Neighbours 2005 MDA 2002 Stingers 2000 Stingers[27] 1999 Thunderstone 3 1999 Neighbours 1999 Backlands[16] 1998 State Coroner 1998 Blue Heelers[28] 1996 Bush Patrol[29] 1995 Pacific Drive[30] 1993 Time Trax 1993 Australia's Most Wanted 1992 Time Trax 1991 Animal Park 1990 Ratbag Hero[31] 1990 Australia's Most Wanted 1989 Australia's Most Wanted Stage
Year Production 2008 Fool For Love, New York, Off Off Broadway 2005 Amendment to Terror[32] 1997 Six Degrees of Separation 1995 Man of La Mancha 1995 Pericles 1995 Cloud Nine References
- ^ . http://www.carolynwhitemanagement.com.au/.
- ^ . http://www.ourbrisbane.com/suburbs/nudgee.
- ^ . http://www.virginiass.eq.edu.au/.
- ^ . http://www.brisbanegrammar.com/.
- ^ Acting School in New York City - The Stella Adler Studio
- ^ . http://www.stellaadler.com/about/faculty/paula-stevens/.
- ^ Berger, Joseph (9 April 2008). "A New Act Unfolds in Drama Dynasty". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/09/theater/09adler.html,.
- ^ . http://www.stellaadler.com/about/faculty/james-tripp/.
- ^ "cjelliott.com". http://cjelliott.com/actor.htm.
- ^ . http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0098198/fullcredits#cast.
- ^ . http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0102759/.
- ^ . http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0279734/.
- ^ . http://cjelliott.com/about.htm.
- ^ . http://actorsagency.com.au/home.php.
- ^ . http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qtnV6ZpTOPs&playnext=1&list=PL7FC7422081F43E84&index=79.
- ^ a b Bavaria Media Television | Programs Detail
- ^ . http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0138875/fullcredits#cast.
- ^ . http://pdir.film.vic.gov.au/MFO/production/browse/index.php?action=index&letter=d&pp=25&category=47&pg=1&sort=name&dir=asc&id=945 Film Victoria - Industry Directory.
- ^ . http://www.jonathan-m-shiff.com.au/index.php?View=2.
- ^ http://www.cubecity.org/
- ^ . http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Errol_Flynn.
- ^ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xsRIjisqg6c/
- ^ . http://www.carolynwhitemanagement.com.au/.
- ^ . http://www3.showcast.com.au/showcast/.
- ^ http://cubecity.org/
- ^ Dead Letter Office (1998)
- ^ STINGERS - Undercover Central
- ^ http://www.lm.net.au/~fsteiny/blueheelers_s1999.html
- ^ Australian Television: Adventures of the Bush Patrol
- ^ Australian Television: Pacific Drive
- ^ [1]
- ^ Woodhead, Cameron (13 December 2005). "Amendment to Terror". The Age (Melbourne). http://www.theage.com.au/news/arts-reviews/amendment-to-terror/2005/12/13/1134236037658.html.
External links
Categories:- 1962 births
- Living people
- Australian television actors
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