James Callis

Infobox actor


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caption = Callis with Tricia Helfer, 2007
birthname = James Callis
birthdate = birth date and age|1971|6|4
birthplace = London UK
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homepage =
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spouse = Neha Callis

James Callis (born June 4, 1971) is a British actor. He is best known for playing Dr. Gaius Baltar in the re-imagined "Battlestar Galactica" miniseries and television series, and Bridget Jones' best gay friend in Bridget Jones' Diary.

Biography

Early life

Callis was born and raised in London, where he attended Harrow School in North West London. His parents owned a bed-and-breakfast. [ [http://www.filmreference.com/film/29/James-Callis.html James Callis Biography (1971-) ] ] Callis is Christ, [ [http://www.jewishjournal.com/home/preview.php?id=16608 JewishJournal.com ] ] the descendant of immigrants from Russia and Poland. [ [http://jamescallis.tripod.com/messagesfromjames/jamesmessage-30.htm Message 27: 30-Sep-2002 ] ] In 1990, he studied for a BA in English and Related Literature at the University of York, where he was a member of Derwent College. At university he was a keen student actor, director, and writer, sometimes also appearing in productions put on by friends at Cambridge University, including a production of Harold Pinter's "The Birthday Party". He graduated from York in 1993.

Career

Callis subsequently went on to the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art from which he graduated in 1996, and in the same year he was awarded the Jack Tinker Award (Theatre Record Critic of the Year) for Most Promising Newcomer for his performance in "Old Wicked Songs", a two-hander by Jon Marans, in which he starred alongside Bob Hoskins.

Callis has appeared in various West End productions and television series as well as on radio. He has also been involved in writing and directing. His directional debut was "Beginner's Luck", a co-production of his and writer/director Nick Cohen's Late Night Pictures and Angel Eye Film & TV, starring Julie Delpy, Steven Berkoff, and Fenella Fielding. "Beginner's Luck" was critically panned, but ran for almost three weeks on one print (all the low-budget film could afford) in one cinema in central London, then went on a tour of student cinemas around the U.K. The U.K. distributor was Guerrilla Films. The film is still on the Icon Catalogue.

Callis finished filming his first role in a cinema film, "Bridget Jones's Diary", alongside Renée Zellweger & Hugh Grant, in the summer of 2000 and between a few further film and TV roles went back on stage in the Soho Theatre in December 2002.

In 2003, Callis landed the role of Dr. Gaius Baltar in the re-imagined "Battlestar Galactica" miniseries, and has continued the role in the regular series that followed. In 2006, Callis won Best Supporting Actor Saturn Award, a Peabody Award, and an AFI award (all "Battlestar"-related)

Personal life

Callis has two sisters. He lives in London, with his wife Neha, and their sons Joshua and Sacha, who were born in 2003 and 2005, respectively. Apart from acting, directing, and writing, he writes music, and plays piano and guitar.

Notable appearances

Film and Television:
*"One Night with the King" (2006) - Haman
*"Dead Cool" (2004) - Josh
*"" (2004) - Tom
*"Battlestar Galactica" (2003 - present) (TV) - Doctor Gaius Baltar
*"Helen of Troy" (2003) (TV) - King Menelaus (Helen's husband)
*"Blue Dove" (2003) - Dominic
*"Relic Hunter" (2002) - Raoul
*"Beginners Luck" (2002) - Mark (James also wrote, co-directed & co-produced this film)
*"Victoria & Albert" (2001) (TV) - Ernest (Albert's brother)
*"As If" (2001) (TV) - Sebastian
*"Bridget Jones's Diary" (2001) - Tom
*"Arabian Nights" (2000) (TV) - Prince Ahmed
*"Jason & The Argonauts" (1999) - Aspyrtes
*"Sex, Chips & Rock n' Roll" (1999) (TV) - The Wolf
*"Surety" (1999) - Short film directed & produced with Nick Cohen
*"Heat of the Sun" (1999) (TV) - Clive Lanyard
*"Ruth Rendell Mysteries: Going Wrong" (1998) (TV) - Guy Curran
*"The Scarlet Pimpernel" (1998) (TV) .... Henri
*"Weekend Bird" (1997) - Mike
*"A Dance to the Music of Time" (1997) (TV) - Prof. Russell Gwinnett
*"Soldier Soldier" (1996) (TV) - Major Tim Forrester
*"Murder Most Horrid" (1996) (TV) - Mark (in episode: "Confess")Radio:
*"HMS Ulysses" (1997) Saturday Playhouse (Radio 4) - aired on 14 June 1997
*"Daisy Miller" (199?) - Winterbourne

References

External links

*imdb name|id=0130536|name=James Callis
* [http://www.ugo.com/channels/filmtv/features/jamescallis/ Am I Lying with James Callis]
* [http://www.myspace.com/jamescallisfans James Callis Fans on Myspace]