Christopher Guest

Christopher Guest, 2008

Christopher Haden-Guest, 5th Baron Haden-Guest (born February 5, 1948 in New York , New York , USA ), commonly known as Christopher Guest , is a British- American actor , author , director , composer and musician .

Life

Guest was born in New York as the son of British UN diplomat Peter Haden-Guest and his second wife, Jean Pauline Hindes, a former Vice President of CBS .

Christopher Guest became particularly famous for his mockumentaries , fictional, parodic documentaries. Guests mockumentaries are created without a fixed script, but only with a plot guide and improvisations by the actors. Probably the most famous film of this kind is This Is Spinal Tap , which was made in 1984 under the direction of Rob Reiner . Guest developed the story of a British heavy metal band that is trying to make a comeback in the USA, along with its co-stars of the film Michael McKean, Harry Shearer and Rob Reiner. They also wrote the titles of the imaginary band.

So far, three other films have been made in the same style, each of which Guest developed with Eugene Levy . In 1996 came When Guffman Comes in theaters, who is about a small town casting for a musical. The film Best in Show about dog shows followed in 2000, followed by A Mighty Wind about a revival concert of fictional folk stars of the 1960s in 2003 . Guest directed and played one of the leading roles in all three films, and Guest also wrote the music for A Mighty Wind along with Eugene Levy, Michael McKean and Harry Shearer. The theme song won a Grammy in 2004.

In 2006 the film For Your Consideration followed , which departed from the documentary style of the previous films, but was contested by the same ensemble. The film is about the rumor mill in Hollywood and how the prospect of an Oscar changes the lives of those involved in Home for Purim .

1984 to 1985 Guest was a permanent member of the NBC show Saturday Night Live .

Personal

After his father's death in 1996, he inherited the title of Baron Haden-Guest of Saling in the County of Essex . His older half-brother Anthony could not inherit the title because he was born before his parents were married.

Guest has been married to actress Jamie Lee Curtis since 1984 . The couple have two adopted children. Through adoption, the children can hold the father's title of nobility, but are not entitled to inheritance. The likely title heir ( Heir Presumptive ) is therefore his younger brother, the actor Nicholas Guest . Until the House of Lords Act 1999 came into force , his title was associated with a seat in the House of Lords .

Filmography (selection)

R = direction, B = script, D = actor, M = music

• 1971: Hospital (The Hospital) - Director: Arthur Hiller - (D)
• 1975: A man sees red (Death Wish) - Director: Michael Winner - (D)
• 1978: Girlfriends - Director: Claudia Weill - (D)
• 1979: Long Riders (The Long Riders) - Director: Walter Hill - (D)
• 1981: Herzquietschen (Heartbeeps) - Director: Allan Arkush - (D)
• 1982: A Team Like 'ne Million (Million Dollar Infield) - Director: Hal Cooper - (D)
• 1984: This Is Spinal Tap - Director: Rob Reiner - (D, B, M)
• 1986: Der kleine Horrorladen (Little Shop of Horrors) - directed by Frank Oz - (D)
• 1987: The Princess Bride (The Princess Bride) - Director: Rob Reiner - (D)
• 1987: $ 900,000 too much (Sticky Fingers) - Director: Catlin Adams - (D)
• 1987: Therapy pointless (Beyond Therapy) - Director: Robert Altman - (D)
• 1989: The Big Picture - (R, B)
• 1992: A Few Good Men (A Few Good Men) - Director: Rob Reiner - (D)
• 1993: Attack of the 20 Foot Woman (Attack of the 50 Foot Woman) - (R)
• 1996: When Guffman Comes (Waiting for Guffman) - (R, B, D)
• 1998: Almost Heroes ( Almost Heroes ) - (R)
• 1998: Small Soldiers (voice of Slamfist / Scratch-It)
• 2000: Best in Show - (R, B, D)
• 2003: A Mighty Wind - (R, B, D, M)
• 2005: Lady Henderson Presents (Mrs. Henderson Presents) - Director: Stephen Frears - (D)
• 2006: For Your Consideration - (R, B, D)
• 2009: Lying makes you inventive - (D)
• 2009: Nachts im Museum 2 (Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian) - (D)
• 2016: Mascots - (R, B)

Web links

• Christopher Guest in the Internet Movie Database (English)
• Christopher Guest at Hansard (English)

predecessor	Office	successor
Peter Haden-Guest	Baron Haden-Guest 1996–	current owner of the title