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Chris Elliott

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For the Australian actor, see Christopher Elliott.
Chris Elliott
File:Chris Elliott at the 39th Emmy Awards.jpg
Chris Elliott at the 39th Emmy Awards
Born
Christopher Nash Elliott
SpousePaula Niedert
ParentBob Elliott

Christopher Nash Elliott (born May 31, 1960) is an American comedian.

Biography

Personal life

Elliott was born in New York City, the son of Lee and Bob Elliott, who was a well-known comedian as part of the very successful comedy team Bob and Ray.[1][2] He attended the National Theater Institute in 1979. Elliott has been married since 1986 and has two children.

Acting career

Elliott often tends to play a smarmy character who thinks he is a "ladies' man" and is clueless to the fact that the women cannot stand him. He exploited that in a series of TV ads touting snack foods, in which the women tell him "Get out of here!" (though he does not "get it"). Elliott became known in the early 1980s, when he was a writer and performer on Late Night With David Letterman, playing an assortment of recurring oddball characters. His characters on the show included:

  • "The Regulator Guy" – a parody of the Mad Max series of films. The Regulator Guy segments were usually pre-taped, and presented by Letterman as the trailer for an upcoming television series. The segments featured the theme music associated with the Mad Max character. The font used for the title was similar to the font used for the then-popular American television series The Equalizer. In the Regulator Guy's only live, on-stage appearance, Elliott, carried by wires, "flew" over the audience via jet pack onto the Late Night set. The "jet pack" prop appeared to malfunction, which the Regulator Guy then blamed for ruining his dramatic appearance.
  • "The Fugitive Guy" – a parody of the TV series The Fugitive
  • "The Guy Under the Seats" – a parody of a World War II submarine captain
  • "Marlon Brando" – a parody of Brando, whom Elliott portrays as a semi-deranged man who performs a "banana dance" to the tune of "The Alley Cat".
  • "Chris Elliott, Jr." – a spoof of talk-show host Morton Downey, Jr.
  • "A Television Miracle" – During one Late Night special focused on short films, Elliott was the star of a short about himself, alluding that he was actually an animatronic being that was created for the TV show. The "miracle" was the behind-the-scenes work needed to bring his character to life and others.

In 1990, Elliott created and starred in his own sitcom, which was called Get A Life!, about a 30-year-old paperboy named Chris Peterson, who lived at home with his parents. Elliott's real-life father, Bob Elliott, appeared in the show as Peterson's father. The January 1999 issue of TV Guide called the "Zoo Animals On Wheels" episode the 19th funniest TV moment of all time.

In 1993, Elliott teamed up with producer Brad Hall and directed a series of critically acclaimed short films that Elliott showed when appearing on Late Show with David Letterman.

Elliott became a cast member of the popular Saturday Night Live show in 1994. Also that year, Elliott starred in his first movie—entitled Cabin Boy—which also featured a short appearance by Elliott's old boss, David Letterman, and was produced by Tim Burton.

His other television credits include:

  • the voice of Dogbert on the short-run show Dilbert for UPN.
  • the role of Peter in the last two seasons of Everybody Loves Raymond.
  • a role in a semi-autobiographical sitcom pilot for CBS, entitled You've Reached the Elliotts, playing a man who tries to balance a modest show business career with his home life.
  • multiple appearances on King of Queens.
  • guest appearances on Late Show
  • guest appearance on that 70's show episode "2000 light years from home"

Literature

Elliott has written three books. Daddy's Boy is a comedic fictionalized biography about growing up with his famous father, spoofing Christina Crawford's Mommie Dearest. The Shroud of the Thwacker is an historical novel about Elliott's investigation of a serial killer in 1882 New York City, spoofing London's infamous Jack the Ripper case. "Into Hot Air" tells the story of Chris climbing Mt. Everest with a group of celebrities tagging along to underwrite the trek as he investigates his Uncle Percy's failed Everest expedition.

Filmography

Television

Awards

Primetime Emmy Awards

  • 1987 Outstanding Writing in a Variety, Comedy or Music Program
  • 1986 Outstanding Writing in a Variety, Comedy or Music Program
  • 1985 Outstanding Writing in a Variety, Comedy or Music Program
  • 1984 Outstanding Writing in a Variety, Comedy or Music Program

Primetime Emmy nominations

  • 1990 Outstanding Writing in a Variety, Comedy or Music Program
  • 1989 Outstanding Writing in a Variety, Comedy or Music Program
  • 1988 Outstanding Writing in a Variety, Comedy or Music Program
  • 1986 Outstanding Writing in a Variety, Comedy or Music Program
  • 1985 Outstanding Writing in a Variety, Comedy or Music Program
  • 1984 Outstanding Writing in a Variety, Comedy or Music Program

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Chris Elliott.
  1. ^ Chris Elliott Biography (1960-)
  2. ^ Brooks Maine - Pilley House Donation - Bangor Daily News Article

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Chris_Elliott&oldid=205913228"