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Chris Ellis

Chris Ellis

Known For Acting
Birthday Apr 14, 1956 (69)
Birthplace Dallas, Texas, USA
Popularity 0.5 (history)
Updated Aug 25, 2025 (Update)
Entry Date Apr 13, 2024
Links TMDb IMDb
Biography

Chris Ellis (born April 14, 1956) is an American film and television actor. Ellis always wanted to be an actor because of television. He grew up in the 50's in the deep south in a "world of privation and violence", but saw on television people who seemed to have lives of ease and privilege. It took ... him seven years to finish college however, because "I have always been shiftless". During those years Chris became involved in community theatre in Memphis, where "I did and do still think the quality of the work has always been quite good". By the time he moved to New York, he had worked with many excellent actors in about two dozen plays, classical and contemporary. "I cannot imagine what might have supplanted that background for a newcomer in New York." His first part in either television or film came in 1979, where he played a truck driver in the TV movie The Suicide's Wife, which starred Angie Dickinson. The role resulted in very little TV or film work. After working in regional theatre for a year or so, Chris fell off the radar screen and did not work for about ten years. During that time he lived in "bone-grinding poverty" in Manhattan's Hell's Kitchen. In one nine-month period of 1987, Chris accepted 102 dinner invitations. "I don't know why they kept arriving, nor why I counted them, though I do know why I accepted them." In 1990, a break came when he got a part in Days of Thunder, which starred Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, Cary Elwes, Robert Duvall, and Randy Quaid. John C. Reilly and Fred Dalton Thompson also appear. This seemed to jump-start Ellis' career as parts in films like My Cousin Vinny with Joe Pesci and Marisa Tomei, a small part in Addams Family Values, and a larger one in Apollo 13 as former NASA Mercury Seven astronaut Deke Slayton, alongside Tom Hanks, followed. He also began picking up credits on well-known television shows like Melrose Place, NYPD Blue, and The X-Files. Since working with Hanks on Apollo 13, the two have worked together on That Thing You Do, the TV miniseries From the Earth to the Moon, and Catch Me If You Can. Ellis returned to a fictional NASA Mission Control when he played a Flight Director in 1998's Armageddon. Additional films in which Ellis has appeared include Home Fries, October Sky, Live Free or Die Hard, and Transformers. His television credits also include The West Wing, Ghost Whisperer, Chicago Hope, The Pretender, Alias, JAG, CSI: NY, Burn Notice, and Cold Case. He appeared in three season one episodes of Millennium as group member Jim Panseayres. He has established a reputation as being particularly talented at portraying Southern lawmakers or serious military or police-type characters. He also appeared in Criminal Minds as Sheriff Jimmy Rhodes who calls for the BAU's help in investigating a string of murders in New Mexico. In addition to that, he also had two guest appearances in NCIS as Gunnery Sergeant John Deluca. Ellis's appearance in the Season 1 episode, "The Curse" was uncredited while his second and final appearance in Season 2's "The Bone Yard" was credited. Description above from the Wikipedia article Chris Ellis (actor), licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Known For

Filmography

Silo

Silo

2021

as Mr. Adler

Kenny

Kenny

2018

as Al

The Oath

The Oath

2018

as Hank

What Still Remains

What Still Remains

2018

as Harvey

The Show

The Show

2017

as Keller

Amelia 2.0

Amelia 2.0

2017

as Senator Thaddeus

Pitching Tents

Pitching Tents

2017

as Principal Don Bishop

Faults

Faults

2014

as Dad

Jessabelle

Jessabelle

2014

as Sheriff Pruitt

The Guest

The Guest

2014

as Hendricks

The Dark Knight Rises

The Dark Knight Rises

2012

as Fr. Reilly

Teenage Dirtbag

Teenage Dirtbag

2009

as Pops

G-Force

G-Force

2009

as NSA Director

Gospel Hill

Gospel Hill

2008

as L Donn Murray

Crazy

Crazy

2008

as Glen the Carousel Manager

Live Free or Die Hard

Live Free or Die Hard

2007

as Capt. Jack Scalvino

Transformers

Transformers

2007

as Admiral Brigham

Sissy Frenchfry

Sissy Frenchfry

2006

as Willinger McDodey

The Devil's Rejects

The Devil's Rejects

2005

as Coggs

The Island

The Island

2005

as Aces & Spades Barman

Fun with Dick and Jane

Fun with Dick and Jane

2005

as Vice President - Grand Cayman Bank

Death and Texas

Death and Texas

2004

as Phillip Brodeur

In Enemy Hands

In Enemy Hands

2004

as Samuel Littleton

Helter Skelter

Helter Skelter

2004

as Sgt. Whiteley

Tiger Cruise

Tiger Cruise

2004

as Captain Anderson

My Dinner with Jimi

My Dinner with Jimi

2003

as Sergeant

Love Liza

Love Liza

2002

as Patriot Model Aeronautics Clerk

Catch Me If You Can

Catch Me If You Can

2002

as Special Agent Witkins

Beyond the City Limits

Beyond the City Limits

2001

as Det. Hanson

Planet of the Apes

Planet of the Apes

2001

as Commander Karl Vasich

Domestic Disturbance

Domestic Disturbance

2001

as Detective Warren

Daddy and Them

Daddy and Them

2001

as Dewey

The Watcher

The Watcher

2000

as Hollis

October Sky

October Sky

1999

as Principal Turner

Home Fries

Home Fries

1998

as Henry Lever

Armageddon

Armageddon

1998

as Flight Director Clark

Godzilla

Godzilla

1998

as General Anderson

Bean

Bean

1997

as Detective Butler

Sparkler

Sparkler

1997

as Buddy #1

Wag the Dog

Wag the Dog

1997

as Officer

Con Air

Con Air

1997

as BOP Official Grant

That Thing You Do!

That Thing You Do!

1996

as Phil Horace

Her Costly Affair

Her Costly Affair

1996

as Wes

If These Walls Could Talk

If These Walls Could Talk

1996

as Crowd Leader

Apollo 13

Apollo 13

1995

as Deke Slayton

A Little Princess

A Little Princess

1995

as Policeman

The Tie That Binds

The Tie That Binds

1995

as Security Guard #1

Crimson Tide

Crimson Tide

1995

as Additional Magician

Undercover Blues

Undercover Blues

1993

as Burt

Addams Family Values

Addams Family Values

1993

as Moving Man

My Cousin Vinny

My Cousin Vinny

1992

as J.T.

Days of Thunder

Days of Thunder

1990

as Harlem Hoogerhyde

No data available

No data available

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Organization Category Movie
Television Credits

The Unit

as Congressman Bruce Gelber

Episodes: 3

First Aired: Mar 07, 2006

Millennium

as Jim Penseyres

Episodes: 3

First Aired: Oct 25, 1996

Six Feet Under

as Construction Worker #2

Episodes: 2

First Aired: Jun 03, 2001

Ghost Whisperer

as Captain Ken Nilsen

Episodes: 2

First Aired: Sep 23, 2005

Burn Notice

as Virgil Watkins

Episodes: 2

First Aired: Jun 28, 2007

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles

as Hayes

Episodes: 2

First Aired: Jan 13, 2008

Veronica Mars

as Reverend Ted Capistrano

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Sep 22, 2004

Alias

as Agent Chapman

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Sep 30, 2001

The Pretender

as Daniel Crockett

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Sep 19, 1996

Cold Case

as Jim Horn (2008)

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Sep 28, 2003

CSI: NY

as Vincent Williams

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Sep 22, 2004

Criminal Minds

as Sheriff Rhodes

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Sep 22, 2005

The X-Files

as Sheriff Lance Hindt

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Sep 10, 1993

9-1-1: Lone Star

as Derek Poole

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Jan 19, 2020

Melrose Place

as Cop

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Jul 08, 1992

Roswell

as T. Greer

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Oct 06, 1999

Family Law

as Mr. Reese

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Sep 20, 1999

K.C. Undercover

as Christos Markos

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Jan 18, 2015

Birds of Prey

as Larry Ketterly

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Oct 09, 2002

Diagnosis: Murder

as Leonard Wilson

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Oct 29, 1993

The West Wing

as Congressman Fields

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Sep 22, 1999

Political Animals

as Jubal Jacobs

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Jul 15, 2012

Mad Men

as Del Hill

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Jul 19, 2007

From the Earth to the Moon

as Bob Parker

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Apr 05, 1998

The Mentalist

as Sherrif Mullery

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Sep 23, 2008

Law & Order: LA

as Walter Exley

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Sep 29, 2010

Space: Above and Beyond

as Adm. Stenner

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Sep 24, 1995

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation

as Clinton Malton

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Oct 06, 2000

The Finder

as Warden Nick Larsen

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Jan 12, 2012

Justified

as Douglas Cooper

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Mar 16, 2010

Promised Land

as Brian Pascal

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Sep 17, 1996

Fairly Legal

as Maddox Resor

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Jan 20, 2011

Murder One

as Mr. Switzer

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Sep 20, 1995

Warehouse 13

as Colonel Arnold Cassell

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Jul 07, 2009

NCIS

as John Deluca

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Sep 23, 2003

Young Sheldon

as Marty Steinbecker

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Sep 25, 2017

Homecoming

as Richard Lehmann

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Nov 01, 2018

The Office

as Chris O'Keefe

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Mar 24, 2005

Arliss

as Henneman

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Aug 10, 1996

Las Vegas

as Dr. Sassen

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Sep 22, 2003

First Monday

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Jan 15, 2002

Chicago Hope

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Sep 18, 1994

Popularity Metrics

Popularity History


Year Month Avg Max Min
2024 6 11 17 6
2024 7 16 21 11
2024 8 13 41 7
2024 9 12 24 5
2024 10 9 17 6
2024 11 6 11 3
2024 12 9 22 4
2025 1 11 25 5
2025 2 5 10 1
2025 3 5 17 1
2025 4 1 1 1
2025 5 2 3 1
2025 6 1 2 1
2025 7 0 1 0
2025 8 2 13 0
2025 9 0 1 0

Trending Rank


Year Month Avg Rank Max Rank
2025 8 535 480

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