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Chris Ellis

Highest Rated: 96% Apollo 13 (1995)

Lowest Rated: 10% This Is Your Death (2017)

Birthday: Apr 14, 1956

Birthplace: Dallas, Texas, USA

A go-to character actor for tough authority figures for nearly two decades, Chris Ellis distinguished himself through small but memorable turns in features like "Days of Thunder" (1990), "Apollo 13" (1995), "Catch Me If You Can" (2002) and countless television shows. A native of Memphis, Ellis' Southern roots informed many of his roles, lending a degree of folksy humanity to the scores of police detectives, Army generals, lawyers and occasional rough-hewn criminals. Like many character players, Ellis moved largely into television in the 2000s, where he enjoyed recurring roles on "NCIS" (CBS, 2003- ), "Ghost Whisperer" (CBS, 2005-2010) and "Burn Notice" (USA Network, 2007-2013) in addition to scores of one-off guest performances. Though most viewers knew Chris Ellis by appearance rather than his name, he remained one of the hardest-working and most appreciated supporting talents in features and television.

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Highest rated movies

96% 87% Apollo 13
Watchlist
96% 89% Catch Me if You Can
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93% 78% That Thing You Do!
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92% 69% Faults
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91% 88% October Sky
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91% 92% Dont Look Back
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80% 43% The Memory Thief
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75% Death and Texas
Watchlist 63% 40% The Oath Watchlist 60% 63% Silo Watchlist
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Chris Ellis

Chris Ellis Fairly Legal, Chris Ellis, 'Bo Me Once', Season 1, Ep. #4, 02/10/2011, ©USA Fairly Legal, Chris Ellis, 'The Two Richards', Season 1, Ep. #5, 02/17/2011, ©USA Fairly Legal, Chris Ellis (L), Sarah Shahi (R), 'The Two Richards', Season 1, Ep. #5, 02/17/2011, ©USA CRIMSON TIDE, Denzel Washington, Chris Ellis, Gene Hackman, 1995, (c) Buena Vista THE OATH, FROM LEFT: MEREDITH HAGNER, JON BARINHOLTZ, CARRIE BROWNSTEIN, IKE BARINHOLTZ, TIFFANY HADDISH, NORA DUNN, CHRIS ELLIS, 2018. © ROADSIDE ATTRACTIONS THE WATCHER, Chris Ellis, 2000, © Universal Burn Notice, Bruce Campbell (L), Chris Ellis (R), 'Rough Seas', Season 2, Ep. #7, 08/21/2008, ©USA Burn Notice, Bruce Campbell (L), Chris Ellis (R), 'Rough Seas', Season 2, Ep. #7, 08/21/2008, ©USA Burn Notice, Bruce Campbell (L), Chris Ellis (R), 'Rough Seas', Season 2, Ep. #7, 08/21/2008, ©USA View more photos

Filmography

Movies

Credit
No Score Yet 96% The Ghost Trap Unknown (Character) - 2024
60% 63% Silo Mr. Adler (Character) - 2019
63% 40% The Oath Hank (Character) $387.4K 2018
10% 39% This Is Your Death Keller (Character) - 2017
No Score Yet 66% Amelia 2.0 Senator Thaddeus (Character) - 2017
No Score Yet No Score Yet Trigger Patrick (Character) - 2016
92% 69% Faults Dad (Character) - 2014
29% 30% Jessabelle Sheriff Pruitt (Character) - 2014
57% 78% Grace Unplugged Pastor Tim Bryant (Character) $2.5M 2013
No Score Yet 76% Teenage Dirtbag Mr. Mangeress (Character) - 2009
33% 36% Gospel Hill L Don Murray (Character) - 2008
80% 43% The Memory Thief Mr. DeSilva (Character) - 2007
No Score Yet 15% Death to the Supermodels Unknown (Character) - 2005
75% No Score Yet Death and Texas Phillip Brodeur (Character) - 2004
96% 89% Catch Me if You Can Special Agent Witkins (Character) $164.4M 2002
No Score Yet 12% Beyond the City Limits Det. Hanson (Character) - 2001
11% 28% The Watcher Hollis (Character) $28.9M 2000
91% 88% October Sky Principal Turner (Character) $32.6M 1999
No Score Yet No Score Yet Atomic Train Ed Brown (Character) - 1999
43% 73% Armageddon Walter Clark (Character) $201.6M 1998
31% 34% Home Fries Henry Lever (Character) $10.5M 1998
No Score Yet No Score Yet Max Q: Emergency Landing Bob Matthews (Character) - 1998
93% 78% That Thing You Do! Phil Horace (Character) $25.9M 1996
96% 87% Apollo 13 Deke Slayton (Character) $173.8M 1995
91% 92% Dont Look Back Self - 1967

TV

Credit
94% 96% Mad Men Del Hill (Guest Star) 2015
57% 82% The Finder Unknown (Guest Star) 2012
No Score Yet No Score Yet In Plain Sight Reidell (Guest Star) 2011
No Score Yet 80% CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Unknown (Guest Star) 2011
No Score Yet 90% The Mentalist Sheriff Mullery (Guest Star) 2010
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Good Guys Unknown (Guest Star) 2010
97% 95% Justified Unknown (Guest Star) 2010
81% 89% The Office Chris O'Keefe (Guest Star) 2009
85% 86% Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles Unknown (Guest Star) 2009
5% No Score Yet Knight Rider Unknown (Guest Star) 2009
No Score Yet 95% Cold Case Unknown (Guest Star) 2008
88% 95% Burn Notice Virgil Watkins (Guest Star) 2007-2008
85% 77% The Unit Unknown (Guest Star) 2006-2007
92% 80% Veronica Mars Reverend Ted Capistrano (Guest Star) 2007
No Score Yet 87% Ghost Whisperer Unknown (Guest Star) 2006
No Score Yet 83% Criminal Minds Unknown (Guest Star) 2006
No Score Yet 82% CSI: New York Vincent Williams (Guest Star) 2005
No Score Yet 84% NCIS Gunnery Sgt. John Deluca (Guest Star) 2004
60% No Score Yet Line of Fire Unknown (Guest Star) 2004
No Score Yet No Score Yet JAG Unknown (Guest Star) 2004
86% 88% Alias Agent Chapman (Guest Star) 2002
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Practice Unknown (Guest Star) 2002
81% 96% Six Feet Under Construction Worker 2 (Guest Star) 2002
21% No Score Yet First Monday Unknown (Guest Star) 2002
No Score Yet No Score Yet Diagnosis Murder Unknown (Guest Star) 2001
No Score Yet No Score Yet Family Law Unknown (Guest Star) 2000
No Score Yet No Score Yet Promised Land Unknown (Guest Star) 1998
No Score Yet 85% From the Earth to the Moon Bob Parker (Character) 1998
No Score Yet 86% Millennium Unknown (Guest Star) 1996
74% 86% The X-Files Sheriff Lance Hindt (Guest Star) 1996
83% 95% NYPD Blue Marshal (Guest Star) 1993