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Chris Isaak

Highest Rated: 93% That Thing You Do! (1996)

Lowest Rated: 13% The Informers (2009)

Birthday: Jun 26, 1956

Birthplace: Stockton, California, USA

A blue-eyed, retro-hip crooner who has crossed over into acting, Chris Isaak has lent his smooth mournful guitar and lilting vocals to several feature soundtracks. The son of a blue-collar California family, Isaak studied in Japan in the 1970s, then began his music career with the band Silvertone in the mid-'80s. He first came to filmgoers' attention with songs in David Lynch's "Blue Velvet" (1986) and "Wild at Heart" (1990), notably the hit "Wicked Game." He has also been heard on the soundtracks of "Modern Girls" (1986), "North Shore" (1987), "Shag" and "Married to the Mob" (both 1988). Between record releases and tours, Isaak has recorded for such latter-day films as Edward Zwick's "Leaving Normal" (1992), Clint Eastwood's "A Perfect World" (1993) and Ron Shelton's "Tin Cup" (1996). Isaak's good looks and soft-spoken manner also earned him several small film roles, beginning as a fast-food clown in Jonathan Demme's "Married to the Mob" (1988) and a SWAT commander in Demme's "Silence of the Lambs" (1991). Isaak also appeared in the rockumentary "Let's Get Lost" (1988) and played an FBI agent in David Lynch's "Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me" (1992). But his acting career was pretty much a lark until 1994, when Bernardo Bertolucci cast him as the father of a child who may be the "Little Buddha." More supporting roles followed in the music-related films "Grace of My Heart," directed by Alison Anders, and "That Thing You Do!" (both 1996), which marked Tom Hanks' directorial debut. Also in 1996, Isaak made his TV acting debut as a children's library worker on the highly-hyped post-Super Bowl episode of NBC's hit sitcom "Friends."

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Highest rated movies

93% 78% That Thing You Do!
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79% 79% Grace of My Heart
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65% 53% Little Buddha
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64% 78% Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me
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55% 51% A Dirty Shame
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13% 18% The Informers
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28% End of Innocence
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30% The Preppie Murder
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89% Twin Peaks: The Missing Pieces
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Filmography

Movies

Credit
No Score Yet 89% Twin Peaks: The Missing Pieces Special Agent Chester Desmond (Character) - 2014
13% 18% The Informers Les Price (Character) - 2009
55% 51% A Dirty Shame Vaughn Stickles (Character) $1.3M 2004
No Score Yet 28% End of Innocence Emerson Cotswold (Character) - 1999
93% 78% That Thing You Do! Uncle Bob (Character) $25.9M 1996
79% 79% Grace of My Heart Matthew Lewis (Character) $646.9K 1996
65% 53% Little Buddha Dean Conrad (Character) $2.3M 1993
64% 78% Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me Special Agent Chester Desmond (Character) $4.2M 1992
No Score Yet 30% The Preppie Murder Original Music - 1989

TV

Credit
No Score Yet No Score Yet Rachael Ray Guest 2022
No Score Yet 42% Jimmy Kimmel Live! Music Performer 2011 2022
No Score Yet No Score Yet Great Performances Music Performer 2020
No Score Yet 54% American Idol Music Performer 2019
No Score Yet No Score Yet Tavis Smiley Guest 2016
100% 94% Adventure Time Seven (Guest Voice) 2015
No Score Yet 84% Hot in Cleveland Chase Jackson (Guest Star) 2014
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Tonight Show With Jay Leno Music Performer 2014
No Score Yet No Score Yet Conan Music Performer 2012
No Score Yet 64% The Cleveland Show Unknown (Guest Voice) 2011
No Score Yet 90% American Dad! Unknown (Guest Voice) 2009
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Wendy Williams Show Music Performer 2009
No Score Yet No Score Yet Chris Isaak Show Unknown (Character) 2001-2004
85% No Score Yet American Dreams Unknown (Guest Star) 2004
No Score Yet No Score Yet Ed Unknown (Guest Star) 2003
No Score Yet No Score Yet Melrose Place Self 1999
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Daily Show Guest 1999
No Score Yet 85% From the Earth to the Moon Ed White (Character) 1998
78% 93% Friends Rob Donnen (Guest Star) 1996
No Score Yet 57% Saturday Night Live Music Performer 1991
No Score Yet No Score Yet MTV Unplugged Self