Chris Barrie
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| Chris Barrie | |
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 Chris Barrie at Dimension Jump XI (2004) |
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| Born | March 28, 1960 Hannover, West Germany |
Chris Barrie (born March 28, 1960) is a British actor. He first achieved success as a vocal impressionist, notably in the ITV sketch show Spitting Image. However, he is probably best known for his role as Arnold Rimmer in the sci-fi sitcom Red Dwarf.
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[edit] Biography
[edit] Early life
Barrie was born Christopher Jonathan Brown in Hannover, Lower Saxony, West Germany to a father who served in the army,[1] and boarded at Methodist College Belfast, in Northern Ireland. After dropping out of Brighton Polytechnic, he began his TV career as a sports personality impersonator on The David Essex Showcase. In addition to playing Arnold Rimmer, he is also famous for his role as leisure centre manager Gordon Brittas in the BBC1 sitcom The Brittas Empire, which was broadcast from 1991-97 and ran for seven series, totalling 54 episodes.
[edit] Red Dwarf
Barrie played Rimmer in Red Dwarf. Rimmer was a hologram, so Chris had to wear an "H" on his forehead when filming. The character is described as self-centred and not having much luck with the ladies. Barrie is the only member of the Red Dwarf cast who was thought to be 'legit' (or a real actor) by original Kryten actor, David Ross, according to Barrie during a DVD commentary for Red Dwarf. Whether or not it was in jest is unclear, but Ross considered Barrie legitimate owing to his previous work in TV, whereas Craig Charles was a poet, Danny John-Jules a dancer and Norman Lovett a stand-up comic.
Robert Llewellyn was the only British cast member originally to participate in the American version of Red Dwarf, though other actors such as Craig Charles and Chris Barrie were also approached to reprise their roles.
[edit] Roles in television and films
Barrie also hosted the television series Chris Barrie's Massive Engines and Chris Barrie's Massive Machines on the Discovery Channel which was later shown on Channel 5 where both series received record viewing figures and are now on DVD. The latest in this series Massive Speed with Chris Barrie was shown on Discovery Channel from November 2006. In 2006, he appeared as a regular team captain in the BBC2 quiz show Petrolheads, and is the star of the British crime/comedy/drama film Back In Business, in which he plays Tom Marks.
Other roles include:
- Gordon Brittas in The Brittas Empire
- Numerous voice impersonations for Spitting Image;
- Gary Prince in A Prince Among Men (1997-98).
- Ambassador/Revolutionary in Blackadder The Third (episode, "Nob And Nobility");
- Hillary the Butler in the movies Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001) and Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life (2003);
- Doubting Thomas in a small series of television advertisements for Anglian Windows;
- The voices of Captain Smollett and Ben Gunn in The Legends Of Treasure Island;
- Appearing on BBC Radio 4 sketch show Son of Cliché;
- Various recordings by Frankie Goes to Hollywood - voice impersonations of Ronald Reagan (on the 12-inch release of "Two Tribes"), as Mike Read banning the single "Relax" (on the 12-inch release of "The Power of Love"), and as HRH Prince Charles (on "Tag", from the album Welcome to the Pleasuredome);
- The title character of the game Simon the Sorcerer.
Barrie's interests include dogs, vintage motorcycles and collecting fast cars. In 1995, he released a video called Chris Barrie's Motoring Wheel Nuts, a showcase for his personal car collection. His current classic car collection comprises a Triumph TR2, MGB GT, Wolseley 1500 and a Jaguar XJ6 (his daily driver). He is a contributor for Practical Classics magazine.
[edit] References
[edit] External links
[edit] Interviews
- AYME Interview - Association of Young People with ME
- 26 September 2005: BBC - Wiltshire - Films - Interview with Chris Barrie Play audio
- 11 August 2005: BBC - Wiltshire -Mark Seaman Interview with Chris Barrie Play audio
