Chris Elliott facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Chris Elliott
Elliott at the 2011 San Diego Comic-Con
Born	Christopher Nash Elliott (1960-05-31) May 31, 1960 (age 65) New York City, U.S.
Occupation	Actor comedian writer
Years active	1982–present
Spouse(s)	Paula Niedert ​ (m. 1986)​
Children	Abby Elliott Bridey Elliott
Parent(s)	Bob Elliott (father)
Relatives	Steve Higgins (brother-in-law) John Higgins (nephew)

Chris Elliott (born May 31, 1960) is an American actor, comedian, and writer. He is famous for his unique and often silly sense of humor.

Chris Elliott became well-known for his funny characters on Late Night with David Letterman in the 1980s. He also created and starred in his own TV show called Get a Life. Later, he appeared in many popular movies like Groundhog Day and There's Something About Mary. More recently, you might know him as Roland Schitt from the hit TV show Schitt's Creek. He has won several awards for his writing and acting.

Early life

Chris Elliott was born in New York City on May 31, 1960. He is the youngest of five children. His mother, Lee Peppers, was a model and TV director. His father, Bob Elliott, was a very successful comedian, part of the famous comedy team Bob and Ray. Chris grew up in a neighborhood called the Upper East Side in New York. He also studied theater for a short time at the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center.

Career

Working with David Letterman

Chris Elliott started his career working behind the scenes on Late Night with David Letterman in 1982. By 1983, he became a writer for the show and started appearing on camera more often. He became good friends and writing partners with Matt Wickline, another writer. Together, they created special episodes, including one that won an Emmy Award. Chris and the other writers won four Emmys for their work on Letterman.

Chris became famous for playing many funny, unusual characters on the show. These characters would appear for a few weeks or months. Some of his most famous characters included The Conspiracy Guy, The Panicky Guy, and The Regulator Guy. His most well-known character was The Guy Under The Seats, a man who supposedly lived under the audience seats and would get angry at David Letterman.

Chris Elliott at the 41st Emmy Awards in 1989

While still working on Letterman, Chris also starred in two TV specials for Cinemax in 1987. One was called FDR: A One Man Show, where he pretended to be Franklin D. Roosevelt in a very silly way. He made up stories about Roosevelt's life that were not true. He also starred in Action Family.

Later, Chris started working with writer Adam Resnick on his Letterman characters. They created characters who were often self-centered show business people. These included a Las Vegas performer named Skylark and a talk show host named Chris Elliott Jr. He also did funny impressions of famous people like Marlon Brando and Jay Leno.

In 1985, Chris was offered a job to join the cast of Saturday Night Live, but he decided to stay at Letterman. He also started taking small roles in movies like Manhunter and The Abyss. He even appeared in an episode of Miami Vice.

The 1990s

Chris Elliott left Late Night in 1990 and moved to Los Angeles. However, he often returned to be a guest on Late Night and later on The Late Show with David Letterman.

In 1990, Chris starred in his own TV show called Get a Life, which he created with Adam Resnick. The show was about a 30-year-old paperboy named Chris Peterson who still lived with his parents. Chris's real-life father, Bob Elliott, played his dad on the show. One episode, "Zoo Animals on Wheels," was even called one of the funniest TV moments ever by TV Guide.

In 1993, Chris worked with producer Brad Hall to direct several short films. He showed these films when he appeared on Late Show with David Letterman. That same year, he had a notable supporting role in the movie Groundhog Day, where he played Bill Murray's cameraman.

The director Tim Burton liked Get a Life and hired Chris and Adam Resnick to write a movie for Chris to star in. This movie was Cabin Boy. Tim Burton ended up not directing it, and Adam Resnick took over. When Cabin Boy came out in 1994, it received bad reviews and didn't do well at the box office. Chris even won a Razzie Award for Worst New Star. However, the movie has since become a cult favorite, meaning some people really love it now.

After Cabin Boy, Chris joined the cast of Saturday Night Live for the 1994 season. He moved back to New York City for the show. But he found his time there "terrible." He felt too old and didn't like the competitive atmosphere or the late hours. He left the show at the end of the 1994-1995 season.

After SNL, Chris continued to appear in supporting roles in movies and TV shows. He joined the TV show The Naked Truth for its third season, but the show was soon canceled. He then played Ben Stiller's best friend in the hit comedy There's Something About Mary, which helped his movie career get back on track.

The 2000s

Chris started the 2000s with a big role as the villain in the Nickelodeon movie Snow Day. In 2000, he also returned to a regular role on TV in the NBC sitcom Cursed. This show was given a great time slot after Friends, but it was later canceled.

Next, Chris played important supporting roles in Scary Movie 2 and Osmosis Jones. From 2003 to 2005, he had a recurring role as Peter MacDougall, Robert's strange brother-in-law, in the last three seasons of Everybody Loves Raymond.

From 2009 to 2014, Chris had a recurring role on How I Met Your Mother. He played Mickey Aldrin, the father of the character Lily Aldrin.

The 2010s to Today

In 2011, Chris Elliott returned to a main TV role in the Adult Swim series Eagleheart. In this show, Chris played U.S. Marshal Chris Monsanto in a very over-the-top and dark parody of police TV shows. The show ran for three seasons and became a cult hit.

In 2015, Chris joined the cast of Schitt's Creek. He starred alongside Eugene Levy and Catherine O'Hara as Roland Schitt, the mayor of the town. The series ran for six seasons and won many awards, including nine Emmys. Chris himself won a Screen Actors Guild Award for his role. In 2022, he was part of the cast of the Hulu series Maggie.

Author

Chris Elliott has written four books that make fun of history or fake history. His book Daddy's Boy: A Son's Shocking Account of Life with a Famous Father is a funny, made-up biography about growing up with his famous father. It spoofs a famous book called Mommie Dearest.

Another book, Into Hot Air, tells a silly story about Chris climbing Mount Everest with a group of celebrities. His book The Guy Under The Sheets is a fake "unauthorized autobiography." In it, Chris pretends that he is not the son of comedian Bob Elliott, but actually the son of playwright Sam Elliott and actress Bette Davis.

Personal life

Chris Elliott has been married to Paula Niedert since 1986. They met when Paula worked on Late Night with David Letterman. They have two daughters, Abby and Bridey. Abby Elliott was also a cast member on Saturday Night Live from 2008 to 2012. This made her the first SNL cast member whose parent had also been on the show. Chris's father, Bob Elliott, appeared on an SNL Christmas episode in 1978.

Filmography

Film

Television

Awards

Chris Elliott has won several awards for his work:

Primetime Emmy Awards

• 1984: Outstanding Writing in a Variety, Comedy or Music Program for Late Night with David Letterman
• 1985: Outstanding Writing in a Variety, Comedy or Music Program for Late Night with David Letterman
• 1986: Outstanding Writing in a Variety, Comedy or Music Program for Late Night with David Letterman
• 1987: Outstanding Writing in a Variety, Comedy or Music Program for Late Night with David Letterman

Canadian Screen Awards

• 2016: Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Supporting Role or Guest Role in a Comedic Series for Schitt's Creek

Screen Actors Guild Awards

• 2020: Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series for Schitt's Creek

Images for kids

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  Chris Elliott at the 41st Emmy Awards in 1989

See also

In Spanish: Chris Elliott para niños