Christopher Guest facts for kids

Christopher Haden-Guest, born on February 5, 1948, is a British-American actor, comedian, writer, and director. He is famous for his funny movies made in a "mockumentary" style, which means they look like real documentaries but are actually fictional comedies. Some of his well-known films include This Is Spinal Tap (1984), Best in Show (2000), and A Mighty Wind (2003).

Guest holds a special British family title as the 5th Baron Haden-Guest. This means he inherited a "peerage," which is a noble title. However, he has said he believes that the British Parliament's House of Lords should be chosen by people voting, not just inherited. He was part of the House of Lords for a while, but a new law in 1999 stopped most people with inherited titles from having a seat there. When people use his title, he is usually called Lord Haden-Guest. He is married to the actress Jamie Lee Curtis, who also has a title but chooses not to use it.

Quick facts for kids The Right Honourable The Lord Haden-Guest
Guest in 2016
Member of the House of Lords
Lord Temporal
as a hereditary peer 8 April 1996 – 11 November 1999
Preceded by	The 4th Baron Haden-Guest
Succeeded by	Seat abolished
Personal details
Born	Christopher Haden-Guest (1948-02-05) 5 February 1948 (age 77) New York City, U.S.
Spouse	Jamie Lee Curtis ​ (m. 1984)​
Children	2
Parents	Peter Haden-Guest, 4th Baron Haden-Guest (father) Jean Pauline Hindes (mother)
Relatives	Elissa Haden Guest (sister) Nicholas Guest (brother) Anthony Haden-Guest (half-brother)
Education	Bard College New York University (MFA)

Early Life and Education

Christopher Guest was born in New York City. His father, Peter Haden-Guest, was a British diplomat who worked for the United Nations. A diplomat helps countries work together. His mother, Jean Pauline Hindes, was an American who helped choose actors for TV shows at CBS.

Guest's grandfather, Leslie Haden-Guest, was a politician in the Labour Party in the United Kingdom. His grandmother was related to the Goldsmid family and was the daughter of Colonel Albert Goldsmid, a British military officer. Colonel Goldsmid started groups like the Jewish Lads' and Girls' Brigade. Guest's grandparents on his mother's side were Jewish immigrants from Russia.

Guest's parents did not follow any religion, and he grew up without a religious upbringing. His uncle, David Guest, who believed in communism, was killed in 1938 while fighting in the Spanish Civil War.

Christopher Guest spent some of his childhood in the United Kingdom. He studied classical music, playing the clarinet, at the High School of Music & Art in New York City. Later, he learned to play the mandolin and became interested in country music. He even played guitar with Arlo Guthrie, who was a fellow student. Guest also played in bluegrass bands before getting into rock and roll music. He studied acting at New York University and graduated in 1971.

Career Highlights

Starting in the 1970s

Guest began his acting career in the early 1970s in theater. One of his first professional roles was in a play called Moonchildren in 1971. He also worked on The National Lampoon Radio Hour, where he created funny characters and wrote songs. He appeared in the comedy show National Lampoon's Lemmings. His first small film roles were as police officers in The Hot Rock (1972) and Death Wish (1974).

In 1977, Guest had a small part in the TV show All in the Family. He also played Harry Bailey in It Happened One Christmas, a TV movie based on It's a Wonderful Life.

Becoming Famous in the 1980s

One of Guest's most famous roles was Nigel Tufnel in the 1984 movie This Is Spinal Tap. This film was a comedy about a rock band, made to look like a real documentary. Guest first played Nigel Tufnel in a TV sketch show in 1978.

From 1984 to 1985, Guest was a cast member on the TV show Saturday Night Live. He played several funny characters, including Frankie, who told stories about painful situations, and Rajeev Vindaloo, an unusual foreign man. He also directed some short films for the show.

In 1987, Guest played Count Rugen, the "six-fingered man," in the popular movie The Princess Bride. He also had a small role in the 1986 musical film Little Shop of Horrors. In 1989, Guest co-wrote and directed The Big Picture, a comedy about Hollywood.

When his father inherited the family title in 1987, Christopher Guest was known as "the Hon. Christopher Haden-Guest." This was his official name until he inherited the title of Baron in 1996.

Mockumentary Films and Beyond

Making This is Spinal Tap helped shape the rest of Guest's career. Starting in 1996, he began writing, directing, and acting in his own series of films. These movies were mostly improvised, meaning the actors made up their lines as they went along. These films are great examples of "mockumentaries," a term Guest doesn't really like.

Guest often works with the same group of actors, including Eugene Levy, Catherine O'Hara, Michael McKean, Parker Posey, and Fred Willard. Guest and his writing partner, Eugene Levy, create backgrounds for each character and notes for each scene. Then, the actors improvise the dialogue, which makes the conversations sound very natural.

Some of these mockumentary films, written and directed by Guest, include:

• Waiting for Guffman (1996), about a local theater group.
• Best in Show (2000), about a dog show competition.
• A Mighty Wind (2003), about folk singers.
• For Your Consideration (2006), about the excitement around Oscar season.
• Mascots (2016), about a competition for sports team mascots.

Guest also lent his voice to the animated TV show SpongeBob SquarePants as SpongeBob's cousin, Stanley. He appeared in the films A Few Good Men (1992), Mrs Henderson Presents (2005), and The Invention of Lying (2009).

He is also part of a music group called The Beyman Bros. In 2009, they released their first album, Memories of Summer as a Child.

In 2013, Guest co-wrote and produced the HBO TV series Family Tree. This show was also in his famous mockumentary style. It followed a character who learns about his family history.

In 2020, Guest returned to his role as Count Tyrone Rugen for a Princess Bride reunion event.

Family Life

Coat of arms – Baron Haden-Guest, of Saling in the County of Essex

Christopher Guest became the 5th Baron Haden-Guest in 1996 after his father passed away. He inherited the title because his older half-brother was born before his parents were married, making him ineligible. Guest regularly attended the House of Lords until a new law in 1999 removed most inherited peers from their seats. He said that while the old system of inheriting titles was unfair, the new system was also not perfect. He believes the House of Lords should be an elected body, meaning people should vote for who gets to be a member.

Guest married actress Jamie Lee Curtis in 1984. They have two daughters, whom they adopted.

Film and Television Work

Films

Television Shows

Awards and Recognitions

Christopher Guest has received several awards for his work:

Images for kids

• 

  Guest in 2016

• 

  Coat of arms – Baron Haden-Guest, of Saling in the County of Essex

See also

In Spanish: Christopher Guest para niños