Dennis Christopher facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Dennis Christopher
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Christopher in 2005
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Dennis Christopher Carrelli
December 2, 1950 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
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| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1967–2016 |
Dennis Christopher Carrelli, born on December 2, 1950, is a retired American actor. He is well-known for his roles in several movies and TV shows. Some of his famous films include Breaking Away (1979) and Chariots of Fire (1981). He also appeared in the miniseries It (1990) and the movie Django Unchained (2012).
About Dennis Christopher
Early Life and Education
Dennis Christopher Carrelli was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was the youngest of four children. His parents were Vincent Albert Carrelli and Anna Marie Doogan.
He went to Monsignor Bonner High School and graduated in 1968. After high school, he attended Temple University. However, he left the university in 1969 to pursue his acting career.
Starting His Acting Journey
Dennis Christopher began acting in 1967. His first TV appearance was in an episode of The Time Tunnel. This episode was called "Merlin the Magician."
Later, he met famous director Federico Fellini in Rome. Fellini cast him as a hippie in his 1972 film, Roma. After this, Christopher also worked as an assistant for fashion designer Halston.
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Notable Roles and Achievements
Breakthrough in Breaking Away
Dennis Christopher's big break came in 1979. He starred as Dave Stohler in the movie Breaking Away. This film is a classic story about growing up.
His performance earned him several awards. He won the BAFTA Award for Most Promising Newcomer. He also received the Youth in Film Award for Best Juvenile Actor. He was even nominated for a Golden Globe award.
Other Memorable Performances
Christopher played many different characters throughout his career. He was American track star Charlie Paddock in Chariots of Fire (1981). He also played Eric Binford in Fade to Black (1980).
On television, he was Eddie Kaspbrak in Stephen King's miniseries It (1990). He also had roles in Profiler and Deadwood.
Star Trek and Other TV Appearances
Dennis Christopher appeared in two Star Trek episodes. He was in "The Search (Part II)" on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. He also appeared in "Detained" on Star Trek: Enterprise.
He played the demon-sorcerer Cyvus Vail in three episodes of the TV series Angel. He also reunited with actor Paul Dooley in Law & Order: Criminal Intent. They had played father and son in two previous films.
In 2006, he was Dr. Martin Ruber in The Lost Room. This was a miniseries on the Sci Fi Channel.
Working with Quentin Tarantino
In 2012, Christopher was cast in Quentin Tarantino's movie Django Unchained. He played the character Leonide Moguy. Tarantino told Christopher that he had seen all of his movies.
Working on Django Unchained was a very positive experience for Christopher. He said that a lot of his happiness came from being part of this film.
Film and Television Roles
Film Appearances
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | Blood and Lace | Pete | |
| 1971 | The Young Graduates | Pan | |
| 1972 | Roma | The Hippie | Uncredited |
| 1977 | 3 Women | Soda Delivery Boy | Uncredited |
| 1977 | September 30, 1955 | Eugene | |
| 1978 | A Wedding | Hughie Brenner | |
| 1979 | California Dreaming | T.T. | |
| 1979 | Breaking Away | Dave Stohler | Won BAFTA Award for Most Promising Newcomer |
| 1979 | The Last Word | Ben Travis | |
| 1980 | Fade to Black | Eric Binford | Won Young Artist Award |
| 1981 | Chariots of Fire | Charles Paddock | |
| 1982 | Don't Cry, It's Only Thunder | Brian Anderson | |
| 1983 | Didn't You Hear... | Kevin | |
| 1986 | Flight of the Spruce Goose | Stan | |
| 1986 | Jake Speed | Desmond Floyd | |
| 1986 | Alien Predator | Damon | Also known as The Falling |
| 1988 | Friends | John | |
| 1989 | A Sinful Life | Nathan Flowers | |
| 1990 | Circuitry Man | Leech | |
| 1991 | The Disco Years | Mr. Reese | Short film |
| 1991 | Dead Women in Lingerie | Lapin | |
| 1993 | Doppelganger | Doctor Heller | |
| 1993 | Necronomicon: Book of the Dead | Dale Porkel | Part 2 |
| 1994 | Plughead Rewired: Circuitry Man II | Leech | |
| 1995 | Aurora: Operation Intercept | Victor Varenkov | |
| 1995 | Bad English I: Tales of a Song of a Brit | unknown role | |
| 1996 | It's My Party | Douglas Reedy | |
| 1996 | The Silencers | Comdor | |
| 2001 | Mind Rage | Steve | |
| 2004 | Nine Lives | Mikey | |
| 2010 | Queen of the Lot | Odin Johannessen | |
| 2012 | Django Unchained | Leonide Moguy | |
| 2013 | Prisoners | Mr. Jones | Uncredited |
| 2013 | The Slippery Slope | Pastor Tomaso | Short film |
Television Roles
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1967 | The Time Tunnel | Young Merlin | Episode: "Merlin the Magician" |
| 1976 | Bernice Bobs Her Hair | Charley | TV movie |
| 1979 | Elvis | Nick Adams | TV movie |
| 1983 | Faerie Tale Theatre | Jack | Episode: "Jack and the Beanstalk" |
| 1984 | Tales of the Unexpected | Driver | Episode: "Number Eight" |
| 1984 | Trapper John, M.D. | Daryl Kirby | Episode: "Promises...Promises" |
| 1985 | Moonlighting | Benjamin Wylie | Episode: "The Lady in the Iron Mask" |
| 1986 | Cagney & Lacey | Dr. Stanley | Episode: "A Safe Place" |
| 1986 | The Equalizer | Father Nicholas Kostmayer | Episode: "The Cup" |
| 1987 | Stingray | Joshua Williams | Episode: "The Second Finest Man Who Ever Lived" |
| 1987 | The Law & Harry McGraw | Jacob Hossler | Episode: "Murder by Landslide" |
| 1987 | Hooperman | Danny Welles | Episode: "Blues for Danny Welles" |
| 1988 | Christabel | U.S. Airmen | Miniseries |
| 1989 | Matlock | Noel Bishop | Episode: "The Star" |
| 1990 | It | Eddie Kaspbrak | Miniseries |
| 1990–93 | Murder, She Wrote | Dr. Henry Carlson / Lyman Tagart | Episodes: "Shear Madness", "Final Curtain" |
| 1991 | Monsters | Laurence Bauer | Episode: "Hostile Takeover" |
| 1991 | False Arrest | Wally Roberts | TV movie |
| 1992 | Civil Wars | Jamie Berne | Episode: "Oceans White with Phone" |
| 1992 | Willing to Kill: The Texas Cheerleader Story | Randy | TV movie |
| 1993 | Curacao | Friedrich | TV movie |
| 1994 | Winnetka Road | Sam Franklin | Episode: "Women in Love" |
| 1994 | Star Trek: Deep Space Nine | Borath | Episode: "The Search: Part II" |
| 1994 | The Cosby Mysteries | Eric Humbold | Episode: "Mirror, Mirror" |
| 1995 | The Watcher | Sascha | Episode: "Heartburned" |
| 1995 | Deadly Invasion: The Killer Bee Nightmare | Pruitt Taylor Beachaump | TV movie |
| 1996 | SeaQuest 2032 | Ambassador Dillington | Episode: "Reunion" |
| 1996 | The Sentinel | Dr. Anthony Bates | Episode: "Cypher" |
| 1996 | Pacific Blue | Dr. Mortimer T. Anton | Episode: "The Phoenix" |
| 1996 | Tarzan: The Epic Adventures | Philip D'Arnot | Episode: "Tarzan's Return: Part I" |
| 1996 | The Burning Zone | Dr. Balfour | Episode: "Lethal Injection" |
| 1996–99 | Profiler | Jack of All Trades / Albert Newquay / Sheriff Ed Post | Appeared in 45 episodes |
| 1997 | Skeletons | Jim Norton | TV movie |
| 1998 | New York Undercover | Dr. Royce | Episode: "Spare Parts" |
| 2000–01 | FreakyLinks | Vince Elsing | Appeared in 13 episodes |
| 2001 | The Ballad of Lucy Whipple | Joshua 'Carrots' Beale | TV movie |
| 2001 | Roswell | Bobby Dupree | Episodes: "Disturbing Behavior", "How the Other Half Lives" |
| 2001 | Kate Brasher | Jesus | Episodes: "Jeff", "Georgia" |
| 2001 | 18 Wheels of Justice | Vin Malfi | Episode: "The Game" |
| 2002 | Star Trek: Enterprise | Danik | Episode: "Detained" |
| 2002 | Crossing Jordan | Charles Rutledge | Episode: "One Twelve" |
| 2003 | Six Feet Under | Kevin Lamb | Episode: "Nobody Sleeps" |
| 2003 | Law & Order: Criminal Intent | Roger Coffman | Episode: "Cherry Red" |
| 2004 | Angel | Cyvus Vail | Episodes: "Origin", "Power Play", "Not Fade Away" |
| 2004 | NYPD Blue | Gerard Prosser | Episode: "The Vision Thing" |
| 2006 | Deadwood | Bellegarde | Appeared in 5 episodes |
| 2006 | The Lost Room | Dr. Martin Ruber | Miniseries, 3 episodes |
| 2006 | Trapped! | Adrien | TV movie |
| 2007 | CSI: Crime Scene Investigation | Richard Dorsey / Homeless Guy | Episodes: "Cockroaches", "Lying Down with Dogs" |
| 2008 | Criminal Minds | Abner Merriman | Episode: "Damaged" |
| 2013 | Unforgettable | Lukas Emminger | Episode: "Line Up or Shut Up" |
| 2014 | Perception | Fred Gorman | Episode: "Cobra" |
| 2016 | Graves | Martin Treadwell | Appeared in 4 episodes |
Theatre Performances
| Year | Title | Role | Venue | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | The Little Foxes | Leo Hubbard | Martin Beck Theatre | 126 performances |
| 1983 | Brothers | Tommy | Music Box Theatre | One performance |
See also
In Spanish: Dennis Christopher para niños
