Dennis Christopher facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Dennis Christopher
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![]() Christopher in 2005
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Born |
Dennis Christopher Carrelli
December 2, 1950 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
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Occupation | Actor |
Years active | 1967–2016 |
Dennis Christopher Carrelli (born December 2, 1950) is an American actor who has retired from acting. He is known for his roles in movies like Breaking Away (1979), Chariots of Fire (1981), and Django Unchained (2012). He also appeared in the TV miniseries It (1990).
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Dennis Christopher's Early Life
Dennis Christopher Carrelli was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on December 2, 1950. He was the youngest of four children. His father, Vincent Albert Carrelli, worked as an insurance salesman. His mother was Anna Marie Doogan.
He went to Monsignor Bonner High School and graduated in 1968. After high school, he attended Temple University but left in 1969 to pursue acting.
Dennis Christopher's Acting Career
Dennis Christopher started his acting journey in 1967. He had a small role in a TV show called The Time Tunnel. Later, he met famous director Federico Fellini in Rome. This meeting led to Christopher getting a part as a hippie in Fellini's 1972 film, Roma.

Breaking Away: A Big Break
Christopher's most famous role was playing Dave Stohler in the movie Breaking Away (1979). This film is about young people growing up. His acting in this movie was highly praised. 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 Notable Roles
After Breaking Away, Christopher took on many different roles. He played American track star Charlie Paddock in the movie Chariots of Fire (1981). He was also Eric Binford in the thriller Fade to Black (1980).
On television, he played Eddie Kaspbrak in Stephen King's miniseries It (1990). He also appeared in the HBO series Deadwood. Christopher even guest-starred in two Star Trek episodes. These were "The Search (Part II)" on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and "Detained" on Star Trek: Enterprise. He also played the demon-sorcerer Cyvus Vail in three episodes of Angel.
Working with Quentin Tarantino
In 2012, Dennis Christopher was cast as Leonide Moguy in Quentin Tarantino's movie Django Unchained. Tarantino told Christopher that he had watched all of Christopher's films. Christopher really enjoyed working on Django Unchained. He said that making the film made him very happy.
Film Roles
Dennis Christopher has appeared in many films. Here are some of them:
Year | Title | Role |
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1971 | Blood and Lace | Pete |
1972 | Roma | The Hippie |
1978 | A Wedding | Hughie Brenner |
1979 | Breaking Away | Dave Stohler |
1980 | Fade to Black | Eric Binford |
1981 | Chariots of Fire | Charles Paddock |
1986 | Jake Speed | Desmond Floyd |
1990 | Circuitry Man | Leech |
1993 | Necronomicon: Book of the Dead | Dale Porkel |
2012 | Django Unchained | Leonide Moguy |
2013 | Prisoners | Mr. Jones |
Television Roles
Dennis Christopher has also had many roles on television:
Year | Title | Role |
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1967 | The Time Tunnel | Young Merlin |
1979 | Elvis | Nick Adams |
1983 | Faerie Tale Theatre | Jack |
1990 | It | Eddie Kaspbrak |
1990–93 | Murder, She Wrote | Dr. Henry Carlson / Lyman Tagart |
1994 | Star Trek: Deep Space Nine | Borath |
1996–99 | Profiler | Jack of All Trades / Albert Newquay / Sheriff Ed Post |
2002 | Star Trek: Enterprise | Danik |
2003 | Law & Order: Criminal Intent | Roger Coffman |
2004 | Angel | Cyvus Vail |
2006 | Deadwood | Bellegarde |
2006 | The Lost Room | Dr. Martin Ruber |
2008 | Criminal Minds | Abner Merriman |
See also
In Spanish: Dennis Christopher para niños