Chris Barrie
Encyclopedia
Chris Barrie is a British actor. He first achieved success as a vocal impressionist
, notably in the ITV
sketch show Spitting Image
. He is best known for his roles as Arnold Rimmer
in the sci-fi sitcom Red Dwarf
, as Gordon Brittas in the BBC
sitcom The Brittas Empire
and as Lara Croft
's butler Hillary in the Tomb Raider franchise films.
, Lower Saxony
, West Germany
to a father who served in the British Army
, and attended Methodist College Belfast
boarding school in Northern Ireland
. After dropping out of Brighton Polytechnic
, he began his TV career as a sports personality impersonator on The David Essex Showcase
; it was at this point that he adopted the surname "Barrie" for Equity reasons - as there was already an actor named Chris Brown on the Equity UK lists. He provided the voice of Ronald Reagan
in the pop song "Two Tribes
" by Frankie Goes to Hollywood
, as well as various vocalisations for other tracks by FGTH and Art of Noise.
. A central character, Barrie appeared as Rimmer in almost every episode of the series, absent only for a brief period during series 7. For the majority of the series the character of Arnold Rimmer was a hologram, requiring Barrie to wear an "H" on his forehead during filming. The character is described as self-centred, neurotic, cowardly and luckless with the ladies. According to Barrie, during a DVD commentary for Red Dwarf, he is the only member of the Red Dwarf cast who was thought to be "legit" (i.e. an actual actor) by original Kryten
actor David Ross
. Whether or not the remark was in jest is unclear, but, unlike poet Craig Charles
, dancer Danny John-Jules
and stand-up comedian Norman Lovett
, Barrie was the only cast member with prior acting experience.
When a pilot for an American version of the show was produced, Barrie was invited to reprise his role as Rimmer. He passed up the offer because of the constraint of the five series contract which is standard for American television. Robert Llewellyn
was the only cast member of the British show to participate in the pilot. The pilot was not picked up and the series was never made.
Barrie was also cast for a movie version of Red Dwarf which has yet to be made. According to the official Red Dwarf website, the creators of the show are continuing to pursue funding for the project. However, many cast members have commented that they do not believe the film will be made.
Barrie reprised his role as Arnold Rimmer for three new Red Dwarf specials, Red Dwarf: Back to Earth, for the UK digital channel Dave, shown during Easter 2009.
, a BBC sitcom running from January 1991 to February 1997 for seven series, with 52 episodes, including two Christmas specials. It centred on the life of a well-meaning but incompetent manager of Whitbury New Town Leisure Centre. Quite different from his character in Red Dwarf, Barrie was accompanied by a supporting cast who played the other staff members of the leisure centre. Each episode revealed a disastrous occurrence, which Brittas was sure he could sort out, the truth being that he was normally one of the causes of all the trouble that went on.
from 4 June 2009. Each of the four episode features some of the most notable air, sea, and land vehicles & equipment of the 1930s, 1950s, 1960s & 1980s respectively. A second series of four episodes was transmitted in February 2010, with the 1910s, 1920s, 1940s & early steam trains as the subjects of each episode.
Barrie has 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:
He is a popular after dinner speaker and awards host for the JLA agency where he "often appears in the guise of a close relative of Brittas."
, MGB-GT, Wolseley 1500 and a Jaguar XJ6 (his everyday car). He is a contributor to Practical Classics
magazine. He is twice married, first to Monica (1987–1990) then to Aleks (1997–present).
Impressionist (entertainment)
An impressionist or a mimic is a performer whose act consists of imitating the voice and mannerisms of others. The word usually refers to a professional comedian/entertainer who specializes in such performances and has developed a wide repertoire of impressions, including adding to them, often to...
, notably in the ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
sketch show Spitting Image
Spitting Image
Spitting Image is a British satirical puppet show that aired on the ITV network from 1984 to 1996. It was produced by Spitting Image Productions for Central Television. The series was nominated for 10 BAFTA Awards, winning one for editing in 1989....
. He is best known for his roles as Arnold Rimmer
Arnold Rimmer
Arnold Judas Rimmer is a fictional character in the science fiction situation comedy Red Dwarf, played by Chris Barrie. He is unpopular with his crew mates, and is often the target of insults or pranks...
in the sci-fi sitcom Red Dwarf
Red Dwarf
Red Dwarf is a British comedy franchise which primarily comprises eight series of a television science fiction sitcom that aired on BBC Two between 1988 and 1999 and Dave from 2009–present. It gained cult following. It was created by Rob Grant and Doug Naylor, who also wrote the first six series...
, as Gordon Brittas in the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
sitcom The Brittas Empire
The Brittas Empire
The Brittas Empire is a British sitcom created and originally written by Richard Fegen and Andrew Norriss. Chris Barrie plays Gordon Brittas, the well-meaning but incompetent manager of Whitbury New Town Leisure Centre....
and as Lara Croft
Lara Croft
Lara Croft is a fictional character and the protagonist of the Square Enix video game series Tomb Raider. She is presented as a beautiful, intelligent, and athletic British archaeologist-adventurer who ventures into ancient, hazardous tombs and ruins around the world...
's butler Hillary in the Tomb Raider franchise films.
Early life and career
Barrie was born Christopher Jonathan Brown in HanoverHanover
Hanover or Hannover, on the river Leine, is the capital of the federal state of Lower Saxony , Germany and was once by personal union the family seat of the Hanoverian Kings of Great Britain, under their title as the dukes of Brunswick-Lüneburg...
, Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony is a German state situated in north-western Germany and is second in area and fourth in population among the sixteen states of Germany...
, West Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
to a father who served in the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
, and attended Methodist College Belfast
Methodist College Belfast
Methodist College Belfast , styled locally as Methody, is a voluntary grammar school in Belfast, Northern Ireland, one of eight Northern Irish schools represented on the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference, and is a member of the Independent Schools Council...
boarding school in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
. After dropping out of Brighton Polytechnic
University of Brighton
The University of Brighton is an English university of the United Kingdom, with a community of over 23,000 students and 2,600 staff based on campuses in Brighton, Eastbourne and Hastings. It has one of the best teaching quality ratings in the UK and a strong research record, factors which...
, he began his TV career as a sports personality impersonator on The David Essex Showcase
David Essex
David Essex OBE is an English musician, singer-songwriter and actor. Since the 1970s, Essex has attained nineteen Top 40 singles in the UK , and sixteen Top 40 albums...
; it was at this point that he adopted the surname "Barrie" for Equity reasons - as there was already an actor named Chris Brown on the Equity UK lists. He provided the voice of Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
in the pop song "Two Tribes
Two Tribes
"Two Tribes" is the second single by Frankie Goes to Hollywood, released in the UK by ZTT Records in May 1984 . The song was later included on the album Welcome to the Pleasuredome....
" by Frankie Goes to Hollywood
Frankie Goes to Hollywood
Frankie Goes to Hollywood were a British dance-pop band popular in the mid-1980s. The group was fronted by Holly Johnson , with Paul Rutherford , Peter Gill , Mark O'Toole , and Brian Nash .The group's debut single "Relax" was banned by the BBC in 1984 while at number six in the charts and...
, as well as various vocalisations for other tracks by FGTH and Art of Noise.
Red Dwarf
Barrie played the character Arnold Rimmer in nine series of Red DwarfRed Dwarf
Red Dwarf is a British comedy franchise which primarily comprises eight series of a television science fiction sitcom that aired on BBC Two between 1988 and 1999 and Dave from 2009–present. It gained cult following. It was created by Rob Grant and Doug Naylor, who also wrote the first six series...
. A central character, Barrie appeared as Rimmer in almost every episode of the series, absent only for a brief period during series 7. For the majority of the series the character of Arnold Rimmer was a hologram, requiring Barrie to wear an "H" on his forehead during filming. The character is described as self-centred, neurotic, cowardly and luckless with the ladies. According to Barrie, during a DVD commentary for Red Dwarf, he is the only member of the Red Dwarf cast who was thought to be "legit" (i.e. an actual actor) by original Kryten
Kryten
Kryten is a fictional character in the British science fiction situation comedy Red Dwarf. Kryten's registration code on Red Dwarf is "Kryten additional 001". The name Kryten is a reference to the head butler in the J.M...
actor David Ross
David Ross (actor)
David Ross is an English actor who has worked in theatre, cinema, and television.His best-known roles include playing the first appearance of Kryten and the voice of the Talkie Toaster on the science fiction comedy series Red Dwarf, Elgin on the BBC sitcom The Green Green Grass, and as Mr...
. Whether or not the remark was in jest is unclear, but, unlike poet Craig Charles
Craig Charles
Craig Joseph Charles is an English actor, stand-up comedian, author, poet, radio and television presenter, best known for playing Dave Lister in the British cult-favourite science fiction sitcom Red Dwarf...
, dancer Danny John-Jules
Danny John-Jules
Daniel "Danny" John-Jules is a British actor, singer and dancer. John-Jules attended Rutherford Comprehensive School, Penfold Street, Marylebone, from 1972 to 1977. He is best known for portraying Cat in the television programme Red Dwarf.-Dance and song:John-Jules is a baritone...
and stand-up comedian Norman Lovett
Norman Lovett
Norman Lovett is an English stand-up comedian and actor, best known for the role of Holly in Red Dwarf during the first, second, seventh and eighth series. His comedy has a quiet, dead-pan surrealism, and in 2000 he made a successful stand up tour, co-headlining with Chris Barrie, who played...
, Barrie was the only cast member with prior acting experience.
When a pilot for an American version of the show was produced, Barrie was invited to reprise his role as Rimmer. He passed up the offer because of the constraint of the five series contract which is standard for American television. Robert Llewellyn
Robert Llewellyn
Robert Llewellyn is an English actor, presenter, and writer. He is best known as the mechanoid Kryten in the hit sitcom Red Dwarf, and for his role as presenter of Scrapheap Challenge.-Early career:...
was the only cast member of the British show to participate in the pilot. The pilot was not picked up and the series was never made.
Barrie was also cast for a movie version of Red Dwarf which has yet to be made. According to the official Red Dwarf website, the creators of the show are continuing to pursue funding for the project. However, many cast members have commented that they do not believe the film will be made.
Barrie reprised his role as Arnold Rimmer for three new Red Dwarf specials, Red Dwarf: Back to Earth, for the UK digital channel Dave, shown during Easter 2009.
The Brittas Empire
Barrie is also well known for his role as Gordon Brittas, the title role in The Brittas EmpireThe Brittas Empire
The Brittas Empire is a British sitcom created and originally written by Richard Fegen and Andrew Norriss. Chris Barrie plays Gordon Brittas, the well-meaning but incompetent manager of Whitbury New Town Leisure Centre....
, a BBC sitcom running from January 1991 to February 1997 for seven series, with 52 episodes, including two Christmas specials. It centred on the life of a well-meaning but incompetent manager of Whitbury New Town Leisure Centre. Quite different from his character in Red Dwarf, Barrie was accompanied by a supporting cast who played the other staff members of the leisure centre. Each episode revealed a disastrous occurrence, which Brittas was sure he could sort out, the truth being that he was normally one of the causes of all the trouble that went on.
Roles in television and films
Chris Barrie's most recent TV work includes Britain's Greatest Machines with Chris Barrie, screened on the National Geographic ChannelNational Geographic Channel
National Geographic Channel, also commercially abbreviated and trademarked as Nat Geo, is a subscription television channel that airs non-fiction television programs produced by the National Geographic Society. Like History and the Discovery Channel, the channel features documentaries with factual...
from 4 June 2009. Each of the four episode features some of the most notable air, sea, and land vehicles & equipment of the 1930s, 1950s, 1960s & 1980s respectively. A second series of four episodes was transmitted in February 2010, with the 1910s, 1920s, 1940s & early steam trains as the subjects of each episode.
Barrie has also hosted the television series Chris Barrie's Massive Engines and Chris Barrie's Massive Machines on the Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel is an American satellite and cable specialty channel , founded by John Hendricks and distributed by Discovery Communications. It is a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav...
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
Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel is an American satellite and cable specialty channel , founded by John Hendricks and distributed by Discovery Communications. It is a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav...
from November 2006. In 2006, he appeared as a regular team captain in the BBC2 quiz show
Game show
A game show is a type of radio or television program in which members of the public, television personalities or celebrities, sometimes as part of a team, play a game which involves answering questions or solving puzzles usually for money and/or prizes...
Petrolheads
Petrolheads
Petrolheads is a BBC panel game presented by Neil Morrissey, with team captains Richard Hammond and Chris Barrie. The show pitted motoring wits against each other and included car stunts shot on location. There were two guests each episode. The show was produced by Brian Klein , directed by John...
, and is the star of the British crime/comedy/drama film Back In Business, in which he plays Tom Marks.
Other roles include:
- The director of "Ooer, Sounds A Bit Rude" in episode two of Filthy, Rich & Catflap.
- The ship's captain in the wall-poster cut scene during The Young OnesThe Young Ones (TV series)The Young Ones is a British sitcom, first broadcast in 1982, which ran for two series on BBC2. Its anarchic, offbeat humour helped bring alternative comedy to television in the 1980s and made household names of its writers and performers...
episode "NastyNasty (Young Ones episode)"Nasty" was the ninth episode of British sitcom The Young Ones. It was written by Ben Elton, Rik Mayall and Lise Mayer, and directed by Geoff Posner...
". - The voice of Simon in the Adventure SoftAdventure SoftAdventure Soft is a UK-based video game developer established by Mike Woodroffe, first as an importer and reseller of Adventure International games. The firm operates out of Sutton Coldfield, and is best known for the Simon the Sorcerer series of games....
computer games series Simon the SorcererSimon the SorcererSimon the Sorcerer is an adventure game that was released by Adventure Soft on 2 January 1993 for Amiga and MS-DOS formats. The story begins with the protagonist, Simon, as an ordinary teenager. His dog, "Chippy", discovers a chest in the loft of his house containing a spellbook titled "Ye Olde...
(1993). - Gary Prince in A Prince Among MenA Prince Among MenA Prince Among Men is a somewhat unsuccessful British sitcom that ran on BBC1 from 1997 to 1998 lasting 12 episodes. It starred Chris Barrie as Gary Prince, a former international football star turned entrepreneur. The theme music was by Jamie Marshall....
(1997–98). - A French revolutionary/"ambassador" in the Blackadder The ThirdBlackadderBlackadder is the name that encompassed four series of a BBC1 historical sitcom, along with several one-off instalments. All television programme episodes starred Rowan Atkinson as anti-hero Edmund Blackadder and Tony Robinson as Blackadder's dogsbody, Baldrick...
episode "Nob And Nobility". - Hillary the Butler in the movies Lara Croft: Tomb RaiderLara Croft: Tomb RaiderLara Croft: Tomb Raider is a 2001 adventure thriller film adapted from the Tomb Raider video game series. Directed by Simon West and starring Angelina Jolie as Lara Croft, it was released in U.S. theaters on June 15, 2001. The film was a commercial success...
(2001) and Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of LifeLara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of LifeLara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life is a 2003 action film directed by Jan de Bont, and starring Angelina Jolie as Lara Croft. It is a sequel to the 2001 film Lara Croft: Tomb Raider...
(2003). - Doubting Thomas in a small series of television advertisements for Anglian Windows.
- The voice of JifCifCif is a brand of household cleaning products by Unilever, known as Jif in Australia, New Zealand, Middle East and the Nordic countries. Cif is the largest selling abrasive cleaner product in the world.-History:...
Micro Liquid. - The voices of Captain Smollett and Ben Gunn in The Legends Of Treasure IslandThe Legends of Treasure IslandThe Legends Of Treasure Island is an animated cartoon from the UK that ran from 1993-1995. It had two series of 13 episodes each and each episode runs for 22–25 minutes....
. - Appearances on the BBC Radio 4BBC Radio 4BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
sketch show Son of ClichéSon of ClichéSon Of Cliché was a comedy sketch show that ran for two series on BBC Radio 4 between 23 August 1983 and 29 December 1984.The sketches were written by Rob Grant and Doug Naylor, and were performed by Chris Barrie, Nick Maloney and Nick Wilton....
. - Voice impersonations on recordings by Frankie Goes to HollywoodFrankie Goes to HollywoodFrankie Goes to Hollywood were a British dance-pop band popular in the mid-1980s. The group was fronted by Holly Johnson , with Paul Rutherford , Peter Gill , Mark O'Toole , and Brian Nash .The group's debut single "Relax" was banned by the BBC in 1984 while at number six in the charts and...
:- as Ronald ReaganRonald ReaganRonald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
on the 12-inch release of "Two TribesTwo Tribes"Two Tribes" is the second single by Frankie Goes to Hollywood, released in the UK by ZTT Records in May 1984 . The song was later included on the album Welcome to the Pleasuredome....
". - as Mike ReadMike ReadMichael David Kenneth Read is an English radio disc jockey, writer, journalist and television presenter.-Early life:...
, banning the single "Relax", on the 12-inch release of "The Power of LoveThe Power of Love (Frankie Goes to Hollywood song)Holly Johnson, former singer of Frankie Goes to Hollywood, recorded his own version of "The Power of Love" which was released on his 1999 album Soulstream and was released as a single which made #56 in the UK. The single stayed in the charts for 2 weeks...
". - as HRH Prince Charles on "Tag", from the album Welcome to the PleasuredomeWelcome to the PleasuredomeWelcome to the Pleasuredome was the debut album by Frankie Goes to Hollywood, first released in the UK in October 1984 by ZTT/Island Records. Originally issued as a vinyl double album, it was assured of a UK chart entry at number one due to reported advance sales of over one million...
.
- as Ronald Reagan
- Voice impersonation of Robin DayRobin DaySir Robin Day, OBE was a British political broadcaster and commentator. His obituary in the Guardian stated that "he was the most outstanding television journalist of his generation...
on the Art Of Noise track "Close UpClose (to the Edit)"Close " was a single by Art of Noise, released on various formats in May 1984. It was closely related to their earlier single "Beat Box", though the two tracks were developed as separate pieces from an early stage....
". - Voice of a motorcycle racing commentator in episode 3 of the BBC Comedy series "Grace and FavourGrace and favourA grace and favour home is a residential property owned by a monarch by virtue of their position as head of state and leased rent-free to persons as part of an employment package or in gratitude for past services rendered....
".
He is a popular after dinner speaker and awards host for the JLA agency where he "often appears in the guise of a close relative of Brittas."
Personal life
Barrie's interests include 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 TR2Triumph TR2
The Triumph TR2 is a sports car which was produced by the Standard Motor Company in the United Kingdom between 1953 and 1955, during which time 8,636 cars were produced....
, MGB-GT, Wolseley 1500 and a Jaguar XJ6 (his everyday car). He is a contributor to Practical Classics
Practical Classics
Practical Classics is a magazine written in Peterborough, England about classic cars. It was started in 1980.It focuses on affordable classic cars for the man in the street, as well as more expensive and exotic classic cars that have now become affordable. It has always had a strong emphasis on DIY...
magazine. He is twice married, first to Monica (1987–1990) then to Aleks (1997–present).
External links
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
- Video Interview with Chris Barrie