Christopher Ellison
Encyclopedia
Christopher Michael Ellison (born 16 December 1946, London) is an English
actor
. He is best known for his role as DCI Frank Burnside in the popular ITV
police
series
The Bill
and short lived spin off series Burnside
.
At school his art teacher encouraged him having seen his talent. Art remained his strong subject through school years and it was a natural progression that Chris then moved on to art college, firstly at Wimbledon and then Camberwell.
He worked in the merchant navy, trained as a graphic designer and worked as a minicab driver. First drama job was Assistant Stage Manager at the Richmond Theatre
. First acting role was in the play Woman in a Dressing Gown at said theatre. First break was a guest appearance in The Sweeney
(1975).
He appeared in many guest roles in TV shows throughout the 1970s including episodes of The Sweeney and The Professionals
, and in the films Rosie Dixon - Night Nurse
and Buster
(based on the Great Train Robbery).
In 1984 he appeared in Paul McCartney
's feature film Give My Regards To Broad Street
playing Rath's Minder.
In 1986 he played Criminal Gang Leader Charlie Elkin in the TV Series Running Scared, based on Bernard Ashley's Novel.
In 2005, he guest starred in the Doctor Who
audio adventure The Game
.
In 2007, from August 20–24, Christopher played the role of Len Harker in the BBC One
soap opera, EastEnders
.
He played Boyard for one year in the game show Fort Boyard
and appeared in one episode of the sci-fi police series, Crime Traveller
. He has appeared in Casualty
, Judge John Deed
, and Minder
, among other appearances on Soccer AM
, and presenting roles in The World's Most Stupid Criminals and Mousetrapped. In August 2011 he appeared in New Tricks episode 'Half Life' as a prisoner.
In February 2009 Chris won Celebrity Come Dine with Me
on Channel 4
.
In 2009, he appeared in A Silent Whistle and in 2010 Bonded by Blood
and Basement
He is currently the face and voice of Sussex-based MOT
company Just MOT's http://www.justmots.eu/aboutus.html
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
. He is best known for his role as DCI Frank Burnside in the popular 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...
police
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
series
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
The Bill
The Bill
The Bill is a police procedural television series that ran from October 1984 to August 2010. It focused on the lives and work of one shift of police officers, rather than on any particular aspect of police work...
and short lived spin off series Burnside
Burnside (TV series)
Burnside is a British television police procedural drama, broadcast on ITV in 2000. The series, a spin-off from ITV's long-running police drama The Bill, focused on DCI Frank Burnside, formerly a detective at Sun Hill and now working for the National Crime Squad...
.
At school his art teacher encouraged him having seen his talent. Art remained his strong subject through school years and it was a natural progression that Chris then moved on to art college, firstly at Wimbledon and then Camberwell.
He worked in the merchant navy, trained as a graphic designer and worked as a minicab driver. First drama job was Assistant Stage Manager at the Richmond Theatre
Richmond Theatre
The present Richmond Theatre, in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, is a British Victorian theatre located on Little Green, adjacent to Richmond Green. It opened on 18 September 1899 with a performance of As You Like It, and is one of the finest surviving examples of the work of theatre...
. First acting role was in the play Woman in a Dressing Gown at said theatre. First break was a guest appearance in The Sweeney
The Sweeney
The Sweeney is a 1970s British television police drama focusing on two members of the Flying Squad, a branch of the Metropolitan Police specialising in tackling armed robbery and violent crime in London...
(1975).
He appeared in many guest roles in TV shows throughout the 1970s including episodes of The Sweeney and The Professionals
The Professionals (TV series)
The Professionals was a British crime-action television drama series produced by Avengers Mk1 Productions and London Weekend Television that aired on the ITV network from 1977 to 1983. In all, 57 episodes were produced, filmed between 1977 and 1981. It starred Martin Shaw, Lewis Collins and Gordon...
, and in the films Rosie Dixon - Night Nurse
Rosie Dixon - Night Nurse
Rosie Dixon - Night Nurse is a 1978 British comedy film directed by Justin Cartwright and starring Debbie Ash, Carolyne Argyle, Beryl Reid and John Le Mesurier. It was based on a novel by Christopher Wood. A new student nurse arrives at a hospital, attracting interest from the staff with comedic...
and Buster
Buster (film)
Buster is a 1988 comedy-drama film starring musician Phil Collins, Julie Walters, Larry Lamb and Sheila Hancock. The soundtrack featured two Phil Collins singles which eventually topped the Billboard 100 singles chart.-Plot:...
(based on the Great Train Robbery).
In 1984 he appeared in Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
's feature film Give My Regards To Broad Street
Give My Regards to Broad Street
Give My Regards to Broad Street is the soundtrack album to the 1984 film of the same name. Unlike the film, the album was successful, achieving #1 in the UK chart and its lead single "No More Lonely Nights" was BAFTA and Golden Globe award nominated....
playing Rath's Minder.
In 1986 he played Criminal Gang Leader Charlie Elkin in the TV Series Running Scared, based on Bernard Ashley's Novel.
In 2005, he guest starred in the Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
audio adventure The Game
The Game (Doctor Who audio)
The Game is a Big Finish Productions audio drama based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who.-Plot:...
.
In 2007, from August 20–24, Christopher played the role of Len Harker in the BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
soap opera, EastEnders
EastEnders
EastEnders is a British television soap opera, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 19 February 1985 and continuing to today. EastEnders storylines examine the domestic and professional lives of the people who live and work in the fictional London Borough of Walford in the East End...
.
He played Boyard for one year in the game show Fort Boyard
Fort Boyard
Fort Boyard is a fort located between the Île-d'Aix and the Île d'Oléron in the Pertuis d'Antioche straits, on the west coast of France. Though a fort on Boyard bank was suggested as early as the 17th century, it was not until the 1800s under Napoleon Bonaparte that work began.-Layout:Fort...
and appeared in one episode of the sci-fi police series, Crime Traveller
Crime Traveller
Crime Traveller is a 1997 science fiction detective television series produced by Carnival Films for the BBC based on the premise of using time travel for the purpose of solving crimes....
. He has appeared in Casualty
Casualty (TV series)
Casualty, stylised as Casual+y, is a British weekly television show broadcast on BBC One, and the longest-running emergency medical drama television series in the world. Created by Jeremy Brock and Paul Unwin, it was first broadcast on 6 September 1986, and transmitted in the UK on BBC One. The...
, Judge John Deed
Judge John Deed
Judge John Deed is a British legal drama television series produced by the BBC in association with One-Eyed Dog for BBC One. It was created by G.F. Newman and stars Martin Shaw as Sir John Deed, a High Court judge who tries to seek real justice in the cases before him. It also stars Jenny Seagrove...
, and Minder
Minder (TV series)
Minder is a British comedy-drama about the London criminal underworld. Initially produced by Verity Lambert, it was made by Euston Films, a subsidiary of Thames Television and shown on ITV...
, among other appearances on Soccer AM
Soccer AM
Soccer AM is a British Saturday-morning football-based comedy/talk show, predominantly based around the Premier League...
, and presenting roles in The World's Most Stupid Criminals and Mousetrapped. In August 2011 he appeared in New Tricks episode 'Half Life' as a prisoner.
In February 2009 Chris won Celebrity Come Dine with Me
Come Dine With Me
Come Dine With Me is a popular Channel 4 television programme shown in the United Kingdom, produced by Granada Television and first broadcast in January 2005. The show has either four or five amateur chefs competing against each other hosting a dinner party for the other contestants...
on Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
.
In 2009, he appeared in A Silent Whistle and in 2010 Bonded by Blood
Bonded by Blood
For other uses of the phrase, see Bonded by Blood Bonded by Blood is the debut album by the San Francisco thrash metal band Exodus. Although the album was completed in the summer of 1984, it was not released until 1985 due to issues with Exodus and its record label...
and Basement
Basement
__FORCETOC__A basement is one or more floors of a building that are either completely or partially below the ground floor. Basements are typically used as a utility space for a building where such items as the furnace, water heater, breaker panel or fuse box, car park, and air-conditioning system...
He is currently the face and voice of Sussex-based MOT
Mot
In Ugaritic Mot 'Death' is personified as a god of death. The word is cognate with forms meaning 'death' in other Semitic and Afro-Asiatic languages: with Arabic موت mawt; with Hebrew מות ; with Maltese mewt; with Syriac mautā; with Ge'ez mot; with Canaanite, Egyptian Aramaic, Nabataean, and...
company Just MOT's http://www.justmots.eu/aboutus.html