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Oliver Chris

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Oliver Chris
Born
Oliver Graham Chris

(1978-11-07) 7 November 1978 (age 46)
Tunbridge Wells, Kent, England
EducationTunbridge Wells Grammar School for Boys, Kent
Michael Hall (independent Steiner School), East Sussex
Alma materCentral School of Speech and Drama, London
Birkbeck College, University of London
Years active2000–present

Oliver Graham Chris (born 7 November 1978[1]) is an English actor. He has appeared in television series, TV films and on the stage. His work has included theatrical productions in London's West End and Broadway in New York City.

Early life

Chris was born in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, on 7 November 1978.[1] He passed his eleven-plus exam and attended Tunbridge Wells Grammar School for Boys before moving to the Michael Hall Steiner School in his fourth year. He later attended the Central School of Speech and Drama. In 2005, he completed an evening class at Birkbeck College and was subsequently accepted for a degree course in history, politics and philosophy.[2]

Career

Chris has appeared in several comedy series, including The Office, Green Wing, According to Bex, Nathan Barley, The IT Crowd, Rescue Me and Bluestone 42.

In 2004, Chris re-wrote the lyrics to the Beatles' "Let It Be" to a song about the England football player Wayne Rooney and recorded it in collaboration with the actor Stephen Campbell Moore and a number of other actors and journalists. The song was reprised and re-recorded, with rewritten lyrics, for the 2006 Fifa World Cup and became a hit on YouTube, with 200,000 hits.

Chris has also narrated most of the Alex Rider series of audiobooks by Anthony Horowitz, although Dan Stevens replaced him as reader for Snakehead, Crocodile Tears and Scorpia Rising.

In early 2006, Chris played the role of Captain Leonard in Sharpe's Challenge, starring Sean Bean, while 2007 saw him in the TV comedy Bonkers, written by Sally Wainwright as well as Petruchio in The Taming of the Shrew at the Wilton's Music Hall.[3][4] In 2006, he also appeared as Christian in Cyrano de Bergerac at the Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester. He later appeared in Peter Hall's production of The Portrait of a Lady. He made his West End debut in late 2008 in Lisa Kron's comedy, Well.[5] In 2010, he appeared alongside Judi Dench in Hall's production of A Midsummer Night's Dream at the Rose Theatre, Kingston.[6]

Chris was cast in Ben Miller's feature-length debut comedy film Huge, which premiered in June 2010.[7] In 2011, saw him appear in two episodes of Silent Witness, whilst also playing one of the leading roles in the National Theatre production of One Man, Two Guvnors alongside James Corden. He appeared in three series of the BBC Three comedy Bluestone 42, about a British bomb disposal detachment in Afghanistan. He also played Dr Richard Truscott in the ITV medical drama series Breathless, set in the 1960s, which ran for one series from October 2013.

From 2014 to 2016, Chris played Prince William in the play King Charles III, appearing in the West End and on Broadway. In May 2017, he appeared in the same role in the BBC Two film adaptation.[8]

Between February and May 2017, Chris played Orsino in a production of Twelfth Night at the Royal National Theatre.[9] He also played Friedrich Engels in Richard Bean and Clive Coleman's new play Young Marx, the opening production at the Bridge Theatre in December 2017.[10] In 2019, Chris took on the roles of Oberon and Theseus in Nicholas Hytner's adaptation of A Midsummer Night's Dream at the Bridge Theatre, London.[11] Paul Taylor, in his review for The Independent, described Chris' Oberon as "superlatively funny"[12] while Stig Abell in the TLS opined that doubling the roles of Oberon and Theseus allowed Chris "to be by turns sublime and ridiculous, stuffy and lusty".[13]

Chris' writing credits include Ralegh: The Treason Trial, staged at the Winchester Great Hall and then the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse in 2018[14] and Jack Absolute Flies Again, based on Sheridan's The Rivals, co-written with Richard Bean, due to be staged at the Olivier Theatre in 2020.[15]

Personal life

Until 2012, he was engaged to actress Rachael Stirling, whom he had been dating since 2007.[16]

Filmography

Film and television
Year Title Role Notes
2000 Lorna Doone Charley Doone TV film
2001 The Office Ricky Howard 6 episodes
2002 The Gathering Brett
Rescue Me Luke Chatwin Series regular
The Real Jane Austen Tom Lefroy
2003 The Other Boleyn Girl Henry Percy TV film
Casualty Tim Lasky 1 episode: "The Point of No Return"
Sweet Medicine Geoff Episode 1.8
Frankenstein: Birth of a Monster Percy Bysshe Shelley TV film
2004 Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason Director in Gallery
2004–2006 Green Wing Boyce 18 episodes
2005 Nathan Barley Max Herbert Series regular
According to Bex Ryan Series regular
2006 The IT Crowd Daniel Carey 1 episode: 'Fifty-Fifty'
Sharpe's Challenge Leonard TV film
Tripping Over Sam 4 episodes
Corpse Kevin Brown Short film
2007 Bonkers Marcus Lewis Series regular
Phineas and Ferb Mr Macabre (voice) "Terrifying Tri-State Trilogy of Terror"
2008 Fairy Tales Vukoosin Ergovich TV mini-series, 1 episode: 'Rapunzel'
Hotel Babylon David Duncan Episode 3.1
2009 FM Matt Kyle 1 episode: 'Blinded by the Light'
2010 Huge Darren
2011 Silent Witness James Sabiston 2 episodes
2013 Breathless Richard Truscott
2013–2015 Bluestone 42 Captain Nick Medhurst, ATO Series regular
2015 The Scandalous Lady W Viscount Deerhurst TV film
2017 King Charles III Prince William TV film
2016–2022 Motherland Paul Supporting role
2018 The Queen and I Prince of Wales Sky One
Endeavour Dr Wingqvist ITV
2020 Dolittle Sir Gareth
Miss Marx Friedrich 'Freddy' Demuth
Emma John Knightley
2020–present Trying Freddy Apple TV+
2021 A Very British Scandal George Emslie BBC One (1 episode)
2022 The Crown James Colthurst Episode: "The System"
Living Hart
What's Love Got to Do with It? James
Miss Scarlet and The Duke Basil Sinclaire occasional appearances in seasons 2, 3, & 4
2023 Maternal Guy Cavendish ITV drama[17]
Foundation Director Sermak Apple TV+
2024 My Lady Jane Narrator Amazon Prime Video[18]
TBA Rivals James Vereker In-production[19]

Theatre

Theatre
Year Title Role Theatre
2002 The Importance of Being Ernest Algernon Royal Theatre, Northampton
2007 The Taming of the Shrew Petruchio Wilton's Music Hall
2007 Cyrano de Bergerac Christian Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester
2008 The Portrait of a Lady Goodwood UK Tour
2010 A Midsummer Night's Dream Nick Bottom Rose Theatre, Kingston
2011 One Man, Two Guvnors Stanley Stubbers Royal National Theatre (Lyttelton Stage) + UK 2011 Tour + Adelphi Theatre + Broadway
2014–2016 King Charles III William Almeida Theatre + Wyndham's Theatre + Broadway
2014 Great Britain Asst. Commissioner Donald Doyle Davidson Royal National Theatre (Lyttleton Stage)
2017 Twelfth Night Orsino Royal National Theatre, Olivier Stage
2017 Young Marx Friedrich Engels Bridge Theatre
2019 A Midsummer Night's Dream Oberon / Theseus Bridge Theatre

References

  1. ^ a b "20 Questions With... Oliver Chris". WhatsOnStage.com. 25 March 2007. Retrieved 9 March 2024.
  2. ^ Sale, Jonathan (10 November 2005). "Passed/Failed: An education in the life of Oliver Chris, actor". The Independent. Archived from the original on 20 June 2011.
  3. ^ Marlowe, Sam (24 March 2007). "The Taming of the Shrew". The Times. Archived from the original on 17 May 2011.
  4. ^ "The Taming of the Shrew". Wilton's Music Hall. 11 March 2007. Archived from the original on 11 March 2007.
  5. ^ Sauma, Luiza (28 December 2008). "Close-up: Oliver Chris". The Independent. Retrieved 9 March 2024.
  6. ^ "A Midsummer Night's Dream". Theatre Mania. 16 February 2010. Retrieved 9 March 2024.
  7. ^ "Ben Miller is Huge at EIFF". Edinburgh International Film Festival. 16 June 2010. Archived from the original on 23 September 2016.
  8. ^ Saunders, Tristram Fane (10 May 2017). "King Charles III: everything you need to know about the BBC's controversial royal drama". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 9 March 2024.
  9. ^ Jones, Alice (21 February 2017). "Oliver Chris: 'I've spent my whole life with people asking me when I'm going to play Prince William'". i-news. Retrieved 9 March 2024.
  10. ^ "Young Marx". The Bridge Theatre. Retrieved 9 March 2024.
  11. ^ Billington, Michael (11 June 2019). "A Midsummer Night's Dream review – join the fiesta with Gwendoline Christie". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 9 March 2024.
  12. ^ Taylor, Paul (12 June 2019). "Hytner's take on the Bard comedy is another mould-breaker". Retrieved 9 March 2024.
  13. ^ Abell, Stig (21 June 2019). "Tinker, tailor, soldier, sprite". The Times Literary Supplement. Retrieved 9 March 2024.
  14. ^ Mayo, Douglas (31 October 2018). "Shakespeare's Globe announce casting for Oliver Chris's Ralegh The Treason Trial". BritishTheatre.com (Press release). Retrieved 9 March 2024.
  15. ^ Thomas, Sophie (13 June 2019). "New season at the National Theatre announced, featuring Maxine Peake, Rafe Spall and Lesley Sharp". London Theatre Guide. Retrieved 9 March 2024.
  16. ^ Wilson, Gemma (5 July 2012). "Oliver Chris on Hating Earnest Actors, Loving Judi Dench & How One Man, Two Guvnors Saved Him". Broadway.com. Retrieved 9 March 2024.
  17. ^ "ITV commissions six part medical drama, Maternal". ITV Press Centre (Press release). 14 July 2022. Archived from the original on 8 November 2022.
  18. ^ Bhatt, Jinal (2 July 2024). "One of the Best Parts of 'My Lady Jane' Is the Actor You Don't See on Screen". The Mary Sue. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
  19. ^ "Victoria Smurfit and Aidan Turner star in adaptation of racy Jilly Cooper novel". Irish Independent. 21 March 2023. Retrieved 9 March 2024.
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