Chris Barrie Bio - Chris Barrie Biography

Chris Barrie: Biography

Christopher Jonathon Barrie was born in Hannover, Germany on 28th March 1960. He was brought up in Northern Ireland, and was Head Boy in his final year at school, and played the lead role in Dial M for Murder at school.

He started a Business Studies Course at Brighton Polytechnic, but dropped out and went onto have a string of jobs ranging from a grave filler in High Wycombe (your wonderful webmisstress's home town!) to lawnmower operator. The jobs weren't as much of a let down as they seemed, because his talent for impression started by impersonating members of staff at work!

Chris's television debut was in the Jasper Carrot Election Special '83, and it was on this that he met Rob Grant and Doug Naylor. Chris also appeared in Son of a Cliche as one of the main voices for the show. He also toured the UK with his Red Dwarf co-star Norman Lovett in The Lovett and Barrie Stand Up Show.

In 1988, Chris starred as the insufferable Arnold Judas Rimmer in Rob and Doug's Sci-Fi Sitcom Red Dwarf, but his acting talents go far from stopping there. He's also starred in The Brittas Empire, A Prince Amoung Men, Blackadder III, Spitting Image, The Young Ones, Happy Families, Alas Smith and Jones, The Lenny Henry Show, Lenny Henry Tonight, Filthy Rich and Catflap, the New Statesman, 3 episodes of Jackanory, Ben Elton: The Man from Auntie, Pushing up Daisies, Coming Next, Testimony, Live! From London, White Goods, Chris Barrie's Motoring Wheel Nuts, Treasure Island and Get Fit with Brittas - Wow!

In 2004, Chris turned his talents to presenting his own show on the Discovery Channel. 'Massive Engines' was described by him as being the best TV project hes done. Massive Engines looked at Diggers, Planes and other 'Massive Engines'. Another series for Discovery Channel has been planned.

And if you thought he couldn't possibly do anymore, in 2001, Chris appeared as Hillary the Butler in 'Lara Croft: Tomb Raider', reprising his role again for the sequel two years later.

Chris will also reprise his role as the loveable smeghead Arnold Rimmer in the Red Dwarf Movie when it finally gets made...

Chris appeared in all episodes of The Brittas Empire.(edit)
Chris appeared in all but four episodes of Red Dwarf.(edit)
Duct Soup was the first episode of Red Dwarf not to feature Chris.(edit)
Chris was offered a role on the short lived Red Dwarf USA series but turned it down.(edit)
Unfortunately, Chris realized that his marriage to Monica was more about passion than love, and they split up in 1990.(edit)
At school, Chris was the lead in Dial M for Murder.(edit)
Chris has two dogs - Cocoa (a Labrador) and Dexter (an Alsatian). (edit)
Chris currently lives in a village in Berkshire, England.(edit)
On December 3, 1997, Chris married Aleks.(edit)
Chris went to a Methodist boarding school in Belfast, and became Head Boy in his final year.(edit)
Chris completed his first full series as a presenter on Discovery Channel's Massive Engines. (edit)
Chris' early television and radio experience includes a series of On the Fringe for HTV, Stomping on the Cat and Pajamarama for LWT.(edit)
Chris began his showbusiness career as one of the original Comedy Store Gong Show performers.(edit)
Chris is a man of many impressions, including Sean Connery's James Bond, Ronald Reagan, Prince Charles, Robin Day, David Coleman, Sir John Gielgud, Paul Daniels, Barry Norman, John Cole, George Bush, Jack Nicholson and Kenneth Williams.(edit)
Chris was also the principal male voice on Spitting Image and the Jasper Carrot Election Special (1983). (edit)
Chris is perhaps most famous for his role as disaster-prone leisure centre manager, Gordon Brittas in The Brittas Empire, and the hologram Rimmer in Red Dwarf.(edit)
Chris originally auditioned for the part of Lister in Red Dwarf (1988), but was cast as Rimmer instead.(edit)
Chris met his current wife, Alecks, during a bomb scare.(edit)
Chris provided many of the voices for Spitting Image, and as such, during the filming of programmes he starred in like Red Dwarf and the Brittas Empire he liked to joke around, and put on some of these accents for the audience. The only television programme where he uses his real voice is Red Dwarf.(edit)