Christopher John Chittell BEM (born 19 May 1948) is an English actor, known for his role as Eric Pollard in the ITV soap opera Emmerdale. He has portrayed the role since 1986, making him the longest-serving cast member in the soap's history.[1]
Chris Chittell | |
|---|---|
| Born | Christopher John Chittell 19 May 1948 |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1964–present |
| Known for | Role of Eric Pollard in Emmerdale |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 2 |
Biography
editEarly life
editChittell was born in Aldershot, Hampshire. His father served in the Indian Army, and on leaving school Chittell intended to join the Royal Navy, but instead, he became a model.[2] His first acting stint was in 1964, with the National Theatre, at Chichester Festival Theatre, in Peter Shaffer's The Royal Hunt of the Sun.[3]
Career
editHe appeared as Potter in the 1967 film To Sir, with Love.[4] In 1968 he appeared as a Trooper in The Charge of the Light Brigade, and made an uncredited appearance in If.... .[5] This was followed by a starring role as one of the Freewheelers, made as an action/adventure children's serial by Southern Television between 1968 and 1973.[6]
Chittal acted for two seasons in the 1970s science fiction TV drama The Tomorrow People.[7][8] His other film appearances included roles in The Beast in the Cellar (1970), The Weekend Murders (1971), The Raging Moon (1971), The Last Valley (1971), Erotic Inferno (1975), Golden Rendezvous (1977), Zulu Dawn (1979) and Game for Vultures (1979).[5] He also appeared in a number of Swedish sex films in the 1970s including Swedish Sex Games (aka The Intruders and Let Us Play Sex) in 1975 (which also featured a young Stellan Skarsgård).
He performed on stage at the Old Vic in Macbeth with Peter O'Toole.[2][9] In 1972, Chittell appeared in the untransmitted Doomwatch episode "Sex and Violence", playing Dick Burns, widely believed to be a parody of Cliff Richard and Richard's part in the Nationwide Festival of Light.[10] The "Sex and Violence" episode was included as part of the Doomwatch DVD box set release in April 2016.[11]
Personal life
editChittell is married to his Emmerdale co-star Lesley Dunlop, who plays Brenda Walker.
Honours
editHe was awarded the British Empire Medal (BEM) in the 2019 Queen's Birthday Honours List for services to drama and charity.[12]
Filmography
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1967 | To Sir, with Love | Potter | |
| 1968 | The Charge of the Light Brigade | Trooper | |
| 1968 | The Avengers | Bassin | |
| 1968 | If.... | Senior | Uncredited |
| 1970 | The Breaking of Bumbo | The Prisoner | |
| 1970 | The Weekend Murders | Georgie Kemple | |
| 1971 | The Raging Moon | Terry | |
| 1971 | The Last Valley | Svenson | |
| 1971 | The Beast in the Cellar | Baker | |
| 1971 | They Call Him Cemetery | John McIntire | |
| 1974 | The Intruders | Richard | |
| 1974 | Man About The House | Alan | |
| 1975 | Erotic Inferno | Martin Barnard | |
| 1977 | Molly | Peter | |
| 1977 | Ta mej i dalen | Richard | |
| 1977 | Golden Rendezvous | Rogers | |
| 1978 | The Wild Geese | Philips | Uncredited |
| 1978 | Night Ride | TV movie | |
| 1979 | Zulu Dawn | Lt. Milne | |
| 1979 | Game for Vultures | McAllister | |
| 1980 | Les Visiteurs (The Visitors) | L'interprète (The Interpreter) | TV Mini Series. Episode entitled: Pirvii |
| 1982 | Triangle | Lorry Driver | TV series. Series 2. Episode 17 |
| 1984 | Tucker's Luck | Junior | TV series. Recurring role |
| 1986–present | Emmerdale | Eric Pollard | ITV Soap Opera. Series regular |
| 2016 | Doomwatch | Dick Burns | 1 episode |
References
edit- ^ Dainty, Sophie (3 August 2017). "Emmerdale star Chris Chittell would leave if Eric Pollard stopped getting decent storylines". Digital Spy. Hearst Magazines UK. Retrieved 26 February 2021.
- ^ a b Hayward, Anthony The Emmerdale Companion Published by Orion Publishing Co. (1997) ISBN 0-7528-1043-X
- ^ "Christopher Chittell | Theatricalia". theatricalia.com.
- ^ "To Sir, with Love – review | cast and crew, movie star rating and where to watch film on TV and online". Radio Times.
- ^ a b "Christopher Chittell". BFI. Archived from the original on 29 September 2017.
- ^ "Chris Chittell". www.aveleyman.com.
- ^ "A Rift in Time[11/03/74] (1974)". BFI. Archived from the original on 20 September 2020.
- ^ "Secret Weapon[19/03/75] (1975)". BFI. Archived from the original on 22 January 2021.
- ^ [1] Archived 20 June 2010 at the Wayback Machine Chittell on the Emmerdale website
- ^ "Sex and Violence (1972)". BFI. Archived from the original on 6 April 2019.
- ^ "Doomwatch box set review: vintage 70s apocalypse drama still has the power to chill". the Guardian. 7 April 2016.
- ^ "No. 62666". The London Gazette (Supplement). 8 June 2019. p. B25.
