Chris Ellis Biography

Fast Facts

• Quote: "I never got to write 'actor' on my tax return until I got to Los Angeles, even after 13 years in New York City․"
• Quote: "I went to New York City with $100 and a place to stay for 10 days and things just stuck․ I was very fortunate to be able to do so․"
• Got his start in community theater in his hometown of Memphis before eventually moving to New York to pursue bigger stage roles
• After a 10-year hiatus in the '80s, his work would pick back up again in 1990 after landing a small role in "Days of Thunder" which would earn him enough recognition to land parts in "My Cousin Vinny" and other films
• Lived in extreme poverty while an out-of-work actor in the 1980s and recounts accepting dinner invitations whenever he was given the chance, as food was scarce at the time