"It's always very easy to switch into character on 'Red Dwarf' because as soon as we get the costumes on and the dialogue going it's like we’ve never been away."
Chris Barrie (born Christopher Jonathan Brown, 28 March 1960 in Hanover, West Germany) is a British actor, comedian and impressionist. He is best known for playing Arnold J. Rimmer on the long running sci-fi comedy Red Dwarf. He also starred as Gordon Brittas in the BBC sitcom The Brittas Empire. Other roles include a French revolutionary in an episode of Blackadder, Hillary the butler in the first two Tomb Raider films, multiple voices in Spitting Image and Gary Prince in A Prince Among Men.
His Film Roles
- Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001) and Lara Croft: Tomb Raider – The Cradle of Life (2003) - Hillary
- When Evil Calls (2006) - Headmaster/Samantha's father
His TV roles
- Spitting Image (1984-1990) - Various
- The Young Ones (1984) - The Captain in "Nasty"
- Filthy Rich & Catflap (1987) - The Director
- Blackadder (1987) - French Revolutionary in "Nob and Nobility"
- Red Dwarf (1988-) - Arnold Rimmer
- The Brittas Empire (1991-1997) - Gordon Brittas
- The Legends of Treasure Island (1993) - Captain Smollet
- A Prince Among Men (1997-1998) - Gary Prince
Tropes relating to his career:
- Stage Name: Adopted the surname of "Barrie" due to there already being an actor who went by the name of "Christopher Brown" on the UK Equity Lists.
- What Could Have Been:
- He was considered for the role of Inspector Raymond Fowler in The Thin Blue Line before it went to Rowan Atkinson.
- He was also considered for the role of Zazu in The Lion King (1994) before he was passed over, again to Atkinson.
- Was being considered to voice Randall in Monsters, Inc. before the role was given to Steve Buscemi.
- One of the frontrunners for the the Tenth Doctor before David Tennant was cast.
