Chris Chittell

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

(1948-05-19) 19 May 1948
OccupationActor
Years active1964–present
Known forRole of Eric Pollard in Emmerdale
Spouse(s)
Caroline Hunt
(m. 1979; div. 2005)

(m. 2016)
Children2

Biography

Early life

Chittell 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

He 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

Chittell is married to his Emmerdale co-star Lesley Dunlop, who plays Brenda Walker.

Honours

He was awarded the British Empire Medal (BEM) in the 2019 Queen's Birthday Honours List for services to drama and charity.[12]

Filmography

Year Title Role Notes
1967To Sir, with LovePotter
1968The Charge of the Light BrigadeTrooper
1968The AvengersBassin
1968If....SeniorUncredited
1970The Breaking of BumboThe Prisoner
1970The Weekend MurdersGeorgie Kemple
1971The Raging MoonTerry
1971The Last ValleySvenson
1971The Beast in the CellarBaker
1971They Call Him CemeteryJohn McIntire
1974The IntrudersRichard
1974Man About The HouseAlan
1975Erotic InfernoMartin Barnard
1977MollyPeter
1977Ta mej i dalenRichard
1977Golden RendezvousRogers
1978The Wild GeesePhilipsUncredited
1978Night RideTV movie
1979Zulu DawnLt. Milne
1979Game for VulturesMcAllister
1980Les Visiteurs (The Visitors)L'interprète (The Interpreter)TV Mini Series. Episode entitled: Pirvii
1982TriangleLorry DriverTV series. Series 2. Episode 17
1984Tucker's LuckJuniorTV series. Recurring role
1986–presentEmmerdaleEric PollardITV Soap Opera. Series regular
2016DoomwatchDick Burns1 episode

References

  1. 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.
  2. Hayward, Anthony The Emmerdale Companion Published by Orion Publishing Co. (1997) ISBN 0-7528-1043-X
  3. "Christopher Chittell | Theatricalia". theatricalia.com.
  4. "To Sir, with Love – review | cast and crew, movie star rating and where to watch film on TV and online". Radio Times.
  5. "Christopher Chittell". BFI.
  6. "Chris Chittell". www.aveleyman.com.
  7. "A Rift in Time[11/03/74] (1974)". BFI.
  8. "Secret Weapon[19/03/75] (1975)". BFI.
  9. Archived 20 June 2010 at the Wayback Machine Chittell on the Emmerdale website
  10. "Sex and Violence (1972)". BFI.
  11. "Doomwatch box set review: vintage 70s apocalypse drama still has the power to chill". the Guardian. 7 April 2016.
  12. "No. 62666". The London Gazette (Supplement). 8 June 2019. p. B25.
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