Christopher Makepeace (born April 22, 1964) is a Canadian former actor, known for his starring roles in the coming-of-age film My Bodyguard (1980) and comedy horror Vamp (1986), and supporting roles in the screwball comedy Meatballs (1979) and the dystopian sci-fi film The Last Chase (1981), during his teen and young adult years.
Chris Makepeace | |
|---|---|
| Born | April 22, 1964 |
| Years active | 1974–2001 |
| Known for | Meatballs My Bodyguard The Last Chase Vamp |
| Spouse |
Elizabeth (m. 2015) |
Life and career
editMakepeace was born in Montreal, Quebec, the son of Doreen and Harry Makepeace.[1] His older brother, Tony Makepeace, is a Canadian photographer.
He began his acting career in a 1974 Canadian television special, The Ottawa Valley. His next role was in a 1979 Canadian comedy, Meatballs, in which he starred opposite Bill Murray, portrayed as a shy, loner teen attendee of a summer camp, who has trouble fitting in. The movie was a hit, grossing more than $43 million at the box office, and Makepeace received good notices for his work in the film. He was then cast in the lead role in the Fox film, My Bodyguard, released in July 1980 to positive reviews,[2] earning $22.5 million domestically.[3] In his review of the film, critic Roger Ebert said that Makepeace's performance resulted in "one of the most engaging teenage characters I've seen in the movies in a long time."[4] Makepeace also starred opposite Lee Majors and Burgess Meredith in the 1981 film The Last Chase. Makepeace's subsequent roles included appearances in made-for-television films and a few more feature films, including Mazes and Monsters with Tom Hanks, The Falcon and the Snowman in 1985 and 1986's Vamp.
In 1981, Makepeace recorded spoken dialogue for the Kiss album Music from "The Elder" with Producer Bob Ezrin, but it was not used in the final mix; plans to turn the album into a feature film never materialized.
He has not appeared in any films since 2001, moving instead behind the camera as an assistant director.
Filmography
editFilm and television credits
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | The Ottawa Valley | Unknown | Uncredited |
| 1979 | Meatballs | Rudy Gerner | Film |
| 1980 | Other People's Children | TV Movie | |
| 1980 | My Bodyguard | Clifford Peache | Film |
| 1981 | The Littlest Hobo | Willie | (1979 TV series) Episode: "East Side Angels" |
| 1981 | The Last Chase | Ring | Film |
| 1982 | Going Great | Series Host | (1982 TV series) |
| 1982 | The Mysterious Stranger | August Feldner | TV Movie |
| 1982 | Mazes and Monsters | Jay "Jay-Jay" Brockway | Made-for-television movie CBS |
| 1983 | The Terry Fox Story | Darrell Fox | TV movie |
| 1983-1984 | Going Great | Host | TV series |
| 1984 | The Oasis | Matt | Film |
| 1985 | The Falcon and the Snowman | David Lee | Film |
| 1985 | The Undergrads | Dennis "Jody" Adler | TV movie |
| 1986 | Vamp | Keith | Film |
| 1987 | Captive Hearts | Robert | Film |
| 1988 | Aloha Summer | Mike Tognetti | Film |
| 1988 | Why on Earth? | Franklin Smith | TV series Pilot |
| 1989 | The Jim Henson Hour | Zeb Norman | (1989 TV series) Episodes: "Science Fiction" and "Aquatic Life" |
| 1989 | The Hitchhiker | Jeremy | (1983 TV series) Episode: "Power Play" |
| 1991 | Beyond Reality | Anthony Bowen | (1991 TV series) Episode: "Miracle Worker" |
| 1996 | Memory Run | Andre Fuller | Film |
| 1996 | A Holiday for Love | Joe Marsdon | TV movie |
| 1998 | Short for Nothing | Glen | Film |
| 2001 | Full Disclosure | Pilot | Video |
Awards
edit| Year | Award | Category/Recipient | Result | Refs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Genie Award | Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role for: Meatballs (1979) | Nominated | [5] |
References
edit- ^ "Chris Makepeace Biography (1964-)". Film Reference.
- ^ "My Bodyguard (1980)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved March 3, 2016.
- ^ "My Bodyguard". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved March 3, 2016.
- ^ Ebert, Roger (January 1, 1980). "My Bodyguard". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on September 28, 2012. Retrieved March 3, 2016.
- ^ "Chris Makepeace is going places" by Donald Martin, The Globe and Mail (21 Jan, 1984) Retrieved from ProQuest 386511222
