Christopher Ryan

{{Short description|British actor (born 1950)}}

{{other people}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2020}}

{{Infobox person

| name = Christopher Ryan

| image = Christopher Ryan.png

| caption = Ryan in "Back to School Mr. Bean" (1994)

| birth_name = Christopher Papazoglou

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1950|1|25|df=y}}

| birth_place = Bayswater, London, England

| death_date =

| death_place =

| alma_mater = East 15 Acting School

| other_names = Chris Ryan

| occupation = Actor

| years_active = 1971–present

}}

Christopher Papazoglou (born 25 January 1950{{citation needed|date=January 2021}}), known professionally as Christopher Ryan, is a British actor. He is best known for his roles as Mike The Cool Person in the BBC comedy series The Young Ones, Dave Hedgehog in the BBC comedy series Bottom, Tony Driscoll in the BBC comedy series Only Fools and Horses, and The Green Green Grass and as Edina Monsoon's ex-husband Marshall Turtle in the BBC sitcom Absolutely Fabulous. He has also appeared as the McKendrick twins in One Foot in the Grave, and in Doctor Who played the Mentor Kiv in Trial of a Time Lord in 1986 and Sontaran General Staal in 2008 and 2010.

Early life

Ryan was born Christopher Papazoglou on 25 January 1950 in Bayswater, London to an English mother and a Greek father. He trained at East 15 Acting School from 1968 to 1971, then began his professional acting career with Glasgow Citizens' Theatre.{{cite web|url=http://rik-mayall.com/mayallonline/daily-mayall-23-september-1991-waiting-for-godot-previews/ |title=Daily Mayall : 23 September 1991 : Waiting For Godot Previews - Rik Mayall News and Events |accessdate=31 January 2021}}

Career

=''The Young Ones''=

Ryan was the only Young Ones cast member who was not already well known in British comedy circles, the other principal parts being taken by The Comic Strip members Rik Mayall, Adrian Edmondson, Nigel Planer, and Alexei Sayle. He was a last-minute replacement for Peter Richardson, for whom the "straight man" role of "Mike The Cool Person" was originally intended.

In 1986, Ryan reunited with the rest of the cast for the comedic charity single and music video for Cliff Richard's hit song "Living Doll", with Richard himself, for Comic Relief.{{cite web|url=https://www.simplyeighties.com/cliff-richard-and-the-young-ones.php#.YA9Tr5P7Si4 |title=Living Doll by Cliff Richard and The Young Ones - SimplyEightys |accessdate= 25 January 2021}}

=Later career=

In 1987, he starred in the short-lived BBC sitcom A Small Problem. He played Lucky in Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot at the Queen's Theatre in the West End in 1991, alongside Mayall and Edmondson.From the programme to the production. He later played Dave Hedgehog in Bottom, and Marshall Turtle, one of Edina's unloved ex-husbands, on Absolutely Fabulous. He has also appeared in two major sitcoms: he played one of the Driscoll brothers in an episode of Only Fools And Horses and spin-off The Green Green Grass, a pair of identical twin builders in the One Foot in the Grave episode "Hole in the Sky", and a plumber in the episode "The Valley of Fear". He appeared in Back to School Mr. Bean, My Family and Saxondale. He joined up again with Jennifer Saunders for two episodes of The Life and Times of Vivienne Vyle.

In 1986, he appeared in the science fiction series Doctor Who as the alien creature Lord Kiv in the serial The Trial of a Time Lord, and as one of the rose-painting playing cards in the 1999 TV version of Alice in Wonderland. In 2008, he again guest-starred in Doctor Who in the episodes "The Sontaran Stratagem" and "The Poison Sky", as the Sontaran leader "General Staal",{{cite news | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/news/cult/news/drwho/2007/10/02/49473.shtml | title=Doctor Who: Casting Update | date=2 October 2007 | accessdate=12 September 2009 | publisher=BBC | archive-date=7 March 2008 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080307232646/http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/news/cult/news/drwho/2007/10/02/49473.shtml | url-status=dead }} and in the 2010 episode "The Pandorica Opens", playing another Sontaran character, "Commander Stark". In 2012 he appeared in the role of Marshall in Episode 3 "Olympics" of the Absolutely Fabulous 20th-anniversary specials.

Although so far his film appearances have been few, he has played small roles in Santa Claus: The Movie (1985) playing Vout the elf, and in the film Dirty Weekend (1993), directed by Michael Winner playing a character credited as Small One.

Ryan starred as Baron Hardup in the pantomime of Cinderella at the Theatre Royal, Norwich from 17 December 2013 to 19 January 2014.{{cite news | url=http://www.hercampus.com/school/exeter/hcx-pick-christmas-events-around-country | title=HCX Pick of Christmas Events | date=28 November 2013 | accessdate=10 June 2014 | publisher=Her Campus Media, LLC }}{{Dead link|date=July 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

Filmography

=Film=

class="wikitable"
YearTitleRoleNotes
1985Santa Claus: The MovieVout
1993Dirty WeekendSmall One
1997Absolutely Fabulous: Absolutely Not!MarshallDirect-to-video
2009Dead Man RunningBookie at the DogsUncredited
2012City SlackerFrank
2016Absolutely Fabulous: The MovieMarshall
2019Sil and the Devil Seeds of ArodorKivDirect-to-video{{cite web|url=https://www.bigblueboxpodcast.co.uk/review-sil-and-the-devil-seeds-of-arodor/ |title=REVIEW: 'Sil and the Devil Seeds of Arodor' - The Doctor Who Big Blue Box Podcast |accessdate= 30 January 2021}}

=Television=

class="wikitable"
YearTitleRoleNotes
1978TargetJockEpisode: "A Good and Faithful Woman"
rowspan="2"|1979AngelsHarryEpisodes 5.13 & 5.15
PremiereCliveEpisode: "Deasey"
1980FoxEastEpisode: "Stick or Twist"
rowspan="3"|1981BBC2 PlayhouseTonyEpisode: "Days at the Beach"
Play for TodayHound DogEpisode: "A Turn for the Worse"
The Olympian WayMickey FarrEpisode: "Slim Chance"
1982–1984The Young OnesMike The Cool Person
1984The Tempest, Act IVFerdinandTV movie
rowspan="4"|1985Inside OutTommyEpisodes 1.1, 1.2 & 1.3
Summer SeasonTwerpEpisode: "Rachel and the Roarettes"
The Lenny Henry ShowN/AEpisode 2.2
Happy FamiliesMellEpisode: "Cassie"
1986Doctor WhoKivEpisode: "Mindwarp"
1987A Small ProblemHoward
rowspan="2"|1989Only Fools and HorsesTony DriscollEpisode: "Little Problems"
The Russ Abbot ShowN/AEpisode 4.12
1990, 1995One Foot in the GravePlumber
McKendrick Twins
Episodes: "The Valley of Fear"
"Hole in the Sky"
1991–1995BottomDave HedgehogEpisodes: "Accident"
"Parade"
"Holy"
"Terror"
"Dough"
1992The New StatesmanIoannis DouvalopoulosEpisode: "Speaking in Tongues"
1992–2012Absolutely FabulousMarshallCredited as Chris Ryan
rowspan="2"|1993MaigretBasieEpisode: "Maigret and the Maid"
Newman and Baddiel in PiecesN/AEpisode: "Guilty"
rowspan="2"|1994Requiem ApacheClub BarmanTV movie
Credited as Chris Ryan
Mr. BeanKarate StudentEpisode: "Back to School Mr. Bean"
Credited as Chris Ryan
1995Health and EfficiencyPeter HudsonEpisode: "The Old Dope Peddler"
1997MelissaLes MauriceTV mini-series
1998Mike and AngeloBrad SchnauzerEpisode: "Out of the Wardrobe"
1999Alice in WonderlandRoyal Gardener 3TV movie
Credited as Chris Ryan
2001, 2003My FamilyMr. Hilliard
Rod Baxter
Episodes: "Parisian Beauty"
"Canary Cage"
2002Fun at the Funeral ParlourRockyEpisode: "Dog Dago Afternoon"
2005–2006, 2009The Green Green GrassTony DriscollEpisodes: "One Flew Over the Cuckoo Clock"
"Brothers and Sisters"
"Home Brew"
2006SpongeBob SquarePantsProfessor PercyEpisode: "Chimps Ahoy"
Uncredited
rowspan="2" | 2007SaxondaleTicket InspectorEpisode 2.5
The Life and Times of Vivienne VyleMiriamEpisodes 1.2 & 1.6
2008, 2010Doctor WhoGeneral Staal
Commander Stark
Episodes: "The Sontaran Stratagem"
"The Poison Sky"
"The Pandorica Opens"
2013It's KevinThe Great SpagbolettiEpisode #1.4

= Audio drama =

class="wikitable"
YearTitleRoleNotes
2016Doctor Who: Classic Doctors, New MonstersGeneral Stenk/Flitch"The Sontaran Ordeal"
rowspan="3"|2018RavenousMacy"How to Make a Killing in Time Travel"
Jeremiah Bourne in Time{{cite web|url=https://www.bigfinish.com/releases/v/jeremiah-bourne-in-time-1769 |title=Jeremiah Bourne in Time - Big Finish Originals - Big Finish |accessdate= 26 January 2021}}Pete
Lady Christina{{cite web |title=Lady Christina Series 01 - The Worlds of Doctor Who - Special Releases - Big Finish |url=https://www.bigfinish.com/releases/v/lady-christina-series-01-1829 |accessdate=26 January 2021}}Grunt/Handley2 stories
2019, 2020The Paternoster GangStonn2 stories
2024Doctor Who: Sontarans vs RutansVrell / Trax2 episodes

=Video games=

class="wikitable"
YearTitleRole
2011Black Mirror IIIAdditional Voices

=Music videos=

class="wikitable"
YearTitleRoleArtist/Writer
1986"Living Doll"MikeCliff Richard

Theatre

class="wikitable"
YearTitleRoleLocation{{Tooltip|Ref.|Reference}}
rowspan="2"|1977The Devil Is an AssPugrowspan="2"|Royal National Theatre{{cite web|url=https://www.bricksite.com/davidsuchet?id=104803 |title=David Suchet - The Devil is an Ass (1976-77) |accessdate= 31 January 2021}}
Measure for MeasureAbhorson{{cite web|url=https://www.bricksite.com/davidsuchet?id=104802 |title=David Suchet - Measure for Measure (1976-77) |accessdate= 31 January 2021}}
1978The Cure for LoveCharlie FoxChurchill Theatre{{cite web|url=https://theatricalia.com/person/177v/christopher-ryan |title= Christopher Ryan - Theatricalia |accessdate= 31 January 2021}}
1979Bleak HouseConversation Kenge
Trooper George
Various
Royal Court Theatre
1980A Flea in Her EarN/AThorndike Theatre{{cite web|url=http://theatricalia.co.uk/07class/class8089.htm |title=ROB WILTON THEATRICALIA Classic Play Programmes 1980-89 |accessdate= 31 January 2021}}
1984Of Mice and MenCurleyMermaid Theatre
1987A Midsummer Night's DreamPuckRegent's Park Open Air Theatre{{cite web|url=http://www.shakespeareances.com/about/productions/midsummer_night.html |title=A Midsummer Night's Dream - shakespeareances.com |accessdate= 31 January 2021}}
1988Kiss Me, KateJoe AmbrosioRoyal Shakespeare Company{{cite web|url=https://www.photostage.co.uk/stock-photo-kiss-me-kate-music-lyrics-cole-porter-book-sam-bella-spewack-after-photostage-image00101985.html |title=Photostage.co.uk |accessdate= 31 January 2021}}
1990 Valued FriendsStewartHampstead Theatre
1991Waiting for GodotLuckyQueen's Theatre
1993On the LedgeMartinRoyal National Theatre/Nottingham Playhouse{{cite web|url=http://catalogue.nationaltheatre.org.uk/CalmView/Record.aspx?src=CalmView.Performance&id=1276 |title=CalmView: Overview - National Theatre |accessdate= 31 January 2021}}
2003His Girl FridayMcCueOlivier Theatre
2009Arsenic and Old LaceDr. EinsteinSalisbury Playhouse{{cite web|url=https://www.britishtheatreguide.info/reviews/arsenicsalis-rev |title=

Theatre review: Arsenic and Old Lace at Salisbury Playhouse |accessdate= 31 January 2021}}

2013CinderellaBaron HardupTheatre Royal, Norwich{{cite web|url=https://www.whatsonstage.com/norwich-theatre/reviews/cinderella-norwich_33056.html |title=Cinderella (Norwich) - WhatsOnStage |accessdate= 31 January 2021}}
2015Jeeves and Wooster in Perfect NonsenseSeppingsTheatre Royal, Nottingham{{cite web|url=https://www.itsmuchmore.com/jeeves-wooster-at-theatre-royal-nottingham/ |title=JEEVES & WOOSTER at Theatre Royal Nottingham - ItsMuchMore |accessdate= 31 January 2021}}

References

{{Reflist}}