Chris Barrie

Biography

Chris Barrie (born Christopher Jonathan Brown on March 28, 1960) is a versatile British actor, comedian, and impressionist known for his defining roles in two popular television sitcoms and his voice work in an iconic satirical show.

Career and Notable Roles

Barrie rose to prominence in the UK for his work as a vocal impressionist on the long-running, politically charged sketch show, Spitting Image (1984–1996). His talent for mimicry laid the foundation for his successful career in acting, where he excelled at playing tightly wound, bureaucratic, and often self-deluded characters.

Television Success

His career is best defined by two major sitcom characters who were simultaneously on British TV in the 1990s:

Red Dwarf (1988–Present): Barrie is most famous for playing Arnold J. Rimmer, the cowardly, neurotic, and pompous hologram technician who is trapped millions of years in the future with the last human. Rimmer is one of the show's core characters, known for his signature "smeg" exclamations and hilariously rigid adherence to military protocol.

The Brittas Empire (1991–1997): He starred as the titular character, Gordon Brittas, the immensely well-meaning yet catastrophically incompetent manager of the Whitbury New Town Leisure Center. The show was a farce that gained a large mainstream audience and has been compared to the classic sitcom Fawlty Towers.

Film and Voice Work

Beyond comedy, Barrie has appeared in blockbuster films and lent his voice to video games:

Film: He played Hillary, the loyal butler to Lara Croft, in both Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001) and its sequel, Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life (2003).

Voice Acting: He was the original voice of the main character in the popular 1990s point-and-click adventure game, Simon the Sorcerer. He has recently returned to voice the character in the prequel, Simon the Sorcerer: Origins.