Christopher Ryan
Born
Christopher Papazoglou

(1950-01-25) 25 January 1950
Bayswater, London, England
NationalityBritish
Other namesChris Ryan
Alma materEast 15 Acting School
OccupationActor
Years active1971–present

Christopher Ryan (né Papazoglou; born 25 January 1950) is a British actor best known for his roles as Mike TheCoolPerson 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 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 played Sontaran General Staal in Doctor Who in 2008.

Early life

Ryan was born Christopher Papazoglou 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.[1]

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 TheCoolPerson" 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.[2]

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.[3] 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: Mindwarp, 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",[4] 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 his film appearances were few, he played small roles in Santa Claus: The Movie (1985) and the film Dirty Weekend (1993), directed by Michael Winner.

Ryan starred as Baron Hardup in the pantomime of Cinderella at the Theatre Royal, Norwich from 17 December 2013 to 19 January 2014.[5]

Filmography

Film

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[6]

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1978TargetJockEpisode: "A Good and Faithful Woman"
1979AngelsHarryEpisodes 5.13 & 5.15
PremiereCliveEpisode: "Deasey"
1980FoxEastEpisode: "Stick or Twist"
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 TheCoolPerson
1984The Tempest, Act IVFerdinandTV movie
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
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
1993MaigretBasieEpisode: "Maigret and the Maid"
Newman and Baddiel in PiecesN/AEpisode: "Guilty"
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
2007SaxondaleTicket InspectorEpisode 2.5
2007The 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

YearTitleRoleNotes
2016Doctor Who: Classic Doctors, New MonstersGeneral Stenk/Flitch"The Sontaran Ordeal"
2018RavenousMacy"How to Make a Killing in Time Travel"
Jeremiah Bourne in Time[7]Pete
Lady Christina[8]Grunt/Handley2 stories
2019, 2020The Paternoster GangStonn2 stories

Video games

YearTitleRole
2011Black Mirror IIIAdditional Voices

Music videos

YearTitleRoleArtist/Writer
1986"Living Doll"[2]MikeCliff Richard

Theatre

YearTitleRoleLocationRef.
1977The Devil Is an AssPugRoyal National Theatre[9]
Measure for MeasureAbhorson[10]
1978The Cure for LoveCharlie FoxChurchill Theatre[11]
1979Bleak HouseConversation Kenge
Trooper George
Various		Royal Court Theatre[11]
1980A Flea in Her EarN/AThorndike Theatre[12]
1984Of Mice and MenCurleyMermaid Theatre[11]
1987A Midsummer Night's DreamPuckRegent's Park Open Air Theatre[13]
1988Kiss Me, KateJoe AmbrosioRoyal Shakespeare Company[14]
1990 Valued FriendsStewartHampstead Theatre[11]
1991Waiting for GodotLuckyQueen's Theatre[1]
1993On the LedgeMartinRoyal National Theatre/Nottingham Playhouse[15]
2003His Girl FridayMcCueOlivier Theatre[11]
2009Arsenic and Old LaceDr. EinsteinSalisbury Playhouse[16]
2013CinderellaBaron HardupTheatre Royal, Norwich[17]
2015Jeeves and Wooster in Perfect NonsenseSeppingsTheatre Royal, Nottingham[18]

References

  1. 1 2 "Daily Mayall : 23 September 1991 : Waiting For Godot Previews - Rik Mayall News and Events". Retrieved 31 January 2021.
  2. 1 2 "Living Doll by Cliff Richard and The Young Ones - SimplyEightys". Retrieved 25 January 2021.
  3. ↑ From the programme to the production.
  4. ↑ "Doctor Who: Casting Update". BBC. 2 October 2007. Archived from the original on 7 March 2008. Retrieved 12 September 2009.
  5. ↑ "HCX Pick of Christmas Events". Her Campus Media, LLC. 28 November 2013. Retrieved 10 June 2014.
  6. ↑ "REVIEW: 'Sil and the Devil Seeds of Arodor' - The Doctor Who Big Blue Box Podcast". Retrieved 30 January 2021.
  7. ↑ "Jeremiah Bourne in Time - Big Finish Originals - Big Finish". Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  8. ↑ "Lady Christina Series 01 - The Worlds of Doctor Who - Special Releases - Big Finish". Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  9. ↑ "David Suchet - The Devil is an Ass (1976-77)". Retrieved 31 January 2021.
  10. ↑ "David Suchet - Measure for Measure (1976-77)". Retrieved 31 January 2021.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 "Christopher Ryan - Theatricalia". Retrieved 31 January 2021.
  12. ↑ "ROB WILTON THEATRICALIA Classic Play Programmes 1980-89". Retrieved 31 January 2021.
  13. ↑ "A Midsummer Night's Dream - shakespeareances.com". Retrieved 31 January 2021.
  14. ↑ "Photostage.co.uk". Retrieved 31 January 2021.
  15. ↑ "CalmView: Overview - National Theatre". Retrieved 31 January 2021.
  16. ↑ "Theatre review: Arsenic and Old Lace at Salisbury Playhouse". Retrieved 31 January 2021.
  17. ↑ "Cinderella (Norwich) - WhatsOnStage". Retrieved 31 January 2021.
  18. ↑ "JEEVES & WOOSTER at Theatre Royal Nottingham - ItsMuchMore". Retrieved 31 January 2021.
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