Christopher John Chittell (born 19 May 1948, Aldershot

Aldershot

Aldershot is a town in the English county of Hampshire, located on heathland about southwest of London. The town is administered by Rushmoor Borough Council...

, Hampshire) is an English actor best known for his role as Eric Pollard

Eric Pollard

Eric Charles Pollard is a fictional character from the British soap opera Emmerdale played by Chris Chittell.Pollard has appeared on the show since 1986, making him the second longest running current character after Alan Turner who has appeared since 1982. He has lied to, cheated and swindled...

 in ITV

ITV

ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...

's Emmerdale

Emmerdale

Emmerdale, is a long-running British soap opera set in Emmerdale , a fictional village in the Yorkshire Dales. Created by Kevin Laffan, Emmerdale was first broadcast on 16 October 1972...

, a part that he has played since 1986.

His father served in the Indian Army, and on leaving school Chittell intended to join the Royal Navy

Royal Navy

The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...

, but instead, he became a model. His first acting stint was at age 19, appearing as Potter in the 1967 film To Sir, with Love

To Sir, with Love

To Sir, With Love is a 1967 British drama film starring Sidney Poitier that deals with social and racial issues in an inner city school. James Clavell both directed and wrote the film's screenplay, based on the semi-autobiographical novel of the same name by E. R. Braithwaite.The film's title song...

. In 1968 he appeared as a Trooper in The Charge of the Light Brigade

The Charge of the Light Brigade (1968 film)

The Charge of the Light Brigade is a 1968 British war film made by Woodfall Film Productions and distributed by United Artists . It was directed by Tony Richardson and produced by Neil Hartley....

and made an uncredited appearance in If..... This was followed by a starring role as one of the Freewheelers

Freewheelers

Freewheelers is a British television series made by Southern Television between 1968 and 1973. It was the brainchild of television producer Chris McMaster, who was aware of the popularity of adult action series such as The Avengers and Department S amongst teenagers and saw the potential of a...

, made as an action/adventure children's serial by Southern Television

Southern Television

Southern Television was the first ITV broadcasting licence holder for the south and south-east of England from 30 August 1958 until the night of 31 December 1981. The company was launched as Southern Television Limited and the title Southern Television was consistently used on-air throughout its life...

 between 1968 and 1973.

Apart from Emmerdale

Emmerdale

Emmerdale, is a long-running British soap opera set in Emmerdale , a fictional village in the Yorkshire Dales. Created by Kevin Laffan, Emmerdale was first broadcast on 16 October 1972...

, his other appearances include roles in The Beast in the Cellar

The Beast in the Cellar

The Beast in the Cellar is a 1970 British horror film written and directed by James Kelley. The film was produced by Leander Films and Tigon British Film Productions. Filming took place at Pinewood Studios. The film was released in the UK on DVD by Anchor Bay as part of The Tigon Collection...

(1970), The Raging Moon

The Raging Moon

The Raging Moon is a British film from 1971 based on the book by British novelist Peter Marshall and starring Malcolm McDowell and Nanette Newman...

(1971), Zulu Dawn

Zulu Dawn

Zulu Dawn is a 1979 war film about the historical Battle of Isandlwana between British and Zulu forces in 1879 in South Africa. The screenplay was by Cy Endfield, from his book, and Anthony Story. The film was directed by Douglas Hickox...

(1979), and for two seasons in the 1970s science fiction drama The Tomorrow People

The Tomorrow People

The Tomorrow People is a British children's science fiction television series, devised by Roger Price. Produced by Thames Television for the ITV Network, the series first ran between 1973 and 1979. The series was re-imagined in 1992, Roger Price acting as executive producer...

. In the 1970s he appeared in a number of pornographic films, including Swedish Sex Games (1974), Erotic Inferno

Erotic Inferno

Erotic Inferno is a 1975 British sex film, directed by Trevor Wrenn, and starring Chris Chittell, Heather Deeley and Mary Millington...

(1975), Ta Mej I Dalen (Swedish) (1977), Molly (Swedish/English) (1977), and Let Us Play Sex. Chittell says he made these films in order to clear a number of large debts caused by failed business ventures.

He also played a doomed truck driver in the 1978 mercenary movie The Wild Geese (his is the truck on the bridge that "won't start").

He performed on stage at the Old Vic

Old Vic

The Old Vic is a theatre located just south-east of Waterloo Station in London on the corner of The Cut and Waterloo Road. Established in 1818 as the Royal Coburg Theatre, it was taken over by Emma Cons in 1880 when it was known formally as the Royal Victoria Hall. In 1898, a niece of Cons, Lilian...

 in Macbeth

Macbeth

The Tragedy of Macbeth is a play by William Shakespeare about a regicide and its aftermath. It is Shakespeare's shortest tragedy and is believed to have been written sometime between 1603 and 1607...

with Peter O'Toole

Peter O'Toole

Peter Seamus Lorcan O'Toole is an Irish actor of stage and screen. O'Toole achieved stardom in 1962 playing T. E. Lawrence in Lawrence of Arabia, and then went on to become a highly-honoured film and stage actor. He has been nominated for eight Academy Awards, and holds the record for most...

.

Chittell also appeared in the untransmitted Doomwatch

Doomwatch

Doomwatch is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC, which ran on BBC One between 1970 and 1972. The series was set in the then present-day, and dealt with a scientific government agency led by Doctor Spencer Quist , responsible for investigating and combating various...

episode "Sex and Violence".

Chittell is in a relationship with Lesley Dunlop

Lesley Dunlop

Lesley Dunlop is a British actress.Daughter of the television writer Pat Dunlop, she began as a child actress in the seventies featuring in a BBC version of the classic A Little Princess and as Lydia Holly in the ITV adaptation of South Riding.Her transition to adult roles began by playing Lizzie...

 who plays Brenda Walker

Brenda Walker (Emmerdale)

Brenda Walker is a fictional character from the British soap opera, Emmerdale played by Lesley Dunlop. She made her first appearance on 2 April 2008.-Backstory:...

 in Emmerdale

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