James Callis

This article is about James Callis. For The Baseball America Executive Editor, see Jim Callis.
James Callis

Born James Nicholas Callis
(1971-06-04) 4 June 1971
Hammersmith, London, England
Nationality British
Alma mater University of York, (B.A., English and Related Literature, 1993)
Occupation Actor
Years active 1996–present
Spouse(s) Neha Callis (m. 1998–present)
Children 3

James Nicholas Callis (born 4 June 1971) is an English actor. He is best known for playing Dr. Gaius Baltar in the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica miniseries and television series, and Bridget Jones' best friend in Bridget Jones's Diary and Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason. He later reprised the role in 2016, in "Bridget Jones's Baby." He joined the cast of the TV Series Eureka, on Syfy, in 2010.

Early life

Callis was born in Hammersmith and brought up in London, where he attended St. Martin's Prep School in Northwood and then Harrow School in north-west London. His parents owned a bed-and-breakfast.[1] In a comment to a fansite, Callis repudiated the rumour that he comes from aristocratic roots by saying that he is the descendant of poor immigrants from Russia and Poland.[2]

Callis attended the University of York, graduating in 1993 with a BA in English and Related Literature. He was a member of Derwent College, for which he was an enthusiastic rugby player. At university he was also a keen student actor, director and writer. He was a key member of the University of York Gilbert and Sullivan society and even appeared in productions put on by friends at Cambridge University, including a production of Harold Pinter's The Birthday Party.

Career

Callis went on to attend the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, from which he graduated in 1996. In the same year, he was awarded the Jack Tinker Award (Theatre Record Critic of the Year) for Most Promising Newcomer for his performance in Old Wicked Songs, a two-hander by Jon Marans, in which he starred alongside Bob Hoskins.

Callis has appeared in various West End productions and television series as well as on radio. He has also been involved in writing and directing. His directorial debut was Beginner's Luck, a co-production of his and writer/director Nick Cohen's Late Night Pictures and Angel Eye Film & TV, starring Julie Delpy, Steven Berkoff and Fenella Fielding. Beginner's Luck was critically panned, but ran for almost three weeks on one print (all the low-budget film could afford) in one cinema in central London, then went on a tour of student cinemas around the U.K. The U.K. distributor was Guerrilla Films. The film is still on the Icon Catalogue.

Callis finished filming his first role in a cinema film, Bridget Jones's Diary, alongside Renée Zellweger and Hugh Grant, in the summer of 2000 and between a few further film and TV roles went back on stage in the Soho Theatre in December 2002.

Callis in 2007

In 2003, Callis played the role of Dr. Gaius Baltar in the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica miniseries, and continued the role in the regular series that followed. In 2006, Callis won the Best Supporting Actor Saturn Award and an AFI award for his performance as Baltar.

Personal life

Callis has been married to Neha Callis since December 30, 1998. They have two sons and a daughter, Joshua Amaan (born 2003), Sacha (born 2005) and Anika Jahan (born 2009).

Filmography

Film

Year Film Role Notes
1997 Weekend Bird Mike Short
1999 Surety Ben Short
Directed & produced with Nick Cohen
2000 Jason and the Argonauts Aspyrtes Television film
Arabian Nights Prince Ahmed Television film
2001 Bridget Jones's Diary Tom
Victoria & Albert Ernest of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha (Prince Albert's brother) Television film
Beginner's Luck Mark Feinman Callis also wrote, co-directed and co-produced this film.
2004 Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason Tom
Dead Cool Josh
2006 One Night with the King Haman, the Agagite
2007 Battlestar Galactica: Razor Dr. Gaius Baltar Television film
2009 Merlin and the Book of Beasts Merlin Television film
2010 Reuniting the Rubins Danny Rubins
Meet Pursuit Delange Pursuit Short
2011 17th Precinct John Bosson Television film
2013 Austenland Colonel Andrews
2015 House by the Lake Scott Post-production
2016 Bridget Jones's Baby Tom Post-production

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1996 Murder Most Horrid Mark Episode: "Confess"
Soldier Soldier Maj Tim Forrester 9 Episodes
1997 A Dance to the Music of Time Gwinnett TV Mini-Series, Episode: "Post War"
1998 Heat of the Sun Asst. Supt. Clive Lanyard TV Mini-Series, Episode: "Private Lives"
The Ruth Rendell Mysteries Guy Curran Episodes: "The Going Wrong: Part 1", "The Going Wrong: Part 2" and "The Going Wrong: Part 3"
1999 Sex, Chips & Rock n' Roll The Wolf (Justin DeVere Montague) TV Mini-Series
The Scarlet Pimpernel Henri Episode: "Valentin Gautier"
2001 As If Sebastian Episode: "Nicki's POV"
2002 Relic Hunter Raoul Episode: "Faux Fox"
2003 Battlestar Galactica Gaius Baltar TV Mini-Series
Blue Dove Dominic Pasco TV Mini-Series
2004-2010 Battlestar Galactica Dr. Gaius Baltar 73 Episodes
2008 Late Show with David Letterman Gaius Baltar - Top Ten Presenter (uncredited)
2009 Numb3rs Mason Duryea Episode: "Angels and Devils"
2010 FlashForward Gabriel McDow Episodes: "The Garden of Forking Paths", "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road", "Course Correction" and "The Negotiation"
2010-2012 Eureka Dr. Trevor Grant 10 Episodes
2011 Merlin Julius Borden Episode: "Aithusa"
17th Precinct Jeff Bosson TV pilot
2012 Midsomer Murders Toby & Julian DeQuetteville Episode: "The Dark Rider"
DCI Banks Owen Pierce Episodes: "Innocent Graves - Part 1" and "Innocent Graves - Part 2"
2013 Arrow The Dodger Episode: "Dodger"
Key and Peele Shakespeare Episode: "Episode #3.8"
2013-2014 CSI John Merchiston Episodes: "Skin in the Game", "The Devil and D.B. Russell" and "Boston Brakes"
2014 The Musketeers Emile Bonnaire Episode: "Commodities"
2015 A.D. The Bible Continues Herod Antipas Television miniseries
2015 Gallipoli Ellis Ashmead-Bartlett Television miniseries
2015 Rick and Morty Pat Gueterman (voice) Episode: "The Wedding Squanchers"

Radio

Year Title Role Notes
1997 Daisy Miller Winterbourne
1999 HMS Ulysses Saturday Playhouse (Radio 4) Aired on 14 June 1997

Web original series

Year Title Role Notes
2014 Caper Doc English Through Geek and Sundry

References

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