After a chance encounter with a young David Letterman, Chris Elliott went from being a
mild-mannered NBC gofer to a writer and performer on Letterman's groundbreaking talk show.
From 1982 to 1989, Elliott honed his craft, helping the program to earn multiple Emmys
for Outstanding Writing in a Variety Series.
Those early years helped to pave the way for the quirky actor, best known for his scene-stealing
roles in films such as Groundhog Day, There's Something About Mary, and Scary Movie.
"I'm Hanson, I'm the caretaker."
But since the early 2000s, Elliott has kept a fairly low profile.
Here's what he's been up to.
Weird from the start
First, a bit of backstory: Chris Elliott's father, Bob Elliott, was a popular comedian
and radio personality in the 1950s, most notable for his legendary work with comedy partner
Ray Goulding.
David Letterman's love for Bob's work helped Chris get his career-changing opportunity
at Late Night.
In 1990, Elliott teamed with two guys who used to work on Late Night cast members to
bring the short-lived sitcom Get a Life to Fox.
Featuring writers like Mr. Show's Bob Odenkirk and Adaptation's Charlie Kaufman, it's safe
to say the program was different from anything on TV.
"Don't you see, Sharon?
He's teaching us about love!"
It was all too weird for Fox, and the network pulled the plug after just two seasons, but
it's considered a cult classic today.
Two years later, Elliott co-wrote and starred in another genuinely strange piece of entertainment:
the Tim Burton-produced flop Cabin Boy, which also enjoys cult status today.
Elliott starred as snobby aristocrat-turned sea captain Nathaniel Mayweather in what is
certainly the weirdest movie of his career, which also featured a cameo from his old pal
David Letterman ...
"I realize that you are most likely the product of lower-class inbreeding, but perhaps you
could help me."
"Oh gosh, I certainly hope so."
Steady guest star
His first film as a leading man was critical and financial disaster, but Elliott soon found
his footing.
After a string of small roles in high-profile flicks in the late '90s and early-2000s, Elliott
has continued working steadily, primarily in supporting and guest-starring stints on
a number of popular TV sitcoms and dramas.
Alongside small roles in more than a dozen shows like Law & Order: SVU, Difficult People,
and The Good Wife, he appeared in ten episodes of Everybody Loves Raymond as Amy's comic
book-loving older brother Peter.
He was also played Lily's father, Mickey, in multiple seasons of How I Met Your Mother.
In October 2017, Elliott made his guest-starring debut on Fox's apocalypse-themed comedy The
Last Man on Earth, playing a castaway named Glenn.
Failed family sitcom
In 2006, Elliott had plans to bring his family to television with the sitcom You've Reached
the Elliotts.
The CBS series was going to follow Elliott, a husband and father of two struggling with
the balance of raising a family in Connecticut as he pursued a B-list acting career in Hollywood.
Splitsider described the concept as Get a Life crossed with Everybody Loves Raymond,
except the series would've taken a meta look at Elliott's real life through a cringe-inducing
comedic lens.
While this sounds like a winning formula, with meta-comedy hits like Curb Your Enthusiasm
changing the small-screen landscape, the project was ultimately passed on by the network.
Late Night reunion
Elliott returned sporadically to Late Night with David Letterman during the 2007/2008
season, more than two decades since his Emmy-winning work on the CBS staple.
He appeared in multiple sketches throughout the year as recurring characters, including
Skink, a bounty hunter with some unorthodox methods ...
"What we do is, we basically cheese the guy until he's down there in that hot box, y'know,
wearing the ol' flop suit."
"Wow."
Back to his roots
When Adult Swim's Eagleheart came calling in 2011, things came full circle for Elliott,
with a starring role on a TV show suited for his oddball sensibilities.
Eagleheart's creator, Jason Woliner, was a big fan of Elliott's work in Get a Life and
Cabin Boy, and while the show wasn't written with him in mind, it was reworked to suit
his comedic stylings.
In 2015, Elliott joined the cast of a Canadian sitcom with a ridiculous name we can't say
here.
The Christopher Guest-style comedy reunites Catherine O'Hara with Eugene Levy as formerly
wealthy magnates forced to move to a small town.
The hilarity is capped off by Chris Elliott's performance as Roland, the white trash, mullet-wearing,
beer-guzzling mayor of the Roses' new home.
Since hitting Netflix, it's found a new audience, and was renewed for a fourth season in March
2017.
Comedy legacy
Elliott passed the comedy torch to his two daughters Abby and Bridey.
Bridey has worked a lot in the world of stand-up comedy, and has also acted in the TBS series
Search Party, HBO's Silicon Valley, and the Emma Stone/Steve Carell movie Battle of the
Sexes.
Like her father before her, Abby appeared as a cast member on Saturday Night Live from
2008 to 2012, making her the first ever second-generation performer on the long-running sketch series.
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