Dennis Christopher (born Dennis Carrelli on December 2, 1955) is an American actor. He was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He is known for playing Dave Stoller in Breaking Away and tragic film buff psychopath Eric Binford in Fade to Black.
His Golden Globe-nominated breakthrough role was as Dave Stohler in the coming-of-age classic Breaking Away (1979). Other roles include American track star Charlie Paddock in Chariots of Fire, and Fade to Black, science fiction movies like Plughead Rewired: Circuitry Man II. He has appeared in nearly 40 movies and made-for-TV movies since 1975. Television roles include "Jack of All Trades" in the Profiler TV series, Eddie Kaspbrak in Stephen King's It, Desmond Floyd in Jake Speed, and in the HBO series Deadwood.
Christopher has guest starred in two Star Trek episodes: the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode "The Search (Part II)" and the Star Trek: Enterprise episode "Detained". He also guest-starred as the demon-sorcerer Cyvus Vail in three episodes of Angel. Christopher had a reunion with Breaking Away "father" Paul Dooley, again as his son, in an episode of TV's Law & Order: Criminal Intent. The two had first played father and son in Robert Altman's A Wedding.
In December 2006 he played Dr. Martin Ruber in the Sci Fi Channel miniseries The Lost Room.
Hollywood Dreams & Nightmares: The Robert Englund Story
Self
2022
Pennywise: The Story of ‘It’
Himself
2021
Graves
Martin Treadwell · (4 episodes)
2016
Battle at Versailles
2016
Prisoners
Mr. Jones (uncredited)
2013
Django Unchained
Leonide Moguy
2012
Versailles '73: American Runway Revolution
Self
2012
Perception
Fred Gorman · (1 episode)
2012
Jobriath A.D.
Himself
2012
Unforgettable
Lukas Emminger · (1 episode)
2011
Queen of the Lot
Odin Johannessen
2010
Celebrity Ghost Stories
Self · (1 episode)
2009
Inside the Lost Room
Self
2007
The Lost Room
Dr. Martin Ruber · (3 episodes)
2006
Dangerous Isolation
Adrien
2006
Criminal Minds
Abner Merriman · (1 episode)
2005
Nine Lives
Mikey
2004
Deadwood
Bellegarde · (5 episodes)
2004
Law & Order: Criminal Intent
Roger Coffman · (1 episode)
2001
Star Trek: Enterprise
Danik · (1 episode)
2001
Crossing Jordan
Charles Rutledge · (1 episode)
2001
Six Feet Under
Kevin Lamb · (1 episode)
2001
The Ballad of Lucy Whipple
Joshua 'Carrots' Beale
2001
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
Homeless Guy · (1 episode)
2000
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
Richard Dorsey · (1 episode)
2000
FreakyLinks
Vince J. Elsing · (13 episodes)
2000
Roswell
Bobby Dupree · (2 episodes)
1999
Angel
Cyvus Vail · (3 episodes)
1999
Anthony Perkins: A Life in the Shadows
Self
1999
Skeletons
Jim Norton
1997
Tarzan: The Epic Adventures
Philip D'Arnot
1996
Tarzan: The Epic Adventures
Paul D’Arnot · (22 episodes)
1996
The Silencers
Comdor
1996
It's My Party
Douglas Reedy
1996
The Sentinel
Anthony Bates · (1 episode)
1996
Pacific Blue
Mortimer T. Anton · (1 episode)
1996
Mind Rage
Steve
1996
Deadly Invasion: The Killer Bee Nightmare
Pruitt Taylor Beauchamp
1995
The Watcher
(1 episode)
1995
Aurora: Operation Intercept
Victor Varenkov
1995
Boys Life
Mr. Reese (The Disco Years)
1994
New York Undercover
Dr. Royce · (1 episode)
1994
Plughead Rewired: Circuitry Man II
Leech
1994
The Disco Years
Mr. Reese
1994
Necronomicon
Dale Porkel
1993
NYPD Blue
Gerard prosser · (1 episode)
1993
Moon Over Miami
(1 episode)
1993
seaQuest DSV
Ambassador Dillington · (1 episode)
1993
Doppelganger
Doctor Heller
1993
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Borath · (1 episode)
1993
Willing to Kill: The Texas Cheerleader Story
Randy
1992
False Arrest
Wally Roberts
1991
Dead Women in Lingerie
Lapin
1991
It
Eddie Kaspbrak · (2 episodes)
1990
Circuitry Man
Leech
1990
A Sinful Life
Nathan Flowers
1989
Friends
John
1987
Alien Predators
Damon
1986
Jake Speed
Desmond Floyd
1986
Matlock
(1 episode)
1986
Flight of the Spruce Goose
Stan
1986
The Equalizer
Father Nicholas Kostmayer · (1 episode)
1985
Moonlighting
Benjamin Wylie · (1 episode)
1985
Murder, She Wrote
Dr. Henry Carlson · (1 episode)
1984
Murder, She Wrote
Lyman Taggart · (1 episode)
1984
Jack and the Beanstalk
Jack
1983
Faerie Tale Theatre
Jack · (1 episode)
1982
Don't Cry, It's Only Thunder
Brian Anderson
1982
Cagney & Lacey
(1 episode)
1982
Chariots of Fire
Charles Paddock
1981
Fade to Black
Eric Binford
1980
The Last Word
Ben Travis
1979
Breaking Away
Dave Stoller
1979
California Dreaming
T.T.
1979
Tales of the Unexpected
Killer · (1 episode)
1979
Elvis
Nick Adams
1979
A Wedding
Hughie Brenner
1978
September 30, 1955
Eugene
1977
3 Women
Soda Delivery Boy (uncredited)
1977
Bernice Bobs Her Hair
Charley
1976
Roma
The Hippie (uncredited)
1972
The Young Graduates
Pan
1971
Blood and Lace
Pete
1971
Didn’t You Hear?
Kevin
1970