Chris Ellis

A go-to character actor for tough authority figures for nearly two decades, Chris Ellis distinguished himself through small but memorable turns in features like "Days of Thunder" (1990), "Apollo 13" (1995), "Catch Me If You Can" (2002) and countless television shows. A native of Memphis, Ellis' Southern roots informed many of his roles, lending a degree of folksy humanity to the scores of police detectives, Army generals, lawyers and occasional rough-hewn criminals. Like many character players, Ellis moved largely into television in the 2000s, where he enjoyed recurring roles on "NCIS" (CBS, 2003- ), "Ghost Whisperer" (CBS, 2005-2010) and "Burn Notice" (USA Network, 2007-2013) in addition to scores of one-off guest performances. Though most viewers knew Chris Ellis by appearance rather than his name, he remained one of the hardest-working and most appreciated supporting talents in features and television.