Happy Birthday Christopher Guest!
Christopher Haden-Guest, 5th Baron Haden-Guest was born on the 5th of February 1948
known professionally as Christopher Guest.
He is an American-British actor, comedian, musician, screenwriter, director and English Lord. Guest is most famous for writing, directing, and starring in his series of comedy films shot in mockumentary style. He is also known for playing Nigel Tuffnel the lead guitarist in the fictional band Spinal Tap, His role as the “Six fingered man” in the cult film “The Princess Bride” and he is Jamie Lee Curtis’s husband.
Guest was born in New York City, Guest spent parts of his childhood in his father's native United Kingdom. He attended the High School of Music & Art (New York City), studying classical music (clarinet) at the Stockbridge School in the village of Interlaken in Stockbridge, Massachusetts.
He later took up the mandolin and became interested in country music, Guest later began performing with bluegrass bands until he took up rock and roll.
Guest went to Bard College for a year and then studied acting at New York University's Graduate Acting Program at the Tisch School of the Arts, graduating in 1971.
Guest began his acting career in theatre during the early 1970s one of his earliest professional roles was playing Norman in Michael Weller's Moonchildren when it debuted in America in DC in 1971 and Guest remained in the cast when it moved to Broadway in 1972. The following year, he began contributing to The National Lampoon Radio Hour He performed a range of comic characters, Flash Bazbo—Space Explorer, Mr. Rogers, music critic Roger de Swans, and sleazy record company rep Ron Fields. Guest also wrote, arranged, and performed numerous musical parodies of acts such as Bob Dylan, James Taylor, and others. He was featured alongside Chevy Chase and John Belushi in the off-Broadway revue National Lampoon's Lemmings.
Guest's first movie roles were small parts as uniformed police officers in the 1972 film The Hot Rock and 1974's Death Wish. He also picked up acting roles in TV shows and TV movies
In 1978 Guest and a group of friends made a pilot for a sketch comedy program called
“The TV Show” The pilot wasn't picked up but it did end up having a lasting legacy.
A sketch that was devised for the pilot featured Guest along with Harry Shearer and Michael McKean where they played hapless English musicians in a band named “Spinal Tap” This turned into his biggest most successful role of the first two decades of his career playing lead guitarist Nigel Tufnel in the 1984 Rob Reiner directed film “This Is Spinal Tap”.
This film is a solid gold cult comedy classic and is still side-splittingly funny and infinitely quotable to this very day.
Following the “This is Spinal Tap” movie, Guest along with fellow Tap member Harry Shearer, and now comedy legend Martin Short and Billy Crystal were hired as cast members for the 1984–85 season of NBC's Saturday Night Live.
In 1986 he had a cameo role as the first customer/a pedestrian in the musical remake of “Little Shop of Horrors”
In 1987 Guest appeared as Count Rugen (the "six-fingered man") in The Princess Bride.
Then in 1988, he co-wrote a script which ended up being his feature film directorial debut
“The Big Picture” (1989)
a satire of the movie business and starred a young Kevin Bacon.
He went on to direct.
“Attack of the 50Ft. Woman” (1993)
Yip! he remade the 1958 B movie classic Attack of the 50Ft. Woman.
“Waiting for Guffman” (1996)
His first Mockumentary film he directed. This film sets the template for his best work to come.
“Almost Heroes” (1998)
a comedy Starring Chris Farley & Matthew Perry about two hapless explorers in America heading west to the Pacific Ocean in 1804.
“Best in Show” (2000)
It is a mockumentary comedy film set in the world of competitive dog shows in America.
“A Mighty Wind” (2003)
It is a mockumentary comedy film telling the story of 3 never quite famous folk acts coming back to perform at a memorial concert dedicated to their late manager.
“For Your Consideration” (2006)
A mockumentary comedy film satirising the Hollywood film industry.
After a ten-year hiatus Guest returned with a “made for Netflix” film.
“Mascots” (2016)
A mockumentary film telling the stories of people who perform as sports mascots who come together to compete in a national competition.
Christopher Guest’s private life, “net worth” or what he wants to be doing with his time is none of my business.
He seemed to have stepped back from acting since the late 1990s when his father passed away and he inherited his title.
He has squeezed in a couple of amazing cameo-type appearances,
“Small Soldiers” (1998) Directed by Joe Dante he voiced sentient action figures Slamfist & Scratch-it.
“Mrs Henderson Presents” (2005) Directed by Stephen Frears he played an English Lord, Lord Cromer.
“Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian” (2009) Directed by Shawn Levy he played Ivan the Terrible.
In 2016 he directed the Netflix special for his friend Loudon Wainwright III called Surviving Twin.
And rumour has it we have a new Spinal Tap movie coming… soon?? That will be directed by Rob Reiner.
Christopher Guest is a legend and is apparently a loving and supportive husband and father.
Having not seen him for a while it was wonderful seeing him at the Oscars in 2023 supporting his wife and seeing him weep with pride as Jamie Lee won for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Everything “Everywhere All at Once.” totally heartwarming.
On Thursday the blog will be a closer look at his mockumentary films which are the reason I love him as a director.
