Christopher Boyd Lemmon (born June 22, 1954) is an American actor and author.

Early life and education

Lemmon was born in Los Angeles, California, the son of actress Cynthia Stone and actor

Jack Lemmon John Uhler Lemmon III (February 8, 1925 – June 27, 2001) was an American actor. Considered equally proficient in both dramatic and comic roles, Lemmon was known for his anxious, middle-class everyman screen persona in dramedy pictures, leadin ...

. Lemmon attended the Verde Valley School in

Sedona, Arizona Sedona is a city that straddles the county line between Coconino and Yavapai counties in the northern Verde Valley region of the U.S. state of Arizona. As of the 2010 census, its population was 10,031. It is within the Coconino National Fo ...

. With a talent for music, he was encouraged by his father to study piano. Lemmon considered playing piano professionally after having graduated from the

California Institute of the Arts The California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) is a private art university in Santa Clarita, California. It was incorporated in 1961 as the first degree-granting institution of higher learning in the US created specifically for students of both ...

, with degrees in classical piano and composition, and in theater.

Career

He appeared as an actor in numerous stage productions, including the west-coast tour of ''

Barefoot in the Park ''Barefoot in the Park'' is a romantic comedy by Neil Simon. The play premiered on Broadway in 1963, starring Robert Redford and Elizabeth Ashley. It was made into a film in 1967, which starred Redford and Jane Fonda. Productions ''Barefoot ...

'', directed by

Jerry Paris William Gerald Paris (July 25, 1925 – March 31, 1986) was an American actor and director best known for playing Jerry Helper, the dentist and next-door neighbor of Rob and Laura Petrie, on ''The Dick Van Dyke Show'', and for directing the majo ...

, the original West coast production of ''Shay'' by

Anne Commire Anne Commire (11 August 1939 – 23 February 2012) was an American playwright and editor who frequently wrote about women's issues and struggles. Her first play, ''Shay'', about a young pregnant high school dropout, was noted by ''The New York Tim ...

, and A. R. Gurney's ''

Love Letters A love letter is an expression of love in written form. However delivered, the letter may be anything from a short and simple message of love to a lengthy explanation and description of feelings. History One of the oldest references to a l ...

'' with

Stephanie Zimbalist Stephanie Zimbalist (born October 8, 1956) is an American actress best known for her role as Laura Holt in the NBC detective series ''Remington Steele''. Background Stephanie Zimbalist was born in New York City, the daughter of Loranda Stepha ...

. He portrayed Richard Phillips in two situation comedies, ''

Duet A duet is a musical composition for two performers in which the performers have equal importance to the piece, often a composition involving two singers or two pianists. It differs from a harmony, as the performers take turns performing a solo ...

'' (1987) and '' Open House'' (1989), and also co-starred as Martin "Bru" Brubaker in the television series ''

Thunder in Paradise ''Thunder in Paradise'' is an American action-adventure TV series from the creators of ''Baywatch,'' which stars Hulk Hogan, Chris Lemmon, and Carol Alt. This first-run syndicated TV series originally premiered as a direct-to-video feature film ...

'', which featured American professional wrestler

Hulk Hogan Terry Eugene Bollea (; born August 11, 1953), better known by his ring name Hulk Hogan, is an American retired professional wrestler. He is widely regarded as the most recognized wrestling star worldwide and the most popular wrestler of the 19 ...

. Lemmon is also a screenwriter and producer. Algonquin Books published Lemmon's tribute to his father, titled '' A Twist of Lemmon'' (2006), which was re-released in 2008 as a paperback by Applause Theatre and Cinema Books. He appeared in three films with his father: ''

Airport '77 ''Airport '77'' is a 1977 American air disaster film, and the third installment of the ''Airport'' film series. The film stars a number of veteran actors including Jack Lemmon, James Stewart, Joseph Cotten, Olivia de Havilland, and Brenda Vacca ...

'' (1977),''

That's Life! ''That's Life!'' was a satirical TV consumer affairs programme on the BBC, at its height regularly reaching audiences of fifteen to twenty million, and receiving 10–15,000 letters a week. The series broadcast on BBC1 for twenty-one years, ...

'' (1986), and '' Dad'' (1989). Lemmon was to star in the film ''Publicity Stunt'', a comedy which he co-wrote, which was to be shot in Connecticut and directed by

Joel Zwick Joel Zwick (born January 11, 1942) is an American film director, television director, and theater director.Mann, Iris (June 1, 2016)"'Hillary and Monica': An Unlikely Meeting" '' Jewish Journal''. He worked on the television series '' Perfect Str ...

. He and Zwick had a terrible falling out, which resulted in a series of lawsuits that spanned nearly a decade. It was finally settled when Zwick agreed to pay $1.7 million for damages and gained property of the highly controversial script. The script has never made it to light. Lemmon adapted his tribute to his father, '' A Twist of Lemmon'' to the stage in 2015. The show, which Lemmon has performed all around the United States, follows the relationship between Lemmon and his father as seen through his father's eyes.

Lung transplant

On December 19, 2018, after an article in ''

The San Diego Union-Tribune ''The San Diego Union-Tribune'' is a metropolitan daily newspaper published in San Diego, California, that has run since 1868. Its name derives from a 1992 merger between the two major daily newspapers at the time, ''The San Diego Union'' and ...

'', Lemmon confirmed on

Facebook Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin M ...

that he'd had a double lung transplant due to

idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), or (formerly) fibrosing alveolitis, is a rare, progressive illness of the respiratory system, characterized by the thickening and stiffening of lung tissue, associated with the formation of scar tissue. It is ...

and is recovering well.

Personal life

Lemmon has been married to actress Gina Raymond since 1988. The couple reside in Connecticut and have three children.

Filmography

Film

*''

'' (1977) *'' Just Tell Me You Love Me'' (1980) *''

The Happy Hooker Goes Hollywood ''The Happy Hooker Goes Hollywood'', released theatrically in the UK as ''Hollywood Blue'', is a 1980 American comedy film directed by Alan Roberts and starring Martine Beswick, Adam West, Phil Silvers, Chris Lemmon, Edie Adams, and Richard ...

'' (1980) *'' Seems Like Old Times'' (1980) *'' Just Before Dawn'' (1981) *''

Uncommon Valor ''Uncommon Valor'' is a 1983 American action war film directed by Ted Kotcheff and starring Gene Hackman, Fred Ward, Reb Brown, Randall "Tex" Cobb, Robert Stack, Patrick Swayze, Harold Sylvester and Tim Thomerson. Hackman plays a former U.S. Mar ...

'' (1983) *'' Swing Shift'' (1984) *''

Cannonball Run II ''Cannonball Run II'' is a 1984 action comedy film starring Burt Reynolds and an all-star cast, released by Warner Bros. and Golden Harvest. Like the original '' Cannonball Run'', it is set around an illegal cross-country race. This was the l ...

'' (1984) *''Yellow Pages'' (1985) *'' ''That's Life!'''' (1986) *'' Weekend Warriors'' (1986) *'' Dad'' (1989) *''

Corporate Affairs ''Corporate Affairs'' is a 1990 American film starring Peter Scolari and Mary Crosby. Plot An executive discovers that his former lover has given their company's CEO a fatal heart attack while having sex. Production Roger Corman arranged for ...

'' (1990) *''Lena's Holiday'' (1991) *'' Firehead'' (1991) *''

'' (1993) *''Thunder in Paradise II'' (1994) *''Thunder in Paradise III'' (1995) *'' Wishmaster'' (1997) *'' Best of the Best 4: Without Warning'' (1998) *'' Land of the Free'' (1999) *''

Just the Ticket ''Just the Ticket'' is a 1998 film directed by Richard Wenk. It stars Andy García and Andie MacDowell. Garcia was also the producer. The film was originally titled ''A Piece of Cake''. Plot Gary Starke (Garcia), desperate to get his girlfrien ...

'' (1999)

Television

*'' Brothers and Sisters'' (1979) *''Mirror, Mirror'' (1979) *''

CHiPs ''CHiPs'' is an American crime drama television series created by Rick Rosner and originally aired on NBC from September 15, 1977, to May 1, 1983. It follows the lives of two motorcycle officers of the California Highway Patrol (CHP). The serie ...

'' (1981) *''

Too Close for Comfort ''Too Close for Comfort'' is an American sitcom television series that aired on ABC from November 11, 1980, to May 5, 1983, and in first-run syndication from April 7, 1984, to February 7, 1987. Its name was changed to ''The Ted Knight Show'' whe ...

'' (1981) *''

9 to 5 Working(laboring) time is the period of time that a person spends at paid Wage labour, labor. Unpaid work, Unpaid labor such as personal housework or caring for children or pets is not considered part of the working week. Many countries regula ...

'' (1983) *''

Fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving Magic (supernatural), magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy ...

'' (1982) *'' The Outlaws'' (1984) *''

'' (1987–89) *'' Open House'' (1989) *''

Knots Landing ''Knots Landing'' is an American prime time television soap opera that aired on CBS from December 27, 1979, to May 13, 1993. A spin-off of ''Dallas'', it was set in a fictitious coastal suburb of Los Angeles and initially centered on the lives of ...

'' (1990) *''

The Match Game ''Match Game'' is an American television panel game, panel game show that premiered on NBC in 1962 and has been revived several times over the course of the last six decades. The game features contestants trying to match answers given by celebr ...

'' (1990) *''The Joint Is Jumpin (1993) *''

'' (1994) (22 episodes) *''Basic Values: Sex, Shock & Censorship in the 90's'' (1993) *'' The Pretender'' (1998) *''Magic Time: A Tribute to Jack Lemmon'' (2002) *''

The Hollywood Greats ''Hollywood Greats'' is a BBC Television series, which originally ran from 1977 to 1985. The film critic Barry Norman wrote and narrated a series of in-depth profiles on major Hollywood film personalities, in which he interviewed surviving assoc ...

'' (

) (2006) *''

50 Films to See Before You Die ''50 Films to See Before You Die'' was a television programme first shown on Channel 4 on Saturday 22 July 2006, to celebrate the relaunch of Film4 as a free-to-air TV channel available to digital terrestrial homes in the United Kingdom. It consist ...

'' (2006)

References

External links

Official Site of Chris Lemmon and Gina Raymond
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Lemmon, Chris 1954 births 20th-century American male actors 21st-century American male actors American male film actors American male television actors California Institute of the Arts alumni Living people Male actors from Los Angeles Lemmon family