Chris Diamantopoulos’ Height, Net Worth, Wife Becki Newton

Known for movies



Chris Diamantopoulos is a Canadian actor, born on 9 May 1975, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He’s particularly known for his role in the series “Silicon Valley”, and in the film “The Three Stooges”.

Early Life and Education

Information of Christopher Diamantopoulos’ family and early education is undisclosed, though it’s known that he’s of Greek descent, spending his childhood between Greece and Canada.

Chris matriculated from East York Collegiate Institute in Toronto. During his childhood, he started acting in theater and TV commercials, also practicing to become a classical singer.

Career

Broadway

When Chris was 18 years old, he left his home in Toronto to perform in theater tours in Canada and the US. Eventually he landed roles on Broadway, performing in dramas such as the musical “Andrew Lloyd Webber – Music of the Night” in 1995, then starring as Ethan Girard in “The Full Monty”, and in “Les Misérables” as Marius. He then took a long break from Broadway, coming back in 2017 to play Dr. Pomatter in the cast of “Waitress”.

Debut in TV and Films

Chris Diamantopoulos made his film debut as Dave in the 2000 movie “The Adulterer”, followed by his appearance as Trevor in 2001’s movie “Drop Dead Roses”.

However, he found more opportunities on TV, after making his debut in the series “Law & Order”. From then he landed several minor roles in shows such as “Third Watch”, “Frasier”, “Charmed” and “American Dreams”. In 2005 he portrayed famous actor Robin Williams in based-on-real-life TV movie “Behind the Camera: The Unauthorized Story of Mork & Mindy”, earning critics’ approval for his acting, and a nomination for a Prism Award.

In 2007 Chris landed his first recurring character role in a TV series when he appeared as Rodney in “The Starter Wife”, followed by his character Phil Eriksen in “State of Mind”.

Most Famous Roles

In 2010 Chris was cast to appear in the eight season of FOX’s series “24” as Rob Weiss, Chief of Staff, and one of Diamantopoulos’ most memorable roles on TV.

Diamantopoulos continued appearing in other famous TV series – in 2013 he appeared as cameraman Brian, in the Golden Globe Award winning sitcom “The Office”, centered on Dunder-Mifflin Paper Co.’s employees, and their hilarious and silly everyday life. The same year Chris was cast in “Arrested Development”, portraying Marky Bark’s character, an ostrich farmer and environmentalist who Lindsay Bluth Fünke runs away with.

Another well-known series Chris appeared in was “Silicon Valley”, portraying the Russ Hanneman character inspired by business man Mark Cuban.

When asked about this, Diamantopoulos answered: ‘I know Mark and a few other guys were the inspiration for Russ. The say the best comedy comes from reality. I think the only thing I really borrowed from Mark is his arms folded/smile to the camera pose that he does in the opening credits of “Shark Tank”. I practiced in the mirror for hours.’

Despite the fact that Chris’ career has been mainly focused on TV productions, he’s also known for his role in various movies. However, his most iconic role to date has been as Moe in the film “The Three Stooges”, a modern version of the original comedy-shorts broadcast for the first time by Columbia Pictures in 1934.

In his audition for the role, Chris wore prosthesis and make up to resemble Moe’s character, also putting a lot of work in other aspects: ‘When I first heard about the role, I recognized that there are such differences in the way that we’re put together.  I’m kind of slender and my face doesn’t resemble his at all. It really became a study in standing in front of the mirror and changing my posture and my face and figuring out how can make this work. It wasn’t until I actually bought a wig and put together a padded suit to change my frame that I realized, “oh, I think I can make this happen”.’

Diamantopoulos’ enthusiasm for performing Moe’s character as best as he could, was caused by his own love for the original show: ‘We put so much work, effort and care into recreating the comedy stylings of a trio that, for me personally, represents the better part of the first 15 years of my life.’

Voice Actor

Chris has made himself a name as voice actor too, for his outstanding work in diverse animated productions. In 2006 he started voicing various characters in the animated series “American Dad!” followed by his participation in “Family Guy” as the voices of Parker Stanton, Stryker Foxx and Millipede.

Chris was heard as Green Arrow in various productions such as “Batman Unlimited” and “Justice League Action”, however, Diamantopoulos most notable role as voice actor is in the short series “Mickey Mouse”, voicing the famous mouse created by Walt Disney.

Awards

For his outstanding work as actor, Chris has been nominated for various celebrated awards, such as Behind the Voice Actors Awards, Annie Awards and Primetime Emmy Awards.

Personal Life

Chris met “Ugly Betty” actress Becki Newton in New York, when both were in Times Square subway station. The couple married on 12 May 2005, and is still together.

In 2010, Becki was asked about children by US Magazine: ‘I think someday, when the time is right, it’ll happen’. Later that year in November, the couple welcomed their first child – a boy – and four years later, Becki gave birth to a girl.

In 2015 Becki was interviewed again by US, sharing some tidbits about her maternal life. She revealed that she often wore her baby girl’s accessories when she went to the gym, and that she kept washable markers and wipes with her, as her son was learning to write.

Net Worth

Chris Diamantopoulos has an estimated net worth of $2 million, which is a result of his work as an actor on TV and Broadway and in films.

Appearance

Chris is a man of white ethnicity, with apparently handsome features, brown hair and eyes. He’s 5ft 9ins (1,75m) tall, and though his weight is unknown, he has a slender build.

Interesting Facts

Chris has been suggested to change his name several times in his career. However, proud of his Greek origin, he’s refused: ‘I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t considered it’. He recalls Kurt Russell suggesting that he change his name to “Chris D” to expand his marketability. ‘I don’t doubt that he had a great point. I gave it SERIOUS consideration, but ultimately the change felt false.’ (…) ‘I like to think that even if you can’t pronounce it, it’s memorable.’

Who would’ve thought that #ChrisDiamantopoulos knew how to take the perfect selfie? #HappyFriday! pic.twitter.com/MT2PMga2PH

— Darius Films (@DariusFilms) August 3, 2018

Chris was also asked if he had any problems growing up with a surname like his: ‘I grew up in a predominately Greek neighborhood, so Diamantopoulos was like Smith. Come to think of it, we made fun of Steve Smith a lot.’

Diamantopoulos accidentally hurt himself physically during the filming of “The Three Stooges”: ‘I dislocated my shoulder during a scene, and had to re-enter the scene and slap Curly. We finished, and then, that night, I went to the hospital. And, I broke my finger, trying to poke Larry in the eyes.’ Despite of these mishaps, he enjoyed playing Moe’s character: ‘I had to ice my hands because it would hurt so much when I would slap the guys. But, it was so much fun! I was a kid in a candy store.’

Source: IMDb, Wikipedia