Chris Rankin

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Chris Rankin
Occupations
  • Actor
  • director
  • producer
Years active2001–present
Known forPercy Weasley in Harry Potter franchise

Chris Rankin is a New Zealand-born British actor, director, and producer who is best known for playing Percy Weasley in the Harry Potter film franchise.

Early life[edit]

Rankin was adopted by unbiological parents.[1] Rankin lived in Rothesay Bay until he was six, attending Kristin School in Albany. He and his parents subsequently moved to Norfolk in the United Kingdom, where he attended Northgate High School in Dereham.[2] His mother, Marilyn Rankin works at a school, among other things.

Career[edit]

Rankin began acting at the age of eleven. He attended Shipdham Primary School, Northgate High School, and Dereham Sixth Form College. At Northgate High School he appeared in school plays of Bugsy Malone and The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe.[3][4] His professional acting career began when he won the role of Percy Weasley in September 2000 and he has since appeared in film, TV and theatre. In the Harry Potter series, he is a brother of Harry Potter's best friend, Ron Weasley.[5]

Rankin is the co-founder of a theatre company, Painted Horse UK. He re-appeared in the final two films of the Harry Potter film franchise, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 and Part 2, after his character's absence from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, and only a brief non-speaking role in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.[6]

Outside of the Harry Potter films, Rankin has also been seen in the TV mini-series The Rotters' Club[7] and Channel 5's Victoria Cross Heroes in which he played Evelyn Wood.[8] In 2002 he worked as an usher at UCI Cinemas.[9][10]

On stage, Chris has played a variety of roles in pantomimes across the country, as well as Edgar Linton in Wuthering Heights,[11] Eilert Loevborg in Hedda Gabler,[12] and Young Syrian in Salomé.[13]

In 2009, Rankin starred in and produced a YouTube video titled "LifeHack", directed by Thomas "TomSka" Ridgewell, in which he played a vigilante hacker who accesses people's personal photos to find a missing woman.[14] He also appeared as Mycroft Holmes in the Hillywood Show's "Sherlock" parody in 2016.[15]

He completed his study at the University of Lincoln in 2011.[16][17]

Rankin now works in television and film production since 2011 and is credited as production secretary on "Atlantis" (Urban Myth Films/BBC Wales).[citation needed]

Film, television and stage[edit]

Year Title Role Notes
2001 Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone Percy Weasley
2002 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Percy Weasley
2002-2003 Jack and The Beanstalk Jack
2003 A Taste of Honey Geoff
2004 Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs
2004 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban Percy Weasley
2005 The Rotters' Club  
2006 Explode, Chapter Two: Into the Fold Chris Haines
2007 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Percy Weasley
2010 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 Percy Weasley Uncredited cameo appearance
2011 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 Percy Weasley
2011 Total Wipeout Himself / Contestant Series 5: Celebrity Special 2
2013 The Stone[18] Pre-production
2015 The Bastard Executioner Assistant Production Coordinator
2018 The Wizard of Oz Scarecrow

References[edit]

  1. ^ Rankin, Chris (3 March 2018). "Adoption". Chris Rankin. Archived from the original on 26 June 2018. Retrieved 26 June 2018.
  2. ^ Nicholson, Abigail (6 April 2020). "Harry Potter star gives Norfolk students special message". Eastern Daily Press. Retrieved 5 August 2023.
  3. ^ Baldwin, Louisa (7 April 2020). "6 Harry Potter stars who have lived in Norfolk". Eastern Daily Press. Archived from the original on 5 July 2023. Retrieved 5 August 2023.
  4. ^ Rankin, Chris (27 January 2018). "Category Is:". Chris Rankin. Archived from the original on 1 October 2020. Retrieved 5 August 2023.
  5. ^ ""It is odd." - Life as Percy Weasley". BBC. 15 November 2002. Archived from the original on 26 November 2002. Retrieved 16 July 2012.
  6. ^ Barber, Martin (17 July 2007). "Harry Potter: Percy's back". BBC. Archived from the original on 1 September 2007. Retrieved 16 July 2012.
  7. ^ "New direction for Potter's Percy Weasley". BBC. 29 October 2004. Archived from the original on 10 December 2004. Retrieved 16 July 2012.
  8. ^ "Harry Potter actor a 'real coup' for 2019 Scarborough Sci-Fi". The Scarborough News. 11 December 2018. Retrieved 5 August 2023.
  9. ^ "Percy Weasley works in Norwich cinema". BBC News. 31 October 2002. Retrieved 2 May 2017.
  10. ^ "Chris Rankin's new job". 30 October 2002. Retrieved 2 May 2017.
  11. ^ Anelli, Melissa (27 April 2006). "Chris Rankin Talks About OotP, Percy and Wuthering Heights". The Leaky Cauldron. Archived from the original on 26 September 2015. Retrieved 2 May 2017.
  12. ^ McGrath, Mary Kate (2 April 2017). "The Percy Weasley Actor Has Come A Long Way Since 'HP'". Archived from the original on 25 November 2021. Retrieved 5 August 2023.
  13. ^ Anelli, Melissa (5 March 2005). "Off to See the Wizard, a Chris Rankin Interview". The Leaky Cauldron. Archived from the original on 17 March 2018. Retrieved 2 May 2017.
  14. ^ "LifeHack". YouTube. Archived from the original on 12 December 2021.
  15. ^ Grant, Stacey (24 August 2016). "Here's How The Hillywood Show Used Macklemore for the Perfect Sherlock Parody". MTV.com. Retrieved 19 December 2016.
  16. ^ "Harry Potter star to quit acting". BBC. 1 August 2008. Retrieved 16 July 2012.
  17. ^ "Chris Rankin, class of 2011". 2 September 2011. Retrieved 16 July 2012.
  18. ^ "San Diego Comic-Con 2012: Random Weirdness from The Asylum to Star Wars to Dexter - Dread Central". www.dreadcentral.com. 12 January 2010. Retrieved 13 January 2010.

External links[edit]