Christopher John Chittell (born 19 May 1948, Aldershot, Hampshire) is an English actor best known for his role as Eric Pollard in ITV's Emmerdale, a part that he has played since 1986. Since the death of Richard Thorp, he is now the longest serving cast member.

Early life and career

His father served in the Indian Army, and on leaving school Chittell intended to join the Royal Navy, but instead, he became a model. His first acting stint was in 1964, with the National Theatre, at Chichester Festival Theatre, in Peter Shaffer's The Royal Hunt of the Sun. He appeared as Potter in the 1967 film To Sir, with Love. In 1968 he appeared as a Trooper in The Charge of the Light Brigade and made an uncredited appearance in If..... This was followed by a starring role as one of the Freewheelers, made as an action/adventure children's serial by Southern Television between 1968 and 1973. He also acted for two seasons in the 1970s science fiction TV drama The Tomorrow People.

His other film appearances included roles in The Beast in the Cellar (1970), The Weekend Murders (1970), The Raging Moon (1971), The Last Valley (1971), Erotic Inferno (1975), Golden Rendezvous (1977), Zulu Dawn (1979) and Game for Vultures (1979). He also appeared in a number of Swedish sex films in the 1970s including Swedish Sex Games (aka The Intruders and Let Us Play Sex) in 1975 (which also featured a young Stellan Skarsgård), and Sex in Sweden and Practice Makes Perfect (aka Girl on Her Knees) in 1977.