Christopher Collins

Biography

Christopher Collins was an American performer who worked as a stand-up comedian and actor. Born in Orange, New Jersey, he grew up in Manhattan and later trained in voice, dance, mime, and acting in Paris. In the mid-1970s he acted on stage in New York and Boston and did radio voice-over work. He won the 1990 San Francisco International Stand-Up Comedy Competition at the peak of his stand-up career. He began animation voice work dubbing the 1979 anime Space Battleship Yamato. From 1983 he voiced Cobra Commander for G.I. Joe, and from 1984 he voiced Starscream for Transformers. He originated Mr. Burns's voice in the first season of The Simpsons and recorded lines as Moe Szyslak. Later live-action work included guest roles on Star Trek: The Next Generation and films such as True Identity (1991) and A Stranger Among Us (1992). He died in 1994, and in 2012 the Transformers Hall of Fame inducted him posthumously.

44years old at death

Born August 30, 1949Orange
Died June 12, 1994Ventura
Star sign: VirgoThe sign runs August 23 to September 22
Also credited as Christopher Charles Collins, Christopher Lawrence Latta and Chris Latta

Movie Career

Films: 5
Career span: 1 year1991 to 1992

Every film, newest first

1992A Stranger Among UsIMDb rating 5.6
1992Stop! Or My Mom Will ShootIMDb rating 4.4
1991Blue DesertIMDb rating 5.3
1991Rover DangerfieldIMDb rating 5.9
1991True IdentityIMDb rating 5.1

Genres

Did you know?!

A first
For the first season of The Simpsons, Collins was the original voice of Mr. Burns in "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire", "The Telltale Head", and "Homer's Odyssey". He also recorded dialogue for Moe Szyslak in "The Telltale Head" and "Some Enchanted Evening".
First role
In 1979, Collins began his animation voice acting career by dubbing the anime Space Battleship Yamato, also known as Star Blazers. During its Comet Empire installment, he voiced space marine Sgt. Knox, the role he was most recognizable for.
About the name
When Collins started doing voice work regularly, he used his birth name as his stage name because a different Screen Actors Guild actor was already working as Chris Collins.
Early training
After spending a year at New York University, Collins went on to study acting, dance, voice and mime in Paris.