James Nicholas Callis is an English actor. He is best known for playing Dr. Gaius Baltar in the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica miniseries and television series, and Bridget Jones' best friend Tom in Bridget Jones's Diary and . He later reprised the role in 2016, in Bridget Jones's Baby. He joined the cast of the TV SeriesEureka, on Syfy, in 2010. In 2017 he voiced the character Alucard on the Netflix series Castlevania, based on the video game of the same name.
Early life
Callis was born in Hampstead and brought up in London, where he attended St. Martin's Prep School in Northwood and then Harrow School in north-west London. His parents owned a bed-and-breakfast. In a comment to a fansite, Callis repudiated the rumour that he comes from aristocratic roots by saying that he is the descendant of poor immigrants from Russia and Poland. Callis attended the University of York, graduating in 1993 with a BA in English and Related Literature. He was a member of Derwent College, for which he was an enthusiastic rugby player. At university he was also a keen student actor, director and writer. He was a key member of the University of York Gilbert and Sullivan society and even appeared in productions put on by friends at Cambridge University, including a production of Harold Pinter's The Dumb Waiter. After graduating from university, Callis trained at LAMDA.
Career
Callis went on to attend the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, from which he graduated in 1996. In the same year, he was awarded the Jack Tinker Award for Most Promising Newcomer for his performance in Old Wicked Songs, a two-hander by Jon Marans, in which he starred alongside Bob Hoskins. Callis has appeared in various West End productions and television series as well as on radio. He has also been involved in writing and directing. His directorial debut was Beginner's Luck, a co-production of his and writer/director Nick Cohen's Late Night Pictures and Angel Eye Film & TV, starring Julie Delpy, Steven Berkoff and Fenella Fielding. Beginner's Luck was critically panned, but ran for almost three weeks on one print in one cinema in central London, then went on a tour of student cinemas around the UK The UK distributor was Guerrilla Films. The film is still on the Icon Catalogue. Callis finished filming his first role in a cinema film, Bridget Jones's Diary, alongside Renée Zellweger and Hugh Grant, in the summer of 2000 and between a few further film and TV roles went back on stage in the Soho Theatre in December 2002. In 2003, Callis played the role of Dr. Gaius Baltar in the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica miniseries and continued the role in the regular series that followed. In 2006, Callis won the Best Supporting ActorSaturn Award and an AFI award for his performance as Baltar.
Personal life
Callis has two sisters, Sarah and Sophie. He married Neha Callis on 30 December 1998 and they have two sons and a daughter: Joshua Amaan, Sacha Ishan and Anika Jahan. Callis is Jewish.
