Christopher E. Fairbank (born 4 October 1953) is an English actor. He is best known in the UK for playing Moxey in the comedy-drama series Auf Wiedersehen, Pet. Fairbank has had roles in Coronation Street, Batman, Doctor Who and '. He has a recurring role in the Guardians of the Galaxy films as The Broker, and in 2024 portrayed Eddie Knight in a few episodes of EastEnders.
Fairbank was born in Hertfordshire on 4 October 1953. Fairbank grew up in Essex and lived in a family village shop. He was educated at a boarding school in Canterbury. His father was a freemason, who a week before he died was approached by Duke of Kent at Addenbrokes Hospital, the hospital he was staying in, to award him with his 33rd degree in freemasonry which according to Christopher someone could only achieve if they are the Duke of Kent.
Fairbank's first experience in acting was in primary school when he played Mr. Brown for a stage production of Paddington Bear at Clavering County Primary School, in which he performed his first piece of improvisation after the pupil who was playing Paddington forgot his curtain line. This inspired Fairbank to take part in more local theatre productions.
When he was seventeen years old, he was convicted of possession of marijuana after his mother discovered cannabis in his room and was reported by his father. Fairbank was put on probation for two years, and was moved to Liverpool to live in a hostel. He would later be arrested twice during a visit to the Edinburgh fringe in 1975. Christopher lived in Liverpool for two years before he attended Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, where he graduated in April 1974.
When he was first starting out, Fairbank had problems with auditioners as they did not like his skin which had been affected by acne. Before his breakout role in Auf Wiedersehen, Pet, Fairbank had small roles in shows such as Z-Cars and had a recurring role in the 1979 series The Old Curiosity Shop, where he appeared in seven out of nine episodes as Kit Nubbles. He appeared in six episodes of Coronation Street between August and October 1981 as Ginger, a mechanic.
In 1983, Fairbank's manager sent him to Auf Wiedersehen, Pet director Roger Bamford, during his audition he did a Scouse accent and got the part as Albert Arthur Moxey, known better in the show by just his surname, Moxey. He portrayed the character for two series in 1985 and 1986, as well as its two series revival in 2002 and 2004.
The character Moxey is a lovable rogue plasterer from Liverpool who in the first series had a stutter but over the course of the show the condition is cured. His character was a reformed arsonist with mental health problems who at one point absconds from a prison and goes on the run under different aliases. In the finale of the 2004 series he moves to Australia with his partner.
Since then, he has been in many other films such as Batman where he played a mugger named Nic who is interrogated by Batman. In television, he has been in popular shows such as Bergerac, Coronation Street, Doctor Who, Father Brown and '. He has performed as a voice actor in the Aardman films ' and Flushed Away.
In 2010, he appeared as a detective in Five Daughters, and as Alfred "Freddie" Lennon, John Lennon's father in the biopic Lennon Naked. He has had a recurring role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as The Broker in the films Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023).
On 10 December 2023, it was announced that Fairbank had been cast as Eddie Knight in EastEnders. His character first appeared in episode 6,831, aired on 1 January 2024. He and Elizabeth Counsell, who played his character's wife Gloria, were only contracted for a few episodes, as producer Chris Clenshaw only introduced them to talk on the topic of baby farming. They made their last appearance three months and 30 episodes later in episode 6,891, aired on 15 April. Their characters are written off the show with Eddie going to prison for racially aggravated murder and Gloria being killed off with a heart attack.
His theatre debut came in 2013 when he was told by Susan Boyle that he was a good singer, which would lead to him auditiong for a production of A Christmas Carol at the Royal Lyceum Theatre in Edinburgh, Scotland, eventually landing the role of Ebenezer Scrooge. In 2015, he played Azdak in The Caucasian Chalk Circle, which was held at the same venue. In 2025 he played the role of Kemp in the Joe Orton play Entertaining Mr Sloane at the Young Vic.
Although he is one of Britain's most prolific actors and known for his versatile work, little information is online about Fairbank, as according to him "I prefer the work to speak for me because that is what I do. I'm an actor and I prefer to be judged solely for my performances".
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