Christopher "Chris" Scott is an American GI stationed in Saigon during the Vietnam war who meets and falls in love with a local bargirl named Kim. He is the male lead in the musical Miss Saigon.
Biography[]
1975[]
During the Vietnam War, Chris is a young American marine serving as driver for the American Embassy in Saigon. After being in service for some time, he has become disillusioned to the life in the war and is seemingly desperate for something more than a physical connection.
Nearing the end of the war, Chris visits the bar Dreamland with his friend John Thomas, where they have become regulars. He meets and is quickly fascinated by the bargirl Kim, who is on her first night. With John's help, Chris and Kim spend the night together and quickly develop feelings for each other. After paying for Kim's freedom to The Engineer, Chris makes plans to bring her to the US with him. The couple hold a small wedding ceremony with their friends.
Unfortunately for the two, the Viet Cong forces from the North start advancing and all American soldiers are ordered to evacuate immediately. During the chaos at the embassy, Chris and Kim are separated and he is forced to leave her behind, neither of them knowing that she is pregnant with their child.
Upon returning to the US, Chris becomes a recluse out of depression. According to John, he would not speak to anyone until a year later, when finally he decides to move on, proclaiming that life must still go on. Chris then meets Ellen who helps him recover through his despondence and they fall in love. Chris eventually marries Ellen but keeps his memories during the war from her or that fact that he occasionally has nightmares about Kim's death.
1978[]
Three years later, Chris is still happily married but has seemingly conflicting feelings about the life he left behind in Saigon. While in a Bui Doi Fundation conference in Atlanta, he learns from John that Kim is still alive, that she gave birth to their son and that they are living as refugees in Bangkok, Thailand. Chris is finally relieved, thinking Kim did not survive the war, but finds new conflict in telling Ellen about her. When Chris finally reveals this to Ellen, he tells her that he and Kim only lived together, implying the relationship was not serious. Chris, John and Ellen set off to Thailand to look for Kim.
However, Kim hears about Chris' arrival and immediately goes to his hotel room but, instead, finds Ellen. After Kim leaves, Chris finds Ellen upset and indignant after learning about the true nature of Chris and Kim's relationship. He reaffirms to Ellen that he has a new life now and admits that what he felt three years ago was out of the desolation from the war and desperation to connect to something real. Ellen forgives Chris and against Kim's wish for them to take her son Tam as their own, the couple decide it is best that the child stays in Bangkok with his mother where Chris would simply send support.
When Chris is finally introduced to his son, Kim shoots herself in one final act of sacrifice so Chris and Ellen would have no other choice than to take Tam with them. As Kim lies dying, Chris asks her why.
Musical numbers[]
Act I[]
- The Heat is On in Saigon (with Soldiers, Bar Girls, The Engineer, Kim, John, and Gigi)
- The Transaction (with The Engineer, John, Soldiers, and Kim)
- The Dance (with Kim and The Engineer)
- Why, God, Why?
- This Money's Yours (with Kim)
- Sun and Moon (with Kim)
- Asking For Leave (with John)
- The Deal (with The Engineer)
- The Wedding Ceremony (with Gigi, Kim, and Bar Girls)
- Thuy's Intervention (with Thuy, and Kim)
- Last Night of the World (with Kim)
Act II[]
- The Revelation (with John)
- What a Waste (with The Engineer, Hustlers, Tourists, and Kim)
- Fall of Saigon (with Soldiers, Kim John and Citizens)
- The Confrontation (with Ellen, John and Kim)
- Finale (with Kim)
Background[]
Chris' character is based on Lieutenant Benjamin Franklin Pinkerton from the opera and short story Madam Butterfly. In Miss Saigon, Chris' supervisor is named Pinkerton.
Notable portrayals[]
West End (1989-99)[]
- Simon Bowman (Original West End)
- John Barrowman (West End)
- Glyn Kerslake (West End)
- David Shannon (West End, also 2002-2003 UK Tour)
- Mike Scott (West End)
- Scott Anson (West End)
- David Campbell (West End)
- Peter Jöback (West End)
- Jerome Pradon (West End)
- Graham Bickley (West End)
- Niall Stones (West End)
- Jody Croiser (West End)
- Andrew Kennedy (West End)
West End Revival (2014-16)[]
- Alistair Brammer (2014-2015 West End Revival, also 2017-2018 Broadway Revival)
- Niall Sheehy and Dale Evans (2014-2015 West End Revival understudies)
- Chris Peluso (2015-2016 West End Revival)
- Richard Carson, Liam Marcellino and Ashley Gilmour (2015-2016 West End Revival understudies)
Broadway (1991–2001)[]
- Willy Falk (Original Broadway)
- Jarrod Emick (Broadway, US Tour)
- Sean McDermott (Broadway)
- Tyley Ross (Broadway)
- Eric Kunze (Broadway, US Tour)
- Stephen Tewksbury (Broadway)
- Chris Pecaro (Broadway)
- Peter Lockyer (1st and 2nd US National Tours and Broadway)
- Will Chase (2nd US National Tour, Manila and 2000 Final Broadway Cast)
Broadway Revival (2017-18)[]
- Alistair Brammer (2017-2018 Broadway Revival, also 2014-2015 West End Revival)
US Tour[]
- Charles West (1st US National Tour)
- Alan Gillespie (Toronto and US Tour)
- Jarrod Emick (Broadway, US Tour)
- Eric Kunze (Broadway, US Tour)
- Peter Lockyer (1st and 2nd US National Tours and Broadway)
- Will Chase (2nd US National Tour, Manila and 2000 Final Broadway Cast)
- Matt Bogart, Steven Pasquale, Michael Flanagan, Greg Stone, John Hill & Will Swenson (US Tour)
- Anthony Festa (2018-2020 US Tour)
UK Tour[]
- Niklas Andersson (2001-2002 Original UK Tour, also Original Sweden)
- Michael Xavier (2001-2002 UK Tour understudy and 2003-2004 UK Tour)
- Alexander Lycke (2002 UK Tour)
- David Shannon (2002-2003 UK Tour, also West End)
- Luke Evans and David Erik (2002-2004 UK Tour understudy)
- Steve Haughton (2004-2005 UK Tour)
- Eaton James and Jon Robyns (2004-2005 UK Tour understudies)
- Ramin Karimloo (2005-2006 UK Tour)
- Lee Mead and Richard Taylor Woods (2005-2006 UK Tour understudies)
- Ashley Gilmour (2017-2019 UK Tour)
- Tom Hier (2017-2018 UK Tour understudy)
- Vinny Coyle (2017-2019 UK Tour understudy)
- Jonothan Bentley (2018-2019 UK Tour understudy)
Japan[]
- Satoshi Kishida, Motomu Azaki and Hiroshi Miyakawa (Original Japanese Cast)
- Kazutaka Ishii, Kenji Sakamoto and Hiroyuki Takami (2004 Japanese Tour)
- Yoshio Inoue (2004-2009 Japanese Tour)
- Hirotaka Terui and Masaaki Fujioka (2008-2009 Japanese Tour)
- Yuichi Harada (2008-2014 Japanese Tour)
- Ikusaburo Yamazaki (2012-2013 Japanese Tour)
- Tetsuya Ueno (2014-2017 Japanese Tour)
- Ryunosuke Onoda (2016-2022 Japanese Tour)
- Naoto Kaiho and Sangwoong Jo (a.k.a. Hajime Mikumo) (2020-2022 Japanese Tour)
Others[]
- Peter Cousens (Australian Cast, Complete Symphonic Recording)
- Niklas Andersson (Original Sweden cast and 2001-2002 Original UK Tour)
- H.E. Greer (Original Toronto)
- Uwe Kröger (Original Stuttgart Cast)
- Mark Riemer, Kurt Kovalenko, Maik Lohse, Marcus Chait, Shawn Kilpatrick (Stuttgart)
- Kevin McIntyre (Toronto)
- Attila Csengeri (Original Hungarian Cast)
- Attila Dolhai (Original Hungarian Cast and 2003-2011 Hungarian Cast)
- Dean MacRae, Benjamin Harkin, Gavin D. Andrew (Australia)
- Tony Neef and Paul Vaes (Original Dutch Cast)
- Carsten Lepper (Austria)
- Nic Kyle (New Zealand)
- Koit Toome, Mikk Saar (Tallinn)
- Jesper Tyden (2002-2004 Switzerland)
- Christopher Wollter (2004-2005 Gothenburg)
- Mika Turunen, Koit Toome, Ville Salonen (2004 Helsinki)
- Michael K. Lee (2006-2012 Korean Cast)
- Kwang-Ho Hong (2006 Korean Cast)
- David Harris, Stephen Mahy (Australia)
- Nando Pradho (2008 Brazil)
- Aaron Ramey (Toronto)
- Lee Kun-Myung (2010-2012 Korean Cast)
- Ton Sieben, Roy Kullick and Jamai Loman (2011-2012 Dutch Revival)
- Napat Gun Injaiuea (2012 Bangkok Cast)
- Jason Forbach (2013 North Shore Music Theatre)
- Philip Jalmelid (2013 Malmo Cast)
- Oedo Kuipers (2021-2022 Vienna Production)
- Christian Maynard (2023 Crucible Theatre Sheffield)
- Christian Lund (2023 Copenhagen, Denmark)
- Mathias Hartmann Niclasen (2023 Copenhagen, Denmark - understudy)
- Sigurd Marthinussen (2023-2024 Oslo)
- Nigel Huckle (2023 Australian Production, 2024 Manila Production and 2023-2024 Australian, Asian and International Tour)
- Billy Bourchier (2023 Australian Production and 2023-2024 Australian Tour - understudies)
- Sam Ward and Brad Veitch (2023 Australian Production, 2024 Manila Production and 2023-2024 Australian, Asian and International Tour - understudies)
Gallery[]
