Chris Addison was born Anatole Gorzjic in a sideshow tent during the middle of a four week run of the Cirque du Zinfandel at Dubrovnik Municipal Rec. His father was the bearded man and his mother was an itinerant teeth-grinder. Much of his early life was spent following the circus from town to town, learning the skills of the big top and occasionally standing in as a tent peg when needed. These experiences proved formative and the influence can still be seen on Addison's act - his unconventional use of elephants, for example, which has challenged the stuctural integrity of a number of pub-based comedy clubs.