As a stunt man he was best known for his work in the movie "Scarface". Other notable works as a stunt man include "Fatal Attraction", "Lethal Weapon", the television series "Baywatch", and "Patriot Games". As a second unit director he worked on a number of well-known movies that include "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone", "The Matrix Reloaded", "", and "Cop Out". At the time of his death, two works involving Ellis were still in post-production: "47 Ronin" and "R.I.P.D."; another, "Winter's Tale", was still being filmed. "R.I.P.D." was released in July 2013; "47 Ronin" was released in December 2013, while "Winter's Tale" was released in February 2014.