Matt Lucas
| Matt Lucas | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Birth name | Matthew Richard Lucas |
| Born |
5 March 1974 Paddington, London, England |
| Medium | Actor, comedian, writer |
| Education |
The Haberdashers' Aske's Boys' School, Hertfordshire University of Bristol National Youth Theatre |
| Years active | 1994–present |
| Genres | Character comedy, sketch comedy |
| Influences |
Barry Humphries Vic Reeves Bob Mortimer David Walliams Rik Mayall Peter Richardson Laurel and Hardy[1] |
| Spouse | Kevin McGee (m. 2006; div. 2008) |
| Notable works and roles |
Little Britain Les Misérables Shooting Stars Catterick Rock Profile Krod Mandoon and the Flaming Sword of Fire Come Fly with Me The Matt Lucas Awards Alice in Wonderland Pompidou |
Matthew Richard "Matt" Lucas (born 5 March 1974) is an English comedian, screenwriter, actor and singer, best known for his work with David Walliams in the television show Little Britain, as well as for his portrayals of the scorekeeping baby George Dawes in the comedy panel game Shooting Stars and Tweedledee and Tweedledum in Alice in Wonderland.
In May 2007, he was placed seventh in the list of the UK's 100 most influential gay men and women by British newspaper The Independent.
Early life
Lucas was born in Paddington, London, the son of Diana (née Williams) and John Stanley Lucas (1944–1996), who ran a chauffeuring business. Some of Lucas' mother's family fled from Germany during the Second World War. Lucas grew up in a Reform Jewish household.[2] He has had alopecia since his childhood, and lost all of his hair when he was six years old.[3] Lucas's father died of a heart attack aged 52 in Brent, Greater London.[4]
Education
Lucas was educated at Aylward Primary School and The Haberdashers' Aske's Boys' School, an independent school in Borehamwood in Hertfordshire, the same school attended by comic actors David Baddiel and Sacha Baron Cohen. He went on to study at the University of Bristol between 1993 and 1995.[5] He also spent time with the National Youth Theatre, where he first met future writing partner David Walliams.[6]
Career
Lucas' association with Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer began in 1992. In 1995, Lucas appeared in The Smell of Reeves and Mortimer. He went on to star with them in Shooting Stars. He quickly rose to fame as George Dawes, the giant baby, who would deliver a string of meaningless gags (often in character) and insults before delivering the score, while sitting at and playing a drum kit, often dressed in an adult-sized romper suit. He also appeared on occasion as Marjorie Dawes, George's mother, who also appears in Little Britain.
He appeared with Reeves & Mortimer again, in the BBC series Randall & Hopkirk, and Catterick in a variety of roles. In 1999, Lucas paired up with David Walliams, with whom he had already worked in both Mash and Peas and Sir Bernard's Stately Homes, to create Rock Profile, a comedy show that spoofed famous musicians and musical personalities. It is notable for being one of their first comedic collaborations, which fuelled their inspiration to then create the well-known show Little Britain. Lucas has also written for actor Sacha Baron Cohen.
His music video appearances include the Damien Hirst-directed video for Blur's "Country House", "Jesusland" by Ben Folds in 2005, "I'm with Stupid" by the Pet Shop Boys and "Vindaloo" and "Naughty Christmas" by Fat Les.
Lucas ventured into the world of stage musicals in 2002, when he took one of the main roles in Boy George's musical Taboo at The Venue, London. He played the part of performance artist Leigh Bowery.
Little Britain
Little Britain is commercially Lucas's most successful work. Originally a radio show on BBC Radio 4, it later became a TV series. Among the many characters he plays in the series, which he writes and acts in along with David Walliams, are apparently "disabled" Andy Pipkin, teenage Bristol chav Vicky Pollard, homophobic homosexual Daffyd Thomas and insensitive slimming club organiser Marjorie Dawes.
After Little Britain
In 2005, he took his first role in a television drama, a supporting part as a Venetian duke in the BBC historical serial Casanova, written by Russell T Davies. Also in 2005, he did voice work in the ITV children's program King Arthur's Disasters alongside Rik Mayall. Since 2006, Lucas has been the voice of the radio and television character Digit Al, devised as part of a public information campaign on digital switchover. On 26 November 2006 he appeared on the BBC Radio 4 programme Desert Island Discs. He made a cameo appearance in Shaun of the Dead as Tom, the cousin of Shaun's friend Yvonne.
In 2007, he released "I'm Gonna Be", originally by The Proclaimers, with Peter Kay as a charity single for Comic Relief.[7] He performed the single as Little Britain character Andy Pipkin, along with Kay playing as Brian Potter. He also starred as Mr. Toad in The Wind in the Willows, a 2006 television adaptation of the Kenneth Grahame novel.
He has made appearances in Kath & Kim and Neighbours (the latter alongside David Walliams as Little Britain characters Lou and Andy), as well as a cameo role, playing 'Chris' or 'Jammy' at the wedding fayre, in the BBC Three sitcom Gavin & Stacey. Lucas has co-written (with Walliams) and performed in a new series of Little Britain USA for HBO.
Lucas was the first celebrity to make an appearance in 2008's Big Brother Celebrity Hijack on E4.
On 9 April 2009, the series Kröd Mändoon and the Flaming Sword of Fire, featuring Matt Lucas as a regular performer, premièred on Comedy Central, the first major comedy series Lucas had worked on since Little Britain. In 2010, Lucas played Tweedledee and Tweedledum in Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland.[8]
Starting in February 2010, Lucas began hosting his own radio show, And The Winner Is, in which he handed out a fictional series of awards based on nominations by his guests.[9]
On 3 October 2010,[10] Matt played Thénardier in the 25th Anniversary Concerts of Les Misérables, at the O2 Arena in London. A year later, from 23 June to 10 September 2011,[11] he reprised the role at The Queen's Theatre, in the West End. He has since collaborated with Alfie Boe, who played Jean Valjean, to record a duet of "The Impossible Dream" on Boe's debut album.
Also in 2011, Lucas lent his voice to the CGI film Gnomeo and Juliet, as well as playing a small role as the roommate of Kristen Wiig in the comedy Bridesmaids.
On Christmas Day 2010, the BBC began showing Matt Lucas and David Walliams' new series, Come Fly with Me. The show followed the familiar style of Walliams and Lucas each playing multiple characters but, unlike Little Britain, it focused entirely on the working environment of the airline industry. In an interview shown on BBC 3 on 9 February 2011, it was stated that the creators considered bringing travel agent character Carol Beer from Little Britain to the new series, but decided against it, as they didn't want viewers to see the new show as merely a spinoff. Instead, all new characters were introduced.
On 28 March 2012, Lucas appeared as the "Generation X" guest on the Australian game show Talkin' 'Bout Your Generation.
On 10 April 2012, Lucas' own BBC One show The Matt Lucas Awards began. This can be understood as a send-up of awards programmes in general, inviting a number of panelists (generally speaking, comedians) to give their nominations for awards for a series of prizes concerning trivial topics.
Lucas also starred in the dark comedy Small Apartments released in February 2013 alongside James Caan, Billy Crystal, Johnny Knoxville, Juno Temple with other cameo performances by notable actors.
On 21 February 2013, Lucas appeared in a guest role on the NBC series Community as Toby, an English friend of Abed Nadir. In 2014, Lucas played Ray Thomas in The Life of Rock with Brian Pern.
Lucas launched a new comedy series called Pompidou for BBC Two. The show began airing on 1 March, 2015.
Personal life
Lucas is a patron of the Karen Morris Memorial Trust, a UK charity for leukaemia patients and their families. In April 2004, he appeared on Celebrity Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? and won £62,500 for the charity.[12]
Lucas is gay, and has said he first had an inkling as such at the age of seven.[13][14][15] In December 2006, Lucas entered into a civil partnership with Kevin McGee,[16] in a ceremony in Central London. In attendance were various celebrities, including Barbara Windsor, Neil Tennant, Elton John, and Courtney Love.[17] Their civil partnership was dissolved through the High Court in 2008, ending what was a six-year relationship. Though raised Jewish, Lucas has described himself as a "huge atheist".[1][18]
From 2012 to 2015, Lucas lived with his Bridesmaids co-star Rebel Wilson in West Hollywood.[19] They remain good friends.
He is a supporter of Arsenal F.C.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | The Imaginatively Titled Punt & Dennis Show | TV series (1 episode) | |
| 1995 | The Smell of Reeves and Mortimer | Mayor Hobson / Pub Landlord / Quivell Mills | TV series (4 episodes) |
| 1995–2009 | Shooting Stars | George Dawes / Marjorie Dawes | TV series (53 episodes) |
| 1996 | Shooting Stars: Unviewed and Nude | George Dawes | Video |
| 1996 | Mash and Peas | Danny Mash / Various roles | TV series (9 episodes) |
| 1997 | Sunnyside Farm | Mr. Mills | TV series |
| 1997 | It's Ulrika! | Various roles | TV movie |
| 1997 | Dennis Pennis R.I.P. | 'The Quill' | Video |
| 1998 | Barking | Various Roles | TV series |
| 1998 | Jilting Joe | Air Steward | |
| 1998 | You Are Here | Pat Magnet | TV movie |
| 1999 | Plunkett & Macleane | Sir Oswald | |
| 1999 | Bang, Bang, It's Reeves and Mortimer | Various roles | TV series (1 episode) |
| 1999 | Sir Bernard's Stately Homes | Sir Bernard Chumley | TV series (6 episodes) |
| 1999–2009 | Rock Profile | Various characters | TV series (28 episodes) |
| 2001 | Fun at the Funeral Parlour | Father Titmus / Isaac Hunt | TV series (2 episodes) |
| 2001 | Randall & Hopkirk | Nesbit | TV series (1 episode: "Revenge of the Bog People") |
| 2002 | Surrealissimo: The Scandalous Success of Salvador Dalí | Luis Buñuel | TV movie |
| 2002 | Captain V | TV movie | |
| 2003–2007 | Little Britain | Various Roles / Andy Pipkin / Daffyd Thomas | TV series (23 episodes) |
| 2003 | Moo(n) | Bee | Short |
| 2003 | Comic Relief 2003: The Big Hair Do | Su Pollard: Blankety Blank | TV movie |
| 2003 | Welcome to Glaringly | Various roles | Short |
| 2004 | Catterick | Roy Oates / Dan the Shellfish Man / Webster | TV series (6 episodes) |
| 2004 | Shaun of the Dead | Cousin Tom | |
| 2004 | The All Star Comedy Show | Various roles | TV movie |
| 2004 | French and Saunders | TV series (1 episode) | |
| 2004 | AD/BC: A Rock Opera | God | TV movie |
| 2005 | Look Around You | Dr. Phillip Lavender | TV series (2 episodes) |
| 2005 | Cold and Dark | Dr. Elgin | |
| 2005 | Casanova | Villars | TV mini-series (2 episodes) |
| 2005–2006 | King Arthur's Disasters | Merlin | TV series |
| 2005 | Alan Partridge Presents: The Cream of British Comedy | Daffydd Thomas | Video |
| 2006 | Popetown | Cardinal One / Jackie Cohen | TV series (10 episodes) |
| 2006 | The Wind in the Willows | Toad | TV movie |
| 2007 | Gavin & Stacey | Jammy | TV series (1 episode) |
| 2007 | Neighbours | Andy Pipkin | TV series (1 episode: "British Bulldog") |
| 2007 | Fievel Throws Down | Short | |
| 2007 | Kath & Kim | Karen | TV series (2 episodes) |
| 2007 | The National Television Awards 2007 | Lou | TV movie |
| 2007–2008 | Little Britain USA | Various roles | TV series (6 episodes) |
| 2009 | Comic Relief 2009 | Julie / Matt Van-Laaast / Ellie Grace | TV movie |
| 2009 | Kröd Mändoon and the Flaming Sword of Fire | Chancellor Dongalor | TV series (6 episodes) |
| 2009 | Astro Boy | Sparx (voice) | |
| 2009 | Pride of Britain Awards 2009 | Andy | TV movie |
| 2010 | Alice in Wonderland | Tweedledee and Tweedledum | |
| 2010 | The RRF in New Recruit | Sparx (voice) | Video short |
| 2010 | The Infidel | Rabbi | |
| 2010 | Funny or Die Presents | Graham Rhys Grahamcox | TV series (1 episode "The Carpet Brothers") |
| 2010 | Les Misérables: 25th Anniversary Concert | Thenardier | |
| 2010 | The One Ronnie | Various characters | TV movie |
| 2011 | Gnomeo & Juliet | Benny (voice) | |
| 2010–2011 | Come Fly with Me | Various roles / Fearghal O'Farrell / Keeley St Clair / Mickey Minchin | TV series (6 episodes) |
| 2011 | Bridesmaids | Gil | |
| 2012 | Small Apartments | Franklin Franklin | |
| 2012 | The Greatest Footie Ads Ever | Andy | TV movie |
| 2013 | The Look of Love | Divine | |
| 2012–2013 | Portlandia | Stu | TV series (2 episodes) |
| 2013 | Community | Toby | TV series (1 episode: "Conventions of Space and Time") |
| 2013 | In Secret | Olivier | Previously titled Thérèse |
| 2013 | The Harry Hill Movie | Otto | |
| 2013 | Super Fun Night | Derrick[20] | TV series (guest appearance) |
| 2014 | Paddington | Joe | |
| 2014 | The Life of Rock with Brian Pern | Ray Thomas | TV series |
| 2015 | Pompidou | Pompidou | TV series |
| 2015 | Fresh Off the Boat | Mr. Fisher | TV series |
| 2015 | Doctor Who | Nardole | TV series Christmas special |
| 2015 | Man Seeking Woman | Igor | TV series |
| 2016 | Alice Through the Looking Glass | Tweedledee and Tweedledum | Filming |
| 2016 | How to Talk to Girls at Parties | Filming | |
| 2017 | A Futile and Stupid Gesture | Tony Hendra | Filming |
Biography
Official
- Boyd Hilton; Matt Lucas; David Walliams (2006). Inside Little Britain. London: Ebury Press. ISBN 0-09-191231-8.
Unofficial
- Neil Simpson (2006). Yeah But No But: The Biography of Matt Lucas and David Walliams. London: John Blake. ISBN 1-84454-258-0.
References
- 1 2 "Matt Lucas". Julia Zemiro's Home Delivery. Series 3. Episode 2. 10 June 2015. ABC.
- ↑ "Matt Lucas Comedy Profile". BBC. Retrieved 24 October 2009.
- ↑ Alison Bowyer (26 April 2005). "Matt Lucas has the last laugh". Evening Standard.
- ↑ Robert Crampton (6 June 2009). "Matt Lucas on fame, body image and relationships". The Times (London).
- ↑ http://www.bristol.ac.uk/alumni/alumni-stories/prominent-alumni/tv-film-and-theatre/
- ↑ "Matt Lucas urges future stars to join youth theatre that inspired him". London Evening Standard. 23 December 2009.
- ↑ "Mutual Relief: Lucas and Kay join for charity single". Chortle. 17 November 2006.
- ↑ Byron Perry (10 September 2008). "Matt Lucas at Variety Players".
- ↑ "BBC Radio 2 – And The Winner Is". February 2010.
- ↑ Akbar, Arifa (3 June 2010). "Matt Lucas lands role in 'Misérables' special". The Independent. Retrieved 3 June 2012.
- ↑ "Les Miserables new cast at Queen's Theatre from 23 June include Matt Lucas, Alfie Boe, Hadley Fraser". Londontheatre.co.uk. Retrieved 3 June 2012.
- ↑ "Karen Morris Memorial Trust". Retrieved 24 October 2009.
- ↑ "Matt Lucas has the last laugh – Showbiz – London Evening Standard". Standard.co.uk. 26 April 2005. Retrieved 23 October 2012.
- ↑ "The show we'll all soon be watching". Telegraph. Retrieved 23 October 2012.
- ↑ "Matt Lucas | Lucas: 'Shakin' Stevens Made Me Gay'". Contactmusic.com. Retrieved 23 October 2012.
- ↑ Caroline Davies and Paula Sheppard (18 December 2006). "Little Britain star 'weds' his Prince Charming". The Daily Telegraph (London).
- ↑ "Matt Lucas and Kevin McGee Pantomime Themed Wedding Reception London: Album". Exposay. Retrieved 26 May 2011.
- ↑ Spain, Katie (19 July 2013). "British comedian Matt Lucas has a way with words". The Advertiser. Retrieved 12 June 2015.
- ↑ Wightman, Catriona (3 September 2012). "'Bridesmaids' Rebel Wilson, Matt Lucas live together, annoy neighbours". Digital Spy. Hearst Magazines UK. Retrieved 17 January 2013.
- ↑ http://www.tvguide.com/News/Super-Fun-Night-Bridesmaids-Matt-Lucas-1069528.aspx
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Matt Lucas. |
- Matt Lucas on Twitter
- Matt Lucas on Facebook
- Matt Lucas at the Internet Movie Database
- BBC Little Britain Page
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