Greg Hemphill
| Greg Hemphill | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Gregory Edward Hemphill 14 December 1969 Springburn, Scotland |
| Occupation | Actor, movie producer |
| Years active | 1990–present |
| Spouse(s) | Julie Wilson Nimmo |
Gregory Edward "Greg" Hemphill (born 14 December 1969) is a Scottish actor and comedian. He has also presented on television and radio. Along with his comedy partner, Ford Kiernan, he is best known in the United Kingdom for his appearances in Still Game and Chewin' the Fat.
Personal life
Hemphill was born in Glasgow, Scotland, the son of Edward, a chartered accountant, and Anne (née Brophy) Hemphill, a teacher.[1]
The family left Scotland when Greg was 12 years old, and he spent much of his childhood in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, which has contributed to his distinctive Scottish-Canadian accent.
He returned to Scotland to study at the University of Glasgow, where he achieved an MA Honours Degree in theatre, film and television. He is married to Balamory actress Julie Wilson Nimmo; the couple have two sons.
University of Glasgow
Hemphill was Rector of the University of Glasgow from 2001 to 2004. He narrowly defeated the writer Alasdair Gray in a tight contest for the post and was widely praised for taking an active interest in the role.[2]
Career
Hemphill has appeared in several projects. In 1990, he appeared at the Edinburgh Fringe where he was given the "So You Think You're Funny" trophy. He continued his stage work, appearing in the 1992 God Plus Support performance and in the popular 1995 Only an Excuse? tour. He also ventured into radio as the original presenter of football show, Off the Ball on BBC Radio Scotland and The Eddie Mair Show.
Hemphill and Kiernan scripted seven episodes between 1999 and 2000 for then popular children's TV show Hububb. These were, Lullabubb, Top of the Bubbs, Conquer Leserest, Casual-Tea, Bubb Goes Boo, 2010 A Space Bubbsy and No Go Pogo. He guest-starred alongside Kiernan in one episode, which he also scripted with Kiernan, Casual-Tea. However, his best known performances are alongside Ford Kiernan in the television sketch show Chewin' the Fat and its spin-off, Still Game. In series three of Still Game, Hemphill's brother Steve has a cameo as a CN Tower lift operative.[3]
2008–present
In 2008, Hemphill was scheduled to star in Ecstasy, the movie adaptation of Irvine Welsh's best-selling novel Ecstasy: Three Tales of Chemical Romance.[4]
Hemphill appeared in the Scottish Gaelic-language drama, Eilbheas, in which Hemphill played the spirit of Elvis set in the Western Isles. It was first shown on the launch night of BBC Alba.
He has also written Appointment with the Wicker Man with Donald McLeary for the National Theatre of Scotland, a stage production about a small community's attempts to produce a musical version of The Wicker Man.[5]
Hemphill has been involved in the Scottish wrestling scene, matched against actor, comedian and writer, Robert Florence. They played bitter rivals at at "Kelvin Brawl" in the Glasgow's Kelvin Hall on 21 June 2013. Comedian Frankie Boyle became part of this venture, unmasking himself at the end of the match.[6][7]
Hemphill guest starred in an episode of the award winning children's television programme Katie Morag (TV series) in 2014, playing the part of Donald John Cameron.
Controversy
Hemphill has publicly attacked the BBC, the television channel behind his sitcom Still Game, once for axing a sitcom he was attempting to produce, and for not airing Scottish comedy Burniston outside of Scotland. He stated that the BBC was run by "assholes".[8][9][10]
In 2012, Hemphill tweeted a foul-mouthed attack on his fans after he was repeatedly asked about a new series of Still Game. His outburst generated furious backlash from fans.[11][9][12]
Footnotes
- ↑ "Glasgow University". Greg Hemphill Bio. Retrieved 30 December 2006.
- ↑ "Glasgow West End". Greg Hemphill: West End Actor, Comedian and Rector Of Glasgow University. Retrieved 30 December 2006.
- ↑ "TV.com". Steve Hemphill. Retrieved 31 December 2006.
- ↑ "Scotsman.com News". Cast lines up for taste of Ecstasy (Edinburgh). 29 October 2006. Archived from the original on 28 March 2007. Retrieved 30 December 2006.
- ↑ Hickling, Alfred (15 February 2012). "Playing with fire: The Wicker Man musical". The Guardian (London). Retrieved 21 February 2012.
- ↑ "Hemphill, Florence...and Boyle: comedy wrestling match descends into glorious chaos (From Herald Scotland)". Heraldscotland.com. 2013-06-23. Retrieved 2016-01-04.
- ↑ 22 Jun 2013 Updated 09:11, 22 Jun 2013 (2013-06-22). "KelvinBrawl crowns Greg Hemphil the "Victor" over Burnistoun's Rab Florence". Daily Record. Retrieved 2016-01-04.
- ↑ http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/scottishnews/4413510/Greg-Hemphill-rant-over-BBC-axe.html
- 1 2 http://www.deadlinenews.co.uk/2012/01/13/still-game-star-in-foul-mouthed-twitter-rant-at-fans/
- ↑ http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/entertainment/tv-radio/still-game-star-greg-hemphill-1099431#WLdqBEoUW5jbEGYQ.97
- ↑ http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/entertainment/celebrity/greg-hemphill-launches-x-rated-twitter-1113762#sbEbYqcUlS0LMSLO.97
- ↑ http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/scottishnews/4060323/Still-Game-outburst-Greg-Hemphill-is-a-grumpy-old-man.html
| Academic offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Ross Kemp |
Rector of the University of Glasgow 2001–2004 |
Succeeded by Mordechai Vanunu |
|