Matt Lucas

This article is about the British comedian. For the American musician, see Matt Lucas (singer). For the Australian rugby player, see Matt Lucas (rugby union).
Matt Lucas

Lucas in 2007
Birth name Matthew Richard Lucas
Born (1974-03-05) 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 both Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee in Alice in Wonderland and his sequel, Alice Through the Looking Glass.

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.

In 2015 Lucas wrote Pompidou for BBC Two.

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's 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 studied 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's 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 again appeared with Reeves & Mortimer in the BBC series Randall & Hopkirk, and Catterick in a variety of roles. In 1999, Lucas paired 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 a role in Boy George's musical Taboo at The Venue, London. He played the performance artist Leigh Bowery.

Little Britain

Little Britain is Lucas's most commercially 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 appeared 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 appear 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 which 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's 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 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.

On 14 June 2016, it was announced Lucas would be joining BBC1 series Doctor Who for its tenth series to be broadcast in the spring of 2017. He will be reprising the character 'Nardole' which he had played in the 2015 Christmas Special The Husbands of River Song.

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.[3][13][14] In December 2006, Lucas entered into a civil partnership with Kevin McGee,[15] in a ceremony in Central London. In attendance were various celebrities, including Barbara Windsor, Neil Tennant, Elton John, and Courtney Love.[16] 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][17]

From 2012 to 2015, Lucas lived with his Bridesmaids co-star Rebel Wilson in West Hollywood.[18] 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[19] 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–present Doctor Who Nardole TV series
"The Husbands of River Song"
"The Return of Doctor Mysterio"
Series 10[20]
2015 Man Seeking Woman Igor TV series
2016 Alice Through the Looking Glass Tweedledee and Tweedledum
2016 A Midsummer Night's Dream Nick Bottom TV Movie
2016 How to Talk to Girls at Parties Filming
2017 A Futile and Stupid Gesture Tony Hendra Filming

Biography

Official

Unofficial

References

  1. 1 2 "Matt Lucas". Julia Zemiro's Home Delivery. Series 3. Episode 2. 10 June 2015. ABC.
  2. "Matt Lucas Comedy Profile". BBC. Retrieved 24 October 2009.
  3. 1 2 Alison Bowyer (26 April 2005). "Matt Lucas has the last laugh". Evening Standard.
  4. Robert Crampton (6 June 2009). "Matt Lucas on fame, body image and relationships". The Times. London.
  5. http://www.bristol.ac.uk/alumni/alumni-stories/prominent-alumni/tv-film-and-theatre/
  6. "Matt Lucas urges future stars to join youth theatre that inspired him". London Evening Standard. 23 December 2009.
  7. "Mutual Relief: Lucas and Kay join for charity single". Chortle. 17 November 2006.
  8. Byron Perry (10 September 2008). "Matt Lucas at Variety Players".
  9. "BBC Radio 2 – And The Winner Is". February 2010.
  10. Akbar, Arifa (3 June 2010). "Matt Lucas lands role in 'Misérables' special". The Independent. Retrieved 3 June 2012.
  11. "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.
  12. "Karen Morris Memorial Trust". Retrieved 24 October 2009.
  13. "The show we'll all soon be watching". Telegraph. Retrieved 23 October 2012.
  14. "Matt Lucas | Lucas: 'Shakin' Stevens Made Me Gay'". Contactmusic.com. Retrieved 23 October 2012.
  15. Caroline Davies and Paula Sheppard (18 December 2006). "Little Britain star 'weds' his Prince Charming". The Daily Telegraph. London.
  16. "Matt Lucas and Kevin McGee Pantomime Themed Wedding Reception London: Album". Exposay. Retrieved 26 May 2011.
  17. Spain, Katie (19 July 2013). "British comedian Matt Lucas has a way with words". The Advertiser. Retrieved 12 June 2015.
  18. Wightman, Catriona (3 September 2012). "'Bridesmaids' Rebel Wilson, Matt Lucas live together, annoy neighbours". Digital Spy. Hearst Magazines UK. Retrieved 17 January 2013.
  19. TV Guide
  20. Fullerton, Huw (14 June 2016). "Matt Lucas returns to Doctor Who for series 10". RadioTimes. Retrieved 14 June 2016.

External links

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