Matt Lucas
Matthew Richard Lucas (born 5 March 1974) is an English actor, comedian, writer, and television personality. He is best known for his work with David Walliams on the BBC sketch comedy series Rock Profile (1999–2000, 2009), Little Britain (2003–2007, 2020), and Come Fly With Me (2010–2011). Lucas played the role of Nardole in the BBC series Doctor Who (2015–2017), and has also appeared in films, such as The Infidel (2010), Alice in Wonderland (2010), Bridesmaids (2011), and Small Apartments (2012). In 2020, he became the co-presenter of The Great British Bake Off, alongside Noel Fielding.
Matt Lucas | |
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![]() Lucas in 2017 | |
Born | Matthew Richard Lucas 5 March 1974 Paddington, London, England |
Alma mater | University of Bristol |
Occupation |
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Years active | 1994–present |
Early life
Matthew Richard Lucas was born in the Paddington area of London, the son of Diana (née Williams; born 1945) and chauffeuring business owner John Stanley Lucas (1944–1996). He is Jewish; some of his mother's family fled Nazi Germany just before the Second World War. He has had alopecia since childhood, losing all of his hair at the age of six.[1] When Lucas was 22, his father died of a heart attack at the age of 52.[2]
Lucas was educated at Aylward Primary School and Haberdashers' Aske's Boys' School in Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, the same school attended by comedians David Baddiel and Sacha Baron Cohen. He studied drama at the University of Bristol between 1993 and 1995.[3][4] He also spent time with the National Youth Theatre, where he met his future collaborator David Walliams.[5]
Career
![](../I/LittleBritain.jpg.webp)
Early work
Lucas's association with Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer began in 1992. He appeared in The Smell of Reeves and Mortimer in 1995, and went on to star with them in Shooting Stars. He quickly rose to fame as George Dawes, a giant baby (often dressed in an adult-sized romper suit) who would deliver a string of meaningless gags and insults before delivering the teams' scores, while sitting at and playing a drum kit. 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. 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" by Fat Les.
Lucas ventured into stage musicals in 2002, when he took a role in Boy George's musical Taboo at The Venue in London. He played the performance artist Leigh Bowery.
Little Britain
Little Britain is Lucas's most commercially successful work. The show came about when trainee BBC radio producer Ashley Blaker, tasked with coming up with ideas for a TV or radio series, bumped into Lucas in London.[6] The two were old friends from Haberdashers' and Lucas took Blaker to the Groucho Club, where he told Blaker of his ideas for a sketch show. Little Britain was launched as a radio show on BBC Radio 4 and 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.
In January 2005 Lucas and Walliams were named the most powerful people in TV comedy by Radio Times.[7]
Later career
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.[8] 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 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.[9]
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.[10]
On 3 October 2010,[11] Lucas 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,[12] 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 Lucas and David Walliams' new series, Come Fly with Me. The show saw 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 did not 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. It was a send-up of awards programme, with a panel of comedians giving 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.
In May 2016, Lucas reprised his role as "Tweedledee/Tweedledum" in Tim Burton's Alice Through the Looking Glass, sequel to Alice in Wonderland.[13] On 14 June 2016, it was announced Lucas would be joining the BBC series Doctor Who for its tenth series, where he reprised the character Nardole, which he had previously played in the 2015 and 2016 Christmas specials, "The Husbands of River Song" and "The Return of Doctor Mysterio" respectively.
On 16 February 2017, Lucas was awarded an Honorary Degree "Doctor of Letters" by the University of Bristol, where he had studied for two years in the 1990s but had left before completing his degree course.[14] On 3 October 2017, Lucas released his autobiography titled Little Me, published by Canongate Books in hardback. The paperback edition was released on 7 June 2018.[15]
From 2 July to 25 August 2018, Lucas played Bill Snibson in a revival of Me and My Girl at Chichester Festival Theatre.[16]
From 10 August to 30 November 2019, Lucas appeared in Les Misérables at the Gielgud Theatre in London’s West End, playing the role of Monsieur Thénardier in a fully staged concert adaptation of the musical. On 20 December 2019, it was announced that Lucas would be returning to the role at the Sondheim Theatre, after actor Gerard Carey contracted vocal damage through pneumonia and was forced to pull out. On 10 January 2020, Lucas himself was forced to withdraw from the show following a back injury.[17]
In March 2020, it was announced that he would become the new co-host of the Channel 4 and Love Productions television show The Great British Bake Off, taking over from Sandi Toksvig.[18]
On 3 April, Lucas released a reworked version of his "Baked Potato Song" from Shooting Stars titled "Thank You Baked Potato", with all proceeds from the track going towards the Feed NHS campaign, which aims to provide meals for NHS workers in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK.[19][20] The song reached No. 34 in the charts. In April 2020, it was announced that Lucas had written a children's picture book based on "Thank You, Baked Potato". It is published by Egmont and all proceeds again go to Feed NHS.
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.[21]
Lucas is openly gay, which he first suspected at the age of seven.[1][22][23] At a ceremony in Central London in December 2006, he began a civil partnership with Kevin McGee.[24] In attendance were Barbara Windsor, Neil Tennant, Elton John, and Courtney Love.[25] They separated and had their civil partnership dissolved through the High Court in 2008.
Lucas was brought up Jewish and variously described himself as an atheist[26] and a "fairly secular Jew".[27] He supports Arsenal F.C.[28]
From 2012 to 2015, Lucas lived with his Bridesmaids co-star Rebel Wilson in West Hollywood.[29]
Filmography
Films
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1998 | Jilting Joe | Air Steward | |
1999 | Plunkett & Macleane | Sir Oswald | |
2004 | Shaun of the Dead | Cousin Tom | Cameo |
2005 | Cold and Dark | Dr. Elgin | |
2009 | Astro Boy | Sparx (voice) | |
2010 | Alice in Wonderland | Tweedledum and Tweedledee | |
2010 | The Infidel | Rabbi | |
2010 | Les Misérables in Concert: The 25th Anniversary | Thénardier | |
2011 | Gnomeo & Juliet | Benny (voice) | |
2011 | Bridesmaids | Gil | |
2012 | Small Apartments | Franklin Franklin | |
2013 | The Look of Love | Divine | |
2013 | In Secret | Olivier | Previously titled Thérèse |
2013 | The Harry Hill Movie | Otto | |
2014 | Paddington | Joe | |
2016 | Alice Through the Looking Glass | Tweedledee and Tweedledum | |
2017 | How to Talk to Girls at Parties | ||
2018 | A Futile and Stupid Gesture | Tony Hendra | |
2018 | Sherlock Gnomes | Benny (voice) | |
2019 | Polar | Mr. Blut | |
2019 | Missing Link | Mr. Collick (voice)[30] | |
2019 | The Queen's Corgi | Charlie (voice) | |
2019 | Les Misérables: The Staged Concert | Thénardier |
Television
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1995 | The Imaginatively Titled Punt & Dennis Show | 1 episode | |
1995 | The Smell of Reeves and Mortimer | Mayor Hobson / Pub Landlord / Quivell Mills | 4 episodes |
1995–2009 | Shooting Stars | George Dawes / Marjorie Dawes | |
1996 | Mash and Peas | Danny Mash / Various roles | 9 episodes; also writer |
1997 | Sunnyside Farm | Mr. Mills | |
1997 | It's Ulrika! | Various roles | TV movie |
1998 | Barking | Various Roles | |
1998 | You Are Here | Pat Magnet | TV movie |
1999 | Bang Bang, It's Reeves and Mortimer | Various roles | 1 episode |
1999 | Sir Bernard's Stately Homes | Sir Bernard Chumley | 6 episodes |
1999–2009 | Rock Profile | Various characters | 28 episodes; also writer |
2000 | Da Ali G Show | Wrote 1 episode | |
2001 | Fun at the Funeral Parlour | Father Titmus / Isaac Hunt | 2 episodes |
2001 | Randall & Hopkirk (Deceased) | Nesbit | 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 | Comic Relief 2003: The Big Hair Do | Su Pollard: Blankety Blank | TV movie |
2003–2007 | Little Britain | Various Roles | 23 episodes; also writer |
2004 | Catterick | Roy Oates / Dan the Shellfish Man / Webster | 6 episodes |
2004 | French and Saunders | 1 episode | |
2004 | The All-Star Comedy Show | Various roles | TV movie |
2004 | AD/BC: A Rock Opera | God | TV movie |
2005 | Look Around You | Dr. Phillip Lavender | 2 episodes |
2005 | Casanova | Villars | Mini-series; 2 episodes |
2005–2006 | King Arthur's Disasters | Merlin | |
2006 | Popetown | Cardinal One / Jackie Cohen | 10 episodes |
2006 | The Wind in the Willows | Toad | TV movie |
2007 | The National Television Awards 2007 | Lou | TV movie |
2007 | Gavin & Stacey | Jammy | 1 episode |
2007 | Neighbours | Andy Pipkin | 1 episode: "British Bulldog" |
2007 | Kath & Kim | Karen | 2 episodes |
2008 | Little Britain USA | Various roles | 6 episodes; also writer and executive producer |
2009 | Kröd Mändoon and the Flaming Sword of Fire | Chancellor Dongalor | 6 episodes |
2009 | Comic Relief 2009 | Julie / Matt Van-Laaast / Ellie Grace | TV movie |
2009 | Pride of Britain Awards 2009 | Andy | TV movie |
2010 | Funny or Die Presents | Graham Rhys Grahamcox | 1 episode "The Carpet Brothers" |
2010 | The One Ronnie | Various characters | TV movie |
2010–2011 | Come Fly with Me | Various roles / Fearghal O'Farrell / Keeley St Clair / Mickey Minchin | 6 episodes; also writer and associate producer |
2012 | The Greatest Footie Ads Ever | Andy | TV movie |
2012–2013 | Portlandia | Stu | 2 episodes |
2013 | Community | Toby | 1 episode: "Conventions of Space and Time" |
2013 | Super Fun Night | Derrick[31] | Guest appearance |
2014 | The Life of Rock with Brian Pern | Ray Thomas | |
2015 | Pompidou | Pompidou | Also writer and director |
2015 | Fresh Off the Boat | Mr. Fisher | Episode: "Boy II Man" |
2015–2017 | Doctor Who | Nardole | 15 episodes |
2015 | Man Seeking Woman | Igor | Episode: "Teacup" |
2016 | Bull | Mr. Richards | Episode: "A Faberge Egg" |
2016 | Galavant | Peasant John | Episode: "Aw, Hell, the King" |
2016 | Mack & Moxy | Admirable Matt | Episode: "A Spectrum of Possibilities" |
2016 | A Midsummer Night's Dream | Nick Bottom | TV movie |
2016 | Round Planet | Narrator | 10 episodes |
2017 | Bill Nye Saves the World | Himself | Episode: "The Sexual Spectrum" |
2017 | Stella | Wes | Episode: 6.1 |
2018 | Who Is America? | Writer | |
2019 | Moominvalley | Teety-Woo | In production |
2020—present | The Great British Bake Off | Co-presenter | Alongside Noel Fielding; replacing Sandi Toksvig |
2020—present | Reasons to Be Cheerful with Matt Lucas | Presenter | |
2021 | The Masked Singer | Guest panellist | Series 2, Episode 7; Semi Final |
Shorts
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1996 | Shooting Stars: Unviewed and Nude | George Dawes | Video |
1997 | Dennis Pennis R.I.P. | 'The Quill' | Video |
2003 | Moo(n) | Bee | Short |
2003 | Welcome to Glaringly | Various roles | Short |
2005 | Alan Partridge Presents: The Cream of British Comedy | Daffydd Thomas | Video |
2007 | Fievel Throws Down | Short | |
2010 | The RRF in New Recruit | Sparx (voice) | Video short |
Stage
Year | Production | Role | Venue |
---|---|---|---|
2002 | Taboo | Leigh Bowery | Venue Theatre, London |
2005–2007 | Little Britain Live | Writer and performer (various roles) | UK and Australian tours |
2009 | Prick Up Your Ears | Kenneth Halliwell | Comedy Theatre, London |
2010 | Les Misérables in Concert: The 25th Anniversary | Thénardier | The O2, London |
2011 | Les Misérables | Queen's Theatre, London | |
2014 | Monty Python Live (Mostly) - 5 July show | Himself (The 'Blackmail' sketch) | The O2, London |
2018 | Me and My Girl | Bill Snibson | Chichester Festival Theatre |
2019 | Les Misérables: The All-Star Staged Concert | Thénardier | Gielgud Theatre, London |
2019–2020 | Les Misérables | Sondheim Theatre, London | |
2020–2021 | Les Misérables: The Staged Concert |
Audio dramas
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2001 | Doctor Who: The One Doctor[32] | Cylinder / The Jelloid[32] | |
Web videos
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2020 | Unfinished London[33] | Man from Hounslow[33] | 1 episode: "What's wrong with London's boroughs?" |
Radio
In 2019, Lucas was announced as the bank holiday cover host for the Radio 2 Breakfast Show. He will also cover Paul O'Grady's Sunday 5–7pm show during the summer; Fearne Cotton will be the main holiday cover host.[34]
Bibliography
Official
- Boyd Hilton; Matt Lucas; David Walliams (2006). Inside Little Britain. London: Ebury Press. ISBN 978-0-09-191231-4.
- Lucas, Matt (2017). Little Me. London: Canongate. ISBN 978-1786890863.
Unofficial
- Simpson, Neil (2006). Yeah But No But: The Biography of Matt Lucas and David Walliams. London: John Blake. ISBN 978-1-84454-258-1.
References
- Bowyer, Alison (26 April 2005). "Matt Lucas has the last laugh". London Evening Standard.
- Crampton, Robert (6 June 2009). "Matt Lucas on fame, body image and relationships". The Times.
- "Little Britain star Matt Lucas awarded honorary degree". University of Bristol. 17 February 2017. Retrieved 2 February 2021.
- "TV, film and theatre – Alumni and friends". University of Bristol. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 15 May 2017.
- "Matt Lucas urges future stars to join youth theatre that inspired him". London Evening Standard. 23 December 2009.
- "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2 July 2020. Retrieved 27 October 2019.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- Methven, Nicola (11 January 2005). "Lucas & Walliams 'funniest'". Daily Mirror. MGN Ltd. Retrieved 13 September 2017 – via The Free Library.
- "Mutual Relief: Lucas and Kay join for charity single". Chortle. 17 November 2006.
- Byron Perry (10 September 2008). "Matt Lucas at Variety Players".
- "And The Winner Is ..." BBC Radio 2.
- 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". London Theatre. 23 February 2011. Retrieved 3 June 2012.
- "'Alice Through the Looking Glass': Beware the poppycock, my son!". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved 6 February 2017.
- "Little Britain star Matt Lucas awarded honorary degree by Bristol University". BBC News. 16 February 2017. Retrieved 15 May 2017.
- Matt Lucas. "Little Me: My autobiography". Canongate Books. Retrieved 7 March 2018.
- Bennett, Steve. "Matt Lucas to star in Me And My Girl : News 2018 : Chortle : The UK Comedy Guide". www.chortle.co.uk. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
- "Matt Lucas withdraws from new Les Misérables production following a back injury". London Evening Standard. 10 January 2020.
- "Matt Lucas to replace Sandi Toksvig on Bake Off". BBC News. 11 March 2020. Retrieved 12 March 2020.
- Daly, Rhian (5 April 2020). "Matt Lucas thanks fans as 'Thank You Baked Potato' enters charts". NME. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
- Youngs, Ian (1 April 2020). "How Matt Lucas' potato song is feeding NHS workers". BBC News. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
- "Karen Morris Memorial Trust". Retrieved 24 October 2009.
- "The show we'll all soon be watching". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 23 October 2012.
- "Lucas: 'Shakin' Stevens Made Me Gay'". Contactmusic.com. Retrieved 23 October 2012.
- Davies, Caroline; Sheppard, Paula (18 December 2006). "Little Britain star 'weds' his Prince Charming". The Daily Telegraph.
- "Matt Lucas and Kevin McGee Pantomime Themed Wedding Reception London: Album". Exposay. Archived from the original on 29 September 2011. Retrieved 26 May 2011.
- "Matt Lucas". Julia Zemiro's Home Delivery. Series 3. Episode 2. 10 June 2015. ABC.
- Derren Brown (21 January 2017). "Derren Brown vs Celebrities – TOP 5 TRICKS". Retrieved 7 March 2018 – via YouTube.
- "Matt Lucas: Arsenal are the only tribe I don't mind being a part of". Daily Cannon. 16 October 2017. Retrieved 12 June 2018.
- Wightman, Catriona (3 September 2012). "'Bridesmaids' Rebel Wilson, Matt Lucas live together, annoy neighbours". Digital Spy. Retrieved 17 January 2013.
- "Matt Lucas (I)". IMDb. Retrieved 18 April 2019.
Mr. Collick (voice)
- Abrams, Natalie (23 August 2013). "Super Fun Night Stages Bridesmaids Reunion!". TV Guide. Retrieved 15 May 2017.
- "27. The One Doctor". Big Finish Productions. December 2001. Retrieved 6 January 2017.
- "10. What's wrong with London's boroughs?". Unfinished London. May 2020. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
- "Fearne Cotton gets Radio 2 Breakfast cover job". RadioToday. Retrieved 5 August 2019.
External links
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