Cliff Parisi
Encyclopedia
Cliff Parisi is an English
actor of Italian
descent, largely recognised for his performance as Rick 'Minty' Peterson in the BBC One
soap opera
EastEnders
.
. Parisi was then given bigger parts on television, most noticeably on the TV series' Kavanagh QC
, Bramwell
and A Prince Among Men
. After finishing the former TV series, Parisi then auditioned for what would be his most famous role: Minty Peterson
in EastEnders
. He was recommended for the part by close friend and EastEnders actor Steve McFadden
and since his inception into the soap opera in 2002 the public have seen his character Minty form a close friendship with Garry Hobbs
(Ricky Groves
) and evolve from a cold-hearted landlord to a hapless unlucky-in-love mechanic and then to finding love with both established characters Heather Trott (Cheryl Fergison
) and Manda Best
(Josie Lawrence
). He made his final appearance on 21 September 2010, ending 8 years on the show.
In 2010 it was announced that he would be leaving EastEnders.
In December 2010 he started in the pantomime "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" at the New Victoria Theatre in Woking. He did not attend one of the Seven Dwarfs real life birthday parties because he was staying in a Travelodge on performance nights and wanted to return to see his family.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
actor of Italian
Italian people
The Italian people are an ethnic group that share a common Italian culture, ancestry and speak the Italian language as a mother tongue. Within Italy, Italians are defined by citizenship, regardless of ancestry or country of residence , and are distinguished from people...
descent, largely recognised for his performance as Rick 'Minty' Peterson in the BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
EastEnders
EastEnders
EastEnders is a British television soap opera, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 19 February 1985 and continuing to today. EastEnders storylines examine the domestic and professional lives of the people who live and work in the fictional London Borough of Walford in the East End...
.
Career
Parisi began his career in 1982 when he started touring the UK as a stand-up comedian. He continued working as a stand-up comedian for the next seven years before being offered a bit part in the film Queen of Hearts in 1989. Interested in taking up acting, Parisi changed his vocation and after a series of bit parts landed his first noticeable character: Lunchbox in the TV series ChancerChancer
Chancer is a British television serial produced by Central Television for ITV. It tells the story of a likable conman and rogue at the end of the yuppie eighties...
. Parisi was then given bigger parts on television, most noticeably on the TV series' Kavanagh QC
Kavanagh QC
Kavanagh QC is a British television series made by Carlton Television for ITV between 1995 and 2001. It has been shown on ITV3 as recently as August 2011; series 1–6 are available on Region 2 DVDs....
, Bramwell
Bramwell
Bramwell is a British television series starring Jemma Redgrave as Dr. Eleanor Bramwell, a woman challenging the domination of men in the medical establishment, who runs a free hospital for the poor in the East End of London, during the late Victorian era .The series by Carlton Television was shown...
and A Prince Among Men
A Prince Among Men
A Prince Among Men is a somewhat unsuccessful British sitcom that ran on BBC1 from 1997 to 1998 lasting 12 episodes. It starred Chris Barrie as Gary Prince, a former international football star turned entrepreneur. The theme music was by Jamie Marshall....
. After finishing the former TV series, Parisi then auditioned for what would be his most famous role: Minty Peterson
Minty Peterson
Richard "Rick" Peterson is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Cliff Parisi. He made his first appearance on 11 March 2002. His nickname was given to him because he was always late for work, turning up "after eight" when he was an apprentice mechanic...
in EastEnders
EastEnders
EastEnders is a British television soap opera, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 19 February 1985 and continuing to today. EastEnders storylines examine the domestic and professional lives of the people who live and work in the fictional London Borough of Walford in the East End...
. He was recommended for the part by close friend and EastEnders actor Steve McFadden
Steve McFadden
Steve McFadden is an English actor, known for his role as Phil Mitchell in the BBC soap opera EastEnders, which he has played since1990.-Early life:...
and since his inception into the soap opera in 2002 the public have seen his character Minty form a close friendship with Garry Hobbs
Garry Hobbs
Garry Pelé Hobbs is a fictional character in the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Ricky Groves. He made his first appearance on 18 September 2000...
(Ricky Groves
Ricky Groves
Richard "Ricky" Groves is an English actor best known for playing Garry Hobbs in EastEnders from 2000–09. Before his role in EastEnders he appeared in the series Burnside, a spin-off from The Bill.-Other TV work:...
) and evolve from a cold-hearted landlord to a hapless unlucky-in-love mechanic and then to finding love with both established characters Heather Trott (Cheryl Fergison
Cheryl Fergison
Cheryl Fergison is a British actress most notable for playing Heather Trott in the long running BBC soap opera EastEnders.-Career:...
) and Manda Best
Manda Best
Amanda "Manda" Best is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Josie Lawrence. Manda was introduced by executive producer Diederick Santer, and made her first appearance on 6 March 2009....
(Josie Lawrence
Josie Lawrence
Josie Lawrence is a British comedienne and actress best known for her work with the Comedy Store Players improvisational troupe, the television series Whose Line Is It Anyway? and more recently her role as Manda Best in EastEnders....
). He made his final appearance on 21 September 2010, ending 8 years on the show.
In 2010 it was announced that he would be leaving EastEnders.
In December 2010 he started in the pantomime "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" at the New Victoria Theatre in Woking. He did not attend one of the Seven Dwarfs real life birthday parties because he was staying in a Travelodge on performance nights and wanted to return to see his family.
Personal life
Parisi has three children; Mandy (born 1981), Dean (born 1987) and Jack (born 1991) from previous relationships. On 14 July 2009 Parisi announced that he and his girlfriend, BBC production assistant Tara Wyer, were expecting a baby together. Tara gave birth to Cliff's fourth child a son named Arthur on 28 December 2009. The couple first met in February 2009 before formally beginning a relationship in April and, since discovering the pregnancy, are now living together in Parisi's home in Highgate, North London and plan to marry.Filmography
- Queen of Hearts (1989) - Manager
- A Bit of Fry & Laurie (1990)
- Can You Hear Me Thinking? (1990) - Biker
- KYTV (1990, 1993)
- ChancerChancerChancer is a British television serial produced by Central Television for ITV. It tells the story of a likable conman and rogue at the end of the yuppie eighties...
(1990) - Lunchbox - The Pleasure PrincipleThe Pleasure Principle (film)The Pleasure Principle is a 1992 British comedy film directed by David Cohen and starring Peter Firth, Haydn Gwynne and Lysette Anthony. A modern-day Don Juan enjoys relationships with several different women, but is still bemused by the mysteries of the opposite sex.-Cast:* Peter Firth ... Dick*...
(1991) - Police Officer - BoonBoon (TV series)Boon is a British television drama and modern-day western series starring Michael Elphick, David Daker, and later Neil Morrissey. It was created by Jim Hill and Bill Stair and filmed by Central Television for ITV...
(1991) - John Preston - The Guilty (1992) - Cliff
- Gone to Seed (1992) - Robin
- Sean's ShowSean's ShowSean's Show was a UK television situation comedy broadcast on Channel 4. Stand-up comedian Sean Hughes co-wrote and starred as a fictionalised version of himself, aware of the fact he was living in a sitcom .It received a nomination for the 1992 British Comedy Award for Best Channel 4...
(1992) - Police Officer - The Darling Buds of MayThe Darling Buds of MayThe Darling Buds of May is a British comedy drama which was first broadcast between 1991 and 1993 produced by Yorkshire Television for the ITV Network. It is set in an idyllic rural 1950s Kent, among a large, boisterous family. The three series were based on the novels by H. E. Bates. Originally...
(1993) - Bill Jackson - The Upper HandThe Upper HandThe Upper Hand is a sitcom, produced by Central Independent Television and broadcast by ITV from 1990 to 1996. The programme was adapted from the American sitcom Who's the Boss?....
(1993) - Gary - Bermuda GraceBermuda GraceBermuda Grace is a 1994 American television film directed by Mark Sobel. A comedy thriller, it starred William Sadler and David Harewood as a Philadelphia and a British policemen who go on the hunt of a jewel thief to the Atlantic island of Bermuda. It was intended as the first in a series, but...
(1994) - Gary Foster - Drop the Dead DonkeyDrop the Dead Donkey- Major characters :* Gus Hedges — The unctuous Chief Executive of the company, and yes-man to Sir Roysten Merchant. A management stereotype, complete with clichés and clumsy metaphors, he swiftly transforms GlobeLink from a serious news network to a ratings-chasing tabloid channel...
(1994) - Paramedic - Under the MoonUnder the MoonUnder the Moon was an offbeat, late-night 1990s sports show on the UK's Channel 4. The show was originally hosted by Danny Kelly and comedian Tim Clark...
(1995) - Clifford - N7 (1995) - Alvin
- Kavanagh QCKavanagh QCKavanagh QC is a British television series made by Carlton Television for ITV between 1995 and 2001. It has been shown on ITV3 as recently as August 2011; series 1–6 are available on Region 2 DVDs....
(1995–2001) - Tom Buckley - BramwellBramwellBramwell is a British television series starring Jemma Redgrave as Dr. Eleanor Bramwell, a woman challenging the domination of men in the medical establishment, who runs a free hospital for the poor in the East End of London, during the late Victorian era .The series by Carlton Television was shown...
& Bramwell II (1995–96) - Daniel Bentley - Glam Metal Detectives (1995) - Security Guard
- Pie in the Sky (1996) - Inspector Dave Smith
- A Prince Among MenA Prince Among MenA Prince Among Men is a somewhat unsuccessful British sitcom that ran on BBC1 from 1997 to 1998 lasting 12 episodes. It starred Chris Barrie as Gary Prince, a former international football star turned entrepreneur. The theme music was by Jamie Marshall....
(1997) - Dave Perry - The Man Who Knew Too LittleThe Man Who Knew Too LittleThe Man Who Knew Too Little is a 1997 American comedy espionage film starring Bill Murray, directed by Jon Amiel, and written by Robert Farrar and Howard Franklin...
(1997) - Uri - Our Boy (1997) - Jeff
- The SaintThe Saint (film)The Saint is a 1997 film based on the character of Simon Templar created by Leslie Charteris in 1928 for a series of books published as "The Saint." The film stars Val Kilmer, Elisabeth Shue and Rade Šerbedžija...
(1997) - Pub Waiter - Paul Merton in Galton and Simpson's... (1997) - Sprott
- From HellFrom HellFrom Hell is a comic book series by writer Alan Moore and artist Eddie Campbell, originally published from 1991 to 1996, speculating upon the identity and motives of Jack the Ripper. The title is taken from the first words of the "From Hell" letter, which some authorities believe was an authentic...
(2001) - Bartender - Hot MoneyHot Money-Plot:The drama tells the story of three workers at the Bank of England incinerating plant in Essex. The trio, led by Bridget , hatch a plan to steal thousands of pounds by stashing the notes in their underwear.-Cast:-Production:...
(2001) - Bob Hoodless - Casualty (2000) - Paul Farrell
- SunburnSunburn (TV series)Sunburn is a British television series that followed the lives of a group of British holiday reps. It was broadcast on BBC One between 16 January 1999 and 1 May 2000, running for two series of six and eight episodes respectively. The first was set and filmed in Cyprus and the second in Algarve...
(2000) - Reggie Roach - EastEndersEastEndersEastEnders is a British television soap opera, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 19 February 1985 and continuing to today. EastEnders storylines examine the domestic and professional lives of the people who live and work in the fictional London Borough of Walford in the East End...
(2002–2010) - Richard "Minty" PetersonMinty PetersonRichard "Rick" Peterson is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Cliff Parisi. He made his first appearance on 11 March 2002. His nickname was given to him because he was always late for work, turning up "after eight" when he was an apprentice mechanic... - Helen West (2002)
- BedtimeBedtime (TV series)Bedtime was a British comedy-drama written and directed by Andy Hamilton and broadcast by the BBC. It ran for three series for a total of fifteen episodes between August 2001 and December 2003. The first two series had six episodes each and the third series had three episodes...
(2002) - Waking the DeadWaking the Dead (TV series)Waking the Dead is a British television police procedural crime drama series produced by the BBC featuring a fictional Cold Case Unit comprising CID police officers, a psychological profiler and a forensic scientist. A pilot episode aired in September 2000 and there have been a total of nine series...
(2003) - Tony King - The BillThe BillThe Bill is a police procedural television series that ran from October 1984 to August 2010. It focused on the lives and work of one shift of police officers, rather than on any particular aspect of police work...
(2003) - Anthony Spall