Harry Enfield
Encyclopedia
Henry Richard "Harry" Enfield (born 30 May 1961 in Horsham
, West Sussex
, England) is a BAFTA-winning English comedian
, actor, writer and director
.
. He has two sisters, Elizabeth (born 1966) and Lucy Katherine (born 1969). He was educated at the independent Arundale School in Pulborough
, Dorset House School
, Worth School
, Collyer's Sixth Form College
and the University of York
, where he was a member of Derwent College
and read politics. He worked for a while as a milkman.
's Saturday Live as a number of different characters created with Paul Whitehouse
. These quickly entered the national consciousness. Among these characters were Stavros, a Greek restaurant owner with markedly fractured English; and Loadsamoney, an obnoxious character who constantly boasted about how much money he earned. Loadsamoney spawned a hit single in 1988 and a sell-out live tour. As a foil to Loadsamoney Enfield and Whitehouse created the Geordie
"Bugger-All-Money" and in 1988 Enfield appeared as both characters during the Nelson Mandela Birthday Tribute Concert at Wembley Stadium. In time Whitehouse and Enfield became disturbed that Loadsamoney was being seen in a positive light, rather than as a satirical figure, and they had him run over during a Comic Relief Red Nose Day show while leaving the studio after presenting host Lenny Henry
with "the biggest cheque of the night"—a physically huge cheque for ten pence.
In 1989 Enfield realised a personal project, Norbert Smith - a Life
, a spoof on British theatrical knights slumming in the film industry. He also provided voices for the British satirical puppet show Spitting Image
.
sketch show, Harry Enfield's Television Programme
, later called Harry Enfield and Chums, with Whitehouse and Kathy Burke
. Eschewing the alternative comedy
style prevalent at the time, both versions of the show were indebted to early '70s comedians such as Dick Emery
and Morecambe and Wise
. Enfield and his co-performers created another group of nationally recognised characters for these shows, such as Stan and Pam Herbert, who use the catchphrase "We are considerably richer than you" (in an exaggerated West-Midlands accent), Tim Nice-But-Dim, The Scousers
, Smashie and Nicey
, Wayne and Waynetta Slob, Annoying Kid Brother, who grew into Kevin the Teenager
, and two old-fashioned BBC presenters, Mr Cholmondley-Warner and Grayson.
In 1991, Enfield played Dermot in the sitcom Men Behaving Badly
along with Martin Clunes
, Caroline Quentin
and Leslie Ash
, originally on Thames Television
. Enfield left after the first series, and was replaced in the second series by Neil Morrissey
as Tony. Enfield is a professed fan of opera
and fronted a Channel 4
documentary series on the subject. In 1991 Harry also starred in the series Gone to the Dogs (TV series)
as Little Jim.
After a short break from television Enfield signed a new contract with BSkyB
, but produced only one series, Harry Enfield's Brand Spanking New Show
. In 2002 Enfield returned to the BBC with Celeb, a new series based on the comic strip of the same title in Private Eye, as the ageing rockstar Gary Bloke.
In 2002 Enfield was the first guest on the revamped version of BBC's Top Gear
and also appeared on the show on 23 November 2008. Enfield has also narrated various TV documentaries such as the Discovery Wings channel "Classic British Aircraft".
In 2007, he played Jim Stonem in the Channel 4 series Skins
. He reprised this role in the second series in 2008, and the third series in 2009.
He appears often on mainstream television shows. His current comedy series Harry & Paul (originally titled Ruddy Hell! It's Harry & Paul) started in 2008.
role playing Kevin alongside Kathy Burke
, who played the character's (male) friend Perry—roles originally created for Enfield's television series—in Kevin & Perry Go Large
. The film charted the pair's attempt to become professional DJs by travelling to the nightclubs of Ibiza
and pestering their idol, the DJ Eyeball Paul, played by Rhys Ifans
, while gaining love and losing their virginity. Enfield also appeared as King George VI in Churchill: The Hollywood Years
(2004), a satire on Hollywood's tendency to change elements of history.
. Enfield's most memorable commercials include a series made in 1996 for Dime Bar. One commercial in this series had Enfield as a yokel refusing a Dime bar—smooth on the outside, crunchy on the inside—because he preferred armadillo
s—smooth on the inside, crunchy on the outside. Later Enfield, with Paul Whitehouse, starred in a series of commercials for Hula Hoops
as The Self-Righteous Brothers, characters from Enfield's television show . In 2004 Enfield starred in a series of commercials for Burger King
in the U.S. as Dr. Angus, a character intended to promote the company's newest hamburger. Two more characters from Enfield's TV series, Mr Cholmondley-Warner and Grayson, also appeared in commercials, for Mercury Communications
. Also in 2004 Enfield provided the voice of "The Roaming Gnome" character used in Travelocity's
U.S. advertising campaign.
, the mother of Alfie
and Lily Allen
. They lived together for three years and he helped look after the children. They intended to get married but separated in 1995. He previously dated producer Debbie Vertue (daughter of Beryl Vertue
and sister of Sue Vertue
).
In 1997 Enfield married Lucy Lyster and they have one son, Archie Edward Enfield (born 1997) and two daughters, Poppy Sophia (born 1999) and Nell Florence Enfield (born 2003).
Enfield went to school with Simon Nye
, who later wrote Men Behaving Badly.
Horsham
Horsham is a market town with a population of 55,657 on the upper reaches of the River Arun in the centre of the Weald, West Sussex, in the historic County of Sussex, England. The town is south south-west of London, north-west of Brighton and north-east of the county town of Chichester...
, West Sussex
West Sussex
West Sussex is a county in the south of England, bordering onto East Sussex , Hampshire and Surrey. The county of Sussex has been divided into East and West since the 12th century, and obtained separate county councils in 1888, but it remained a single ceremonial county until 1974 and the coming...
, England) is a BAFTA-winning English comedian
Comedian
A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience, primarily by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting a fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy...
, actor, writer and director
Television director
A television director directs the activities involved in making a television program and is part of a television crew.-Duties:The duties of a television director vary depending on whether the production is live or recorded to video tape or video server .In both types of productions, the...
.
Early life
Enfield is the oldest of three children, the son of English television, radio and newspaper journalist and presenter Edward EnfieldEdward Enfield
Edward Enfield is an English television, radio and newspaper journalist and presenter. He is also the father of British comedian Harry Enfield and novelist Lizzie Enfield, and husband of Deirdre.-Biography:...
. He has two sisters, Elizabeth (born 1966) and Lucy Katherine (born 1969). He was educated at the independent Arundale School in Pulborough
Pulborough
Pulborough is a large village and civil parish in the Horsham district of West Sussex, England, with some 5,000 inhabitants. It is located almost centrally within West Sussex and is south west of London. It is at the junction of the north-south A29 and the east-west roads.The village is near the...
, Dorset House School
Dorset House School
Dorset House School is a co-educational preparatory school near Pulborough in West Sussex, England. There are 135 pupils, made up of 118 boys and 17 girls, whose ages range from 2yrs to 13yrs...
, Worth School
Worth School
Worth School, near the village of Turners Hill, Crawley, West Sussex, England, is a co-educational Roman Catholic boarding and day independent school for pupils aged between 11–18 years. The school is located with Worth Abbey, a Benedictine monastery, in of Sussex countryside...
, Collyer's Sixth Form College
The College of Richard Collyer
The College of Richard Collyer, or Collyer's, is a coeducational sixth form college in Horsham, West Sussex, England.-Admissions:Collyer's serves about 1600 students between 16 and 19 years of age. It offers AS and A-level courses in 45 different subjects, including a selection not taught at other...
and the University of York
University of York
The University of York , is an academic institution located in the city of York, England. Established in 1963, the campus university has expanded to more than thirty departments and centres, covering a wide range of subjects...
, where he was a member of Derwent College
Derwent College
Derwent College is a college of the University of York, one of the first two colleges to be opened following the university's inception. It was officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II on 22 October 1965...
and read politics. He worked for a while as a milkman.
Career
Enfield first came to public attention when appearing on Channel 4Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
's Saturday Live as a number of different characters created with Paul Whitehouse
Paul Whitehouse
Paul Whitehouse is a Welsh actor, writer and comedian. He became known for his work with Harry Enfield and as one of the stars of the popular BBC sketch show, The Fast Show. In a 2005 poll to find The Comedian's Comedian, he was in the top 50 comedy acts voted for by comedians and comedy insiders...
. These quickly entered the national consciousness. Among these characters were Stavros, a Greek restaurant owner with markedly fractured English; and Loadsamoney, an obnoxious character who constantly boasted about how much money he earned. Loadsamoney spawned a hit single in 1988 and a sell-out live tour. As a foil to Loadsamoney Enfield and Whitehouse created the Geordie
Geordie
Geordie is a regional nickname for a person from the Tyneside region of the north east of England, or the name of the English-language dialect spoken by its inhabitants...
"Bugger-All-Money" and in 1988 Enfield appeared as both characters during the Nelson Mandela Birthday Tribute Concert at Wembley Stadium. In time Whitehouse and Enfield became disturbed that Loadsamoney was being seen in a positive light, rather than as a satirical figure, and they had him run over during a Comic Relief Red Nose Day show while leaving the studio after presenting host Lenny Henry
Lenny Henry
Lenworth George "Lenny" Henry, is a British actor, writer, comedian and occasional television presenter.- Early life :...
with "the biggest cheque of the night"—a physically huge cheque for ten pence.
In 1989 Enfield realised a personal project, Norbert Smith - a Life
Norbert Smith - a Life
Norbert Smith – a Life is a spoof TV documentary film charting the life and career of the fictitious British actor Sir Norbert Smith. It stars Harry Enfield in the title role. It was written by Harry Enfield and Geoffrey Perkins and directed by Geoff Posner...
, a spoof on British theatrical knights slumming in the film industry. He also provided voices for the British satirical puppet show Spitting Image
Spitting Image
Spitting Image is a British satirical puppet show that aired on the ITV network from 1984 to 1996. It was produced by Spitting Image Productions for Central Television. The series was nominated for 10 BAFTA Awards, winning one for editing in 1989....
.
TV series
In 1990 Enfield developed his BBCBBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
sketch show, Harry Enfield's Television Programme
Harry Enfield's Television Programme
Harry Enfield's Television Programme was a British sketch show starring Harry Enfield and Paul Whitehouse...
, later called Harry Enfield and Chums, with Whitehouse and Kathy Burke
Kathy Burke
Katherine Lucy Bridget Burke is an English actress, comedienne, playwright and theatre director. She is best known for her portrayals of Perry in the Harry Enfield film Kevin and Perry Go Large, and of Linda La Hughes in the British sitcom Gimme Gimme Gimme...
. Eschewing the alternative comedy
Alternative comedy
Alternative comedy is a term that originated in the 1980s for a style of comedy that makes a conscious break with the mainstream comedic style of an era, and typically avoids relying on a standardised structure of a sequence of jokes with punch lines. Patton Oswalt defines it as "comedy where the...
style prevalent at the time, both versions of the show were indebted to early '70s comedians such as Dick Emery
Dick Emery
Richard Gilbert "Dick" Emery was an English comedian and actor. Beginning on radio in the 1950s, an eponymous television series ran from 1963 to 1981. He was the brother of Ann Emery.-Life and career:...
and Morecambe and Wise
Morecambe and Wise
Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise, usually referred to as Morecambe and Wise, or Eric and Ernie, were a British comic double act, working in variety, radio, film and most successfully in television. Their partnership lasted from 1941 until Morecambe's death in 1984...
. Enfield and his co-performers created another group of nationally recognised characters for these shows, such as Stan and Pam Herbert, who use the catchphrase "We are considerably richer than you" (in an exaggerated West-Midlands accent), Tim Nice-But-Dim, The Scousers
The Scousers
The Scousers was a sketch from the Harry Enfield's Television Programme comedy show of the early 1990s.It featured a set of stereotyped Liverpudlian characters or Scousers, "Ga'", "Ba'" and "Te'" played by Gary Bleasdale, Harry Enfield, Joe McGann, and Mark Moraghan...
, Smashie and Nicey
Smashie and Nicey
Mike Smash and Dave Nice were two fictional television characters who first appeared in the early 1990s TV sketch show Harry Enfield's Television Programme. They were played by comedians Paul Whitehouse and Harry Enfield respectively...
, Wayne and Waynetta Slob, Annoying Kid Brother, who grew into Kevin the Teenager
Kevin the Teenager
Kevin Patterson is a character created and played by the British comedian, Harry Enfield.-Evolution:Kevin first appeared in the "Little Brother" sketches of Harry Enfield's Television Programme as an annoyingly energetic boy who constantly vexed his older brother with his irritating catchphrases...
, and two old-fashioned BBC presenters, Mr Cholmondley-Warner and Grayson.
In 1991, Enfield played Dermot in the sitcom Men Behaving Badly
Men Behaving Badly
Men Behaving Badly is a British comedy that was created and written by Simon Nye. It follows the lives of Gary Strang and his flatmates, Dermot Povey and Tony Smart It was first broadcast on ITV in 1992...
along with Martin Clunes
Martin Clunes
Alexander Martin Clunes is an English actor and comedian. Clunes is perhaps best known for his roles as Gary Strang in Men Behaving Badly, Doctor Martin Ellingham in Doc Martin and the title character in Reggie Perrin....
, Caroline Quentin
Caroline Quentin
Caroline Jones known by her stage name Caroline Quentin, is an English actress. Quentin became known for her television appearances in Men Behaving Badly, playing Dorothy, and playing Maddy Magellan in Jonathan Creek for three years.-Early life:...
and Leslie Ash
Leslie Ash
Leslie Ash is an English actress, best known for her role in the sitcom Men Behaving Badly. Her book My Life Behaving Badly: The Autobiography was published in 2007....
, originally on Thames Television
Thames Television
Thames Television was a licensee of the British ITV television network, covering London and parts of the surrounding counties on weekdays from 30 July 1968 until 31 December 1992....
. Enfield left after the first series, and was replaced in the second series by Neil Morrissey
Neil Morrissey
Neil Anthony Morrissey is an English actor, media personality and businessman. He is best known for his role as Tony in Men Behaving Badly....
as Tony. Enfield is a professed fan of opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
and fronted a Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
documentary series on the subject. In 1991 Harry also starred in the series Gone to the Dogs (TV series)
Gone to the Dogs (TV series)
Gone to the Dogs is a comedy-drama television miniseries that aired in 1991 in the UK. It starred Alison Steadman, Jim Broadbent, Harry Enfield, Warren Clarke and Sheila Hancock and told the story of a group of people involved in the business of racing greyhounds...
as Little Jim.
After a short break from television Enfield signed a new contract with BSkyB
British Sky Broadcasting
British Sky Broadcasting Group plc is a satellite broadcasting, broadband and telephony services company headquartered in London, United Kingdom, with operations in the United Kingdom and the Ireland....
, but produced only one series, Harry Enfield's Brand Spanking New Show
Harry Enfield's Brand Spanking New Show
Harry Enfield's Brand Spanking New Show was a British sketch show starring Harry Enfield. It was first broadcast on Sky 1 in 2000 for one series.A compilation of some of the best sketches from the series was released on DVD in 2000....
. In 2002 Enfield returned to the BBC with Celeb, a new series based on the comic strip of the same title in Private Eye, as the ageing rockstar Gary Bloke.
In 2002 Enfield was the first guest on the revamped version of BBC's Top Gear
Top Gear (current format)
Top Gear is a British television series about motor vehicles, primarily cars. It began in 1977 as a conventional motoring magazine show. Over time, and especially since a relaunch in 2002, it has developed a quirky, humorous style...
and also appeared on the show on 23 November 2008. Enfield has also narrated various TV documentaries such as the Discovery Wings channel "Classic British Aircraft".
In 2007, he played Jim Stonem in the Channel 4 series Skins
Skins (TV series)
Skins is a BAFTA award-winning British teen drama that follows a group of teenagers in Bristol, South West England, through the two years of college. The controversial plot line explores issues such as dysfunctional families, mental illness , adolescent sexuality, substance abuse and death...
. He reprised this role in the second series in 2008, and the third series in 2009.
He appears often on mainstream television shows. His current comedy series Harry & Paul (originally titled Ruddy Hell! It's Harry & Paul) started in 2008.
Films
In 2000 Enfield appeared in his first leading filmFilm
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
role playing Kevin alongside Kathy Burke
Kathy Burke
Katherine Lucy Bridget Burke is an English actress, comedienne, playwright and theatre director. She is best known for her portrayals of Perry in the Harry Enfield film Kevin and Perry Go Large, and of Linda La Hughes in the British sitcom Gimme Gimme Gimme...
, who played the character's (male) friend Perry—roles originally created for Enfield's television series—in Kevin & Perry Go Large
Kevin & Perry Go Large
Kevin & Perry Go Large is a 2000 British comedy film based upon the Harry Enfield sketch Kevin the Teenager. The film was directed by Ed Bye and was written by Dave Cummings and Harry Enfield. Enfield, Kathy Burke and Louisa Rix all return to their roles after previously appearing in Harry...
. The film charted the pair's attempt to become professional DJs by travelling to the nightclubs of Ibiza
Ibiza
Ibiza or Eivissa is a Spanish island in the Mediterranean Sea 79 km off the coast of the city of Valencia in Spain. It is the third largest of the Balearic Islands, an autonomous community of Spain. With Formentera, it is one of the two Pine Islands or Pityuses. Its largest cities are Ibiza...
and pestering their idol, the DJ Eyeball Paul, played by Rhys Ifans
Rhys Ifans
Rhys Ifans is a Welsh actor and musician. He is known for his portrayal of characters such as Spike in Notting Hill and Jed Parry in Enduring Love and as a member of the Welsh rock groups Super Furry Animals and The Peth. Ifans also appeared as Xenophilius Lovegood in Harry Potter and the Deathly...
, while gaining love and losing their virginity. Enfield also appeared as King George VI in Churchill: The Hollywood Years
Churchill: The Hollywood Years
Churchill: The Hollywood Years is a 2004 film, directed by Peter Richardson. It stars Christian Slater as Winston Churchill, and Neve Campbell as Elizabeth II...
(2004), a satire on Hollywood's tendency to change elements of history.
Commercials
Enfield appeared in some television commercials before becoming famous, including one made in 1987 for HeinekenHeineken
Heineken is a Dutch beer which has been brewed by Heineken International since 1873. It is available in a 4.6% alcohol variety in countries such as Ireland. It is the flagship product of the Heineken company and is made of purified water, malted barley, hops, and yeast. In 1886 H...
. Enfield's most memorable commercials include a series made in 1996 for Dime Bar. One commercial in this series had Enfield as a yokel refusing a Dime bar—smooth on the outside, crunchy on the inside—because he preferred armadillo
Armadillo
Armadillos are New World placental mammals, known for having a leathery armor shell. Dasypodidae is the only surviving family in the order Cingulata, part of the superorder Xenarthra along with the anteaters and sloths. The word armadillo is Spanish for "little armored one"...
s—smooth on the inside, crunchy on the outside. Later Enfield, with Paul Whitehouse, starred in a series of commercials for Hula Hoops
Hula Hoops
Hula Hoops are a potato-based snack, in the shape of short, hollow cylinders. They were first introduced in 1973. Hula Hoops come in several different flavors. They are produced by KP Snacks...
as The Self-Righteous Brothers, characters from Enfield's television show . In 2004 Enfield starred in a series of commercials for Burger King
Burger King
Burger King, often abbreviated as BK, is a global chain of hamburger fast food restaurants headquartered in unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The company began in 1953 as Insta-Burger King, a Jacksonville, Florida-based restaurant chain...
in the U.S. as Dr. Angus, a character intended to promote the company's newest hamburger. Two more characters from Enfield's TV series, Mr Cholmondley-Warner and Grayson, also appeared in commercials, for Mercury Communications
Mercury Communications
Mercury Communications was a national telephone company in the United Kingdom. The company was formed in 1981 as a subsidiary of Cable & Wireless to challenge the monopoly of British Telecom which was privatised in 1984...
. Also in 2004 Enfield provided the voice of "The Roaming Gnome" character used in Travelocity's
Travelocity
Travelocity is an online travel agency and wholly owned subsidiary of Sabre Holdings Corporation, which was a publicly traded company until taken private by Silver Lake Partners and Texas Pacific Group in March 2007...
U.S. advertising campaign.
Personal life
For several years, Enfield was in a relationship with Alison OwenAlison Owen
Allison Mary Owen is an English film producer. Her credits as a producer include Moonlight and Valentino , Elizabeth , Sylvia , Shaun of the Dead , Proof , The Other Boleyn Girl and Brick Lane .Owen's parents are Mary Kathleen , Allison Mary Owen (born 1961 in Portsmouth) is an English film...
, the mother of Alfie
Alfie Owen-Allen
Alfie Evan Allen is an English actor. Allen recently changed his name to incorporate Owen. All of his acting roles are credited as Alfie Allen.-Personal life:...
and Lily Allen
Lily Allen
Lily Rose Beatrice Cooper , better known as Lily Allen, is an English recording artist and fashion designer. She is the daughter of actor and musician Keith Allen and film producer Alison Owen. In her teenage years, her musical tastes evolved from glam rock to alternative...
. They lived together for three years and he helped look after the children. They intended to get married but separated in 1995. He previously dated producer Debbie Vertue (daughter of Beryl Vertue
Beryl Vertue
Beryl Vertue is an English television producer and media executive. She is founder and chairman of the independent television production company Hartswood Films....
and sister of Sue Vertue
Sue Vertue
Sue Vertue is a British television producer. She has produced many comedy shows, including Mr. Bean and Coupling.Vertue worked for Tiger Aspect, a production company run by Peter Bennett-Jones, where she produced episodes of Mr. Bean, The Vicar of Dibley and Gimme Gimme Gimme.Vertue met writer...
).
In 1997 Enfield married Lucy Lyster and they have one son, Archie Edward Enfield (born 1997) and two daughters, Poppy Sophia (born 1999) and Nell Florence Enfield (born 2003).
Enfield went to school with Simon Nye
Simon Nye
Simon Nye is an English comic television writer, best known for creating the hit sitcom Men Behaving Badly, writing all of the four ITV Panto, co-writing the 2006 film Flushed Away, co-writing Reggie Perrin and creating the latest adaption of William Brown in the Just William CBBC...
, who later wrote Men Behaving Badly.