Matt Lucas
Encyclopedia
Matthew Richard "Matt" Lucas (born 5 March 1974) is an English comedian, screenwriter and actor best known for his acclaimed 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
, Tweedledee and Tweedledum
in Alice in Wonderland
, directed by Tim Burton
, and the thief Thénardier
in the musical Les Misérables
.
In May 2007, he was placed eighth in the list of the UK's 100 most influential gays and lesbians, in fields as diverse as entertainment, business, politics, and science, by British newspapers The Independent
and The Daily Mail.
, London, the son of Diana (née Williams) and John Stanley Lucas (1944–96), who ran a chauffeuring business. Lucas is Jewish, with some of his British-born mother's family having fled Nazi Germany
. His family were members of Edgware
and District Reform synagogue. Lucas grew up in Stanmore
, Greater London; he has an older brother, Howard. He has had alopecia
since his childhood, which in interviews he has inconsistently attributed to various events, including a delayed reaction to a car accident at the age of four. He lost all of his hair when he was six years old. Lucas' father died of a heart attack aged 52, in Brent
, Greater London.
Lucas was educated at Haberdashers' Aske's Boys' School
, the same school as attended by comic actors David Baddiel
and Sacha Baron Cohen
. He went on to study drama in the Faculty of Arts at Bristol University between 1993 and 1995.
and Bob Mortimer
began in 1992. In 1995, Lucas appeared in The Smell of Reeves and Mortimer
. The second series of the show featured Lucas in several sketches. 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. Many of these parts were introduced not in the style of a baby, but of a grown man — indeed, often, he would come on dressed as a specific adult such as Elton John
. He also appeared on occasion as Marjorie Dawes, George's mother, who also appears in Little Britain
. He also appeared in the Reeves & Mortimer BBC series Randall & Hopkirk (Deceased)
, and Catterick
in a variety of roles. In 1999, Lucas paired up with David Walliams
, with whom he had already worked on television 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" (as a psychoanalyst) in 1995, "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 one of the main roles in Boy George
's musical Taboo
, at The Venue, London. He played the part of infamous performance artist Leigh Bowery
, which required him to wear some outrageous and spectacular outfits and make-up.
Lucas also appeared in a Big Finish audio play based on the long-running BBC science-fiction series Doctor Who
. The play he featured in was called The One Doctor
and was a light-hearted Christmas panto-style play.
is commercially Lucas's most successful work. Originally a radio show on BBC Radio 4
, it later became a TV series. Little Britain has won numerous TV awards, spawning large DVD sales and merchandising. It plays heavily on memorable catchphrases which have become ingrained in playgrounds and offices around the UK. Lucas plays, among many others, four of the most popular characters in the series, which he writes and acts in along with David Walliams
: apparently disabled Andy Pipkin, teenage Bristol chav
Vicky Pollard
, homophobic homosexual Daffyd Thomas and insensitive slimming club organiser Marjorie Dawes. Lucas has also played many other popular characters including the morbidly obese Bubbles DeVere
and Orville The Duck
in one sketch.
duke in the BBC historical serial Casanova
, written by Russell T Davies. Also in 2005, he did voice work in the BBC children's program, King Arthur's Disasters
. 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 the cousin of Shaun's friend Yvonne.
In 2007, he released "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)
", originally by The Proclaimers
, with Peter Kay
as a charity single for Comic Relief. He performed the single as Little Britain
character Andy Pipkin, along with Kay playing as Brian Potter. After being available for less than 48 hours on iTunes alone, the track entered the UK Top 40 at number 3. On 25 March, it went to number one, where it stayed for three weeks, selling over 400,000 copies. He also starred as the irrepressible Mr. Toad
in The Wind in the Willows
, a 2006 television adaptation of the Kenneth Grahame
novel.
He has made appearances in Kath & Kim
and Neighbours
(the latter alongside David Walliams
as Little Britain
stalwarts 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. The pair are also writing a movie for DreamWorks
.
Lucas was the first celebrity to make an appearance in 2008's Big Brother Celebrity Hijack on E4, working alongside Big Brother in a series containing housemates aged 18–21 with various talents.
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 Lucas has done since Little Britain
. In 2010, Lucas played Tweedledee and Tweedledum in Tim Burton
's Alice in Wonderland
, alongside Mia Wasikowska
, Johnny Depp
, Helena Bonham Carter
and Anne Hathaway
.
On 3rd October 2010, Matt played Thénardier
in the 25th Anniversary Concerts of Les Misérables
, at the O2 Arena
in London. A year later, from 23rd June to 10th September 2011, 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 wildly successful American comedy Bridesmaids
.
The BBC has just finished showing Matt Lucas and David Walliams' new series, Come Fly with Me
. The show follows the familiar style of Walliams and Lucas each playing multiple characters, but unlike Little Britain, the show focuses 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 Little Britain spinoff. Instead, all new characters were introduced. Lucas's characters include Precious, Taaj, Tommy, Mickey, Fearghal, Simon and Peter, amongst others. Some of the characters only appeared once. A second season of the show was announced in early 2011, and is reportedly in production.
, Little Britain
, Rock Profile
, Little Britain Abroad, Little Britain USA
, Come Fly with Me
, and Krod Mandoon and the Flaming Sword of Fire
.
and won £
62,500 for the charity. He is an avid supporter of Arsenal F.C.
Lucas admitted, whilst a guest on the Rob Brydon
show, that he does not drive because of his tendency of day dreaming
.
In December 2006, Lucas entered into a civil partnership with Kevin McGee, in a lavish ceremony in Central London
. In attendance were various celebrities, including Barbara Windsor
, Neil Tennant
, Elton John
, and Courtney Love
.
After six years together, the couple divorced through the High Court in 2008, becoming the first high-profile same-sex couple divorce in Britain. On 5 October 2009, Kevin McGee committed suicide, 10 months after the divorce. Just prior to his death, he posted the Facebook status update 'Kevin McGee thinks death is much better than life'.
David Walliams
David Edward Walliams is an English comedian, writer and actor, known for his partnership with Matt Lucas on the TV sketch show Little Britain and its predecessor Rock Profile...
in the television show Little Britain
Little Britain
Little Britain is a British character-based comedy sketch show which was first broadcast on BBC radio and then turned into a television show. It was written by comic duo David Walliams and Matt Lucas...
; as well as for his portrayals of the scorekeeping baby George Dawes in the comedy panel game
Panel game
A panel game or panel show is a radio or television game show in which a panel of celebrities participates. Panelists may compete with each other, such as on The News Quiz; facilitate play by guest contestants, such as on Match Game/Blankety Blank; or do both, such as on Wait Wait.....
Shooting Stars
Shooting Stars
Shooting Stars is a British television comedy panel game broadcast on BBC Two as a pilot in 1993, then as 3 full series from 1995 to 1997, then on BBC Choice from January to December 2002 with 2 series before returning to BBC Two for another 3 series from 2008 until its axing in 2011...
, Tweedledee and Tweedledum
Tweedledum and Tweedledee
Tweedledum and Tweedledee are fictional characters in an English language nursery rhyme and in Lewis Carroll's Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There. Their names may have originally come from an epigram written by poet John Byrom. The nursery rhyme has a Roud Folk Song Index number...
in Alice in Wonderland
Alice in Wonderland (2010 film)
Alice in Wonderland is a 2010 American computer-animated/live action fantasy adventure film directed by Tim Burton, written by Linda Woolverton, and released by Walt Disney Pictures...
, directed by Tim Burton
Tim Burton
Timothy William "Tim" Burton is an American film director, film producer, writer and artist. He is famous for dark, quirky-themed movies such as Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Ed Wood, Sleepy Hollow, Corpse Bride and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet...
, and the thief Thénardier
Thénardiers
The Thénardiers, commonly known as Thénardier and Madame Thénardier , are two of the primary villains in Victor Hugo's novel Les Misérables and the stage musical of the same name...
in the musical Les Misérables
Les Misérables (musical)
Les Misérables , colloquially known as Les Mis or Les Miz , is a musical by Claude-Michel Schönberg, based on the novel of the same name by Victor Hugo....
.
In May 2007, he was placed eighth in the list of the UK's 100 most influential gays and lesbians, in fields as diverse as entertainment, business, politics, and science, by British newspapers The Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
and The Daily Mail.
Early life
Lucas was born in PaddingtonPaddington
Paddington is a district within the City of Westminster, in central London, England. Formerly a metropolitan borough, it was integrated with Westminster and Greater London in 1965...
, London, the son of Diana (née Williams) and John Stanley Lucas (1944–96), who ran a chauffeuring business. Lucas is Jewish, with some of his British-born mother's family having fled Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
. His family were members of Edgware
Edgware
Edgware is an area in London, situated north-northwest of Charing Cross. It forms part of both the London Borough of Barnet and the London Borough of Harrow. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London....
and District Reform synagogue. Lucas grew up in Stanmore
Stanmore
Stanmore is a suburban area of the London Borough of Harrow, in northwest London. It is situated northwest of Charing Cross. The area is home to Stanmore Hill, one of the highest points of London, high.-Toponymy:...
, Greater London; he has an older brother, Howard. He has had alopecia
Alopecia universalis
Alopecia universalis or alopecia areata universalis is a medical condition involving rapid loss of all hair, including eyebrows and eyelashes. It is the most severe form of alopecia areata, with an incidence of .001%...
since his childhood, which in interviews he has inconsistently attributed to various events, including a delayed reaction to a car accident at the age of four. He lost all of his hair when he was six years old. Lucas' father died of a heart attack aged 52, in Brent
London Borough of Brent
In 1801, the civil parishes that form the modern borough had a total population of 2,022. This rose slowly throughout the 19th century, as the district became built up; reaching 5,646 in the middle of the century. When the railways arrived the rate of population growth increased...
, Greater London.
Lucas was educated at Haberdashers' Aske's Boys' School
Haberdashers' Aske's Boys' School
The Haberdashers' Aske's Boys' School is a British independent school for boys aged 4–19. It is a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference and of the Haileybury Group....
, the same school as attended by comic actors David Baddiel
David Baddiel
David Lionel Baddiel is an English comedian, novelist and television presenter.-Early life:Baddiel was born in New York, and moved to England when he was four months old. His father, Colin Brian Baddiel, was a Welsh research chemist with Unilever before being made redundant in the 1980s, after...
and Sacha Baron Cohen
Sacha Baron Cohen
Sacha Noam Baron Cohen is an English stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and voice artist. He is most widely known for his portrayal of three unorthodox fictional characters: Ali G, Borat, and Brüno...
. He went on to study drama in the Faculty of Arts at Bristol University between 1993 and 1995.
Early career
Lucas's association with Vic ReevesVic Reeves
James Roderick Moir , better known by the stage name Vic Reeves, is an English comedian, best known for his double act with Bob Mortimer . He is known for his surreal and non sequitur sense of humour....
and Bob Mortimer
Bob Mortimer
Robert "Bob" Renwick Mortimer is an English comedian and actor, who is best known for his double act with Vic Reeves...
began in 1992. In 1995, Lucas appeared in The Smell of Reeves and Mortimer
The Smell of Reeves and Mortimer
The Smell of Reeves and Mortimer was a BBC TV sketch show written by and starring double act Vic Reeves & Bob Mortimer. Its first series appeared in 1993 following the duo's move to the BBC after parting company with Channel 4...
. The second series of the show featured Lucas in several sketches. He went on to star with them in Shooting Stars
Shooting Stars
Shooting Stars is a British television comedy panel game broadcast on BBC Two as a pilot in 1993, then as 3 full series from 1995 to 1997, then on BBC Choice from January to December 2002 with 2 series before returning to BBC Two for another 3 series from 2008 until its axing in 2011...
. 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. Many of these parts were introduced not in the style of a baby, but of a grown man — indeed, often, he would come on dressed as a specific adult such as Elton John
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
. He also appeared on occasion as Marjorie Dawes, George's mother, who also appears in Little Britain
Little Britain
Little Britain is a British character-based comedy sketch show which was first broadcast on BBC radio and then turned into a television show. It was written by comic duo David Walliams and Matt Lucas...
. He also appeared in the Reeves & Mortimer BBC series Randall & Hopkirk (Deceased)
Randall & Hopkirk (Deceased)
Randall & Hopkirk is a British television series, produced by Working Title Films for BBC One. It is a remake of the 1960s television series Randall and Hopkirk and stars Vic Reeves as Hopkirk and Bob Mortimer as Randall, Emilia Fox as Jeannie, and Tom Baker as Wyvern.- Background :Two series...
, and Catterick
Catterick (TV series)
Catterick, aka Vic and Bob in Catterick, is a surreal 2004 BBC situation comedy in 6 episodes, written by and starring Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer, with Reece Shearsmith, Matt Lucas, Morwenna Banks, Tim Healy, Mark Benton and Charlie Higson. The series was originally broadcast on BBC Three and...
in a variety of roles. In 1999, Lucas paired up with David Walliams
David Walliams
David Edward Walliams is an English comedian, writer and actor, known for his partnership with Matt Lucas on the TV sketch show Little Britain and its predecessor Rock Profile...
, with whom he had already worked on television in both Mash and Peas
Mash and Peas
Mash and Peas was a parodic sketch show written by and starring Matt Lucas & David Walliams. Their first television work together, it originally aired on Paramount Comedy 1 and Channel 4 between 1996 and 1997. The episodes were repeated before the channel's relaunch in 1999...
and Sir Bernard's Stately Homes
Sir Bernard's Stately Homes
Sir Bernard's Stately Homes was a series of British TV comedy series first shown in 1998 on BBC Two and later re-run on Play UK. Only six 10 minute programmes were produced, all written by and starring Matt Lucas and David Walliams. It bore many similarities to the more well-known Rock Profile...
, to create Rock Profile
Rock Profile
Rock Profile is a British television comedy show written by and starring comedy partnership Matt Lucas and David Walliams, both now widely known for the sketch show Little Britain. Rock Profile first appeared on the channel UK Play in 1999, before moving to BBC Two in 2000...
, 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
Sacha Baron Cohen
Sacha Noam Baron Cohen is an English stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and voice artist. He is most widely known for his portrayal of three unorthodox fictional characters: Ali G, Borat, and Brüno...
.
His music video appearances include; the Damien Hirst
Damien Hirst
Damien Steven Hirst is an English artist, entrepreneur and art collector. He is the most prominent member of the group known as the Young British Artists , who dominated the art scene in Britain during the 1990s. He is internationally renowned, and is reportedly Britain's richest living artist,...
-directed video for Blur
Blur (band)
Blur is an English alternative rock band. Formed in London in 1989 as Seymour, the group consists of singer Damon Albarn, guitarist Graham Coxon, bassist Alex James and drummer Dave Rowntree. Blur's debut album Leisure incorporated the sounds of Madchester and shoegazing...
's "Country House" (as a psychoanalyst) in 1995, "Jesusland" by Ben Folds
Ben Folds
Benjamin Scott "Ben" Folds is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and television personality. From 1995-2000, Folds was the frontman and pianist of the alternative rock band Ben Folds Five. Since the group disbanded, Folds has performed as a solo artist and has toured all over the world...
in 2005, "I'm with Stupid" by the Pet Shop Boys
Pet Shop Boys
Pet Shop Boys are an English electronic dance music duo, consisting of Neil Tennant, who provides main vocals, keyboards and occasional guitar, and Chris Lowe on keyboards....
and "Vindaloo
Vindaloo (song)
"Vindaloo" is a song by British band Fat Les. The music was written by Blur bassist Alex James and the lyrics were written by comedian Keith Allen. It was released as a single in 1998 and recorded for the 1998 FIFA World Cup. The song was originally written as a parody of football chants, but was...
" and "Naughty Christmas" by Fat Les
Fat Les
Fat Les is a British band consisting of Alex James from Blur, actor Keith Allen and artist Damien Hirst. Vocals on their singles were provided by Keith Allen , Alex James , Lily Allen , Andy Kane , Lisa Moorish and Michael Barrymore .Fat Les created the...
.
Lucas ventured into the world of stage musicals in 2002, when he took one of the main roles in Boy George
Boy George
Boy George is a British singer-songwriter who was part of the English New Romantic movement which emerged in the early 1980s. He helped give androgyny an international stage with the success of Culture Club during the 1980s. His music is often classified as blue-eyed soul, which is influenced by...
's musical Taboo
Taboo (musical)
Taboo is a stage musical with a book by Mark Davies , lyrics by Boy George, and music by George and Kevan Frost....
, at The Venue, London. He played the part of infamous performance artist Leigh Bowery
Leigh Bowery
Leigh Bowery was an Australian performance artist, club promoter, actor, pop star, model and fashion designer, based in London. Bowery is considered one of the more influential figures in the 1980s and 1990s London and New York art and fashion circles influencing a generation of artists and...
, which required him to wear some outrageous and spectacular outfits and make-up.
Lucas also appeared in a Big Finish audio play based on the long-running BBC science-fiction series Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
. The play he featured in was called The One Doctor
The One Doctor
The One Doctor is a Big Finish Productions audio drama based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who.- Plot :The Sixth Doctor and Mel come up against an impostor Doctor and his companion Sally-Anne....
and was a light-hearted Christmas panto-style play.
Little Britain
Little BritainLittle Britain
Little Britain is a British character-based comedy sketch show which was first broadcast on BBC radio and then turned into a television show. It was written by comic duo David Walliams and Matt Lucas...
is commercially Lucas's most successful work. Originally a radio show on BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
, it later became a TV series. Little Britain has won numerous TV awards, spawning large DVD sales and merchandising. It plays heavily on memorable catchphrases which have become ingrained in playgrounds and offices around the UK. Lucas plays, among many others, four of the most popular characters in the series, which he writes and acts in along with David Walliams
David Walliams
David Edward Walliams is an English comedian, writer and actor, known for his partnership with Matt Lucas on the TV sketch show Little Britain and its predecessor Rock Profile...
: apparently disabled Andy Pipkin, teenage Bristol chav
Chav
A chav is a term that is used in the United Kingdom to describe a stereotype of teenagers and young adults from an underclass background.-Etymology:...
Vicky Pollard
Vicky Pollard
Vicky Pollard is a fictional character from the British comedy TV series Little Britain, which aired on BBC.Vicky Pollard is a stereotypical chav. She is a teenage mother and juvenile delinquent and is known for her inarticulate and incredibly fast speech and incessant gossip...
, homophobic homosexual Daffyd Thomas and insensitive slimming club organiser Marjorie Dawes. Lucas has also played many other popular characters including the morbidly obese Bubbles DeVere
Bubbles DeVere
Denise or Mavis DeVere is a fictional character in the second and third series of the BBC television sketch show Little Britain and its US spin-off. She is played by Matt Lucas.-Personality:...
and Orville The Duck
Orville the Duck
Orville the Duck is the puppet of ventriloquist Keith Harris and was named after Orville Wright . Orville is a green duckling who wears nothing but a nappy with a large safety pin on the front...
in one sketch.
After Little Britain
In 2005, he took his first role in a television drama, a supporting part as a VenetianVenice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
duke in the BBC historical serial Casanova
Casanova (2005 TV serial)
Casanova is a 2005 British television comedy drama serial, written by television scriptwriter Russell T Davies and directed by Sheree Folkson...
, written by Russell T Davies. Also in 2005, he did voice work in the BBC children's program, King Arthur's Disasters
King Arthur's Disasters
King Arthur's Disasters is a British animated series which first aired on CITV, a now defunct programming block on ITV1. The series was Co-Created by Paul Parkes and Will Ashurst, the series follows and depicts attempts by King Arthur, assisted by the wizard Merlin, to woo the beautiful...
. 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
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
programme Desert Island Discs
Desert Island Discs
Desert Island Discs is a BBC Radio 4 programme first broadcast on 29 January 1942. It is the second longest-running radio programme , and is the longest-running factual programme in the history of radio...
. He made a cameo appearance in Shaun of the Dead
Shaun of the Dead
Shaun of the Dead is a 2004 British zombie comedy directed by Edgar Wright, starring Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, and written by Pegg and Wright. Pegg plays Shaun, a man attempting to get some kind of focus in his life as he deals with his girlfriend, his mother and stepfather...
as the cousin of Shaun's friend Yvonne.
In 2007, he released "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)
I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)
"I'm Gonna Be " is a song written and performed by The Proclaimers. It was released on their 1988 Sunshine on Leith album, and subsequently as a single. It has become one of their most popular songs, reaching No. 11 in the UK charts and No. 1 on the Australian ARIA Charts in 1989, plus, five years...
", originally by The Proclaimers
The Proclaimers
The Proclaimers are a Scottish band composed of identical twin brothers, Charlie and Craig Reid . They are probably best known for the songs "Letter from America", "I'm On My Way" and "I'm Gonna Be ". The band tours extensively throughout Europe and other continents...
, with Peter Kay
Peter Kay
Peter John Kay is an English comedian, writer, actor, director and producer. His work includes That Peter Kay Thing , Phoenix Nights , Max and Paddy's Road to Nowhere , Britain's Got the Pop Factor... and other independent productions which have included two sell out tours.-Early career:Peter Kay...
as a charity single for Comic Relief. He performed the single as Little Britain
Little Britain
Little Britain is a British character-based comedy sketch show which was first broadcast on BBC radio and then turned into a television show. It was written by comic duo David Walliams and Matt Lucas...
character Andy Pipkin, along with Kay playing as Brian Potter. After being available for less than 48 hours on iTunes alone, the track entered the UK Top 40 at number 3. On 25 March, it went to number one, where it stayed for three weeks, selling over 400,000 copies. He also starred as the irrepressible Mr. Toad
Mr. Toad
Mr. Toad, Esq., of Toad Hall, is one of the main characters in the novel The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame and also the title character of the A. A. Milne play Toad of Toad Hall based on the book.-Character:...
in The Wind in the Willows
The Wind in the Willows (2006 film)
The Wind in the Willows is a 2006 live-action television adaptation of Kenneth Grahame's classic novel The Wind in the Willows. It was a joint production of the BBC and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and starred Matt Lucas , Bob Hoskins , Mark Gatiss , and Lee Ingleby . Rachel Talalay directed...
, a 2006 television adaptation of the Kenneth Grahame
Kenneth Grahame
Kenneth Grahame was a Scottish writer, most famous for The Wind in the Willows , one of the classics of children's literature. He also wrote The Reluctant Dragon; both books were later adapted into Disney films....
novel.
He has made appearances in Kath & Kim
Kath & Kim
Kath & Kim is a Logie Award-winning character-driven Australian television situation comedy series. The series was created by, and is written by Jane Turner and Gina Riley who play the title characters: a suburban mother and daughter with a dysfunctional relationship...
and Neighbours
Neighbours
Neighbours is an Australian television soap opera first broadcast on the Seven Network on 18 March 1985. It was created by TV executive Reg Watson, who proposed the idea of making a show that focused on realistic stories and portrayed adults and teenagers who talk openly and solve their problems...
(the latter alongside David Walliams
David Walliams
David Edward Walliams is an English comedian, writer and actor, known for his partnership with Matt Lucas on the TV sketch show Little Britain and its predecessor Rock Profile...
as Little Britain
Little Britain
Little Britain is a British character-based comedy sketch show which was first broadcast on BBC radio and then turned into a television show. It was written by comic duo David Walliams and Matt Lucas...
stalwarts Lou and Andy
Lou and Andy
Lou Todd and Andy Pipkin are fictional characters from the cult BBC TV and radio show Little Britain, played by David Walliams and Matt Lucas respectively. Andy's catchphrases include, "Yeah I know", "Want that one" and " Don't like it", while Lou's catchphrase is "What a kerfuffle!"Lou is kind,...
), as well as a cameo role, playing 'Chris' or 'Jammy' at the wedding fayre, in the BBC Three
BBC Three
BBC Three is a television network from the BBC broadcasting via digital cable, terrestrial, IPTV and satellite platforms. The channel's target audience includes those in the 16-34 year old age group, and has the purpose of providing "innovative" content to younger audiences, focusing on new talent...
sitcom Gavin & Stacey
Gavin & Stacey
Gavin & Stacey is a British comedy television series. A romantic comedy-drama, the show follows the long-distance relationship of Gavin from Billericay in Essex, England, and Stacey from Barry in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales. The writers of the show, actors James Corden and Ruth Jones, also...
. Lucas has co written (with Walliams) and performed in a new series of Little Britain USA
Little Britain USA
Little Britain USA, an American television series, originated as a spin-off of the British BBC's Little Britain show.As in the British series, Matt Lucas and David Walliams play the majority of the characters: originals such as Lou and Andy, Daffyd Thomas,Sebastian Love, Marjorie Dawes and Vicky...
for HBO. The pair are also writing a movie for DreamWorks
DreamWorks
DreamWorks Pictures, also known as DreamWorks, LLC, DreamWorks SKG, DreamWorks II Distribution Co., LLC, DreamWorks Studios or DW Studios, LLC, is an American film studio which develops, produces, and distributes films, video games and television programming...
.
Lucas was the first celebrity to make an appearance in 2008's Big Brother Celebrity Hijack on E4, working alongside Big Brother in a series containing housemates aged 18–21 with various talents.
On 9 April 2009, the series Kröd Mändoon and the Flaming Sword of Fire
Kröd Mändoon and the Flaming Sword of Fire
Kröd Mändoon and the Flaming Sword of Fire is a British-American comedic sword and sorcery series created by Peter A. Knight, co-produced by Hat Trick Productions and Media Rights Capital for Comedy Central and BBC Two, which premiered on April 9, 2009 in the USA and on June 11 in the UK. It began...
, featuring Matt Lucas as a regular performer, premièred on Comedy Central
Comedy Central
Comedy Central is an American cable television and satellite television channel that carries comedy programming, both original and syndicated....
, the first major comedy series Lucas has done since Little Britain
Little Britain
Little Britain is a British character-based comedy sketch show which was first broadcast on BBC radio and then turned into a television show. It was written by comic duo David Walliams and Matt Lucas...
. In 2010, Lucas played Tweedledee and Tweedledum in Tim Burton
Tim Burton
Timothy William "Tim" Burton is an American film director, film producer, writer and artist. He is famous for dark, quirky-themed movies such as Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Ed Wood, Sleepy Hollow, Corpse Bride and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet...
's Alice in Wonderland
Alice in Wonderland (2010 film)
Alice in Wonderland is a 2010 American computer-animated/live action fantasy adventure film directed by Tim Burton, written by Linda Woolverton, and released by Walt Disney Pictures...
, alongside Mia Wasikowska
Mia Wasikowska
Mia Wasikowska is an Australian actress. After starting her career in Australian television and film, she first became known to a wider audience following her critically acclaimed work on the HBO television series In Treatment...
, Johnny Depp
Johnny Depp
John Christopher "Johnny" Depp II is an American actor, producer and musician. He has won the Golden Globe Award and Screen Actors Guild award for Best Actor. Depp rose to prominence on the 1980s television series 21 Jump Street, becoming a teen idol...
, Helena Bonham Carter
Helena Bonham Carter
Helena Bonham Carter is an English actress of film, stage, and television. She made her acting debut in a television adaptation of K. M. Peyton's A Pattern of Roses before winning her first film role as the titular character in Lady Jane...
and Anne Hathaway
Anne Hathaway (actress)
Anne Jacqueline Hathaway is an American actress. After several stage roles, she appeared in the 1999 television series Get Real. She played Mia Thermopolis in The Princess Diaries...
.
On 3rd October 2010, Matt played Thénardier
Thénardiers
The Thénardiers, commonly known as Thénardier and Madame Thénardier , are two of the primary villains in Victor Hugo's novel Les Misérables and the stage musical of the same name...
in the 25th Anniversary Concerts of Les Misérables
Les Misérables (musical)
Les Misérables , colloquially known as Les Mis or Les Miz , is a musical by Claude-Michel Schönberg, based on the novel of the same name by Victor Hugo....
, at the O2 Arena
The O2 arena (London)
The O2 Arena is a multi-purpose indoor arena located in the centre of The O2, a large entertainment complex on the Greenwich peninsula in London, England.With a capacity of up to 20,000 depending on the event, it is second largest...
in London. A year later, from 23rd June to 10th September 2011, he reprised the role at The Queen's Theatre
Queen's Theatre
The Queen's Theatre is a West End theatre located in Shaftesbury Avenue in the City of Westminster. It opened on 8 October 1907 as a twin to the neighbouring Gielgud Theatre which opened ten months earlier. Both theatres were designed by W.G.R...
, in the West End. He has since collaborated with Alfie Boe
Alfie Boe
Alfred Giovanni Roncalli Boe, known professionally initially as Alf or Alfred Boe and now as Alfie Boe, , is an English tenor.-Background:...
, who played Jean Valjean
Jean Valjean
Jean Valjean is the protagonist of Victor Hugo's 1862 novel Les Misérables...
, 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
Gnomeo and Juliet
Gnomeo & Juliet is a 2011 computer-animated family comedy film based on William Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet. The film is directed by Kelly Asbury, and the two main characters are voiced by James McAvoy and Emily Blunt. The film was released on , 2011.-Plot:Mrs. Montague and Mr. Capulet are...
, as well as playing a small role as the roommate of Kristen Wiig
Kristen Wiig
Kristen Carroll Wiig is an American film and television actress who currently appears as a cast member on Saturday Night Live. Wiig was a member of improvisational comedy troupe The Groundlings, and has appeared in several films and television series, including Bridesmaids, MacGruber, Flight of...
in the wildly successful American comedy Bridesmaids
Bridesmaids (2011 film)
Bridesmaids is a 2011 American romantic comedy film written by Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo, directed by Paul Feig and produced by Judd Apatow, Barry Mendel, and Clayton Townsend. The plot centers on Annie ....
.
The BBC has just finished showing Matt Lucas and David Walliams' new series, Come Fly with Me
Come Fly with Me (2010 TV series)
Come Fly with Me is a British mockumentary television comedy series created by and starring Matt Lucas and David Walliams. Narrated by Lindsay Duncan, the series launched on 25 December 2010 on BBC One and BBC One HD...
. The show follows the familiar style of Walliams and Lucas each playing multiple characters, but unlike Little Britain, the show focuses 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 Little Britain spinoff. Instead, all new characters were introduced. Lucas's characters include Precious, Taaj, Tommy, Mickey, Fearghal, Simon and Peter, amongst others. Some of the characters only appeared once. A second season of the show was announced in early 2011, and is reportedly in production.
Television
Lucas' appearances on television include Big Brother's Little Brother, Big Brother: Celebrity HijackBig Brother: Celebrity Hijack
Big Brother: Celebrity Hijack was an E4 temporary replacement to Celebrity Big Brother, a spin-off series of the British reality television programme Big Brother, airing on E4, with a number of closely associated programmes also airing on the same channel...
, Little Britain
Little Britain
Little Britain is a British character-based comedy sketch show which was first broadcast on BBC radio and then turned into a television show. It was written by comic duo David Walliams and Matt Lucas...
, Rock Profile
Rock Profile
Rock Profile is a British television comedy show written by and starring comedy partnership Matt Lucas and David Walliams, both now widely known for the sketch show Little Britain. Rock Profile first appeared on the channel UK Play in 1999, before moving to BBC Two in 2000...
, Little Britain Abroad, Little Britain USA
Little Britain USA
Little Britain USA, an American television series, originated as a spin-off of the British BBC's Little Britain show.As in the British series, Matt Lucas and David Walliams play the majority of the characters: originals such as Lou and Andy, Daffyd Thomas,Sebastian Love, Marjorie Dawes and Vicky...
, Come Fly with Me
Come Fly with Me (2010 TV series)
Come Fly with Me is a British mockumentary television comedy series created by and starring Matt Lucas and David Walliams. Narrated by Lindsay Duncan, the series launched on 25 December 2010 on BBC One and BBC One HD...
, and Krod Mandoon and the Flaming Sword of Fire
Kröd Mändoon and the Flaming Sword of Fire
Kröd Mändoon and the Flaming Sword of Fire is a British-American comedic sword and sorcery series created by Peter A. Knight, co-produced by Hat Trick Productions and Media Rights Capital for Comedy Central and BBC Two, which premiered on April 9, 2009 in the USA and on June 11 in the UK. It began...
.
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?Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? is a television game show which offers large cash prizes for correctly answering a series of multiple-choice questions of increasing difficulty. The format is owned and licensed by Sony Pictures Television International. The maximum cash prize is one million pounds...
and won £
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
62,500 for the charity. He is an avid supporter of Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
Lucas admitted, whilst a guest on the Rob Brydon
Rob Brydon
Rob Brydon is a BAFTA-nominated Welsh actor, comedian, radio and television presenter, singer and impressionist...
show, that he does not drive because of his tendency of day dreaming
Day Dreaming
"Day Dreaming" is the first single off DJ Drama's album Gangsta Grillz: The Album . The single features Akon, Snoop Dogg and T.I.. The song was released onto iTunes on February 9, 2009...
.
In December 2006, Lucas entered into a civil partnership with Kevin McGee, in a lavish ceremony in Central London
Central London
Central London is the innermost part of London, England. There is no official or commonly accepted definition of its area, but its characteristics are understood to include a high density built environment, high land values, an elevated daytime population and a concentration of regionally,...
. In attendance were various celebrities, including Barbara Windsor
Barbara Windsor
Barbara Ann Windsor, MBE , better known by her stage name Barbara Windsor, is an English actress. Her best known roles are in the Carry On films and as Peggy Mitchell in the BBC soap opera EastEnders....
, Neil Tennant
Neil Tennant
Neil Francis Tennant is an English musician, singer and songwriter, who, with bandmate Chris Lowe, makes up the successful electronic dance music duo Pet Shop Boys.-Childhood:...
, Elton John
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
, and Courtney Love
Courtney Love
Courtney Michelle Love is an American rock musician. Love is the lead vocalist, lyricist, and rhythm guitarist for alternative rock band Hole, which she formed in 1989, and is an actress who has moved from bit parts in Alex Cox films to significant and acclaimed roles in The People vs...
.
After six years together, the couple divorced through the High Court in 2008, becoming the first high-profile same-sex couple divorce in Britain. On 5 October 2009, Kevin McGee committed suicide, 10 months after the divorce. Just prior to his death, he posted the Facebook status update 'Kevin McGee thinks death is much better than life'.
External links
- Matt Lucas on Twitter
- BBC Little Britain Page