Sean Hughes (comedian)
Encyclopedia
Sean Hughes is a British-Irish stand-up comedian, writer and actor.
, Dublin. In 1987 he began appearing at the Comedy Store
, and with his show, A One Night Stand With Sean Hughes he won the prestigious Perrier Comedy Award.
He marked his 30th birthday with the Sean Hughes Is Thirty Somehow tour, which was broadcast on Channel 4, in 1995. Hughes returned to stand-up, touring the UK and Australia in 2007 with his show, The Right Side of Wrong.
As well as comedy, he has also written collections of prose and poetry and worked on a number of films. He also presented weekend radio shows on the BBC's London radio station BBC GLR, and in 2002 joined BBC 6 Music
, presenting the Sunday morning programme. He left the station a year after its launch, proclaiming it had turned into everything he had wanted it to be. He has also written two novels, The Detainees (1998) and It's What He Would Have Wanted (2000).
A close friend of the late American comedian Bill Hicks
, Hughes wrote the foreword to Cynthia True's biography, American Scream. The Bill Hicks Story. Often compared to one another[citation needed], Hughes wrote about Hicks, "being a genius is a heavy burden and he's the only one I'm ever likely to meet. I still miss you Bill."
, playing a record producer.
In 1992 he had his own TV show, Sean's Show
, ostensibly set in his own home. It received a nomination for the 1992 British Comedy Award for Best Channel 4 Sitcom. Series one of Sean's Show has been released on DVD by Channel 4. He later recorded a series of brief programmes called Sean's Shorts, in which he toured England, visiting many of the country's towns and cities, visiting local places of interest and meeting local people. From 1996 to 2002 he was a team captain on the BBC 2 comedy quiz show Never Mind The Buzzcocks
, alongside Phill Jupitus
and Mark Lamarr
. He can be seen during Terrorvision
's music video for their single Tequila from 1999.
He appeared in the 2010 Edinburgh Fringe.
In ITV's series The Last Detective
, featuring "Dangerous" Davies
, Hughes plays his friend, the perpetually unemployed and well-read "Mod Lewis" (he spends all his time at the library to save on heating). He played Eileen Grimshaw
's love interest Pat in the British soap Coronation Street
.
Hughes voices the part of Finbar the Shark, one of a number of plastic bath toys which come to life when no-one is watching in the children's TV series Rubbadubbers
, shown on the BBC's 'CBeebies' channel in the UK for pre-school children.
He played Sergeant Lake in the ITV Agatha Christie's Marple production of They Do It with Mirrors
, which was broadcast on 1 January 2010.
Hughes played "Brendan" in the 2010 British film version of Tony Hawks
' best selling book, Round Ireland with a Fridge
that was released in September 2010 and on DVD on 8 November 2010.
Career
Hughes was born in London, but spent most of his youth in FirhouseFirhouse
Firhouse is a small outer suburb of Dublin, in South Dublin County, Ireland, developed from what was historically a rural village. It is located just south of the River Dodder, and is in the postal district of Dublin 24...
, Dublin. In 1987 he began appearing at the Comedy Store
The Comedy Store, London
The Comedy Store is a comedy club located in Soho, London, England, opened in 1979 by Don Ward and Peter Rosengard.It was named after The Comedy Store club in the United States, which Rosengard had visited the previous year...
, and with his show, A One Night Stand With Sean Hughes he won the prestigious Perrier Comedy Award.
He marked his 30th birthday with the Sean Hughes Is Thirty Somehow tour, which was broadcast on Channel 4, in 1995. Hughes returned to stand-up, touring the UK and Australia in 2007 with his show, The Right Side of Wrong.
As well as comedy, he has also written collections of prose and poetry and worked on a number of films. He also presented weekend radio shows on the BBC's London radio station BBC GLR, and in 2002 joined BBC 6 Music
BBC 6 Music
BBC 6 Music is one of the BBC's digital radio stations, was launched on 11 March 2002 and originally codenamed Network Y. It was the first national music radio station to be launched by the BBC in 32 years....
, presenting the Sunday morning programme. He left the station a year after its launch, proclaiming it had turned into everything he had wanted it to be. He has also written two novels, The Detainees (1998) and It's What He Would Have Wanted (2000).
A close friend of the late American comedian Bill Hicks
Bill Hicks
William Melvin "Bill" Hicks was an American stand-up comedian, social critic, satirist, and musician. His material largely consisted of general discussions about society, religion, politics, philosophy, and personal issues. Hicks' material was often controversial and steeped in dark comedy...
, Hughes wrote the foreword to Cynthia True's biography, American Scream. The Bill Hicks Story. Often compared to one another[citation needed], Hughes wrote about Hicks, "being a genius is a heavy burden and he's the only one I'm ever likely to meet. I still miss you Bill."
Film and television
Hughes had a small role in the 1991 film The CommitmentsThe Commitments (film)
The Commitments , the soundtrack for the film, was released on 13 Aug 1991. "Mustang Sally" was released as a single. Most of the songs on the album are performed by the cast band, but two are by Irish singer Niamh Kavanagh.-Track listing:-Chart positions:-The Commitments, Vol...
, playing a record producer.
In 1992 he had his own TV show, Sean's Show
Sean's Show
Sean'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...
, ostensibly set in his own home. It received a nomination for the 1992 British Comedy Award for Best Channel 4 Sitcom. Series one of Sean's Show has been released on DVD by Channel 4. He later recorded a series of brief programmes called Sean's Shorts, in which he toured England, visiting many of the country's towns and cities, visiting local places of interest and meeting local people. From 1996 to 2002 he was a team captain on the BBC 2 comedy quiz show Never Mind The Buzzcocks
Never Mind the Buzzcocks
Never Mind the Buzzcocks is a comedy panel game television show with a pop music theme, currently without a permanent presenter. It stars Phill Jupitus and Noel Fielding as team captains. The show is produced by Talkback Thames for the BBC, and is usually aired on BBC Two...
, alongside Phill Jupitus
Phill Jupitus
Phillip Christopher Jupitus is an English stand-up and improvised comedian, actor, performance poet, musician and podcaster....
and Mark Lamarr
Mark Lamarr
Mark Lamarr is an English comedian, radio DJ and television presenter.-Early life:Lamarr was born in the Park South area of Swindon and has three elder sisters. His father is Irish...
. He can be seen during Terrorvision
Terrorvision
Terrorvision are an English rock band. They were formed in 1987 in Keighley, and initially disbanded in 2001...
's music video for their single Tequila from 1999.
He appeared in the 2010 Edinburgh Fringe.
In ITV's series The Last Detective
The Last Detective
The Last Detective is an ITV drama starring Peter Davison as Dangerous Davies. The first series aired in 2003 with three more seasons succeeding this...
, featuring "Dangerous" Davies
Dangerous Davies
Detective Constable "Dangerous" Davies is the central character in a series of comic novels by Leslie Thomas and a TV series, The Last Detective made for ITV. The first novel in the series was also made into a film for television in 1981.- Profile :...
, Hughes plays his friend, the perpetually unemployed and well-read "Mod Lewis" (he spends all his time at the library to save on heating). He played Eileen Grimshaw
Eileen Grimshaw
Eileen Grimshaw, is a fictional character in the UK television ITV soap opera, Coronation Street. Portrayed by Sue Cleaver, the character first appeared onscreen during the episode airing on 3 May 2000....
's love interest Pat in the British soap Coronation Street
Coronation Street
Coronation Street is a British soap opera set in Weatherfield, a fictional town in Greater Manchester based on Salford. Created by Tony Warren, Coronation Street was first broadcast on 9 December 1960...
.
Hughes voices the part of Finbar the Shark, one of a number of plastic bath toys which come to life when no-one is watching in the children's TV series Rubbadubbers
Rubbadubbers
The Rubbadubbers is a British stop motion animation children's show from Hot Animation which is owned by HIT Entertainment.-Plot:The television show features characters who are animated bath toys. They often excitedly announce that the children are about to take a bath.-Format:Each episode begins...
, shown on the BBC's 'CBeebies' channel in the UK for pre-school children.
He played Sergeant Lake in the ITV Agatha Christie's Marple production of They Do It with Mirrors
They Do It with Mirrors
They Do It With Mirrors is a work of detective fiction by Agatha Christie and first published in the US by Dodd, Mead and Company in 1952 under the title of Murder with Mirrors and in UK by the Collins Crime Club on November 17 in the same year under Christie's original title. The US edition...
, which was broadcast on 1 January 2010.
Hughes played "Brendan" in the 2010 British film version of Tony Hawks
Tony Hawks
Antony Gordon Hawksworth, better known as Tony Hawks, is a British comedian and author.-Early life:Born in Brighton in 1960, Hawks was educated at Brighton Hove and Sussex Grammar School and Brighton College...
' best selling book, Round Ireland with a Fridge
Round Ireland with a Fridge (film)
Round Ireland with a Fridge is a 2010 film released in September 2010 by Fridge D'Or Productions. The film is based on Tony Hawks's internationally best selling book of the same name and was written by and stars Tony....
that was released in September 2010 and on DVD on 8 November 2010.