Biography
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Early
Days | With Matt Lucas | Solo
Projects | One-off Dramas | Cameos
| Odds and sods | Charities | Other Lists of Credits
Note: There's lots of information about David in the official Little Britain biography "Inside Little Britain". You can buy the book here.
Early
Days
David Walliams was
born David Williams ("I had to change it for Equity") on 20th
August 1971 and is 35. He describes himself as "6' 2" and far
too hairy", claims he's a "little bit Welsh" and is left handed. He used to be vegatarian, but he gave it up when he couldn't resist parma ham.
He grew
up in the suburbs and went to a Reigate Grammar School in Surrey where he first
stated acting. He took English, History and Business Studies at 'A' Level. At this time, David's dad worked for London Underground and his mum was a
lab technician in a school.
David went on to study at
Bristol University and he was in the year below
Simon Pegg. You can read all about David's early collaboration with Jason
Bradbury here.
David appeared in
numerous stage productions with the National Youth Theatre including Surrender
Dorothy and The Tempest.
After moving to London, one of David's earliest
television jobs was in BTV, which was part of 'Gamesworld' on Sky One
(broadcast at 6pm sometime around '94-95) where he appeared in various
roles each week.
He also used to present
a children's programme called 'Incredible Games' (BBC 2, 1995). He played the second incarnation of the Lift. You can find some screenshots here and some more information here.
Finally, David was a scriptwriter
for 'Ant and Dec' and 'Run the Risk' (both for BBC 1). David also appeared on 'The Sunday Show' (BBC 2, 1995).
With
Matt Lucas
Matt Lucas and David
Walliams met in 1990 at the National Youth Theatre and were brought together
by their shared love of Reeves and Mortimer. When Matt began university,
they went their separate ways but remained friends. In 1995 they teamed
up to take their Sir Bernard Chumley and Friends
show to the Edinburgh Festival, returning with new Chumley shows in
1996 and 1997. Following this success, they embarked on a sell-out UK
tour throughout 1997 and appeared in 1999 at the Just
For Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal, Canada. They also appeared
on Paramount's live comedy show Mondo Jest
in 1996.
Matt and David appeared
together as "Mash and Peas",
both at the Edinburgh Festival and also as a TV series on the Paramount
comedy channel called 'Spoofovision'. They also appeared in Channel 4's
Sit Com weekend.
David has co-written
and appeared with Matt in
- 'You
Are Here: Whatever happened to baby Jo?' (C4, '97) where David played
Murray Moffatt.
- Wrath (C4, '97) a spoof drama starring Paul Kaye where David played guitar player Gavin.
- 'Barking' (C4, '98) the comedy sketch series (TV Tome Guide, BBCi Guide), where David first played his Royal Watcher, Peter Andre, who would later appear in Little Britain.
- 'The Apocalypse Tube' (C4/Sky One, '99).
- 'The Crazy Jonathans' (?,BBV TV) A sitcom pilot costarring Nick Frost of Spaced and Reece Shearsmith of the League of Gentlemen. It was directed by
Gareth Carravick/John Birkin and produced by Mash and Peas'
Myfanwy Moore. Matt said in the interview with BBC Three: "
There's a sitcom that we piloted a few years called 'Crazy Jonathan's' which didn't really work but I'm still quite proud of some of the writing we did on that, actually."
He has appeared alongside
Matt in Shooting
Stars (BBC 2), with Vic Reeves
and Bob Mortimer, where Matt plays the characer George Dawes. David
was in the episode with Clare Grogan in Series 2 (Episode 21), plays Soft
Alan ("The biggest fruit of them all") in Series 3 (1997) as
well as appearing in the the 2002 series (Episode 1) in other roles. David
also starred in the Shooting Stars Special (BBC Choice, 2002), where DJ
Sara Cox stood in for an absent Ulrika. Both Matt and David wrote sketches for and appeared in
the spin-off 'It's Ulrika' (TV Tome Guide, BBCi Guide) (1997).
'Bang! Bang! It's
Reeves and Mortimer' (BBC 2, '99), Vic and Bob's long-awaited return to
sketch comedy, featured Matt and Dave in several sketches which included
the Labour Party rock band, Toulouse-Lautrec and a hostage situation involving Frank Butcher
and Laurance Llewelyn Bowan
More recently they
appeared in two series of 'Rock Profile'
as well as various Rock Profile specials.
Their latest project
was to transfer the radio series 'Little
Britain' (written and performed by Matt and David) with a TV Pilot
shown in February 2003, and a full, eight episode TV series shown on BBC
Three in September/October 2003. Matt and David have since made two more series and two "specials" of this show .
David and Matt also made an "All-Star Comedy Show" (ITV1, 2004) along with many other of Britain's top comedians.
Both David and Matt appeared in the sixth series of French and Saunders (BBC One, 2004).
Solo projects
David co-wrote a TV
series called Asylum
(Paramount, '96) with Spaced
director Edgar Wright, starring Simon Pegg and Jessica Stephenson.
He secured a leading
role in Tony Garnett's BBC2 ensemble drama series 'Attachments'
in which he played uptight perfectionist Jake Plaskow over
two series during 2000/2001
David is also a huge
'Dr Who' fan (or "enthusiast"),
appearing in several projects.
He's currently writing a sitcom called "Home", about an old people's home, with Rob Brydon.
David has played recurring
characters in the following shows:-
- Grahame Cunliffe
in Coming
Soon (C4, '99)
 David
appeared alongside Paul "Avon" Darrow in 'The
Strangerers' (Sky One, 2000), a comedy/science fiction series. David played Rats (pictures),
sidekick to Darrow's CD. (Fan site, BBCi Guide). Paul Darrow would later appear in Little Britain (TV series 2). - James Bourne,
a smarmy architect in two episodes of Series 1 of Baddiel's
Syndrome (Sky One, 2001). David also appeared on a documentary about
David Baddiel
(ITV, 2003) doing a rather accurate impersonation of Baddiel's singing
- see a picture here. Interestingly,
Baddiel is a neighbour of David's.
One-off
Dramas
David played Shane,
a member of he mysterious Foundation in the Sci-Fi drama Ted
and Alice (with Dawn French, Stephen Tompkinson and Peter Serafinowicz).
This was broadcast on BBC 1 on 3rd
March 2002.
He also starred as
the obsessed fan (of the spoof sci-fi TV series "Children of Casper"), Jeff 'Lurky' Monks in Cruise of the Gods
(BBC 2, 2002), alongside Rob Brydon and Steve Coogan.
David played Grenville White in Capturing Mary (BBC 2, 2007).
David played Frankie Howerd in Frankie Howerd: Rather you than me, BBC Four, 2008.
Cameos
David is a fantastic
character actor who has appeared in numerous comedy shows over the years
including roles in: -
- the film Clancy's
Kitchen (C4, '96)
- the video of the
Paul Kaye cash-in video 'Dennis Pennis RIP, Too Rude to Live' (VCI,
'97) - now available on the Pennis from Heaven DVD. David appears as Anthony Cream Jnr and Merlin Boast.
 the
film Plunket
& Macleane ('99) as Viscount
Bilston- the first series
of Black
Books (Assembly Film and TV for C4, 2000), where he played a customer,
one of the rare visitors to Bernard Black's bookshop, in Episode 6,
Series 1 ("He's leaving home").
 the
first series of Spaced
(C4, '99), with a scene-stealing performance as Ian/Vulva,
a transexual performance artist, in Episode 3, Series 1 ("Art").
- In episode two
('Drink') of the TV comedy series, World
of Pub (BBC 2, 2001), David appears in two fleeting scenes as Dr
Seuss. World of Pub was directed by Michael Cumming, the director
of the first series of Rock Profile
- the second series
of Randal
and Hopkirk (Deceased) (Ghost Production for BBC 1, 2001) as a dimwit
photographer and ghost hunter called Browning, in Episode 1,
Series 2 ("Whatever Possessed You?"). Matt also appears as
a wayward ghost, Nesbitt, in the second episode.
- the TV series High
Stakes (ITV, 2001), he played Stephen Clay in Episode 1,
Series 1, of this ITV sitcom about merchant bankers starring Richard
Wilson and Jack Shepherd.
- the TV series Fun
at the Funeral Parlour (BBC Choice, 2001), he played Cobra the
Cowboy, a potential buyer of the funeral parlour, in Episode
6, Series 1. Matt also appears in this episode as showbiz agent
Issac Hunt.
- the Al Murray show
Time
Gentlemen Please (Sky One, 2002), he played Marcel, the Frenchman
who stole Al's wife, in the episode "Entente Lime Cordial".
- the TV series The
Bill (BBC One, broadcast 13 August 2002) as a stem-cell research protester Ben Fletcher in a single episode.
- He played John Chapman in the drama/documentary George Eliot: A Scandalous Life (BBC 2, 2002).
- the TV series Casualty
(BBC One, 8th February 2003) where he played John Fielding in a single episode.
- Comic
Relief's Big Hair Do (BBC One, 2003) as Ruth
Madoc in a spoof of Blankey Blank.
- the first series of spoof science show Look Around You (BBC Two, 2002) where he was featured as The Bum in the episode "The Brain" (This is confirmed in the DVD commentary).
   
 
- In the second series (BBC Two, 2004) he played the voices of the two computers named Bournemouth and Petticoat Five.
- David joined EastEnders at Christmas (BBC One, 2003), as Alfie Moon's dopey mate, Ray.
- As shopkeeper Paul in an episode of Hustle (BBC1, 2004).
- A series of monologues in From Bard to Verse (Baby Cow, 2004) which is described as
"A uniquely fresh and entertaining take on Shakespeare. It's Shakespeare with the dull bits. Simply - it's the very best of bard."
- David will be appearing in the new series of ITV's adaptation of Agatha Christie's Miss Marple, to be broadcast later in 2004.
 David was on BBC Breakfast news to promo Little Britain Series 2 when he talked about appearing in the new Steve Coogan/ Michael Winterbottom film called A Cock and Bull Story (formerly known as Tristram Shandy) in a cameo role. It started shooting in November 2004. See the trailer here. - David is guested on Channel 4's The Big Fat Quiz of the Year on Boxing day 2004.
- David is appearing in the Jimmy Carr panel show for Channel 4 (broadcast date to be confirmed) called 8 out of 10 cats.
- David appeared in Series 5 of Waking the Dead, which he was filming during the Comic Relief 2005 launch.
- There's a rumour that David will appear in a forthcoming episode of Jimmy Carr's "Friday Night Project" on Channel 4.
- David has just finished filming The Decameron in Italy. He will play a comic Italian fisherman alongside leading
lady Mischa Barton's Pampinea. The movie, based upon Giovanni Boccaccio's book of the same name, will tell the story of young Florentines during the Black Plague and is due for release in 2006.
- David and Matt (and Jimmy Carr and Ricky Gervais) are among the celebrity commentators for Channel 4's new comedy series 'Law Of The Playground' which is due in the Friday night 9 PM comedy slot in September/October 2005.
- David and Matt are in talks to appear in a special Christmas edition of Eastenders. They are set to appear pulling pints behind the bar of the Queen Vic in a guest spot for the one-off.
- According to the Biz section of the Sun Matt and David are in a movie called "I could never love your woman" which is due to be out next summer. We think they've made a mistake and that should be I could never be your woman.
 According to The Sun (8th Aug 2005), David was summoned to an audition with Eon Productions, who make the Bond films. This was later completely refuted by David himself. - David has a small cameo in a film about the life and death of Rolling Stones co-founder Brian Jones, Stoned (2005) playing the Stones accountant.
- David randomly appeared on "Dragon's Den - Where Are
They Now" (BBC Two, Wednesday 21st December 2005). He was pictured at the launch party of Wonderland, a new lifestyle celebrity magazine for rich people that went on sale in November 2005.
- David guested on Channel 4's The Big Fat Quiz of the Year on 27th December 2006.
- David played one of the Ghostly brothers, Sextus, in the Neil Gaiman film Stardust, released in cinemas in 2007.
Odds and
sods
David has been heard
and seen in some very odd places indeed: -
- In the Top of the Pops audience when they performed an exclusive track, Liberation (BBC 1, 1994)
- Smash Hits Poll
Winner Party (BBC1, 2001) - Voice over.
- Sick and Twisted
(C4, 2000) - Writer/Performer for animated cartoon
 Deep Fighter (Sega
Dreamcast/PC, 2000) - Boyz Unlimited (C4, 1998) - Co-creator
- In various collaborations with the band The Bluetones.
 Glastonbury (BBC Choice, June 2002) - Interviewed by Adam and Joe. - David is a panelist on the BBC Radio 4 show, Heresy.
- A great fan spoof of a film called Tetris - staring David and Matt. Not really!
- David is thanked in the Credits of the film Shaun of the Dead (2004), and also does a voice-over in the film. He plays a news reporter on TV in the electrical shop. He says
"The bizarre events--".
- David, plays a character called Antonio in the video to Charlotte (Ash) Hatherley's single, "Bastardo".
- David was a guest on Top Gear as the Star in a reasonably priced car (BBC Two, Dec 2005).
- David and Matt did a Voice Over for Channel 4's "The Law of the playground" (July 2006). Contact us if you have a copy of this? The website it here.
- On the DVD for The IT Crowd there is a short film entitled "Hello, Friend" about a man who buys a new computer system that takes over and destroys his life. David plays one of the man's friends, he has a couple of short scenes, firstly at a dinner party where the camera pans along the table and
David is holding court in his own inimitable fashion and secondly after he has also bought one of the computer systems and we see him repeating a couple of the main characters actions.
- David presented a one off tribute show to James Bond called My Life With James Bond on ITV 1 in November 2006.
David does a lot of voiceovers for radio adverts through his voice agent Earache Voices. These include for:
- UKG2 (2004) where he played a lift operator.
- You can listen to two of Matt and David's Nationwide Anglia radio adverts, here and here.
- David and Matt can be heard doing the my coke music.com adverts for capital radio, talking about what music they'd like to download.
- David did the voiceover for a documentary on Radio One in July 2004 called "you cannot be serious" about humour in music. You can listen to it here.
- David did the voiceover for the "carex" TV adverts (Oct 2004)
David will attempt to swim the channel for Sport Relief in July 2006. Read all about it here.
Charities
David supports three main charities:
Other Lists of David's Credits
There is no official list of David's credits as his agents don't have a web site. However, you can try these: The Independent Movie Database and the BBCi Guide.
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