Simon William Day (born 7 June 1962) is an English comedian and actor known for his roles in the sketch show The Fast Show and the sitcom Grass.
Simon Day | |
|---|---|
| Born | Simon William Day 7 June 1962 Blackheath, London, England |
| Nationality | English |
| Occupation(s) | Comedian, actor |
| Years active | 1990–present |
| Spouse | Ruth |
| Children | 2 |
Career
editDay was born in Blackheath, London, and rose to fame as a stand-up comic, winning the Time Out new act of the year in 1991 with his music hall character Tommy Cockles. He then appeared on the BBC One show Paramount City as a weekly guest. He continued working live all over England before joining up with Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer for two tours and two series of Big Night Out. He continued to work with Vic Reeves throughout the 1990s.[1]
In 1994, he was a cast regular in Saturday Zoo,[2] Channel 4's Saturday night extravaganza, in which he appeared as groundbreaking white rapper Ice Pick. His other TV credits include Heartbeat, Jonathan Creek, Sensitive Skin, Love Soup, Driving School, and Skins. His film credits include Shakespeare in Love, as a ferryman on the Thames.
In 2006, he collaborated with Ambient house band The Transit Kings on their song "The Last Lighthouse Keeper" which appears on their debut album Living in a Giant Candle Winking at God.
In 2008, Day embarked on his first solo UK stand-up tour, titled 'What a Fool Believes', which saw him play 36 dates during the period 30 October – 15 December, including Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow.[1]
In 2009, Day collaborated again with Rhys Thomas and wrote and starred in a web series of six videos as the character Brian Pern for the BBC.[3]
In 2010, Day appeared in the long-running BBC TV series Hustle, playing Luke Baincross, a wannabe playboy with a huge country mansion.[4]
In May 2010, Day played a hospital porter in BBC TV series Holby City on his last day at work following his resignation having won the National Lottery. He had an altercation with a patient's relative and received a bang on the head, and he became increasingly lairy during the episode, at one point making a pass at Connie Beauchamp; some people assumed he was drunk, but it transpired that he had developed a Subdural hematoma as a result of the knock on the head.
Day has appeared as a pundit on the long-running BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Pundit Quiz Fighting Talk on a number of occasions, and is most notable for swearing during a live broadcast during a show in 2009. This was later edited out on the podcast version of the show.
Day appeared in an online-only version of The Fast Show sponsored by Lager brand Fosters on 10 November 2011 along with original cast save for Mark Williams.[5]
In 2012, he published his autobiography, Comedy and Error: They Really Were Marvellous Times.[6]
Day has presented his own series, The Simon Day Show on BBC Radio 4 in May to June 2012.[7]
From 2014 to 2017, he co-wrote and starred in the spoof-documentary series Brian Pern, a BBC Four comedy which parodied the life and career of former Genesis singer Peter Gabriel.[8]
In 2015 Day appeared as Charlie Beckett in the BBC TV series Death in Paradise episode 4.2.[9] In 2019 he appeared as Sid Onslow, a pub landlord, in Pennyworth.
Day starred as Big Gary King, father of Tom Davis' titular character in the BBC One sitcom King Gary, appearing in the 2018 pilot episode and the full series broadcast in 2020.[10]
Day reprised his Fast Show character 'Dave Angel, Eco Warrior' in 2023 in energy usage advertising.[11]
Personal life
editDay was addicted to alcohol, drugs and gambling, and spent some time in borstal for theft during his teenage years.[12] He continued to take illegal drugs including cocaine and crack cocaine into the 1990s at the height of his Fast Show fame.[13][6]
After failing to pass his driving test for charity during the 2003 Comic Relief Programme, Day later went on to gain an automatic driving licence.[6] He is married to Ruth, a former waitress, with whom he has two children, Lloyd and Evie.[6]
Filmography
editFilm
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Sid the Sexist | Graham / Various Cockney Characters | |
| 1998 | Shakespeare in Love | First Boatman | |
| The Fast Show Live | Various roles | Direct-to-video | |
| 2002 | The Heart of Me | Hospital Doctor | |
| 2007 | Run Fatboy Run | Vincent | |
| 2009 | The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus | Uncle Bob | |
| 2010 | Huge | Noel Faulkner | |
| 2012 | Jon | Child Therapist | |
| 2016 | Ethel & Ernest | Alf |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Vic Reeves Big Night Out | Various roles | 5 episodes |
| 1992 | The Fat Slags | Baz | Miniseries |
| Wilderness Edge | Ian Kaye | 2 episodes | |
| A Bunch of Fives | Slow PC | Episode: "The Weekenders" | |
| Saturday Zoo | Bruce Urqhart | Episode #1.2 | |
| The Smell of Reeves and Mortimer | Milkman | 2 episodes | |
| 1994 | The All New Alexei Sayle Show | Various characters | Episode #1.4 |
| 1994, 2006 | The Bill | BJ Berry / Stephen Latham | 2 episodes |
| 1994–2014 | The Fast Show | Various characters | 24 episodes |
| 1995 | The Great Kandinsky | News Reporter | Television film |
| 1996 | Heartbeat | Fenwick | Episode: "Forget Me Not" |
| 1997 | Jonathan Creek | Jordan Strange | Episode: "The House of Monkeys" |
| 1998 | In Exile | Denzel | Episode #1.6 |
| Casualty | Cardiothoracic Surgeon | Episode: "New Year and All That" | |
| Ted and Ralph | Tall Tom / Cliff Carter / Friend of Dorothy | Television film | |
| Rex the Runt | Constable Funnyname / Taxi Driver | 3 episodes | |
| 1999 | You Ain't Seen All These, Right? | Various roles | Television film |
| 2000 | Peak Practice | Consultant | Episode: "A Test of Faith" |
| Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) | Swift | Episode: "Paranoia" | |
| 2001 | Happiness | Miserable Dad / Angry Father | 2 episodes |
| Jumpers for Goalposts | Clive Graham | 13 episodes | |
| We Know Where You Live | Billy Bleach | Television film | |
| 2002 | Fun at the Funeral Parlour | Dirty Ernie | Episode: "A Pocket Full of Gravel" |
| Bertie and Elizabeth | Robert Wood | Television film | |
| 2003 | Grass | Billy | 8 episodes |
| The Fast Show Farewell Tour | Various roles | Television film | |
| 2003–2004 | Swiss Toni | Geoff | 16 episodes |
| 2004 | He Knew He Was Right | Club Member #2 | Episode: "Part 1" |
| Shane | Suicide Man | Episode #1.6 | |
| EastEnders | Cabbie | Episode dated 25 December 2004 | |
| 2005 | Casanova | Argenti | Episode #1.1 |
| Space Race | Kammler | Episode: "Race for Rockets" | |
| ShakespeaRe-Told | Quince | Episode: "A Midsummer Night's Dream" | |
| 2006 | Mr. Loveday's Little Outing | Doctor | Television film |
| 2007 | Sensitive Skin | Mike | Episode: "The Wilderness" |
| Learners | Simon | Television film | |
| 2007–2012 | Harry & Paul | Various character | 12 episodes |
| 2008 | Love Soup | Wolf | Episode: "Lobotomy Bay" |
| 2009, 2010 | Skins | Leo Mclair | 2 episodes |
| 2010 | Hustle | Luke Baincross | Episode: "Tiger Troubles" |
| Bellamy's People | Various characters | 10 episodes | |
| Holby City | Frank Chapman | Episode: "Brutally Frank" | |
| Pete & Dud: The Lost Sketches | Performer | Television film | |
| 2011 | Midsomer Murders | Combover Guy | Episode: "The Oblong Murders" |
| The Fast Show Faster | Dave Angel / Clive / Colonel Mumas | 3 episodes | |
| 2011–2012 | Pixelface | QM | 26 episodes |
| 2012 | Comedy Showcase | Rhodesy | Episode: "The Function Room" |
| New Tricks | Tony Symes | Episode: "Queen and Country" | |
| Mr Blue Sky | Mr. Bolt | 3 episodes | |
| 2013 | It's Kevin | Various / Screaming Pillows Pitchman | |
| Mount Pleasant | Gerry | 5 episodes | |
| 2014 | Moone Boy | Sean Murphington Esq. | Episode: "Handball Duel" |
| The Incredible Adventures of Professor Branestawm | Colonel Dedshott | Television film | |
| 2014–2017 | Brian Pern (Various titles) | Brian Pern | 11 episodes |
| 2015 | Death in Paradise | Charlie Beckett | Episode: "Hidden Secrets" |
| Drunk History: UK | Lord Carnarvon | Episode: "Tutankhamen/Dick Turpin/Byron's Pet Bear" | |
| Nurse | Tony Beckton | 3 episodes | |
| SunTrap | Handlebar | Episode: "The Big Sleep" | |
| Cradle to Grave | Shaky | Episode #1.6 | |
| Professor Branestawm Returns | Colonel Dedshott | Television film | |
| 2016 | Boomers | Vaughan | Episode: "Naming Ceremony" |
| The Amazing World of Gumball | Narrator | Episode: "The Love" | |
| Lost Sitcoms | Alf Garnett | Episode: "Till Death Us Do Part" | |
| 2017 | Loaded | Jeff | 3 episodes |
| Zapped | Daggett | Episode: "Pear Fair" | |
| 2018 | Dave Allen at Peace | Lew Grade | Television film |
| A Year in the Life of a Year | Various | Episode: "2018" | |
| 2018–2020 | King Gary | Big Gary King | 8 episodes |
| 2019–present | Pennyworth | Sid Onslow | 15 episodes |
| 2020 | The Windsors | Mike Middleton | Episode #3.2 |
| The Kemps: All True | Neighbour | Television film | |
| 2021 | Elliott from Earth | Various voices | 5 episodes |
References
edit- ^ a b Bevan, Siân (28 October 2008). "Simon Day – What A Fool Believes". theskinny.co.uk. Retrieved 17 April 2018.
- ^ "BFI | Film & TV Database | SATURDAY ZOO". Ftvdb.bfi.org.uk. Archived from the original on 17 April 2008. Retrieved 22 April 2013.
- ^ "Comedy – Clips from 'Brian Pern'". BBC. Retrieved 22 April 2013.
- ^ "BBC One – Hustle, Series 6, Episode 3". BBC. 24 January 2010. Retrieved 22 April 2013.
- ^ "Foster's – The Fast Show". Fosters.co.uk. Retrieved 22 April 2013.
- ^ a b c d Day, Simon (March 2012). Comedy and Error: They Really Were Marvellous Times. Simon & Schuster. ISBN 978-1849830560.
- ^ "The Simon Day Show". BBC. Retrieved 15 April 2018.
- ^ "The Life of Rock with Brian Pern". Radio Times. Retrieved 16 February 2014.
- ^ Jarossi, Robin (14 January 2015). "Death in Paradise series 4, Kris Marshall PREVIEW". crimetimepreview.com. Retrieved 16 April 2018.
- ^ "King Gary cast and crew credits". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 10 February 2020.
- ^ "Simon Day revives Dave Angel". Chortle. Retrieved 23 April 2022.
- ^ "Interview: Simon Day, comedian – News – Scotsman.com". Thescotsman.scotsman.com. 22 June 2011. Retrieved 22 April 2013.
- ^ "Metro". 23 June 2011. Retrieved 31 January 2014.