Gregor Fisher | |
---|---|
Born | Menstrie, Clackmannanshire, Scotland | 22 December 1953
Nationality | Scottish |
Alma mater | Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama |
Occupation(s) | Actor, comedian |
Years active | 1977–present |
Spouse | Victoria Burton |
Children | 3 |
Gregor Fisher (born 22 December 1953) [1] is a Scottish comedian and actor. He is best known for his portrayal of the title character in the comedy series Rab C. Nesbitt , a role he has played since the show's first episode in 1988. He has also had roles in films such as Without a Clue (1988), Love Actually (2003), The Merchant of Venice (2004) and Whisky Galore! (2016).
Fisher was born in Menstrie, Clackmannanshire, and following the death of his mother was brought up in Edinburgh, Langholm, and Neilston and attended Barrhead High School. He attended the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in Glasgow, at which he did not complete his studies.
Fisher worked with Scottish comedian Rikki Fulton on his hit sketch series Scotch and Wry (whose broadcast was mainly restricted to BBC One Scotland). Another Scottish comedian he worked with was Hector Nicol, in the BBC drama Just a Boys' Game (1979).
Later, he appeared in Michael Radford's 1984 film Nineteen Eighty-Four as Winston Smith's neighbour Parsons. In 1988, he had a leading role in Silent Mouse, a dramatised television documentary telling the story of the creation of the Christmas carol Silent Night . In the same year he had a cameo (as a Victorian policeman) in the Michael Caine/Ben Kingsley vehicle, Without a Clue .
Fisher is best known for his portrayal of his character Rab C. Nesbitt in the sitcom of the same name, this itself was a spin-off from the BBC2 sketch comedy Naked Video , where the Nesbitt character originated, along with The Baldy Man who also obtained his own eponymous spin-off series, and is particularly associated with two Hamlet adverts involving photography, the first where he cannot get a satisfactory passport photo from a photobooth and lights up a cigar to calm himself down; the second where he cannot get a satisfactory family portrait and lights up a cigar to calm himself down. Johnny Depp based his Glaswegian accent for the role of Tarrant Hightopp, the Mad Hatter in the 2010 film Alice in Wonderland , on that used by Fisher’s Rab C. Nesbitt character. [2]
In 1994–1995, he played the title role in the BBC series The Tales of Para Handy , in which he was reunited with Rikki Fulton. Fisher had also appeared in the 1999 sitcom Brotherly Love and in the 2002 sitcom Snoddy . He also appeared with Iain Glenn in the BBC Masterpiece theatre version of Kidnapped.
Fisher appeared in the 2000 BBC adaptation of Gormenghast . Fisher starred as a main character D.S. Doug Duvall in the drama Missing, made by SMG Productions in 2006, the two-part thriller was not broadcast on STV until November 2008. In November 2006, he starred as Grandpa Potts in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang , in a three-month run of the show in Edinburgh. Most recently he has starred in the BBC's adaption of Oliver Twist , in the role of Mr Bumble.
In 2003, he appeared in the romantic comedy film Love Actually , where he played the role of the manager to fading music star, Billy Mack (Bill Nighy). In 2004, he played the role of Solanio in the Michael Radford film, The Merchant of Venice. In an interview in The Metro on 20 February 2008 he stated that he is no longer recognised as Rab C. Nesbitt, and rather is more likely to be stopped by fans for his recent role as Mr Bumble in Oliver Twist. Empty , a comedy series starring Fisher, began on BBC2 on 28 February 2008. On BBC2, on 23 December 2008, he reprised his role as Rab C Nesbitt in a Christmas special. Fisher's autobiography, The Boy from Nowhere, was published in 2015. To coincide with the publication, BBC One Scotland broadcast a documentary, In Search of Gregor Fisher, which followed Fisher and ghostwriter Melanie Reid during part of their research for the book.
Year | Title | Role | Theatre Company | Director | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1982 | Ane Satyre of the Thrie Estaites | Falsehood | Scottish Theatre Company | Tom Fleming | play by Sir David Lyndsey, adapted by Robert Kemp |
Film | |||
---|---|---|---|
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
1983 | Another Time, Another Place | Beel | |
1984 | Nineteen Eighty-Four | Parsons | Sometimes titled as 1984 |
1985 | The Girl in the Picture | Bill | |
1987 | White Mischief | McPherson | |
1988 | To Kill a Priest | ||
Without a Clue | Bobby at Warehouse | ||
2003 | Love Actually | Joe | |
2004 | The Merchant of Venice | Solanio | |
2005 | Lassie | Mapes | |
2010 | Wild Target | Mike | |
2016 | Whisky Galore! | Macroon | |
Television | |||
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
1977 | Rob Roy | Dick | Episodes: series 1.1 & 1.2 |
1978 | The Tomorrow People | Uncredited Highlander | Episode: 7.2 "The Fighting Spirit" |
1978–1979 | Play for Today | Georgie/Tanza | Episodes: "Donal and Sally", "Just a Boys' Game" |
1980 | Square Mile of Murder | Tom Connell | Episode: "The Human Crocodile" |
1978–1980 | Scotch & Wry | Various Roles | Episodes: series 1.1, 1.2, 1.3 & 31 December 1980 episode |
1982 | Crown Court | Eric Mullins | Episode: "Too Bad for Tobias: Part 1" |
1982–1984 | Foxy Lady | Hector Ross | Series 1 & 2: 12 episodes, lead role |
1986 | Scotch & Wry | Various Roles | Video compilation |
Boon | Tom McGeary | Episode: "Fools Rush In" | |
Naked Video | Various Roles | Series 1: 6 episodes, lead role (season 1) | |
Blood Red Roses | Alex McGuigan | 3 episodes | |
1987 | Double Scotch & Wry | Various Roles | Video compilation |
Dramarama | Albert Pickard | Episode: "Stan's First Night" | |
1990 | Silent Mouse | Franz Gruber | Television film |
Triple Scotch & Wry | Various Roles | Video compilation | |
Chancer | Norman Attwood | Episodes: "Killing Floor", "Hazard" | |
1994 | A Christmas Night with the Stars | Rab C. Nesbitt | Episode: 25 December 1994 |
1994–1995 | The Tales of Para Handy | Para Handy | 9 episodes, lead role |
1995 | Saturday Disney | Episode: 25 March 1995 | |
Kidnapped | Gahlsan | Television film | |
1995–1997 | The Baldy Man | Baldy | 2 series: 13 episodes, lead role |
1999 | Brotherly Love | Hector Robertson | Series 1: 6 episodes, lead role |
2000 | Gormenghast | The Fly | Episode: series 1.3 |
The Railway Children | Perks | Television film | |
2001 | The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby | Mr. Squeers | Television film |
2002 | Snoddy | Snoddy | Lead role |
2005 | Kidnapped | James Stewart of the Glen | Television film |
2006 | Missing | D.S. Doug Duvall | 2 episodes |
2007 | Oliver Twist | Mr. Bumble | Mini-series |
2008 | Empty | Jacky Allen | Series 1: 6 episodes, lead role |
2012 | Love Life | Will | 3 episodes [3] |
1988–1999; 2008–2014 | Rab C. Nesbitt | Rab C. Nesbitt | 65 episodes: 10 series & 2014 New Year Special "Hoodie", lead role |
2018 | The ABC Murders | Dexter Dooley | Episode 2 |
2021 | The Cockfields | Ray | Series 2 |
TBA | Only Child | Ken | Upcoming comedy [4] |
Robert Kerr "Rikki" Fulton, OBE was a Scottish comedian and actor best remembered for writing and performing in the long-running BBC Scotland sketch show, Scotch and Wry. He was also known for his appearances as one half of the double act, Francie and Josie, alongside Jack Milroy. Suffering from Alzheimer's disease in his later years, Fulton died in 2004, aged 79.
The Baldy Man is a television series starring Gregor Fisher, a Scottish comedian. It was broadcast in two series totalling thirteen episodes on ITV, screening in 1995 and 1998, and produced for Carlton Television by Working Title Films. Both series were also broadcast in full on Russian channel TB6 Moscow.
Rab C. Nesbitt is a Scottish comedy series which began in 1988. Produced by BBC Scotland, it stars Gregor Fisher as an alcoholic Glaswegian who seeks unemployment as a lifestyle choice. Rab C. Nesbitt was originally a recurring character in the BBC2 sketch series Naked Video (1986–1990).
Naked Video is a BBC Scotland sketch show that was aired on BBC2 from 12 May 1986 to 18 November 1991. The show was created by Colin Gilbert who had previously created A Kick Up the Eighties and Naked Radio. The series originally starred Ron Bain, Gregor Fisher, Andy Gray, Elaine C. Smith, Tony Roper, Helen Lederer and Jonathan Watson, but they were later joined by Kate Donnelly and Louise Beattie. The series' producer was Colin Gilbert and its script editor was Philip Differ.
Elaine Constance Smith is a Scottish actress, comedian, and political activist. She rose to prominence from appearing in the BBC Scotland sitcoms City Lights (1984–1991) and Rab C. Nesbitt (1988–2014). Smith has played the role of Christine O'Neil in the BBC Scotland sitcom Two Doors Down (2013–present).
Lee Cornes is an English television actor and writer born in Worcester.
Jonathan Watson is a Scottish actor best known for his comedy sketch show Only an Excuse?, which parodied people and events from the world of Scottish football, as well as roles in the BBC comedies Bob Servant Independent in which he appears with Brian Cox, and as Colin in the acclaimed Two Doors Down (2013–present). In the 1980s he was also a regular cast member of the Scottish sitcom City Lights and the sketch show Naked Video.
The Tales of Para Handy is a Scottish television series set in the western isles of Scotland in the 1930s, based on the Para Handy books by Neil Munro. It starred Gregor Fisher as Captain Peter "Para Handy" MacFarlane, Sean Scanlan as first mate Dougie Cameron, Rikki Fulton as engineer Dan Macphail and Andrew Fairlie as Sunny Jim. These four made up the crew of the puffer Vital Spark which was employed by the Campbell Shipping Company, headquartered in Glasgow and run by Andrew Campbell, Para Handy's brother-in-law and owner of the Vital Spark.
John Gerard Beattie, MBE was a Scottish actor and stand-up comedian whose career spanned over six decades. He appeared on shows including the sketch show Scotch & Wry and the sitcom Rab C. Nesbitt, and later appeared in more dramatic roles including Malcolm Hamilton in the soap opera River City.
Tony Roper is a Scottish actor, comedian, playwright and writer.
Gerard Kelly was a Scottish actor who appeared in many comedies, including City Lights, Rab C Nesbitt, Scotch and Wry and Extras. He had more serious roles as well, including PC David Gallagher in Juliet Bravo (1981), the villainous Jimmy in EastEnders (1994) and the villainous Callum Finnegan in Brookside (1997–2000).
Moray Hunter is a Scottish comedian, writer and performer. He starred in the Channel 4 sketch show, Absolutely. Alongside Jack Docherty, he played one half of the eccentric double-act, Don and George, in Absolutely and later in the spin-off series, Mr Don & Mr George. He also provided the voice for a shadow puppet in one of Aardman Animations' short films, Humdrum. He has written, produced and appeared in a variety of radio and television productions.
Ron Bain was a Scottish television actor, director, producer, comedian, and stage actor who in the latter part of his career focused primarily on directing. He is known for his work with comedian Rikki Fulton, with whom he first worked while performing Molière's The Miser at the Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh, in 1971 and for his productions spotlighting Fulton's character 'the Reverend I. M. Jolly'.
Barbara Rafferty, is a Scottish actress. She was credited as Barbara Ann Brown in her early acting career. She is known for her roles as Ella Cotter in the long-running BBC Two sitcom Rab C Nesbitt, then firstly as Shirley Henderson and currently as Bernie O'Hara in BBC Scotland soap opera River City. She playec Agnes Meldon in mystery series Hamish MacBeth and Grandma Mainland in the CBeebies comedy Katie Morag.
Colin Gilbert, born 1954, is a Glasgow-born television producer and former senior creative director of The Comedy Unit.
Greg McHugh is a Scottish actor and writer. He is the creator, writer and star of the BBC1 comedy series Gary: Tank Commander. He also played Howard in the Channel 4 comedy Fresh Meat.
Iain McColl was a Scottish film and television actor, best known for his roles on British television series. McColl starred on City Lights, a BBC Scotland sitcom, from 1984 to 1991. He then co-starred on the BBC Two sitcom, Rab C Nesbitt during its first run (1988-1999). He rejoined the cast of Rab C Nesbitt again when the show was revived in 2008. Additionally, he appeared in guest spots on numerous other television shows, including Hamish Macbeth, Still Game and Taggart. McColl was also cast in a small role in the 2002 American film, Gangs of New York, directed by Martin Scorsese.
James Allenby-Kirk or simply James Kirk is a Scottish actor, comedian and writer. He is best known for his roles as Jeff the Chef in the comedy Gary: Tank Commander and as Stosh in the drama series 24: Live Another Day.
Tarrant Hightopp, also known as The Mad Hatter, is a fictional character in the 2010 film Alice in Wonderland and its 2016 sequel Alice Through the Looking Glass, based upon the original character from Lewis Carroll's Alice novels. He is portrayed by actor Johnny Depp. He serves as the films' male protagonist.