Mark Heap | |
---|---|
Born | [1] Kodaikanal, Tamil Nadu, India | 13 May 1957
Nationality | British |
Occupations |
|
Years active | 1983–present |
Mark Heap (born 13 May 1957) [1] is a British actor and comedian. He is known for his roles in television comedies, including Brass Eye , Big Train , Spaced , Jam , Green Wing , Friday Night Dinner , Upstart Crow , and Benidorm .
Heap was born in Kodaikanal, Tamil Nadu, India, [2] to an English father and American mother, the youngest of four boys. [1] He began acting in the 1970s as a member of the Medieval Players, [3] a touring company performing medieval and early modern theatre, and featuring stilt-walking, juggling and puppetry. [3] His brother Carl Heap, who is also an actor, was the artistic director of the company. [3] After its demise, he became part of the street theatre duo The Two Marks (with Mark Saban). [4]
Heap starred in the BBC sketch show Big Train , where he performed a barefoot gymnastics routine and other sketches between 1998 and 2002, alongside other burgeoning comedy stars Simon Pegg, Julia Davis, Kevin Eldon, Catherine Tate, Amelia Bullmore, Rebecca Front, Nick Frost and Tracy-Ann Oberman. [5] He appeared as struggling artist Brian Topp in Spaced (1999–2001), [6] and the pompous Dr. Alan Statham in Green Wing (2004–07). [6]
Heap worked with Chris Morris, in Blue Jam , radio predecessor to Jam , [2] and the documentary parody series Brass Eye . [1] He voiced the lead character of Eric Feeble in the animated comedy Stressed Eric . Other recurring roles included: Terry Roche in Paul Whitehouse's comedy-drama Happiness and Derek Few in How Do You Want Me? . [1] He played Harry in the short-lived Rob Grant TV series The Strangerers , in 2000. [2] He also guested in the second series of the BBC comedy Look Around You as Leonard Hatred. [2]
He appeared as an unsuccessful businessman who became a bellboy, in the 2007 BBC One drama Hotel Babylon . [2] Between 2008 and 2010 he appeared as head postman Thomas Brown, in 32 episodes of the BBC period drama Lark Rise to Candleford . [1] He was the super villain Lightkiller, in an episode of the sitcom No Heroics . [2] He also appeared as the father of Chris Miles in the Channel 4 programme Skins . [2] Heap played the love interest of the main character in the second series of the BBC comedy Love Soup . [2] He played the role of Charles Dickens in the 2009 BBC Two drama Desperate Romantics . [2] He also played Jessica Hynes' husband in the one-off comedy written by Hynes and Julia Davis: Lizzie & Sarah. [2]
In 2010, Heap appeared as Bob Stevens, the leader of a rambling group in the BBC4 series The Great Outdoors . [2] He also appeared as a psychiatrist in Miranda Hart's BBC2 comedy Miranda . [2] In October 2010, he appeared as Robin in the four-part BBC drama Single Father . [2] From 2011 to 2020 Heap played eccentric neighbour Jim Bell in the Channel 4 sitcom Friday Night Dinner , alongside Simon Bird, Paul Ritter, Tom Rosenthal and Tamsin Greig. [6] He also played Andrew Thorogood in the BBC Four comedy Holy Flying Circus , [2] and Jonas in the eighth episode of E4's sci-fi comedy-drama Misfits in Series 3. [2] He appeared as a misguided church minister during an outbreak of smallpox in the BBC series The Indian Doctor . [2] In 2012, he joined the cast of the Sky1 original series Spy , [2] for its second series commencing in October 2012, replacing Tom Goodman-Hill as Philip Quil, Judith's partner and Marcus' headteacher. [2]
He appeared in the spin-off episode of Outnumbered , [2] the Christmas special episode, aired on 24 December 2012 in which he portrayed Norris, for this single episode. [2] He played the owner of a pet crematorium in Sue Perkins's 2013 comedy Heading Out . [2] He had a leading role in BBC Radio 4's adaptation of Gogol's Dead Souls . [2] He appeared as Robert Greene in three series of Upstart Crow (2016–18), [2] a BBC Two sitcom about Shakespeare, written by Ben Elton. [1] He also appeared as Dr John Hall in the stage show based on the programme. [1]
From 2017 to 2018, Heap also appeared in the sitcom Benidorm , [1] playing the character Malcolm Barrett, the controlling and manipulative boyfriend of Pauline Maltby. [1] In 2019, he appeared in Acorn TV's Queens of Mystery alongside Olivia Vinall. [2]
In 2020, Heap appeared in Intelligence , [2] and played headmaster and husband in ITV's The Trouble with Maggie Cole . [2]
In 1983, Heap made a brief appearance as a torch-juggler in the James Bond film Octopussy . He played Duncan, Rik Mayall's hapless personal assistant, in Bring Me the Head of Mavis Davis (1997). [2] He played a school teacher in the 2002 film About a Boy . [2] He made a cameo appearance with Kevin Eldon in Tim Burton's 2005 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory . [2] He played supporting roles in Confetti (2006), Tunnel of Love (2004), Stardust (2007). [2] In 2008 he co-starred in the surreal sci-fi B-movie spoof Captain Eager and the Mark of Voth , and was a publican in The World's End . [2]
In 1993, Heap played a villain, Hans Schultze, in an episode of Crimewatch File , “Double Identity”. Schultze was the German alter ego of an Englishman, John Calton. Schultze/Calton led a gang of kidnappers who robbed banks and a Tesco branch, holding families hostage.
In 2008 Heap played the role of Widmerpool in a Radio 4 serialisation of Anthony Powell's A Dance to the Music of Time . He played Eliza's husband in 2006 Radio 4 play The Eliza Stories and appeared as Marmite the Dwarf in the short-lived Radio 4 sitcom The Sofa of Time . He starred in the music video for Four Tet's single "Smile Around the Face" in 2005, contributed a multitude of character voices in the audiobook "Do Ants Have Arseholes?". In 2012 he starred as Martin in the Radio 4 play Cordite for Breakfast, a comedy about Napoleonic-era battle re-enactments. [7] In March 2013, he appeared as Rincewind in a 4-part Radio 4 adaptation of Terry Pratchett's Eric. He also played the angel Aziraphale in the 2014 BBC radio adaption of Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett's Good Omens . [8] He also was the lead in a series of radio advertisements for telecommunications company TalkTalk. [9]
† | Denotes works that have not yet been released |
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1983 | Octopussy | Torch juggler | |
1997 | Bring Me the Head of Mavis Davis | Duncan | |
2002 | About A Boy | Maths teacher | |
2004 | The Calcium Kid | Sebastian Gore-Brown | |
2005 | Charlie and the Chocolate Factory | Man with Dog | |
2006 | Confetti | Registrar | |
Scoop | MC | ||
2007 | Stardust | Prince Tertius | |
2008 | Captain Eager and the Mark of Voth | Scrutty Baker | |
2013 | The World's End | Publican 7 | |
All Stars | Simon Tarrington | ||
2016 | The Comedian's Guide to Survival | Pick up Driver | |
2022 | The House | Mr. Thomas | |
The School for Good and Evil | Professor Bilious Manley | ||
Your Christmas or Mine? | Railway Conductor | ||
TBA | The Magic Faraway Tree | Mr. Oom Boom Boom | Filming |
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1987 | The Les Dennis Laughter Show | The Two Marks | 1 episode |
1990 | Up Yer News | Film Assistant | 1 episode |
1992 | Packing Them In | Fire eating stiltwalker | 1 episode |
1993 | Viva Cabaret | The Two Marks | 1 episode |
1994 | The Bill | Chris Boxer | 1 episode |
Seaforth | Capt. Karl Von Berner | 2 episodes | |
How High the Moon | |||
1995 | The World of Lee Evans | Platform Guard | 1 episode |
1997 | Hospital | Dr. Ralph Crosby | |
An Unsuitable Job for a Woman | DS Maskell | 1 episode | |
1997–1998 | Smith and Jones | 2 episodes | |
1997–2001 | Brass Eye | Various roles | |
1998 | Kiss Me Kate | Peter | 3 episodes |
1998–1999 | How Do You Want Me? | Derek Few | |
1998–2000 | Stressed Eric | Eric Feeble | |
1998–2002 | Big Train | Various roles | |
1999 | All Along the Watchtower | Mr. Carter | 1 episode |
People Like Us | Graham Atkinson | 1 episode | |
1999–2001 | Spaced | Brian Topp | |
2000 | The Strangerers | Harry | |
Jam | Various roles | ||
2001 | The Ultimate Stress Show: Managing Stress | ||
Doc Martin | Mitch | ||
2001–2003 | Happiness | Terry Roche | |
2003 | Doc Martin and the Legend of the Cloutie | Mitch | |
Spine Chillers | Balfus | 1 episode | |
2004 | Dalziel and Pascoe | Julian Finch | 1 episode: "The Price of Fame" |
Swiss Toni | Terry Fragment | 1 episode | |
Tunnel of Love | Gibson | ||
Out of Time | Charlie | ||
2004–2007 | Green Wing | Alan Statham | 17 episodes & 1 special |
2005 | Blake's Junction 7 | Avon | Short |
Look Around You | Leonard Hatred | 2 episodes | |
Casanova | Doctor Gozzi | 1 episode | |
Animal | Hugo Getner | ||
2006 | Alpha Male | Darwen | |
2007 | Hotel Babylon | Robert Kane | 1 episode |
Marple: At Bertram's Hotel | Mr. Humfries | ||
2007–2008 | Skins | Graham Miles | 2 episodes |
2008 | Love Soup | Douglas McVitie | |
No Heroics | Lightkiller | 1 episode | |
The Pro | Short | ||
2008–2011 | Lark Rise to Candleford | Thomas Brown | |
2009 | Desperate Romantics | Charles Dickens | |
Cast Offs | Darren | 1 episode | |
2010 | Lizzie and Sarah | Michael | |
The Great Outdoors | Bob | ||
Single Father | Robin | ||
2010, 2015 | Miranda | Anthony | 2 episodes |
2011 | Holy Flying Circus | Andrew Thorogood | |
Misfits | Jonas | 1 episode | |
Miso Soup | Shash | Short | |
2011–2020 | Friday Night Dinner | Jim Bell | Main role, 37 episodes |
2012 | The Indian Doctor | Rev Herbert Todd | Series 2, 5 episodes |
A Moody Christmas | Heathrow Passenger | 1 episode | |
Outnumbered | Norris | 1 episode | |
Spy | Philip | ||
Is This a Joke? | Short | ||
2012–2016 | The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret | Lord Mountford | 4 episodes |
2013 | Heading Out | Brian | 1 episode |
Midsomer Murders | Simon Fergus-Johnson | 1 episode (series 16 episode 1) | |
2014 | Death in Paradise | Alec Burton | 1 episode (series 3 episode 6) |
2015 | We're Doomed! The Dad's Army Story | Clive Dunn | |
2016 | Endeavour | Felix Lorimer | 1 episode (series 3, episode 4) |
Maigret | Doctor Moers | ||
2016–2018 | Upstart Crow | Robert Greene | |
2017 | Murder on the Blackpool Express | Graham | |
2017–2018 | Benidorm | Denis Walker (Malcolm Barrett) | 3 episodes (series 9, episodes 7 and 8 and series 10, episode 7) |
2018 | The Midnight Gang | Sir Quentin | TV movie |
Zapped [10] | Dragon spotter | ||
2019 | Queens of Mystery | Kurt Lee | 2 episodes "Death by Vinyl" |
2020 | Intelligence | Barnaby Bailer | |
The Trouble with Maggie Cole | Peter Cole | ||
2023 | Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway | The Butler | Series 19, episode 3 |
Significant Other | Ray | ||
2024 | Renegade Nell | Newspaper Editor | 2 episodes |
The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin | John Turpin | Main role | |
Sister Boniface Mysteries | Kirk Fabricant | 1 episode (series 3, episode 3) | |
Piglets | Superintendent Bob Weekes | Lead role [11] |
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2010 | Fable III | Brian |
Sir David John White, known professionally by his stage name David Jason, is an English actor. He has played Derek "Del Boy" Trotter in the BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses, Detective Inspector Jack Frost in A Touch of Frost, Granville in Open All Hours and Still Open All Hours, and Pop Larkin in The Darling Buds of May, as well as voicing several cartoon characters, including Mr. Toad in The Wind in the Willows, the BFG in the 1989 film, and the title characters of Danger Mouse and Count Duckula.
Timothy Malcolm Healy is an English actor. He played Dennis Patterson in the comedy-drama series Auf Wiedersehen, Pet (1983–2004), Lesley Conroy in the sitcom Benidorm (2009–2018), and Gastric in the comedy series Still Open All Hours (2014–2019).
Michael Fenton Stevens is an English actor and comedian. He was a founder member of The Hee Bee Gee Bees and sang the lead on the Spitting Image 1986 number 1 hit "The Chicken Song". He also starred in KYTV, its Radio 4 predecessor Radio Active, Benidorm, and was an anchor on 3rd & Bird on CBeebies.
Peter Szymon Serafinowicz is an English actor, comedian, director and screenwriter. His film roles include the voice of Darth Maul in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999), Pete in Shaun of the Dead (2004), Garthan Saal in Guardians of the Galaxy (2014), the voice of Big Daddy in Sing (2016) and Sing 2 (2021), and The Sommelier in John Wick: Chapter 2 (2017).
Clement Graham Crowden was a Scottish actor. He was best known for his many appearances in television comedy dramas and films, often playing eccentric scientist, teacher and doctor characters.
Kevin Eldon is an English actor and comedian. He featured in British comedy television shows of the 1990s including Fist of Fun, This Morning with Richard Not Judy, Knowing Me, Knowing You with Alan Partridge, I'm Alan Partridge, Big Train, Brass Eye and Jam. In 2013, Eldon appeared in his own BBC sketch series It's Kevin. He has also appeared in minor speaking roles in the HBO series Game of Thrones.
Tamsin Margaret Mary Greig is a British actress. She is known for both dramatic and comedic roles. She played Fran Katzenjammer in the Channel 4 sitcom Black Books, Dr Caroline Todd in the Channel 4 sitcom Green Wing, Beverly Lincoln in British-American sitcom Episodes and Jackie Goodman in the Channel 4 sitcom Friday Night Dinner. Other roles include Alice Chenery in BBC One's comedy-drama series Love Soup, Debbie Aldridge in BBC Radio 4's soap opera The Archers, Miss Bates in the 2009 BBC version of Jane Austen's Emma, and Beth Hardiment in the 2010 film version of Tamara Drewe. In 2020, Greig starred as Anne Trenchard in Julian Fellowes' ITV series Belgravia.
David George Dirk Maggs is a British freelance writer and director. During his career as a Senior Producer in BBC Radio he made radio drama adopting a cinematic-sounding approach, combining filmic story construction, layered sound effects, orchestral music and digital recording technology. Maggs introduced productions in Dolby Surround in BBC Radio and termed the result, "Audio Movies".
Selina Jane Griffiths is a British actress mostly known for her performances in sitcoms. She played Pauline Maltby in the ITV comedy series Benidorm. She is the daughter of Annette Crosbie.
Neil Simon Fitzmaurice is an English actor, comedian, and writer. He is best known for his role as Jeff, the love rival of protagonist Mark Corrigan, in the Channel 4 sitcom Peep Show. He has written for a number of other sitcoms, including Peter Kay's Phoenix Nights and Benidorm.
Geoffrey Hutchings was an English stage, film and television actor.
Brian Trevor John Murphy is an English actor and comedian. He is best known as the henpecked husband George Roper in the popular sitcom Man About the House and its spin-off series George and Mildred. He also played Alvin Smedley in Last of the Summer Wine. Other notable roles include Stan the shopkeeper in the 1990s children's series Wizadora, and Maurice in the comedy drama series The Booze Cruise.
Janine Duvitski is a British actress, known for her roles in the BBC television sitcom series Waiting for God, One Foot in the Grave and Benidorm. Duvitski first came to national attention in the play Abigail's Party, written and directed in 1977 by Mike Leigh.
Philip Jackson is an English actor. He appeared as Chief Inspector Japp in both the television series Agatha Christie's Poirot and in BBC Radio dramatisations of Poirot stories; as Melvin "Dylan" Bottomley in Porridge; and as Abbot Hugo, one of the recurring adversaries in the 1980s series Robin of Sherwood.
Julie Graham is a Scottish actress from Irvine, Ayrshire. Her credits include Taggart (1986), The Fruit Machine (1988), Nuns on the Run (1990), Harry (1993–1995), The Near Room (1995), Preaching to the Perverted (1997), Bedrooms and Hallways (1998), Some Voices (2000), At Home with the Braithwaites (2000–2003), William and Mary (2003–2005), Bonekickers (2008), Doc Martin (2011), Tower Block (2012), The Bletchley Circle (2013), Shetland (2014-2022), Benidorm (2016-2018), Doctor Who (2020), Queens of Mystery (2019–2021), Midsomer Murders (2023), and Ridley (2023).
Sheila Reid is a Scottish actress, known for playing Madge Harvey in the ITV sitcom Benidorm (2007–2016). An original member of the Royal National Theatre in 1963, she played Bianca in the National's 1965 film version of Othello, with Laurence Olivier in the title role. Her other film appearances include Brazil (1985), The Winter Guest (1997) and Containment (2015).
Christine Murray, known professionally as Crissy Rock, is an English award-winning actress, stand-up comedian, and best-selling author, most notable for her role as Maggie Conlan in the 1994 film Ladybird, Ladybird, and as Janey York in Benidorm whom she played from 2007, until 2011 when she left the show, although she returned in Episode 6 of Series 5 for a cameo role, and then again for two episodes of Series 7 in 2015.
Tony Maudsley is an English actor. He is best known for his portrayal of hairdresser Kenneth Du Beke in the hit ITV sitcom Benidorm, and George Shuttleworth in the ITV soap opera Coronation Street (2020–present).
Adrian Charles Edmondson is an English actor, comedian, musician, writer and television presenter. He was part of the alternative comedy boom in the early 1980s and had roles in the television series The Young Ones (1982–1984) and Bottom (1991–1995), which he wrote together with his collaborator Rik Mayall. Edmondson also appeared in The Comic Strip Presents... series of films throughout the 1980s and 1990s. For two episodes of this he created the spoof heavy metal band Bad News, and for another he played his nihilistic alter-ego Eddie Monsoon, an offensive South African television star.
Benidorm is a British sitcom written and created by Derren Litten and produced by Tiger Aspect for ITV that aired for ten series from 1 February 2007 until 2 May 2018. The series features an ensemble cast of holiday makers and staff at the Solana all-inclusive hotel in Benidorm, Spain over the course of a week each year.