Simon Farnaby | |
---|---|
Born | Darlington, County Durham, England | 2 April 1973
Occupation(s) | Actor, comedian, writer |
Years active | 1994–present |
Spouse | Claire Keelan |
Children | 1 |
Simon Farnaby (born 2 April 1973) is an English actor, comedian and writer. He is best known for his work with the Them There collective where he has written and starred in productions including Horrible Histories, Yonderland , and Ghosts.
Farnaby earned BAFTA nominations for his co-writing of Paddington 2 , both for Best Adapted Screenplay and Best British Film, [1] and was the winner of the 2023 Television BAFTA for memorable TV moment. [2] In 2023, he co-wrote and appeared in Wonka , a film which serves as a prequel to the Roald Dahl novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory , exploring Willy Wonka's origins.
Farnaby was born on 2 April 1973 in Darlington, County Durham [3] and attended Richmond School, North Yorkshire.
Farnaby was a long-time member of The Mighty Boosh supporting cast, [4] [5] having had roles both in their series and co-starring in the quasi-spinoff film Bunny and the Bull . [6]
Other notable television work includes recurring roles in the sitcoms Jam & Jerusalem , [7] The Midnight Beast [4] and Detectorists . He previously had a very brief role in one episode of Coronation Street in the 1990s. [7]
Farnaby has presented a number of factual programmes including Richard III: The King in the Car Park in 2013, [8] tracing the discovery and identification of the remains of the last Plantagenet king, the 2014 Channel 4 documentary series entitled Man Vs Weird, in which he travelled the world investigating people who claim superhuman abilities, [9] and as narrator of the Channel 5 docu-series called On the Yorkshire Buses , following East Yorkshire Motor Services. [10]
Farnaby accepted a TV BAFTA in 2023 for memorable TV moment, for a short film broadcast as part of the Platinum Party at the Palace for the Platinum Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II in June 2022, in which Farnaby played a butler. [2]
Farnaby has worked extensively with the Them There collective of six writers and actors, who started as principal members of the cast of the CBBC live-action series Horrible Histories , where he played offbeat characters including Caligula and Death.
Farnaby, along with the five other collective members, co-created, wrote and starred in Yonderland (2013-16), [11] which was broadcast on Sky One for three series.
Farnaby had his first major involvement with the creation of a film with the troupe, on the 2015 historical comedy film Bill , based loosely around the early life of William Shakespeare. [12] [13]
The same collective then went on to create the BBC show Ghosts , which ran for five seasons before the team decided to retire it. [14] Farnaby played the fictitious Conservative politician ghost, Julian Fawcett, [15] who always appeared without trousers. [7]
Along with journalist Scott Murray, in 2011 Farnaby co-wrote The Phantom of the Open , a biography of Maurice Flitcroft, a would-be professional golfer whose unsuccessful attempts to qualify for the Open Championship led to his being described as "the world's worst golfer". [16] [17]
His first children's novel, The Wizard In My Shed, was published in 2020, [18] and this was followed by a sequel titled Warrior in my Wardrobe: More Misadventures with Merdyn the Wild, which was released in 2021. [19] [20]
Farnaby was also a co-author of Ghosts: The Button House Archives, a companion book to the Them There television series for the BBC, Ghosts which he co-wrote and starred in. [21] [22]
Having previously appeared in The Mighty Boosh, Farnaby was in a starring role for the related film Bunny and the Bull in 2009, where he played the eponymous Bunny. [6]
In 2016, Farnaby co-wrote and had a small acting part in Mindhorn with Julian Barratt, a comedy about Richard Thorncroft (Barratt), a faded television actor drawn into negotiations with a criminal who believes his character Detective Mindhorn is real. [5]
He co-wrote the book The Phantom of the Open about golfer Maurice Flitcroft in 2011, and then started work on a film script of the story in 2017, which led to the release of The Phantom of the Open in 2021, starring Mark Rylance.
Also in 2016, Farnaby had a small on-screen role in Rogue One , as an X-Wing pilot. [23]
The biggest film success of Farnaby's career came with the Paddington film franchise. Following on from appearing as an actor in the first film, he went on to co-write Paddington 2 with Paul King, for which he was nominated for two film BAFTAs for best adapted screenplay and Outstanding British Film. He was also the winner of the International Online Cinema Award for Best Adapted Screenplay, and the Hollywood Critics Association award for Best Adapted Screenplay in 2018. [24] Farnaby subsequently appeared alongside Paddington Bear and Queen Elizabeth II in a short film broadcast as a part of the Platinum Party at the Palace for the Platinum Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II in June 2022, which won the 2023 BAFTA for memorable TV moment, which Farnaby accepted. [2]
Farnaby is the co-writer of 2023 Christmas release Wonka , along with Paul King, which is a prequel to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl. [25] Farnaby also has a small on-screen role, with his Them There collaborator Mathew Baynton in one of the leading roles, and starring Timothée Chalamet.
Farnaby is married to actress Claire Keelan (his second wife) with whom he has a daughter, born in 2014. [26]
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2004 | Fat Slags | Ventriloquist | |
Blake's Junction 7 | Terry | Short film | |
2009 | Bunny and the Bull | Bunny | |
2010 | Burke & Hare | William Wordsworth | |
2011 | Your Highness | Manious the Bold | |
2013 | All Stars | Foreman | |
2014 | Paddington | Barry | |
2015 | Bill | Various | |
2016 | Mindhorn | Clive Parnevik | Also writer |
Rogue One | X-wing pilot Farns Monsbee | ||
2017 | Paddington 2 | Barry | Also writer |
2018 | Christopher Robin | Taxi Driver | |
2021 | The Phantom of the Open | Laurent Lambert | Writer |
2023 | Wonka | Basil | Also writer |
2024 | Paddington in Peru | Flight Attendant |
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1994 | The House of Windsor | Sean Sutcliffe | 1 episode |
1996 | Coronation Street | Greg Bamfield | 1 episode |
2004–2007 | The Mighty Boosh | Various characters | 3 episodes |
2005 | The Lenny Henry Show | Twyford | 1 episode |
Spoons | Various Characters | 6 episodes | |
2006 | Blunder | 6 episodes | |
2006–2009 | Jam & Jerusalem | Samuel "Spike" Pike | 12 episodes |
2007 | Comedy Cuts | Werewolf | 1 episode |
The Yellow House | Henri | TV movie | |
Strutter | Various | 2 episodes | |
2008 | M.I. High | James Blond | 1 episode |
The Golf War | Stuart Ogilvy | Failed pilot | |
Angelo's | Kris | 6 episodes | |
LifeSpam: My Child is French | Various | Failed pilot | |
2009–2013 | Horrible Histories | Various characters | 65 episodes |
2010 | The Persuasionists | Keaton | 6 episodes |
Comedy Lab | Old Man | 1 episode | |
2011 | Dick and Dom's Funny Business | Various characters | 1 episode |
Horrible Histories' Big Prom Party | Various characters | One-off special | |
2012 | Dave Shakespeare | Dave Shakespeare | Failed pilot |
2012–present | The Midnight Beast | Sloman | 10 episodes |
2013 | Utopia | Marcus | 1 episode |
Not Going Out | Scott | 1 episode | |
Richard III: The King in the Car Park | Presenter | Documentary | |
Richard III: The Unseen Story | Narrator | Documentary | |
Crackanory | Robert Pickle | 1 episode | |
2013–2016 | Yonderland | Various characters | 25 episodes |
2014 | Man Vs Weird | Himself | 3 episodes |
On the Yorkshire Buses | Narrator | 8 episodes | |
Noel Fielding's Luxury Comedy | George Orwell | 1 episode | |
2014–2022 | Detectorists | Phil | 12 episodes |
2015 | House of Fools | Health Inspector | 1 episode |
Horrible Histories | Various characters | 12 episodes | |
Top Coppers | Dr Schäfer | 2 episodes | |
2017 | Quacks | Dr Flowers | 1 episode |
2019–2021 | This Time with Alan Partridge | Sam Chatwin | 3 episodes |
2019–2023 | Ghosts | Julian Fawcett MP | Also co-creator |
2021–present | Britbox advert | Narrator | 2 adverts |
2022 | Platinum Party at the Palace | Footman | Paddington Bear sketch. Also writer [27] |
Tesco Christmas advert | Narrator | 1 advert [28] | |
2024 | Here We Go | Boyd | 1 episode |
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Bunny and the Bull is a 2009 British comedy film written and directed by Paul King. It stars Edward Hogg and Simon Farnaby in a surreal recreation of a road trip. King has previously worked on British television comedies The Mighty Boosh and Garth Marenghi's Darkplace; the film is made in a similar style and has cameo appearances from stars of those series.
Mathew John Baynton is an English actor, comedian, musician and writer. He is best known as a member of the Them There collective in which he wrote and starred in shows including Horrible Histories, Yonderland and Ghosts. He was also the co-creator, writer and star of the comedy-drama The Wrong Mans. Other major television roles include Deano in Gavin & Stacey, Chris Pitt-Goddard in Spy, Simon in Peep Show, William Agar in Quacks, and twin brothers Jamie Winton and Ariel Conroy in You, Me and the Apocalypse. He has appeared in several films, including Bill (2015) and Wonka (2023).
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Yonderland is a British sitcom television series that was broadcast on Sky One from November 2013 to December 2016. It was produced by Sioned Wiliam, and was created by, written by and starred the main performers from CBBC's series Horrible Histories.
Bill is a 2015 British family adventure comedy film from the principal performers behind children's TV series Horrible Histories and Yonderland. It was produced by Punk Cinema, Cowboy Films and BBC Films and was released in the UK on 18 September 2015 by Vertigo Films. The film is a fictional take on the young William Shakespeare's search for fame and fortune, as written by Laurence Rickard and Ben Willbond and directed by Richard Bracewell who co-produced with Tony Bracewell, Alasdair Flind and Charles Steel. It features the six lead performers playing several different roles each including Mathew Baynton, Martha Howe-Douglas, Ben Willbond, Simon Farnaby, Jim Howick and Laurence Rickard. Bill has received mostly positive reviews from critics and grossed $968,534 worldwide. The film also received nominations for the Evening Standard British Film Award for Award for Comedy and the Into Film Award for Family Film of the Year.
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Paddington is a media franchise based on the character Paddington Bear, created by British author Michael Bond. The franchise began with the 2014 film of the same name. A sequel was released in 2017 and a third film went into production in 2023. The films have also spawned a TV series, and a short film. All films and TV series feature Ben Whishaw as the voice of Paddington.
Them There is a theatrical production collective made up of a group of comedy writers and performers, notable for working on a range of projects together including Horrible Histories, Yonderland, and Ghosts. They are also informally referred to as the Horrible Histories troupe and The Six Idiots.
The Phantom of the Open is a 2021 British biographical comedy-drama film directed by Craig Roberts, about the exploits of Maurice Flitcroft. The screenplay by Simon Farnaby was based upon the biography The Phantom of the Open: Maurice Flitcroft, The World's Worst Golfer by Farnaby and Scott Murray. The film stars Mark Rylance, Sally Hawkins, Rhys Ifans, Jake Davies, Christian and Jonah Lees, Mark Lewis Jones and Johann Myers.
Wonka is a 2023 musical fantasy comedy film directed by Paul King, who co-wrote the screenplay with Simon Farnaby based on a story by King. It tells the origin story of Willy Wonka, a central character in the 1964 novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl, depicting his early days as a chocolatier. The film stars Timothée Chalamet as the title character, with an ensemble cast including Calah Lane, Keegan-Michael Key, Paterson Joseph, Matt Lucas, Mathew Baynton, Sally Hawkins, Rowan Atkinson, Jim Carter, Olivia Colman, and Hugh Grant.