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Simon Day

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For the other English actor with the same name, see Simon Paisley Day.

Simon Day
Born
Simon William Day

(1962-06-07) 7 June 1962 (age 62)
Blackheath, London, England
NationalityEnglish
Occupation(s)Comedian, actor
Years active1990–present
SpouseRuth
Children2

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.

Career

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Day 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

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Day 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

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Film

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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

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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

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  1. ^ a b Bevan, Siân (28 October 2008). "Simon Day – What A Fool Believes". theskinny.co.uk. Retrieved 17 April 2018.
  2. ^ "BFI | Film & TV Database | SATURDAY ZOO". Ftvdb.bfi.org.uk. Archived from the original on 17 April 2008. Retrieved 22 April 2013.
  3. ^ "Comedy – Clips from 'Brian Pern'". BBC. Retrieved 22 April 2013.
  4. ^ "BBC One – Hustle, Series 6, Episode 3". BBC. 24 January 2010. Retrieved 22 April 2013.
  5. ^ "Foster's – The Fast Show". Fosters.co.uk. Retrieved 22 April 2013.
  6. ^ a b c d Day, Simon (March 2012). Comedy and Error: They Really Were Marvellous Times. Simon & Schuster. ISBN 978-1849830560.
  7. ^ "The Simon Day Show". BBC. Retrieved 15 April 2018.
  8. ^ "The Life of Rock with Brian Pern". Radio Times. Retrieved 16 February 2014.
  9. ^ Jarossi, Robin (14 January 2015). "Death in Paradise series 4, Kris Marshall PREVIEW". crimetimepreview.com. Retrieved 16 April 2018.
  10. ^ "King Gary cast and crew credits". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 10 February 2020.
  11. ^ "Simon Day revives Dave Angel". Chortle. Retrieved 23 April 2022.
  12. ^ "Interview: Simon Day, comedian – News – Scotsman.com". Thescotsman.scotsman.com. 22 June 2011. Retrieved 22 April 2013.
  13. ^ "Metro". 23 June 2011. Retrieved 31 January 2014.
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