Global Talent Directory

Comedians Directory

Browse comedian profiles, biographical summaries, country of origin, and official links.

1901 comedians

Adil Ray

Adil Ray functions as a British actor, comedian, and presenter for both radio and television. He attended Yardley Junior and Infant School and Handsworth Grammar School before pursuing higher education at the University of Huddersfield, where he graduated with a 2:1 BA (Hons) in Marketing in 1997. His early interests extended beyond academics; he played cricket for West Bromwich Dartmouth in the late 1980s and early 1990s. While attending university, Ray’s professional journey commenced in 1992 with roles including radio host on an unlicensed station in Huddersfield and DJ at Eden, the university's entertainment space. From 2002, he presented The Adil Ray Show on BBC Asian Network, earning the best radio show award at the UK Asian Music Awards in 2008. He has appeared in several BBC Radio 4 documentaries, including Picturing Britain and Towering Ambition . Widely recognized, Adil Ray is known as the originator, co-writer, and lead performer in the BBC One sitcom *Citizen Khan*, which aired between 2012 and 2016. This work earned him multiple RTS North West Awards for Best Performance in a Comedy in 2013, 2014, and a nomination in 2016. He has also appeared in Channel 4's Ackley Bridge , Channel 5's The Inheritance , ITV's Beecham House , and feature films such as Blithe Spirit , Arthur’s Whisky , and Picture This . Beginning in 2021, he has hosted the updated version of *Lingo*, and often participates in panel programs such as *Have I Got News For You* and *Have I Got A Bit More News For You*. For his services to broadcasting, Adil Ray was appointed an OBE and was longlisted for a National Television Award in 2023 and 2021, as well as nominated for an RTS Midlands Award in 2021.

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Adèle Anderson

Adèle Anderson, an English vocalist and actress, makes up one‑third of the cabaret troupe Fascinating Aïda. In 1995, she and the group were nominated for the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Entertainment.

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Al Murray

Alastair James Hay Murray, known professionally as Al Murray, is an English comedian born on May 10, 1968, in Stewkley, Buckinghamshire. A relative of the author William Makepeace Thackeray, he went to Bedford School and was a percussionist with the Bedfordshire County Youth Orchestra. His father held positions within both the Royal Engineers and British Rail. Murray graduated from the University of Oxford, demonstrating an early engagement with intellectual pursuits alongside his musical interests. Murray began his comedy career in 1994, working with Harry Hill for BBC Radio 4 and regularly performing at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. He first appeared as 'The Pub Landlord' during the 1994 Fringe Festival, a character who challenges audiences to name a country before asserting British superiority. This persona has become central to his work for over 20 years. Receiving nominations in 1996, 1997, and 1998, he ultimately secured the Edinburgh Comedy Award in 1999. Throughout his career spanning over two decades, he has filled arenas and large theaters worldwide. His work includes appearances on Channel 4's The Word in November 1991 and a brief stint as the drummer in the band Evangelista from 1994-1995. Al Murray’s comedy style often revolves around the character of 'The Pub Landlord', exploring British culture and history with a satirical edge. He has presented several award-winning series for BBC Four, including Al Murray: Why Does Everyone Hate the English? , Al Murray: Why Do The Brits Win Every War? , and Al Murray: Why Does Everyone Hate The British Empire? , as well as specials like Al Murray’s Great British War Movies and Al Murray’s Great British Spy Movies . He has also appeared on The Royal Variety Performance multiple times, hosted Live at the Apollo and Live at the Palladium , and starred in the sitcom Time Gentlemen Please . His theatrical work includes My Gaff, My Rules , which was short-listed for an Olivier Award in 2002. He has received two Olivier Award nominations for West End runs and is currently touring with ‘All You Need Is Guv’ and 'Guv Island', selling over 130,000 tickets in 2024. Murray is also a writer, having authored six books about British culture and history, including Victory’45 , scheduled for release in April 2025, and co-hosts the podcast We Have Ways of Making You Talk with James Holland, focusing on WWII history.

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Horace de Vere Cole

Horace de Vere Cole, born on May 5, 1881, in Ballincollig, County Cork, Ireland, was a British comedian known for his elaborate and often audacious pranks. He hailed from a wealthy family; his father, William Utting Cole, served as an officer in the third Dragoon Guards and tragically died of cholera in India. His mother, Mary de Vere, inherited property and was connected to politician Sir Stephen de Vere, making him a great-nephew of Anglo-Irish poet Aubrey de Vere. From a young age, Cole's life involved significant transitions; he attended Eton College as a boarder at ten years old and later suffered permanent hearing damage due to diphtheria. While his family background suggested a traditional path, he ultimately chose to pursue comedy instead of a military career, briefly attending Trinity College, Cambridge, in 1902. He served as a lieutenant in the Yorkshire Hussars during the Second Boer War (1900), experiencing a wound that required recuperation in Kroonstad. Notably, he donated his resulting disability pension (£1,800) to war widows and orphans. His most famous exploit was the Dreadnought hoax of 1910, where he and an accomplice posed as an Abyssinian prince and successfully gained a tour of the HMS Dreadnought. While at Cambridge, Cole and a friend, Adrian Stephen, further honed their skills by impersonating the Sultan of Zanzibar, fooling the Mayor's office and community into granting them a formal reception and tour, nearly exposed when a missionary attempted to communicate in the Sultan’s native tongue. He was fined £5 for a breach of the peace following a prank involving Oliver Locker-Lampson, and in 1919, he famously dropped horse manure onto Venice's Piazza San Marco. Financial considerations also played a role in his life; he inherited West Woodhay House in Berkshire in 1906 but sold it in 1912 due to upkeep costs.

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Jim Davidson

James Cameron Davidson, known professionally as Jim Davidson, is an English entertainer born on December 13, 1953. His parents represent a blend of British and Irish heritage; his father hailed from Glasgow, Scotland, and his mother was from County Cork, Ireland. Growing up in Kidbrooke, London, he experienced a diverse range of early jobs before pursuing his passion for comedy, including roles as a supermarket shelf stacker, messenger, air ticket clerk, ice cream cashier, and window cleaner. At age 12, he participated in Ralph Reader's Gang Show at the Golders Green Hippodrome, suggesting an early interest in performing arts. Davidson’s comedy career began unexpectedly when he filled in for a regular comedian at a pub in Woolwich. While an audition for Opportunity Knocks in 1975 proved unsuccessful, he achieved a significant breakthrough the following year by winning New Faces by a single point. From 1983 to 1985, he starred in the TV sitcom Up the Elephant and Round the Castle , followed by Home James! from 1987 to 1990. He also hosted Big Break from 1991 to 2002, and The Generation Game from 1995 to 2002, demonstrating his versatility as a TV presenter. Currently, Jim Davidson continues to perform as a comedian. His official online presence is maintained on this website, which provides updates about his activities, including tour dates. He is presently touring with 'Jim's Christmas Cracker'. The site also lets you buy personal videos. It has a gallery with photos from his career, old and new. Merchandise is available through the Ustreme Store.

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Max Boyce

Leonard Maxwell Boyce, a comedian, singer and entertainer from Glynneath, Wales, first gained public attention in the mid‑1970s by mixing musical comedy with his enthusiasm for rugby union and his roots in a South‑Welsh mining community. His 1975 record We All Had Doctors’ Papers remains the only comedy album ever to top the UK Albums Chart, and across a four‑decade career he has sold in excess of two million albums.

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Paul Putner

Paul Putner is an English actor and comedian, born on March 18, 1966, in East Grinstead, West Sussex. Originating from a middle-class family, he received early exposure to the entertainment industry through his uncle, John Mason, who worked in the BBC’s lighting department and earned a BAFTA award. Putner commenced his formal artistic education at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA), culminating in his graduation in 1988. During his time there, he focused on character acting, improvisation, and voice work, and was recognized for his comedic abilities by winning the Kenneth More prize for comedy acting. Putner's career encompasses a wide range of comedic roles and collaborations. During the mid-1990s, Putner partnered with Steve Furst and Oliver Darly to establish The Regency Rooms comedy club in London; he is remembered there for performing as one half of a Mexican Laurel and Hardy act. He gained further experience performing at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, initially appearing in Richard Herring’s Punk's Not Dead, and later writing and performing in Earl Stevens in 2001. His television appearances include roles in BBC2's The Glam Metal Detectives, as well as appearances in This Morning with Richard Not Judy (1998) where he played The Curious Orange, and Sir Bernard's Stately Homes (1999). He also had a memorable role in the popular sitcom Spaced (1999). Putner’s work has continued to evolve over the years. He is recognizable for his brief but impactful appearance as a zombie in Shaun of the Dead (2004), and played a mime in Paris, je t'aime (2005). From late 2005 to early 2007, he toured extensively as part of the Little Britain Live show. He also contributed to Stewart Lee’s Comedy Vehicle in 2009, 2014, and 2016. Putner featured as Gerald 'Jelly' Kelly within the Rock & Chips prequel trilogy (2010-2011) of Only Fools and Horses, and appeared repeatedly in the BBC’s Little Britain from 2003 to 2006, across both television and radio broadcasts. He continues to work as an actor and comedian.

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Peter Richardson

Peter Richardson is an English director, screenwriter, actor, and comedian born on October 15, 1951. He spent his formative years in Newton Abbot, Devon, before relocating to Dartmoor at the age of ten. His parents operated a children's summer camp school, which likely influenced his later work with comedic performance. Richardson’s early interest in acting is evident from his teenage appearance in Alan Bennett's 'Forty Years On'. Following this, he attended the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School from 1971 to 1973, further honing his skills. Richardson’s career took a distinctive turn when he began creating experimental theatre shows with Nigel Planer. These performances blended comedy and improvisation with rock music, resulting in touring productions like 'Rank' and 'The Wild Boys'. He then co-founded the influential Comic Strip troupe alongside Nigel Planer, bringing together talents such as French and Saunders, Rik Mayall, Adrian Edmondson, and Alexei Sayle. Recognizing the potential of this collective, Richardson approached Channel 4 to develop 'The Comic Strip Presents...' series, which premiered in 1982. He directed 17 out of over 40 Comic Strip films, becoming a central figure in the group’s creative output. The success of 'The Comic Strip Presents...' led to the development of feature films including 'The Supergrass,' 'Eat the Rich,' 'The Pope Must Die,' and 'Churchill: The Hollywood Years'. In the 1990s, Richardson continued to nurture emerging comedic talent, introducing performers like Doon Mackichan and others. He collaborated with Phil Cornwell and John Sessions on the mockumentary series 'Stella Street'. In 2004, he co-founded Great Western Features in Totnes, Devon. His directorial work includes the Comic Strip film 'Sex Actually' (2005), and more recently, he wrote and directed 'The Hunt for Tony Blair' (2011), 'Five Go To Rehab' (2012), and 'Red Top' (2016). Richardson is currently working on a book about The Comic Strip, expected in 2022, offering a comprehensive look at his significant contribution to British comedy.

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Rufus Hound

Rufus Hound, born Robert James Blair Simpson on March 6, 1979, is a multifaceted entertainer from Essex. He moved to Surrey at age seven and comes from a family with an accountant father and a civil servant mother; he also has twin brothers. His early education included attending Hoe Bridge School Woking, Frensham Heights, and Godalming College, where he served as Student Representative and established the college radio station. This foundation in communication and performance would later shape his career. Initially working for a PR agency, Rufus Hound began performing comedy in the evenings before leaving that role in 2000 to pursue comedy full-time. He adopted the stage name "Rufus Hound" around this time during the Edinburgh Festival. His comedic style began with standup comedy and then transitioned into television appearances. He has been a regular panelist on shows like Mock the Week and Celebrity Juice, demonstrating his quick wit and observational humor. In 2005 and 2006, he shared hosting duties for Destination Three's Glastonbury Festival reports, Top of the Pops, and additionally presented Grime Scene Investigation on BBC Three. He narrated MythBusters on BBC Two, showing he can do many things as a broadcaster. Rufus Hound's acting credits are extensive, including roles in Big Fat Gypsy Gangster (2011), The Wedding Video (2012), Doctor Who (2015) as Sam Swift, and Trollied (2016) as Duncan. His stage credits include roles in West End shows like Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (as Freddy), The Wind in the Willows (as Toad), One Man, Two Guvnors (as Francis Henshall), and Neville’s Island at Chichester Festival Theatre. His voice acting work includes roles in Big Finish audio dramas as The Meddling Monk since 2017, Waffle on Waffle the Wonder Dog from 2018 to 2020, Ronja the Robbers Daughter (as Borka), and Sadie Sparks (as Gilbert). He recently appeared in Doctors as Keith 'Starbuck' Dursley from October to November 2021. Currently, he is starring in 'The Mesmerist' at Watford Palace Theatre, a role he will play through March 21st. Rufus Hound is a comedian, actor, and presenter who has received awards and boasts an extensive career across different platforms.

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Stella Duffy

Born in London in 1963, Stella Duffy’s formative years were spent residing on a council estate located in Woolwich. When she was five years old, her family emigrated to Tokoroa, New Zealand. She is the youngest of seven children, and her upbringing included significant time spent both in the United Kingdom and New Zealand. At Victoria University of Wellington, Duffy’s talent for creative work and stage presence became evident during her study of English literature alongside drama. Duffy’s career encompasses a wide range of artistic endeavors. She has written over sixty short stories and many plays, alongside sixteen novels since 1994, including Calendar Girl (1994), Wavewalker (1996), Beneath the Blonde (1997), Singling Out The Couples (1998), Fresh Flesh (1999), and The Room of Lost Things (2008). She is known for the Saz Martin series, beginning with Calendar Girl , which features a private investigator. Her work explores various themes, as seen in novels like Singling Out The Couples , which was optioned for a film, and The Room of Lost Things , which was longlisted for the 2004 Orange Prize. Duffy also contributed to the fiction anthology Tart Noir (2002), co-edited with Val McDermid, and completed Ngaio Marsh's unfinished novel, Money in the Morgue , in 2018. She has adapted the film script of State of Happiness and appeared in The Bill (1997) and Absolution (2001). Duffy’s talents extend to comedy and improvisation, having been a member of Spontaneous Combustion since 1988. She is also an associate artist with Improbable. Her solo show, Breaststrokes , has been performed in cities including London, Belfast, Cardiff, Dublin, York, and Amsterdam. She wrote and presented a documentary called How to Write a Mills and Boon for BBC’s Time Shift (2008). Duffy's work has garnered recognition including the 2002 Crime Writers' Association's Macallan Short Story Dagger for 'Martha Grace', the CWA Short Story Dagger Award in 2013 for 'Come Away With Me', and Stonewall Writer of the Year awards in 2008 and 2010. The British Empire bestowed the honor of Officer (OBE) upon Stella Duffy in 2016. Currently residing south of the river with her partner, playwright Shelley Silas, Duffy is also the originator and joint director of the Fun Palaces campaign, focused on facilitating free talent sharing within local communities.

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Susy Kane

Born in Dorking, Surrey, England on August 27, 1978, Susy Kane is a multifaceted talent, working as an English actress, comedy writer, and musician. Her family background significantly influenced her career; her father, John Kane, is a former associate artist of the Royal Shakespeare Company and created the sitcom Terry and June , while her mother, Alison Warner, is an opera singer. She also has a brother, Simon Kane, who shares her creative pursuits as both a comedy writer and actor. Growing up in Wandsworth, London, she attended Westminster School after receiving a scholarship for her sixth form year. Her education extended to the University of Edinburgh where she studied Chinese, Art, and Film. Early on, she demonstrated musical talent, beginning to sing in jazz clubs at age 16 and contributing as a musician, playing gypsy fiddle on Charlotte Church’s album Tissues and Issues . Kane's career encompasses a wide range of roles both in front of and behind the camera. Her television credits are extensive, including appearances in Saxondale , Maron , Extras Christmas Special , The Thick of It , The IT Crowd , Lodge 49 , Endeavour , A Touch of Cloth , Death in Paradise , and Agatha Raisin . She has also contributed as a writer, actress, and director to Funny Or Die UK and written sketches for various BBC and ITV comedy shows. Notable acting roles include Pippa in the radio series Bleak Expectations and Andrée Melly in the BBC recreation of missing episodes of Hancock's Half Hour , as well as Caroline Denby in House of Anubis . She also appeared as Cynthia in the film Stan & Ollie (2018) and played Genevieve in Lodge 49 (2019), and starred as Samantha Darling in the Comedy Central pilot Chasers (2019). Beyond acting, Kane’s writing has gained recognition. She wrote event music for the London Eye and her pilot script Jurgatory was sold to FX Channel in 2014. She also narrated the Channel 4 Documentary The Million Pound Holiday Club (2018). Currently, she resides between London and Los Angeles. Her diverse skillset and prolific output demonstrate a sustained commitment to comedy and performance across various media, establishing her as a versatile talent within the entertainment industry.

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Tony Slattery

Tony Slattery, born on November 9, 1959, in Stonebridge, London, was an English actor and comedian. His parents, Michael and Margaret Slattery, were Catholic Irish immigrants. He attended Gunnersbury Boys' School and subsequently earned a scholarship to study Modern and Medieval Languages at Trinity Hall, Cambridge. While there, he specialized in French literature and Spanish poetry. Furthermore, he achieved a black belt in judo and competed for England's under-15 team on an international level. His time at Cambridge proved formative, as he met Stephen Fry and joined the Cambridge Footlights. Slattery’s early career saw significant success with the Cambridge Footlights. In 1981, he, along with Stephen Fry, Hugh Laurie, Emma Thompson, and Ben Toksvig, won the Perrier Award for their revue, The Cellar Tapes . He served as President of the Footlights in 1982. Following this, he appeared on Chris Tarrant's Saturday Stayback in 1983. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, he featured in films including The Crying Game , Peter’s Friends , and How to Get Ahead in Advertising . His improvisational talents became widely recognized through his regular appearances on Whose Line Is It Anyway? from 1988, appearing in 48 episodes until 1995. He also starred alongside Mike McShane in the improvisational comedy series S&M (1991) and was a regular guest on Have I Got News for You during the 1990s. Slattery continued to work extensively in theatre and television, including roles in The Wedding Tackle (1999), Coronation Street (2005), and a stage version of Whose Line Is It Anyway? at the Edinburgh Festival. He received an Olivier Award nomination in 1995 for Neville’s Island , and starred in productions such as Privates on Parade and the West End musical Radio Times . In 2005, he won a celebrity edition of The Weakest Link , donating the prize money to the Terrence Higgins Trust. He launched a podcast called Tony Slattery’s Rambling Club in October 2024. Tony Slattery died on January 14, 2025, at the age of 65 following a heart attack that occurred on Sunday evening.

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