Who is Nigel Planer?

Nigel Planer

 

Nigel Planer is an English actor, comedian, novelist and playwright who is best known for his role as Neil in the cult BBC comedy The Young Ones. He has appeared in many West End musicals, including original casts of Evita, Chicago, We Will Rock You, Wicked, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. He has also appeared in Hairspray. He won a BRIT award in 1984 and has been nominated for Olivier, TMA, What's On Stage, and BAFTA awards.

Planer was born in Westminster, London. He was educated at King's House School and Westminster School and then studied at the University of Sussex and the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA).

A founding member of the London Comedy Store and original member of The Comic Strip - pioneers of the alternative comedy movement in the UK. Planer appeared with Peter Richardson as part of the double act 'The Outer Limits'. Planer and Richardson also wrote the That's Life! parody on Not The Nine O'Clock News. Over the next 20 years he went on to star in film, theatre and television. With Christopher Douglas he created the spoof actor character Nicholas Craig, who appears in book, radio, TV and articles as well as live; most recently at the Festival Hall, London in Stewart Lee 's At Last the 1984 show. Planer is also the author of several books, plays, radio plays, and TV scripts as well as a small volume of poetry. He was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Arts degree from Edinburgh Napier University in June 2011.

Planer is best known for his role as Neil, the hippie housemate in the cult BBC comedy The Young Ones, which ran from 1982–84.

He also stars in The Comic Strip Presents... series of short films from 1983–present, invariably in the guise of various strange outsiders, to great comedic effect, most recently, to critical acclaim, he played Peter Mandelson in The Hunt for Tony Blair. In 2007 he appeared on a BBC 4 programme in the guise of 'Nicholas Craig', interviewed by Mark Lawson. In 2010 he guest starred in "Agatha Christie's Marple: The Pale Horse" In 2003, he played Professor Dumbledore in a Harry Potter parody, Harry Potter and the Secret Chamber Pot of Azerbaijan. 2013 guest starred in Jonathan Creek for a second time. Other leading roles on TV include Shine on Harvey Moon, Filthy, Rich and Catflap, The Grimleys, King & Castle, Bonjour La Classe and Roll Over Beethoven.

He also starred in Michael Palin's Number 27, Simon Gray's Two Lumps of Ice, Emma Tennant's Frankenstein's Baby and Blackeyes by Dennis Potter.

Guest appearances include programmes such as The Bill, French and Saunders, Jonathan Creek, Blackadder III, The Last Detective, the Paul Merton Show, the Lenny Henry Show and Gary Wilmot's Songs from the Shows. He also made a guest appearance in an episode of This is Jinsy entitled Nameworm. He also appears in Episodes as Matt le Blanc's lawyer. He is currently appearing in the BBC series "Boomers".
In 2010, Planer returned to the role of the Narrator in the UK Tour of The Rocky Horror Show, playing in Cambridge and Northampton, before also reprising the role of Wilbur in Manchester and Leeds. He also featured in Doctor Who: Live touring the UK, as Vorgenson The Inter-Galactic Showman, before appearing in Pantomime as Captain Hook at the Lyceum Theatre in Sheffield.

Planer has appeared in a number of films:- Flood, Virgin Territory, Bright Young Things, Hogfather, The Colour of Magic, Wind in the Willows, Land Girls, Clockwork Mice, Carry on Columbus, Brazil, The Supergrass, I Give It a Year and Yellowbeard.

Planer played Den Dennis, one of the four members of the 1980s spoof rock band, Bad News who made two albums produced by Brian May. They also performed at the Hammersmith Apollo as well as the Donington and Reading Rock Festivals.

As Neil from The Young Ones, Planer gained a number two hit single in 1984 in the form of "Hole in My Shoe", (originally a hit for 1960s band Traffic). A cover of Tomorrow's "My White Bicycle" was a less successful follow up, only reaching No.97 in the charts. After that, an album was produced, entitled Neil's Heavy Concept Album. Planer also took Neil's stage act on the road in that year as Neil in the "Bad Karma in The UK" tour. The Young Ones also appeared on Cliff Richard's 1986 charity rerecording of "Living Doll", which spent three weeks at number one in the UK.

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