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Greg Davies

For those of a similar name, see Greg Davis (disambiguation).

Greg Davies
Davies in 2024
Born
Gregory Daniel Davies

(1968-05-14) 14 May 1968 (age 56)
St Asaph, Flintshire, Wales
EducationBrunel University
Occupations
  • Comedian
  • actor
  • presenter
  • writer
Years active2003–present
Height6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
Websitegregdavies.co.uk

Gregory Daniel Davies (/ˈdeɪvɪs/ DAY-viss; born 14 May 1968) is a Welsh comedian, actor, presenter, and writer. He is best known for his roles as Mr Gilbert in The Inbetweeners (2008–2010), Ken Thompson in Cuckoo (2012–2019), Dan Davies in Man Down (2013–2017) and Paul "Wicky" Wickstead in The Cleaner (from 2021). Since 2015 he has hosted the comedy panel game show Taskmaster and he has also appeared on Mock the Week, Fast and Loose, Live at the Apollo and Would I Lie to You?

For his performance in Cuckoo, Davies was nominated for the BAFTA Television Award for Best Male Comedy Performance in 2013.

Early life

Davies was born in St Asaph, Flintshire, Wales, on 14 May 1968.[1] His Welsh parents lived in England at the time, but his father drove his mother across the border to make sure he was born in Wales, so that he would be eligible to play rugby for the Wales national team.[2] He grew up in Wem, Shropshire, which he regards as his home.[3][4][5] His father's origins lie in Porthmadog.[1] In a 2017 edition of BBC's Who Do You Think You Are? he discovered that he is descended from Owain the Great.[1][6]

Davies was educated at Thomas Adams School in Wem,[4] before studying drama and English at Brunel University,[7] graduating in 1990.[8] Prior to embarking on a career in comedy, he taught drama for 13 years at three secondary schools.[9]

Career

Television

In 2003, Davies made an appearance on the children's TV show Dick & Dom in da Bungalow, playing a caricatured version of himself named "Massive Greg".

In 2005, Davies played a caricature of cricketer W. G. Grace in a series of adverts for Channel 4's television coverage of The Ashes.[10]

From 2008 to 2014, Davies played the head of sixth form Mr Gilbert in the E4 comedy The Inbetweeners, and in the two follow-up films The Inbetweeners Movie (2011) and The Inbetweeners 2 (2014).

From 2012 to 2019, he starred alongside Helen Baxendale in Cuckoo for BBC Three for five series.

From October 2013, Davies starred in Channel 4's sitcom Man Down,[11] playing a teacher, Dan, who dislikes his job.[12] Rik Mayall played Dan's father. Channel 4 also commissioned a Christmas special,[13] and subsequently renewed for a second series. Rik Mayall's death in June 2014 slowed progress[14] but the second series was announced in 2015.[15] The classroom used in the show is the same classroom in which Davies taught at Sandhurst School.[16]

Since July 2015, Davies has been the host of the panel game show Taskmaster. In December 2015, he starred in BBC Two's comedy drama A Gert Lush Christmas where he played Tony, the uncle of Russell and Kerry Howard's characters. On Christmas Day he played King Hydroflax in the 2015 Doctor Who special "The Husbands of River Song".[17]

Since 2021, Davies has written and starred in the BBC One comedy series The Cleaner,[18][19][20][21] as well as serving as the host of the music panel show Never Mind the Buzzcocks.[22]

Stand up

Davies began his stand up career in 2005, working the independent club circuit.[citation needed]

In 2007, he was nominated three times in the Chortle Awards, in the categories "Breakthrough Act" (for his solo stand-up act), "Best Sketch, Variety or Character Act", and "Best Full-Length Show" (both as part of sketch team We Are Klang).[23]

In 2010, Davies' first solo stand-up show, Firing Cheeseballs at a Dog, was nominated for the Fosters Edinburgh Comedy Awards at the Edinburgh Festival.[24] The show was subsequently taken on his first ever tour the following autumn.[25] He was also nominated for the Edinburgh Fringe's Malcolm Hardee "Act Most Likely to Make a Million Quid" Award.[26]

In 2013, he toured his second stand up show, The Back of My Mum's Head, across the UK.

In November 2017, Davies recorded a Netflix stand-up comedy special at the Hammersmith Apollo during his Magnificent Beast UK tour. It was released as You Magnificent Beast in 2018.[27]

Stand-up shows

Year Title No. of shows Notes
2011 Firing Cheeseballs at a Dog DVD release
2013 The Back of My Mum's Head 47 dates DVD release
2018 You Magnificent Beast 53 dates Netflix Exclusive release
2025 Full Fat Legend Netflix Exclusive release

Personal life

Davies is noted for his height, standing 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) tall.[28][29]

He lives in the Kennington area of London.[30]

He was in a relationship with Labour Party politician Liz Kendall from 2007 to 2015.[5][31]

In 2022, Davies was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Humanities from his alma mater, Brunel University London.[32]

In May 2024, Davies was the guest for BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs, where his musical choices included "Baggy Trousers" by Madness and "Wichita Lineman" by Glen Campbell.[33]

Filmography

Year Title Role
2003 Dick & Dom in da Bungalow Massive Greg
2006 Girls? Eugh! Uncredited
2007 The Musical Storytellers Ginger & Black Mr Hopkirk
Saxondale Dunc
2007–08 CBBC Office Various characters
2008 The Wall Various characters
2008–10 The Inbetweeners Mr Gilbert
2009 We Are Klang Greg
2010–11 Ask Rhod Gilbert Himself
2011 Fast and Loose Himself
The Inbetweeners Movie Mr Gilbert
2012–19 Cuckoo Ken Thompson
2013–17 Man Down Dan
2014 This Is Jinsy Jennitta Bishard
The Inbetweeners 2 Mr Gilbert
Rik Mayall: Lord of Misrule Himself
2015–present Taskmaster Himself/The Taskmaster
2015 A Gert Lush Christmas Uncle Tony
Doctor Who King Hydroflax
2016 Travel Man Himself
Asterix: The Mansions of the Gods [34] The Centurion (English dub)
2017 Who Do You Think You Are? Subject
Comic Relief 2017 Himself
2018 Teen Titans Go! To the Movies Balloon Man (voice)
2019 The Inbetweeners: Fwends Reunited Mr Gilbert
Greg Davies: Looking for Kes Himself
2020 Taskmaster NZ Himself (Video message cameo – Series 1, Episode 7)
2021–present The Cleaner Paul Wickstead; also series creator and writer
Never Mind the Buzzcocks Himself/Presenter
2022 The Horne Section TV Show Himself (Episode 1)
2023 Brassic Dick Dolphin (Christmas special)
2024 The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin Leslie Duvall (guest appearance)

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Work Result Ref
2011 British Comedy Awards Best Breakthrough Comedy Artist Firing Cheeseballs at a Dog Nominated
2013 2013 British Academy Television Awards Best Male Performance in a Comedy Program Cuckoo Nominated

References

  1. ^ a b c Thorne, Nick (31 January 2017). "Greg Davies – Who Do You Think You Are – The actor and comedian discovers his Welsh roots run deep". The Genealogist. Retrieved 1 October 2023.
  2. ^ "Greg still top of the class". South Wales Evening Post. 11 October 2012. Retrieved 11 March 2020.
  3. ^ Holt, Laura (9 April 2011). "My life in travel: Greg Davies, actor and comedian". The Independent. Retrieved 11 March 2020.
  4. ^ a b "Wem's Greg Davies makes it big". Great British Life. 13 April 2011. Archived from the original on 17 November 2011. Retrieved 11 March 2020.
  5. ^ a b Saner, Emine (8 April 2011). "Rik Mayall was still a force of nature. His ambition was huge". The Guardian. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
  6. ^ "Greg Davies, Series 13, Who Do You Think You Are? – BBC One". BBC. Retrieved 10 June 2017.
  7. ^ Rampton, James (18 October 2013). "Greg Davies on why he couldn't go back to teaching". Radio Times. Retrieved 4 December 2013.
  8. ^ "Meet our alumni". Brunel University London. Retrieved 1 October 2023.
  9. ^ Laws, Roz (8 April 2011). "Tall tales with king of comedy Greg Davies". Business Live. Retrieved 11 March 2020.
  10. ^ "Breaking Ads – Channel 4 – Ashes coverage". Newspaper Marketing Agency. Archived from the original on 28 September 2011. Retrieved 7 April 2011.
  11. ^ "Man Down". British Comedy Guide. 2013. Retrieved 30 September 2013.
  12. ^ Jeffery, Morgan (2 November 2012). "'Inbetweeners' actor Greg Davies to star in Channel 4's 'Man Down'". Digital Spy. Retrieved 9 June 2013.
  13. ^ "Channel 4 orders Christmas special of Man Down". British Comedy Guide. 23 August 2013. Retrieved 30 September 2013.
  14. ^ "Man Down to go on without Mayall". Yahoo! News. Archived from the original on 4 September 2014. Retrieved 10 May 2015.
  15. ^ "Man Down". comedy.co.uk.
  16. ^ "Man Down – Interviews with Greg Davies & Rik Mayall – Channel 4 – Info – Press". Channel 4. 25 October 2013. Retrieved 10 May 2015.
  17. ^ "Doctor Who: Matt Lucas and Greg Davies join Christmas special". BBC News. 24 November 2015.
  18. ^ "The Cleaner – Series 1: 1. The Widow" – via www.bbc.co.uk.
  19. ^ Nicholson, Rebecca (10 September 2021). "The Cleaner review – Greg Davies leads a dark and curious comedy". The Guardian. Retrieved 3 October 2021.
  20. ^ Cremona, Patrick. "The Cleaner review: Greg Davies' crime scene comedy is a mixed bag". Radio Times.
  21. ^ Wilson, Benji (10 September 2021). "The Cleaner, review: Greg Davies's crime-scene sitcom is gruesomely enjoyable". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 12 January 2022. Retrieved 3 October 2021.
  22. ^ "Never Mind the Buzzcocks is back and coming exclusively to Sky and NOW with Greg Davies as host".
  23. ^ "And the Chortle nominees are.. : News 2007 : Chortle : The UK Comedy Guide". chortle.co.uk. Retrieved 10 June 2017.
  24. ^ "Fosters Edinburgh Comedy Award 2010 nominations". Archived from the original on 19 September 2010. Retrieved 10 June 2017.
  25. ^ "Greg Davies sends fans home laughing". Daily Record. 27 May 2011. Retrieved 11 March 2020.
  26. ^ "British Comedy Guide, August 2009". Retrieved 22 September 2010.
  27. ^ Richardson, Jay (28 November 2017). "Greg Davies tapes Netflix special". Chortle.co.uk. Retrieved 11 March 2020.
  28. ^ "Greg Davies". Celtic Life International. Retrieved 24 May 2022.
  29. ^ Wilson, Chris (15 June 2013). "Heights of success". The Stage. Archived from the original on 31 December 2013. Retrieved 26 July 2013.
  30. ^ Duerden, Nick (2 December 2020). "Comedian Greg Davies on his career switch from teaching". The Times. Retrieved 2 July 2023.
  31. ^ Beattie, Jason (16 May 2015). "North Wales's Greg Davies and Liz Kendall call it a day". Daily Post (North Wales). Archived from the original on 25 September 2019. Retrieved 25 September 2019.
  32. ^ Buchanunn, Joe. "Greg Davies awarded honorary doctorate by Brunel University London". www.brunel.ac.uk.
  33. ^ "BBC Radio 4 – Desert Island Discs, Greg Davies, comedian". BBC.
  34. ^ @AsterixMovieUK (21 July 2016). "Very excited to announce that The Centurion is voiced by @gdavies this summer! Trailer coming soon!" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
Quelle: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greg_Davies