Nigel Planer

Nigel Planer Headshot

Actor • Writer • Musician

Birth Name: Nigel George Planer

Birth Date: February 22, 1953

Age: 71 years old

Birth Place: Westminster, London, England, UK

Nigel Planer was a member of the Comic Strip, a loose collective of actors and comedians who changed British comedy forever in the early 1980s. Having studied drama at the prestigious London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, Planer formed a double act with a comic named Peter Richardson. They performed as The Outer Limits, just one of the acts that appeared at the Raymond Revue Bar in Soho in the early '80s, alongside Adrian Edmondson, Rik Mayall, Dawn French, Jennifer Saunders and Alexi Sayle. The venue was a strip club the rest of the time, so the group took on the name The Comic Strip. They helped smash down the barriers of old-fashioned, staid comedians, helping create the alternative comedy scene. The buzz surrounding the club unsurprisingly attached TV interest and soon the Comic Strip was being courted by fledging TV network Channel 4, first appearing on TV in a documentary about the club in 1981. Planer appeared in almost 30 episodes of the long running anthology series "Comic Strip Presents" (Channel 4 1983-2012) most notably as Den Dennis in the 1984 heavy metal spoof "Bad News." A sort of British version of the concurrent "This Is Spinal Tap" (1984), the fake band even released an album produced by Queen's Brian May. At the same time, the BBC wanted a piece of the action and "The Young Ones" (1982-84) was developed. In this anarchic sitcom about four students who shared a dilapidated house, Planer played depressed hippie Neil Pye across 12 hugely popular and massively influential episodes. "The Young Ones" was so popular that Planer released an LP in character as Neil; the single, a cover of Traffic's 1968 hit "Hole in My Shoe," climbed to number two on the U.K. pop charts. A book, Neil's Book of the Dead, written in character by Planer with co-author Terence Blacker, followed. After "The Young Ones," Planer, Mayall and Edmondson reconvened for the Ben Elton-penned series "Filthy, Rich & Catflap" (BBC 1987), but it never reached the same popularity and folded after just one series. Meanwhile Planer was gaining a reputation as a character actor, regularly appearing on UK TV in both comedic and dramatic roles. One of his greatest creations was the pompous actor Nicholas Craig in the sitcom "The Nicholas Craig Masterclass" (BBC 1990-92), a character who resurfaced in various guises through the years. A man of many talents, Planer continued to write; a collection of poetry, Unlike the Buddha, was published in 1996, followed by his debut novel, The Right Man, in 1997. On stage, Planer featured in several huge West End hits in London as an original cast member of Queen musical "We Will Rock You" (2002), as well as "The Rocky Horror Show" (2006 and 2010), "Hairspray" (2009), and "Charlie and The Chocolate Factory" (2013).

Credits

The Best of Comic Strip

Actor
Show
2023

Red Riding Hood: After Ever After

Actor
Nun Wolf
Show
2022

Mucking In

Voice
Ben
Show
2022

Mandy

Actor
Captain
Show
2020

Rock n Roll Island: Where Legends Were Born

Narrator
Show
2020

There She GoesStream

Actor
Gandalf Pat
Series
2018
91%

How the Young Ones Changed Comedy

Guest
Show
2018

Ratburger

Actor
Show
2017

Shrinking Violets: Omnibus

Self
Show
2016

MarcellaStream

Actor
Reg Reynolds
Series
2016
70%

From Andy Pandy to Zebedee: The Golden Age of Children's Television

Narrator
Show
2015

Psychedelic Britannia

Narrator
Show
2015

Cockroaches

Actor
Show
2015

Holiday of My Lifetime with Len Goodman

Guest
Show
2014

Boomers

Actor
Mick
Show
2014

Good Morning Britain

Guest
Show
2014

Inside No. 9Stream

Actor
Frank
Series
2014
100%

Jonathan Creek: The Clue of the Savant's Thumb

Actor
Show
2013

Father BrownStream

Actor
Ronnie Grunion
Series
2013

The Dumping Ground

Actor
Professor
Show
2013

The Last Impresario

Self
Movie
2013

The List

Actor
Ted Rove
Movie
2013

Gloomsbury

Voice
Lionel Fox/Gosling
Show
2012

Drama on 4

Voice
Grandad
Show
2012

The Comedy Club Interviews

Guest
Show
2012

Sunday Brunch

Guest
Show
2011

Death in ParadiseStream

Actor
Eugene Sutton
Series
2011

Celebrity Antiques Road Trip

Guest Star
Himself
Show
2011

Polyoaks

Actor
Roy
Show
2011

Polyoaks

Voice
Show
2011

Pointless Celebrities

Actor
Show
2010

Pointless Celebrities

Contestant
Show
2010

Heavy Metal Britannia

Narrator
Show
2010

Marple: The Pale Horse

Actor
Mr. Venables
Movie
2010

The Colour of MagicStream

Actor
Arch Astronomer
Miniseries
2008

HogfatherStream

Actor
Mr. Sideney
Miniseries
2007

Flood

Actor
Show
2007

Flood

Actor
Keith Hopkins
Movie
2007

Virgin Territory

Actor
Uncle Bruno
Movie
2007

Hogfather

Actor
Mr Sideney
Show
2006

Hogfather - Teil 1

Actor
Mr. Sideney
Movie
2006

Hogfather - Teil 2

Actor
Mr. Sideney
Movie
2006

Jonathan Creek

Actor
Show
2003

Jonathan Creek

Guest Star
Show
2003

Imagine...

Guest
Show
2003

Comedy Connections

Guest Star
Show
2003

Bright Young Things

Actor
Taxi Driver
Movie
2003

Grizzly Tales for Gruesome Kids

Narrator
Show
2002

Gumdrop

Narrator
Show
2000

SpongeBob SquarePantsStream

Guest Voice
Dr. Marmalade
Series
1999

The Wind in the Willows

Actor
Sprzedawca samochodów
Movie
1996

Cuts

Actor
Jocelyn Pride
Movie
1996

Clockwork Mice

Actor
Parkey
Movie
1995

Carry on Columbus

Actor
The Wazir
Movie
1992

Frankenstein's Baby

Actor
Movie
1990

Blackeyes

Actor
Jeff
Movie
1990

Number 27

Actor
Andrew Veitch
Movie
1989

Blackadder the Third

Actor
Show
1987

Filthy, Rich and Catflap

Actor
Ralph Filthy
Show
1987

Eat the Rich

Actor
DHSS Manager
Movie
1987

More Bad News

Actor
Den Dennis
Movie
1987

The Supergrass

Actor
Gunter
Movie
1985

The Young OnesStream

Actor
Neil
Series
1982

The Comic Strip Presents

Actor
Show
1982

The Comic Strip Presents

Writer
Show
1982

Shine on Harvey Moon

Actor
Lou Lewis
Show
1982