Comedians of a Certain Age

[Andrew]

For a small project I have trundling along I’ve been asked for casting ideas. Not my strongest area. We’re after a bunch of male and female actors, good at comedy, preferably British (or able to play it) all with a playing age of 48-54.

Trouble is, being a film fan I tend to think ‘act-ors’ first, and we’re after the slightly more charming ‘comedy drama’ types. Or, indeed, full-on comedians.

If anyone has any favourites around that age – any ethnicity, and UK accent – I’d be interested in suggestions from the G&T hive-mind.

And yeah, the Dwarf cast already occurred…

Thanks!

Topic

[Wilbur]

How big is this project? Six half hour epsiodes or equivalent? And what was Craig Charles’s stated availability?

[pfm]

Lenny Henry. IMO he’s always been great when he’s been in roles away from his sketch shows. Stuff like Chef! and Hope & Glory. I would love to see him cast in something new. He would be the right age for this too, I think.

[Jo]

It quite hard to think of people in that age range especially at 5am… Not necessarily any good to you but people in the right age range are: Stephen Fry, Frank Skinner, Kevin Eldon and Tony Hawks.

I’ll have another think when I’m not so sleep deprived!

Edit @ 11:47
Paul Whitehouse

[si]

Paul Whitehouse as that Plymouth fan is just frightening.

[pendo86]

Maybe a bit young, but Lee Evans always has me in stitches.

Dawn French/Jennifer Saunders? Rik Mayal?

[Turk Thrust]

Robert Daws
Tim Spall
James Fleet
Emma Chambers
Alastair McGowan
Philip Jackson
Harry Hill
Felicity Montagu
Rebecca Front
Owen Brenman

[Andrew]

> Maybe a bit young, but Lee Evans always has me in stitches.

Saw him in Freeze Frame just recently – he’s really come on leaps and bounds as an actor.

> Owen Brenman

Ooh, that’s a good one.

[peas_and_corn]

If you can get the airfare in the budget, Shaun Micallef, because he’s outrageously funny.

[Tanya Jones]

Stephen Frost
Mark Arden
Paul Merton
Neil Mullarkey
Josie Lawrence
Jim Sweeney

Or, in other words, ‘The Comedy Store Players’ ;)

[Turk Thrust]

Janine Duvitski

[Dave]

Do you require established names or just funny actors of a certain age? I have some very talented and funny suggestions for the latter.

You should audition this guy:
http://www.spotlight.com/interactive/cv/741501632609

And this guy:
http://uk.imdb.com/name/nm0014748/

Is it a scripted piece or are they expected to contribute material?

[Seb Patrick]

Can you afford Bill Nighy?

Also : Julia Deakin

[Andrew]

At 60-ish Bill Nighy’s too old for the part he’d otherwise suit, to be honest. But that ability and energy for sure. It’s early for budgets and stuff, so we’re able to daydream his kind of status, too, since it’s the kind of thing that can help secure financing.

And yeah, it’s wholly scripted. Several parts all the same age, a mix of leads and seconds.

[si]

I’d do it if I was a bit older. I’m cheaper than the rest too.

[Carlito]

Rob Brydon

Rowan Atkinson

Ray Burdis

Steve Spiers (always cracks me up)

Michael Barrymore – Want to get your show noticed?? lol. Couple years older than your limit though.

Phillip Glenister – Not a comedian per se, but able to play funny very well

Bob Mills – cruelly underrated comedian and writer. Not much acting experience though.

[Andrew]

> Steve Spiers (always cracks me up)

Oh, him! I like him.

[pfm]

> Rob Brydon

and I’ll tell you for why… he’s good.

[Jo]

Doh! I was looking for people who were actually IN that age range. That’s what happens when you read things at 5am…

[Carlito]

Surely they don’t have to be in that age range as long as they look it?

They’re playing characters in that age range… as long as it looks believeable, it shouldn’t matter if the actor is a very hard-worn 35 years old?

(You can thank me later, Si…)

[hummingbird]

> Surely they don?t have to be in that age range as long as they look it?

Surely they don’t even have to look it as long as they can play it? Make up can do the rest.

[Andrew]

> Surely they don?t have to be in that age range as long as they look it?

Which is why I used the phrase ‘playing age’ at the start.

> Make up can do the rest.

That becomes a time and money issue, though (and the latter is essentially the former anyway). Ageing up your actors means longer in the chair, more tests, more supplies, and heavier retouchings interrupting the shoot. Plus, honestly, audiences can tell – especially when they know the actor. It distracts.

[Turk Thrust]

Graham Fellows should appear in far more things imo…if he wants to obviously.

[Jo]

>Surely they don?t have to be in that age range as long as they look it?

>Surely they don?t even have to look it as long as they can play it? Make up can do the rest.

>Which is why I used the phrase ?playing age? at the start.

Yeah, I know. That’s why I said that.
Was it not clear in my last post that I’d misunderstood in my sleep deprived state?

[Carlito]

Mine wasn’t a response, just a related observation.

[si]

>(You can thank me later, Si?)

Do you think I look it?

I’m the one on the right.

[Jonathan Capps]

As you can see, he was really really really thrilled to meet me.

[Andrew]

> > Surely they don?t have to be in that age range as long as they look it?

> > Surely they don?t even have to look it as long as they can play it? Make up can do the rest.

> > Which is why I used the phrase ?playing age? at the start.

> Yeah, I know. That?s why I said that.
> Was it not clear in my last post that I?d misunderstood in my sleep deprived state?

Was it not clear I was replying to Carl?

[Seb Patrick]

>Graham Fellows should appear in far more things imo?if he wants to obviously.

Truesay.

[Carlito]

Brydon is the goods though. And he’s a nice guy.

[Ben Paddon]

Graham Linehan.

[Jo]

>Was it not clear I was replying to Carl?

Yes. I was just asking a reasonable question. The three comments following mine seemed to indicated that you’d all misunderstood me.

[Carlito]

Hale and Pace.

[ori-STUDFARM]

Morecombe and Wise…..

[Ben Paddon]

A third old double-act.

[Jonathan Capps]

James Bond.

[Ben Paddon]

LOUD NOISES

[si]

Vic and Bob.

[Jonathan Capps]

> Vic and Bob.

Bob especially, I think.

[Author]

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