Julian Barratt
Encyclopedia
Julian Barratt is an English comedian
, music
ian, music producer and actor. Barratt is best known for playing the character of Howard Moon in the cult comedy The Mighty Boosh
, which he also co-writes with comedy partner, Noel Fielding
.
's Vince Noir in the comedy series The Mighty Boosh
. Howard labels himself a "jazz maverick" and claims to be an intellectual with many talents, calling himself a 'man of action', but in reality he is unsuccessful in his literary and romantic ventures. He is unpopular with many of the characters, including Mrs. Gideon who always forgets his name, Bob Fossil who often uses Howard as a puppet for his bizarre schemes and Bollo who often says his name wrong or ignores him completely.
. He co-starred as Dan Ashcroft, a frustrated magazine writer, in the Channel 4 media satire, Nathan Barley
. He appeared in the surrealistic black comedy series Asylum
alongside Simon Pegg
and Jessica Stevenson
(writers and stars of Spaced
). The character of Brian Topp in Spaced
was written for Barratt but the part eventually went to Mark Heap
. Barratt played Jackson, a musician in How not to live your life
who was a threat to the Don's (Dan Clark
) self esteem. He starred in the "Freelance Scientist" commercial for Metz
alcopop
. He appeared as The Padre in the spoof horror series Garth Marenghi's Darkplace
. He also starred in and was a writer for the 1998 sketch show Unnatural Acts alongside Fielding. Before this Barratt was involved in TV show The Pod with friend Tim Hope about a fictional techno band called The Pod. The show was unusual as it was animated, except for the heads of Barratt and Hope. Barratt also appeared in the film Lucky Break
alongside James Nesbitt
in 2001.
Barratt has recently completed his directing début for Warp films with theatre director Dan Jemmett. Curtains is set in a Norfolk
seaside town. It is a dark comedy about a Punch and Judy
man.
Recently, Barratt can be heard as the voice over on many adverts; More Th>n Car, House and Pet insurance, as well as the Directgov
advert. He has appeared in the music video for Mint Royale
's 'Blue Song', alongside Noel Fielding, Nick Frost
and Michael Smiley.
In late 2010 Barratt took part in Sky Comedy's 'Little Crackers
'. He wrote and directed a 15 minute film based on his teen band, Satan's Hoof.
On 12 March 2011 Barratt made a brief appearance as Heathcliff in Noel Fielding
's Wuthering Heights dance on the Let's Dance for Comic Relief
finale.
In 2011, Barratt narrated the documentary Seven Dwarves
.
's classic comedy The Government Inspector at the Young Vic Theatre in London.
and spans many genres; he played guitar for Little Chief during their European tour, and claiming to be a jazz fusion
fanatic, he started a band as a teenager known as Satan's Hoof, which never really took off. He was in a band called Groove Solution in the early 90s with Dave Westlake. He has also played with Chris Corner
in IAMX. He composes all of the music for The Mighty Boosh
. The music included in the series is an eclectic range of genres including rap, heavy metal
and psychedelic
rock. Because of this, he has been called "the Genre Spanner".
Barratt is known to be shy, often quiet and self-deprecating. Unlike his comedy partner Noel Fielding, he prefers not to appear in television comedy quiz shows saying he would 'rather be at home with a book.' He enjoys dog racing and online snooker. He is in a relationship with comedian Julia Davis
. On 25 June 2007, the couple became parents to twins, Arthur and Walter. They live in North London.
He adopted his middle name, Barratt, as his professional last name to distinguish himself from an already well known reporter named Julian Pettifer
.
Comedian
A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience, primarily by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting a fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy...
, music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
ian, music producer and actor. Barratt is best known for playing the character of Howard Moon in the cult comedy The Mighty Boosh
The Mighty Boosh
The Mighty Boosh is a British comedy troupe featuring comedians Julian Barratt and Noel Fielding. Developed from three stage shows and a six episode radio series, it has since spawned a total of twenty television episodes for BBC Three and two live tours of the UK, as well as two live shows in the...
, which he also co-writes with comedy partner, Noel Fielding
Noel Fielding
Noel Fielding is a British artist, comedian and actor. He is known for his roles as Vince Noir in The Mighty Boosh, which he co-writes with comedy partner Julian Barratt, and as team captain on the music panel show Never Mind the Buzzcocks.-Stand-up comedy:Noel Fielding performed regularly as a...
.
The Mighty Boosh
Barratt stars as the character Howard Moon opposite Noel FieldingNoel Fielding
Noel Fielding is a British artist, comedian and actor. He is known for his roles as Vince Noir in The Mighty Boosh, which he co-writes with comedy partner Julian Barratt, and as team captain on the music panel show Never Mind the Buzzcocks.-Stand-up comedy:Noel Fielding performed regularly as a...
's Vince Noir in the comedy series The Mighty Boosh
The Mighty Boosh
The Mighty Boosh is a British comedy troupe featuring comedians Julian Barratt and Noel Fielding. Developed from three stage shows and a six episode radio series, it has since spawned a total of twenty television episodes for BBC Three and two live tours of the UK, as well as two live shows in the...
. Howard labels himself a "jazz maverick" and claims to be an intellectual with many talents, calling himself a 'man of action', but in reality he is unsuccessful in his literary and romantic ventures. He is unpopular with many of the characters, including Mrs. Gideon who always forgets his name, Bob Fossil who often uses Howard as a puppet for his bizarre schemes and Bollo who often says his name wrong or ignores him completely.
Other television
Apart from his work on The Mighty Boosh, Barratt has had parts in other dramas, often alongside Noel FieldingNoel Fielding
Noel Fielding is a British artist, comedian and actor. He is known for his roles as Vince Noir in The Mighty Boosh, which he co-writes with comedy partner Julian Barratt, and as team captain on the music panel show Never Mind the Buzzcocks.-Stand-up comedy:Noel Fielding performed regularly as a...
. He co-starred as Dan Ashcroft, a frustrated magazine writer, in the Channel 4 media satire, Nathan Barley
Nathan Barley
Nathan Barley is a Channel 4 sitcom written by Charlie Brooker and Chris Morris, starring Nicholas Burns, Julian Barratt and Claire Keelan. The series of six weekly episodes began broadcasting on 11 February 2005 on Channel 4...
. He appeared in the surrealistic black comedy series Asylum
Asylum (TV series)
Asylum is a British comedy series which was shown on Paramount Comedy Channel in 1996. Set in a mental asylum, it ran for one series of six episodes. Unlike traditional sitcoms or comedy television shows, it was to some extent an opportunity for stand-up routines by various comedians, mixed with an...
alongside Simon Pegg
Simon Pegg
Simon Pegg is an English actor, comedian, writer, film producer, and director. He is best known for having co-written and stared in various Edgar Wright features, mainly Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, and the comedy series Spaced.He also portrayed Montgomery "Scotty" Scott in the 2009 Star Trek film...
and Jessica Stevenson
Jessica Stevenson
Jessica Hynes is an English actress and writer. She was known professionally as Jessica Stevenson until 2007.She is possibly best known as one of the creators, writers and stars of the British sitcom Spaced....
(writers and stars of Spaced
Spaced
Spaced is a British television sitcom written by and starring Simon Pegg and Jessica Stevenson, and directed by Edgar Wright. It is noted for its rapid-fire editing, frequent pop culture references and jokes, eclectic music, and occasional displays of surrealism and non-sequitur humour...
). The character of Brian Topp in Spaced
Spaced
Spaced is a British television sitcom written by and starring Simon Pegg and Jessica Stevenson, and directed by Edgar Wright. It is noted for its rapid-fire editing, frequent pop culture references and jokes, eclectic music, and occasional displays of surrealism and non-sequitur humour...
was written for Barratt but the part eventually went to Mark Heap
Mark Heap
Mark Heap is an English actor. He began his acting career in the 1980s as a member of the Medieval Players, a touring company performing medieval and early modern theatre, and featuring stilt-walking, juggling and puppetry...
. Barratt played Jackson, a musician in How not to live your life
How Not to Live Your Life
How Not to Live Your Life is a British sitcom, written by and starring Dan Clark, about a neurotic twenty-nine year old man who is trying to navigate his way through life but is not helped by his bad instincts. On 27 May 2011 it was announced by the new BBC Three controller Zai Bennett that the...
who was a threat to the Don's (Dan Clark
Dan Clark
Dan Clark is an English actor, stand-up comedian, screenwriter and television director.-Television:He is best known for playing the character of Don Danbury in BBC Three series How Not to Live Your Life which he wrote and starred in...
) self esteem. He starred in the "Freelance Scientist" commercial for Metz
Metz (drink)
Metz is a discontinued Schnapps-based alcopop by Bacardi.Other brands include Black Metz and Still Metz .-Advertising:...
alcopop
Alcopop
Alcopop is a colloquial term describing certain flavored alcoholic beverages, including:#malt beverages to which various fruit juices or other flavorings have been added...
. He appeared as The Padre in the spoof horror series Garth Marenghi's Darkplace
Garth Marenghi's Darkplace
Garth Marenghi's Darkplace is a British dark comedy show made for Channel 4 by Matthew Holness and Richard Ayoade. Following on from Garth Marenghi's Netherhead, which won the 2001 Perrier Awards, the show revolves around fictional horror author Garth Marenghi and his publisher Dean Learner...
. He also starred in and was a writer for the 1998 sketch show Unnatural Acts alongside Fielding. Before this Barratt was involved in TV show The Pod with friend Tim Hope about a fictional techno band called The Pod. The show was unusual as it was animated, except for the heads of Barratt and Hope. Barratt also appeared in the film Lucky Break
Lucky Break
Lucky Break is a 2001 British comedy film starring James Nesbitt and directed by Peter Cattaneo.-Synopsis:Feelgood prison-escape movie that sees a group of prison inmates , put on a theatrical show of Nelson: The Musical to cover their daring break-out attempt...
alongside James Nesbitt
James Nesbitt
James Nesbitt is a Northern Irish actor. Born in Ballymena, County Antrim, Nesbitt grew up in the nearby village of Broughshane, before moving to Coleraine, County Londonderry. He wanted to become a teacher like his father, so he began a degree in French at the University of Ulster...
in 2001.
Barratt has recently completed his directing début for Warp films with theatre director Dan Jemmett. Curtains is set in a Norfolk
Norfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
seaside town. It is a dark comedy about a Punch and Judy
Punch and Judy
Punch and Judy is a traditional, popular puppet show featuring the characters of Mr. Punch and his wife, Judy. The performance consists of a sequence of short scenes, each depicting an interaction between two characters, most typically the anarchic Punch and one other character...
man.
Recently, Barratt can be heard as the voice over on many adverts; More Th>n Car, House and Pet insurance, as well as the Directgov
Directgov
Directgov is the UK government's digital service for people in the United Kingdom, providing a single point of access to public sector information and services.The content is developed by government departments, working with a central Directgov team...
advert. He has appeared in the music video for Mint Royale
Mint Royale
Mint Royale is a big beat electronic music act from Manchester, England. They were originally founded by the duo Neil Claxton and Chris Baker in 1997; the latter left the band in 2004, but Claxton continues to produce music using the Mint Royale name.-Career:...
's 'Blue Song', alongside Noel Fielding, Nick Frost
Nick Frost
Nicholas John "Nick" Frost is an English actor, comedian and screenwriter. He is best known for his work with Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg in the role of Mike Watt in the television comedy Spaced, as well as the film characters Ed in Shaun of the Dead, PC/Sgt...
and Michael Smiley.
In late 2010 Barratt took part in Sky Comedy's 'Little Crackers
Little Crackers
Little Crackers is a British television comedy series that was broadcast on Sky1 and Sky1 HD in December 2010. It consists of a series of short films featuring stars of British comedy including Dawn French, Stephen Fry and Catherine Tate...
'. He wrote and directed a 15 minute film based on his teen band, Satan's Hoof.
On 12 March 2011 Barratt made a brief appearance as Heathcliff in Noel Fielding
Noel Fielding
Noel Fielding is a British artist, comedian and actor. He is known for his roles as Vince Noir in The Mighty Boosh, which he co-writes with comedy partner Julian Barratt, and as team captain on the music panel show Never Mind the Buzzcocks.-Stand-up comedy:Noel Fielding performed regularly as a...
's Wuthering Heights dance on the Let's Dance for Comic Relief
Let's Dance for Comic Relief
Let's Dance for Comic Relief is a British television programme shown on BBC One, featuring celebrities performing famous dance routines to raise money for the charity Comic Relief. The programme is currently presented by Steve Jones and Alex Jones, who replaced previous host Claudia Winkleman in...
finale.
In 2011, Barratt narrated the documentary Seven Dwarves
Seven Dwarves (TV series)
Seven Dwarves is a seven-part documentary reality television series commissioned by Channel 4 in the United Kingdom. The show follows seven dwarf actors as they prepare for and take part in the pantomine Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs....
.
Theatre
From 3 Jun - 9 July 2011, Barratt performed the role of the Mayor in a production of Nikolai GogolNikolai Gogol
Nikolai Vasilievich Gogol was a Ukrainian-born Russian dramatist and novelist.Considered by his contemporaries one of the preeminent figures of the natural school of Russian literary realism, later critics have found in Gogol's work a fundamentally romantic sensibility, with strains of Surrealism...
's classic comedy The Government Inspector at the Young Vic Theatre in London.
Personal life
Barratt is an accomplished musicianMusician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
and spans many genres; he played guitar for Little Chief during their European tour, and claiming to be a jazz fusion
Jazz fusion
Jazz fusion is a musical fusion genre that developed from mixing funk and R&B rhythms and the amplification and electronic effects of rock, complex time signatures derived from non-Western music and extended, typically instrumental compositions with a jazz approach to lengthy group improvisations,...
fanatic, he started a band as a teenager known as Satan's Hoof, which never really took off. He was in a band called Groove Solution in the early 90s with Dave Westlake. He has also played with Chris Corner
Chris Corner
Chris Corner is an English musician and songwriter. He was a founding member of the band Sneaker Pimps and is now active with the IAMX solo project.He has been living in Berlin since 2006, where he has set up his new IAMX studio for music and visual work....
in IAMX. He composes all of the music for The Mighty Boosh
The Mighty Boosh
The Mighty Boosh is a British comedy troupe featuring comedians Julian Barratt and Noel Fielding. Developed from three stage shows and a six episode radio series, it has since spawned a total of twenty television episodes for BBC Three and two live tours of the UK, as well as two live shows in the...
. The music included in the series is an eclectic range of genres including rap, heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
and psychedelic
Psychedelic
The term psychedelic is derived from the Greek words ψυχή and δηλοῦν , translating to "soul-manifesting". A psychedelic experience is characterized by the striking perception of aspects of one's mind previously unknown, or by the creative exuberance of the mind liberated from its ostensibly...
rock. Because of this, he has been called "the Genre Spanner".
Barratt is known to be shy, often quiet and self-deprecating. Unlike his comedy partner Noel Fielding, he prefers not to appear in television comedy quiz shows saying he would 'rather be at home with a book.' He enjoys dog racing and online snooker. He is in a relationship with comedian Julia Davis
Julia Davis
Julia Davis is an English comedy writer and performer, best known for writing and starring in the BBC Three comedy Nighty Night.-Background:...
. On 25 June 2007, the couple became parents to twins, Arthur and Walter. They live in North London.
He adopted his middle name, Barratt, as his professional last name to distinguish himself from an already well known reporter named Julian Pettifer
Julian Pettifer
Julian Pettifer OBE is a British television journalist. He was President of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and is Vice President of the Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts...
.
Filmography
- Anton Chekhov's The Bear (2010) - Smirnov
- Little CrackersLittle CrackersLittle Crackers is a British television comedy series that was broadcast on Sky1 and Sky1 HD in December 2010. It consists of a series of short films featuring stars of British comedy including Dawn French, Stephen Fry and Catherine Tate...
(2010) - Writer, Director & Actor - How Not To Live Your LifeHow Not to Live Your LifeHow Not to Live Your Life is a British sitcom, written by and starring Dan Clark, about a neurotic twenty-nine year old man who is trying to navigate his way through life but is not helped by his bad instincts. On 27 May 2011 it was announced by the new BBC Three controller Zai Bennett that the...
(2009) - Jackson - Bunny and the BullBunny and the BullBunny and the Bull is a 2009 British comedy film from writer-director Paul King. It stars Edward Hogg and Simon Farnaby in a surreal recreation of a road trip...
(2009) - Curtains (2008) Short film - Writer & Director
- Boosh LiveBoosh LiveThe Mighty Boosh Live: Future Sailors Tour was a stage-show written and performed by Noel Fielding and Julian Barratt, also known as The Mighty Boosh...
(2008–2009) — Howard Moon - The Mighty Boosh Live (2006) — Howard Moon
- Benidorm (2007) ITV
- Nathan BarleyNathan BarleyNathan Barley is a Channel 4 sitcom written by Charlie Brooker and Chris Morris, starring Nicholas Burns, Julian Barratt and Claire Keelan. The series of six weekly episodes began broadcasting on 11 February 2005 on Channel 4...
(2005) TV Series — Dan Ashcroft - AD/BC: A Rock OperaAD/BC: A Rock OperaAD/BC is a parody rock opera with music by Matt Berry and lyrics by Matt Berry and Richard Ayoade. It aired on BBC Three in 2004.-Summary:...
(2004) (TV) — Tony Iscariot - The Mighty BooshThe Mighty BooshThe Mighty Boosh is a British comedy troupe featuring comedians Julian Barratt and Noel Fielding. Developed from three stage shows and a six episode radio series, it has since spawned a total of twenty television episodes for BBC Three and two live tours of the UK, as well as two live shows in the...
(2004–present) TV Series — Howard Moon - Garth Marenghi's DarkplaceGarth Marenghi's DarkplaceGarth Marenghi's Darkplace is a British dark comedy show made for Channel 4 by Matthew Holness and Richard Ayoade. Following on from Garth Marenghi's Netherhead, which won the 2001 Perrier Awards, the show revolves around fictional horror author Garth Marenghi and his publisher Dean Learner...
(2004) TV Series — The Padre - The Principles of Lust (2003) — Phillip
- The Reckoning (2003) — Gravedigger
- How to Tell when a Relationship is Over (2003) — Him
- Surrealisimo: The Trial of Salvador Dalí (2002) — Rosey
- Lucky Break (2001) — Paul Dean
- Melbourne International Comedy Festival GalaMelbourne International Comedy FestivalThe Melbourne International Comedy Festival is the third-largest international comedy festival in the world and the largest cultural event in Australia. Established in 1987, it takes place annually in Melbourne over four weeks in April typically opening on or around April Fool's Day...
(2001) (TV) — Himself - Melbourne International Comedy Festival GalaMelbourne International Comedy FestivalThe Melbourne International Comedy Festival is the third-largest international comedy festival in the world and the largest cultural event in Australia. Established in 1987, it takes place annually in Melbourne over four weeks in April typically opening on or around April Fool's Day...
(2000) (TV) — Himself - SweetSweet (film)Sweet is a 2000 short film directed by James Pilkington starring Noel Fielding and Julian Barratt that is set in Camden, London. The plot is reused in the Mighty Boosh episode, The Nightmare of Milky Joe.-Overview:...
(2000) — Stitch - Unnatural Acts (1998) — Various
- The Pod (1997) — Julian
- Asylum (1996) — Victor/Julian
Awards
- 2010 The Mighty BooshThe Mighty BooshThe Mighty Boosh is a British comedy troupe featuring comedians Julian Barratt and Noel Fielding. Developed from three stage shows and a six episode radio series, it has since spawned a total of twenty television episodes for BBC Three and two live tours of the UK, as well as two live shows in the...
won Best Live Show with Future Sailors at the Shockwaves NME Awards 2010NME AwardsThe NME Awards is an annual music awards show in the United Kingdom, founded by the music magazine, NME .The first awards show was held in 1953 as the NME Poll Winners Concerts, shortly after the founding of the magazine....
. - 2009 The Mighty BooshThe Mighty BooshThe Mighty Boosh is a British comedy troupe featuring comedians Julian Barratt and Noel Fielding. Developed from three stage shows and a six episode radio series, it has since spawned a total of twenty television episodes for BBC Three and two live tours of the UK, as well as two live shows in the...
won Best TV Show at the Shockwaves NME Awards 2009NME AwardsThe NME Awards is an annual music awards show in the United Kingdom, founded by the music magazine, NME .The first awards show was held in 1953 as the NME Poll Winners Concerts, shortly after the founding of the magazine....
. - 2008 The Mighty BooshThe Mighty BooshThe Mighty Boosh is a British comedy troupe featuring comedians Julian Barratt and Noel Fielding. Developed from three stage shows and a six episode radio series, it has since spawned a total of twenty television episodes for BBC Three and two live tours of the UK, as well as two live shows in the...
won Best TV Show at the Shockwaves NME Awards 2008NME AwardsThe NME Awards is an annual music awards show in the United Kingdom, founded by the music magazine, NME .The first awards show was held in 1953 as the NME Poll Winners Concerts, shortly after the founding of the magazine....
. - 2007 The Mighty Boosh won Best TV Show the Shockwaves NME Awards 2007NME AwardsThe NME Awards is an annual music awards show in the United Kingdom, founded by the music magazine, NME .The first awards show was held in 1953 as the NME Poll Winners Concerts, shortly after the founding of the magazine....
- 2001 The Boosh, first on London Live, then on Radio 4.
- 2000 Arctic Boosh won the Barry Award at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival
- 1999 Perrier nominee with Noel Fielding as Arctic Boosh
- 1998 Perrier Best Newcomer winner with Noel Fielding as the double act The Mighty Boosh
- 1995 Winner of BBC New Comedy AwardsBBC New Comedy AwardsThe BBC New Comedy Awards first appeared in 1995 and were considered to be one of the top UK comedy newcomer awards until they were axed in 2006. It was announced in the summer of 2006 that they were being replaced by a nationwide talent hunt that places its emphasis on sketch writing and filmed...
- 1995 Open Mic Awards, Edinburgh