Phil Cornwell
Encyclopedia
Phil Cornwell is an English
comedian
, actor
, impressionist
and writer
. He is probably best known as being part of the Dead Ringers
television and radio series. Cornwell has co-written and performed principal roles in The Glam Metal Detectives
and Stella Street
.
, Essex
.
He is popularily known for voicing Murdoc Niccals in the virtual band, Gorillaz
.
He provided the voices of Mick Jagger
and David Bowie
for the Steve Wright in the Afternoon
show on BBC Radio 1
in the late eighties. These impersonations - augmented by many others, including the series narrator, Michael Caine
- formed the backbone of the BBC
TV series Stella Street
, written and performed with John Sessions
.
He played the part of Harry Noakes, Captain of the cockleboat Renown in the TV mini-series Dunkirk
.
He has appeared in several films made by The Comic Strip
, including the role as Dave Spanker in Detectives on the Edge of a Nervous Breakdown
. He also played Dave Clifton, a local radio DJ on Radio Norwich - a fictional radio station in both series of I'm Alan Partridge
.
He also voiced Sir Lancelot in the animated children's television series King Arthur's Disasters
. He was the voice of Gilbert the Alien in the 1980s TV series Get Fresh
, which later span off into Gilbert's Fridge, a series starring the character.
Cornwell is married to Amy and has four children, Freddy, Leila, Stan and Molly-Rose. He is a supporter of Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
and presents the weekly podcast The Spurs Show.
He plays King Stupid in the CBBC
series Stupid!
, having replaced Marcus Brigstocke
, because the latter was involved in Excuse My French
on BBC2. Cornwell also appeared in the Doctor Who
episode, "The Fires of Pompeii
". In 2010 he presented/hosted the Friday night Euro Lottery draw show on BBC1. In 2011 he did several standup comedy gigs as character Switzerland McNaughtiehorse. He also runs a continuous podcast called 'The Spurs Show' with Mike Leigh.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
comedian
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...
, actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
, impressionist
Impressionist (entertainment)
An impressionist or a mimic is a performer whose act consists of imitating the voice and mannerisms of others. The word usually refers to a professional comedian/entertainer who specializes in such performances and has developed a wide repertoire of impressions, including adding to them, often to...
and writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
. He is probably best known as being part of the Dead Ringers
Dead Ringers (comedy)
Dead Ringers is a UK radio and television comedy impressions broadcast on BBC Radio 4 and later BBC Two. The programme was devised by producer Bill Dare and developed with Jon Holmes, Andy Hurst and Simon Blackwell. It starred Jon Culshaw, Jan Ravens, Phil Cornwell, Kevin Connelly and Mark Perry...
television and radio series. Cornwell has co-written and performed principal roles in The Glam Metal Detectives
The Glam Metal Detectives
The Glam Metal Detectives is a comedy show produced by the BBC in 1995. Shown on BBC2 on Thursday nights at 9pm—a slot renowned as a breeding ground for new and more experimental comedy—it combined both sketch and sitcom elements,...
and Stella Street
Stella Street
Stella Street is a British television comedy programme, originally screened on BBC Two between 1997 and 2001. It focuses on the antics of a group of British and American celebrities who all happen to live on Stella Street in Surbiton ....
.
Biography
Cornwell was born in Leigh-on-SeaLeigh-on-Sea
Leigh-on-Sea , sometimes called Leigh, is a civil parish in Essex, England. It is part of Southend-on-Sea for administrative purposes. It became a civil parish in 1996. The council tax was increased to support it. A town council was formed. Leigh is the only parish in Southend...
, Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
.
He is popularily known for voicing Murdoc Niccals in the virtual band, Gorillaz
Gorillaz
Gorillaz is an English musical project created in 1998 by Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett. This project consists of Gorillaz music itself and an extensive fictional universe depicting a "virtual band" of cartoon characters...
.
He provided the voices of Mick Jagger
Mick Jagger
Sir Michael Philip "Mick" Jagger is an English musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist and a founding member of The Rolling Stones....
and David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
for the Steve Wright in the Afternoon
Steve Wright In The Afternoon
Steve Wright in the Afternoon is the name of the current afternoon show on BBC Radio 2, hosted by Steve Wright. The show is one of the most popular on the station, and is often referred to as The Big Show...
show on BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
in the late eighties. These impersonations - augmented by many others, including the series narrator, Michael Caine
Michael Caine
Sir Michael Caine, CBE is an English actor. He won Academy Awards for best supporting actor in both Hannah and Her Sisters and The Cider House Rules ....
- formed the backbone of the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
TV series Stella Street
Stella Street
Stella Street is a British television comedy programme, originally screened on BBC Two between 1997 and 2001. It focuses on the antics of a group of British and American celebrities who all happen to live on Stella Street in Surbiton ....
, written and performed with John Sessions
John Sessions
John Gibb Marshall , better known by the stage name John Sessions, is a Scottish actor and comedian. He is known for comedy improvisation in television shows such as Whose Line Is It Anyway?; as a panellist on QI; and as a character actor in numerous films, both in the UK and in Hollywood.-Early...
.
He played the part of Harry Noakes, Captain of the cockleboat Renown in the TV mini-series Dunkirk
Dunkirk (TV series)
Dunkirk is a 2004 BBC television docudrama about the Battle of Dunkirk and the Dunkirk evacuation in World War II.-Awards:*BAFTA Awards 2005**Won: Huw Wheldon Award for Specialist Factual: Robert Warr & Alex Holmes...
.
He has appeared in several films made by The Comic Strip
The Comic Strip
The Comic Strip is a group of British comedians, known for their television series The Comic Strip Presents.... The core members are Adrian Edmondson, Dawn French, Rik Mayall, Nigel Planer, Peter Richardson and Jennifer Saunders, with frequent appearances by Keith Allen, Robbie Coltrane and...
, including the role as Dave Spanker in Detectives on the Edge of a Nervous Breakdown
Detectives on the Edge of a Nervous Breakdown
Detectives on the Edge of a Nervous Breakdown is a short comedy film made by The Comic Strip for the BBC, first broadcast in the UK in 1993....
. He also played Dave Clifton, a local radio DJ on Radio Norwich - a fictional radio station in both series of I'm Alan Partridge
I'm Alan Partridge
I'm Alan Partridge is a BBC situation comedy starring Steve Coogan, of which two series of six episodes each were produced — the first in 1997 and the second in 2002...
.
He also voiced Sir Lancelot in the animated children's television series King Arthur's Disasters
King Arthur's Disasters
King Arthur's Disasters is a British animated series which first aired on CITV, a now defunct programming block on ITV1. The series was Co-Created by Paul Parkes and Will Ashurst, the series follows and depicts attempts by King Arthur, assisted by the wizard Merlin, to woo the beautiful...
. He was the voice of Gilbert the Alien in the 1980s TV series Get Fresh
Get Fresh
Get Fresh was a children's television programme that ran from 1986 to 1988 in the United Kingdom.-Premise:Broadcast on the Children's ITV network, the show starred Gareth Jones , Charlotte Hindle, and a puppet named Gilbert the Alien...
, which later span off into Gilbert's Fridge, a series starring the character.
Cornwell is married to Amy and has four children, Freddy, Leila, Stan and Molly-Rose. He is a supporter of Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
and presents the weekly podcast The Spurs Show.
He plays King Stupid in the CBBC
CBBC
CBBC is one of two brand names used for the BBC's children's television strands. Between 1985 and 2002, CBBC was the name given to all the BBC's programmes on TV for children aged under 14...
series Stupid!
Stupid!
Stupid! was a British television comedy sketch show aimed at children of primary and secondary school age, which was first broadcast on CBBC and subsequently BBC One.-Main characters:...
, having replaced Marcus Brigstocke
Marcus Brigstocke
Marcus Alexander Brigstocke is an English comedian, actor and satirist who has worked extensively in stand-up comedy, television, radio and in 2010-2011 musical theatre. He is particularly associated with the 6.30pm comedy slot on BBC Radio 4, having frequently appeared on several of its shows...
, because the latter was involved in Excuse My French
Excuse My French (2006 TV series)
Excuse My French was an RDF language programme on the BBC where three celebrities with varying levels of French had one month to learn enough of the language to be able to carry out a task related to their area of expertise in French. They did this while staying in a villa in Provence. They were...
on BBC2. Cornwell also appeared in the Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
episode, "The Fires of Pompeii
The Fires of Pompeii
"The Fires of Pompeii" is the second episode of the fourth series of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was broadcast on BBC One on 12 April 2008....
". In 2010 he presented/hosted the Friday night Euro Lottery draw show on BBC1. In 2011 he did several standup comedy gigs as character Switzerland McNaughtiehorse. He also runs a continuous podcast called 'The Spurs Show' with Mike Leigh.