Adrian Edmondson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Adrian Edmondson
Edmondson in 2008
Birth name	Adrian Charles Edmondson
Born	(1957-01-24) 24 January 1957 (age 68) Bradford, England
Medium	Film stand-up television
Education	Pocklington School
Alma mater	University of Manchester
Years active	1981–present
Genres	Black comedy musical comedy physical comedy
Spouse	Jennifer Saunders ​ (m. 1985)​
Children	3, including Ella and Beattie
Notable works and roles	The Young Ones Bottom The Dangerous Brothers EastEnders Holby City A Spy Among Friends

Adrian Charles Edmondson (born 24 January 1957) is a famous English actor, comedian, musician, writer, and TV presenter. He became well-known in the early 1980s as part of the "alternative comedy" movement. This was a new style of comedy that was different from traditional jokes.

Adrian Edmondson starred in popular TV shows like The Young Ones (1982–1984) and Bottom (1991–1995). He also helped write Bottom with his comedy partner, Rik Mayall. He appeared in many The Comic Strip Presents... films. For some of these, he created a fake heavy metal band called Bad News. In another, he played a funny, rude TV star named Eddie Monsoon.

In the 2000s, Edmondson took on more serious acting roles. He appeared in shows like Jonathan Creek and Holby City. He also created his own comedy show, Teenage Kicks. As a musician, he played with the Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band and formed his own folk-punk band, the Bad Shepherds. In 2011, he hosted TV shows like The Dales and Ade in Britain. In 2013, he won Celebrity Masterchef. From 2019 to 2020, he played Daniel Cook in the soap opera EastEnders. In 2022, he played Ebenezer Scrooge in a play of A Christmas Carol.

Early Life and Education

Adrian Charles Edmondson was born on January 24, 1957, in Bradford, England. He was the second of four children. His father was a teacher in the armed forces. Because of this, Adrian lived in many different places as a child. These places included Cyprus, Bahrain, and Uganda.

He went to Pocklington School from 1968 to 1975. Adrian once said he found school rules challenging. However, he made good friends there. His English teacher, Michael Aubrey, was a big influence. Mr. Aubrey encouraged Adrian to get into drama. He even cast him in school plays.

After school, Adrian went to the University of Manchester to study drama. This is where he met Rik Mayall, who would become his close friend and comedy partner. They both graduated with good degrees. Soon, Adrian and Rik started working in the new "alternative comedy" scene.

Comedy Career in the 1980s

Adrian Edmondson and Rik Mayall formed a comedy act called 20th Century Coyote. They became very popular at The Comedy Store in London. As they got more famous, they joined other comedians at The Comic Strip club. This club became well-known for its new style of comedy.

Channel 4 noticed them and asked them to make a TV series. This series was called The Comic Strip Presents... and started in 1982. Adrian and his friends acted in these short comedy films. One famous episode was "Five Go Mad in Dorset", which made fun of the popular children's books, Famous Five.

Around the same time, the BBC hired Adrian, Rik Mayall, and other comedians for a new sitcom. This show was The Young Ones. It was a wild and funny show about four students living together. It was known for its silly, over-the-top physical comedy. The show quickly became a cult classic. Adrian played the character Vyvyan Basterd.

After the success of these shows, Adrian and Rik Mayall created another comedy act. They were called the Dangerous Brothers. Adrian played "Sir Adrian Dangerous" in the show Saturday Live. In 1983, Adrian also played the lead singer "Vim Fuego" in the fake heavy metal band "Bad News." This band included his Young Ones co-stars.

In 1985, Adrian starred with his wife, Jennifer Saunders, in Happy Families. This was a comedy about a very unusual family. In 1987, he reunited with Rik Mayall and Nigel Planer for Filthy Rich & Catflap. Adrian played "Edward Catflap," a rough and funny bodyguard. This show also had a lot of physical comedy. In 1989, Adrian made a guest appearance in Blackadder Goes Forth. He played the famous pilot, the Red Baron.

Career in the 1990s

In 1990, Adrian Edmondson played Brad Majors in the musical The Rocky Horror Show in London. In 1991, he worked with Rik Mayall again. They co-wrote and starred in their own sitcom called Bottom. Adrian played "Edward Elizabeth Hitler" and Rik played "Richard Richard." The show was known for its slapstick and rude humor. It also looked deeper into the characters' lives.

Bottom became very popular. It was even turned into five live stage shows that toured the UK. In 1993, Adrian starred with Richard Briers in a dark comedy called If You See God, Tell Him. Adrian played Gordon Spry, who had to deal with his uncle's strange behavior.

In 1995, Adrian released his first funny novel, The Gobbler. He also voiced "the animal" character for the Peperami video game. From 1997 to 1998, he voiced a character named Jones in the cartoon series Captain Star. In 1998, he played Dame Dolly in the TV pantomime Jack and the Beanstalk.

Career in the 2000s

Adrian Edmondson appeared often in the BBC mystery series Jonathan Creek from 2003 to 2004. He played a doctor in the comedy series Doctors and Nurses in 2004. In 2006, he played Valery Legasov in Surviving Disaster. This was a TV show about the 1986 Chernobyl disaster.

From 2005 to 2008, he played Percy "Abra" Durant in the medical drama Holby City. In 2008, he was in the film Miss Austen Regrets and the sitcom Teenage Kicks. In 2009, he competed on the cooking show Hell's Kitchen and came in second place. He also played Captain Hook in a pantomime in Canterbury.

Career in the 2010s

In 2011, Adrian Edmondson hosted the ITV documentary series The Dales. In this show, he met families who live and work in the beautiful Yorkshire Dales. He also presented Ade in Britain, where he traveled around the United Kingdom.

In August 2012, the BBC planned a TV version of Adrian and Rik Mayall's 1997 stage show, Hooligan's Island. However, Adrian decided not to do it to work on other projects. Sadly, Rik Mayall, Adrian's long-time comedy partner, passed away on June 9, 2014.

Adrian had a small role in the 2012 film Blood. He also reunited with his Comic Strip friends for a sequel to Famous Five, called Five Go to Rehab. In 2013, Adrian won the cooking competition Celebrity MasterChef. In 2014, he hosted Ade at Sea, a show about life at sea. He also played DCI Warner in the mini-series Prey.

In 2016, Adrian won "Star Baker" on The Great Sport Relief Bake Off. From November to December 2016, he starred in a play called Bits Of Me Are Falling Apart. His children's book Tilly and the Time Machine was published in 2017. Later that year, he played Malvolio in Shakespeare's Twelfth Night for the Royal Shakespeare Company. Adrian also appeared as Captain Peavey in the Star Wars film, The Last Jedi. The director, Rian Johnson, was a big fan of Adrian's work.

In 2018, Adrian voiced Bunny in the English version of the animated film The Big Bad Fox and Other Tales.... He also toured with Nigel Planer in a play they wrote together called Vulcan 7. In 2019, Adrian joined the cast of EastEnders as Daniel Cook.

Music Career

In 1984, Adrian Edmondson formed the fake heavy metal band Bad News. This was part of The Comic Strip Presents... series. The band, which included Rik Mayall, Nigel Planer, and Peter Richardson, became popular. They released two albums and played at the Monsters of Rock festival in 1986.

In 1986, Adrian had a number one hit song in the UK. He and his Young Ones co-stars teamed up with Cliff Richard. They recorded a new version of "Living Doll" for the first Comic Relief charity event. Adrian played Vyvyan one last time in the music video.

Adrian has also directed many music videos for other artists. These include "Fiesta" by the Pogues and "Hourglass" by Squeeze. The "Hourglass" video won Best Video at the MTV awards.

In 1991, Adrian formed the Bum Notes. This was a jazz band that played the theme music for his show Bottom. Adrian is a big fan of the Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band. He sang with them during their reunion tour in 2006. He also helped write and sing on their 2007 album.

Edmondson with the Bad Shepherds at the 2009 Cropredy Festival in Oxfordshire

In 2008, Adrian started a new band called the Bad Shepherds. He formed it with Maartin Allcock, Andy Dinan, and Troy Donockley. They played punk and new wave songs using traditional folk instruments like the mandola and mandolin. The band released three albums and toured from 2009. They stopped playing together in October 2016.

Personal Life

Adrian Edmondson married comedian Jennifer Saunders on May 11, 1985. They have three daughters: Ella, who is a musician; Beattie, who is an actress; and Freya, who is a designer. Adrian is a big fan of Exeter City F.C., a football team.

Adrian's autobiography, Berserker!: An Autobiography, was published in September 2023. In September 2023, he was a guest on the BBC Radio 4 show Desert Island Discs.

Film and Television Roles

Adrian Edmondson has had many roles in films and TV shows. Here are some of them:

Film Appearances

Television Appearances

Video Game Roles

Theatre Performances

Audiobook Narration

Books Written

Adrian Edmondson has also written several books:

Music Albums

Here are the music albums Adrian Edmondson has been a part of:

Non-Album Songs

Adrian Edmondson has also performed on these songs:

See also

In Spanish: Adrian Edmonson para niños