Eddie Izzard facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Eddie Izzard
Izzard in 2015
Born	Edward John Izzard (1962-02-07) 7 February 1962 (age 63) Aden, Aden Colony (now Yemen)
Nationality	British
Other names	Suzy Eddie Izzard
Occupation	Comedian actor activist
Years active	1982–present

Suzy Eddie Izzard (born Edward John Izzard, 7 February 1962), also known as Eddie Izzard, is a famous British comedian, actor, and activist. She is known for her unique comedy style. It often sounds like she is just talking freely, telling funny stories and acting out different characters.

Suzy Eddie Izzard has done many stand-up comedy tours. Some of her popular shows include Dress to Kill (1998) and Stripped (2009). She has also acted in TV shows like The Riches (2007–2008). You might have seen her in movies such as Ocean's Twelve (2004) and Valkyrie (2008). She has also lent her voice to animated films like The Lego Batman Movie (2017).

Suzy Eddie Izzard has won several awards. She received two Primetime Emmys for her show Dress to Kill. She was also nominated for a Tony Award for her acting on Broadway.

In 2009, she ran 43 marathons in 51 days for Sport Relief. This was amazing because she had never run long distances before! In 2016, she ran 27 marathons in 27 days in South Africa. This was done to honor Nelson Mandela and raised over £1.35 million for charity. Besides English, she has performed comedy in French, German, Russian, Arabic, and Spanish. She also supports the idea of Europeanism and the European Union.

Early Life and School

Suzy Eddie Izzard was born Edward John Izzard in Aden on 7 February 1962. At that time, Aden was a British colony. Her parents, Dorothy and Harold Izzard, were English. Her family name, Izzard, comes from French ancestors called Huguenots. Her mother was a nurse, and her father was an accountant. Suzy Eddie also has an older brother named Mark.

When she was one year old, her family moved to Bangor, Northern Ireland. They lived there until she was five. Then, they moved to Skewen, Wales.

Suzy Eddie was six years old when her mother sadly passed away from cancer. To keep busy while their mother was ill, she and her brother built a model railway. This model railway was later given to the Bexhill Museum in 2016. After her mother's death, she attended several private schools. These included St John's School and Eastbourne College. She has shared that she knew she wanted to be an actor when she was seven.

She later studied drama at the University of Sheffield.

Career Highlights

Comedy Journey

Izzard performing in December 2008

Suzy Eddie Izzard started trying out comedy while at university. She and her friend Rob Ballard performed on the streets, especially in Covent Garden in London. After they stopped working together, she became a street performer in Europe and the United States. She learned to talk to the audience while doing escape acts. This helped her find her unique comedy style. Later, she started performing in stand-up comedy clubs in Britain. Her first show was at the Banana Cabaret in London.

In 1987, she made her first stage appearance at the Comedy Store in London. She improved her comedy routines throughout the 1980s. She became well-known in the early 1990s, partly through her own club, Raging Bull. Her big break came in 1991. She performed her "raised by wolves" routine on a TV show called Hysteria 3, which was a benefit for AIDS.

In 2000, her comedy special Dress to Kill won two Primetime Emmy Awards. She won for best individual performance and best writing in a variety show.

Suzy Eddie Izzard is very good at languages. She can speak French fluently and has performed comedy shows in French. Since 2014, she has also started performing in Arabic, German, Russian, and Spanish.

Acting Roles

In 1994, Suzy Eddie Izzard made her first big theatre appearance in London's West End. She starred in a play called The Cryptogram. This success led to other starring roles, including in 900 Oneonta and Edward II.

She even appeared with the famous comedy group Monty Python. In 2014, she joined them on stage for their live show Monty Python Live (Mostly).

Izzard in 2013

Suzy Eddie Izzard has played many different characters in films. She was Charlie Chaplin in The Cat's Meow. She also played a general named Erich Fellgiebel in Valkyrie. She was also Robert Watson-Watt, a radar pioneer, in the BBC film Castles in the Sky. You might know her as Roman Nagel from Ocean's Twelve and Ocean's Thirteen. She has also voiced characters like "It" in Five Children and It and Nigel in The Wild.

In 2009, a documentary about her life was made called Believe: The Eddie Izzard Story.

She has also appeared in many TV shows. These include the science fiction miniseries The Day of the Triffids and the psychological horror series Hannibal. In 2021, she was in The Lost Symbol, based on a book by Dan Brown.

At the 2012 Paralympic Games in London, Suzy Eddie Izzard presented medals to the athletes.

She has also been a guest on popular TV shows like Have I Got News for You and The Daily Show. In 2024, she performed a one-person version of Shakespeare's Hamlet in New York and London.

Amazing Marathons

Flag used by Izzard to represent Northern Ireland during the 2009 Sport Relief marathon. The green background references the Northern Ireland football jersey, while the white dove symbolises peace.

Izzard with the flags of the UK and European Union in 2006

Izzard (left) travels to Brussels with Labour Prime Minister Tony Blair in 2006

Flag carried by Izzard during the Sport Relief Mile event in 2010.

On 27 July 2009, Suzy Eddie Izzard started an incredible challenge. With only five weeks of training, she began running marathons every day (except Sundays) across the UK. She did this to raise money for Sport Relief. She ran from London to Cardiff, then to Belfast, then to Edinburgh, and finally back to London. She carried the flag of the country she was running in. In Northern Ireland, she used a special green flag she designed with a white dove. She completed 43 marathons in 51 days, covering over 1,100 miles. She received a special award for this achievement at the BBC Sports Personality of the Year in 2009.

On 16 February 2016, she attempted another huge challenge. She ran 27 marathons in 27 days across South Africa for Sport Relief. The number 27 was chosen because Nelson Mandela was held in prison for 27 years. She aimed to run over 700 miles in very hot temperatures. She had tried this challenge in 2012 but had to stop due to health issues. This time, she completed it on 20 March 2016, finishing at Mandela's statue in Pretoria. She even ran two marathons on the last day because she had spent a day in the hospital earlier. She raised over £1.35 million for Sport Relief. A BBC documentary showed her amazing journey.

In December 2020, Suzy Eddie Izzard announced another challenge. She planned to run 31 marathons and perform 31 stand-up comedy shows in the 31 days of January 2021. This was to raise money for several charities. She raised more than £275,000.

Her Style of Comedy

Suzy Eddie Izzard's comedy style is like a "stream-of-consciousness". This means she jumps between different topics, letting her thoughts flow freely. She once said that this is like the "oral tradition" that humans have used for thousands of years. She has said that the comedy group Monty Python was her biggest influence. One of the Monty Python members, John Cleese, even called her "the lost Python".

Personal Life

Suzy Eddie Izzard identifies as genderfluid. This means she feels like "somewhat boy-ish and somewhat girl-ish". She uses the word "transgender" as a general term for herself. In March 2023, she shared that she would start using the name Suzy in addition to Eddie.

She is a big fan of the football club Crystal Palace. She even became an associate director at the club in 2012. She also enjoys building model trains.

Awards and Recognition

In 2003, Suzy Eddie Izzard received an honorary degree from the University of East Anglia. This was for promoting "modern languages and tolerance of other cultures". She has also received honorary doctorates from other universities, including the University of Sheffield.

Her website won the Yahoo People's Choice Award in 2004 and a Webby Award in 2005.

In 2007, she was listed as number 3 on Channel 4's list of the 100 Greatest British National Comedians. She was ranked 5th in 2010.

In 2013, she received the Outstanding Lifetime Achievement Award in Cultural Humanism from Harvard University.

In 2015, readers of The Guardian newspaper chose her as their public language champion. This was for her work promoting languages.

Work

Videos

Filmography

Film

Television

Theatre

• 900 Oneonta (1994)
• The Cryptogram (1994)
• Edward II (1995)
• Lenny (1999)
• A Day in the Death of Joe Egg (2001–2002, 2003)
• Trumbo (2003)
• Race (2010)
• What About Dick? (2012)
• Charles Dickens' Great Expectations (2022-2023)
• Hamlet (2024)

Video games

See also

In Spanish: Eddie Izzard para niños