Keith Allen (actor) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Keith Allen
Allen in 2012
Born	Keith Howell Charles Allen (1953-09-02) 2 September 1953 (age 71) Gorseinon, Wales
Nationality	Welsh
Occupation	Actor, author, broadcaster, comedian, musician, singer
Years active	1979–present
Spouse(s)	Alison Owen ​ ​ (m. 1984; div. 1989)​ Nira Park ​ ​ (m. 1997, divorced)​
Partner(s)	Tamzin Malleson
Children	6, including Lily and Alfie Allen
Relatives	Kevin Allen (brother)

Keith Howell Charles Allen (born September 2, 1953) is a Welsh actor, TV presenter, and performer in pantomime shows. He is well-known for his many roles in films and television. Keith is also the father of famous singer Lily Allen and actor Alfie Allen. His brother, Kevin Allen, is also an actor and director.

About Keith Allen

Early Life and School

Keith Allen was born in Gorseinon, Wales, on September 2, 1953. His father was a Royal Navy petty officer who served on submarines. His mother was a Welsh waitress. Keith has a younger brother named Kevin Allen.

Keith spent his early years near Swansea and in Malta. He spent most of his childhood in Gosport, Hampshire, England. This was because his father worked in Portsmouth or was away at sea. Even though he lived in England for a long time, Keith still feels very Welsh.

When Keith was 11, his father was sent to Singapore. Keith was sent to a boarding school called Sir Anthony Browns Brentwood in Essex. He was asked to leave the school at age 13. He later attended Brune Park Community School in Gosport. Keith earned six O-levels, which helped him get into the Welsh College of Music and Drama. However, he was also asked to leave this college after a disagreement.

His Acting Career

Keith Allen has acted in many films and TV shows. He has also presented TV programs and performed in pantomimes.

First Acting Roles

In the 1970s, Keith had several different jobs. He worked as a stagehand and was also a stand-up comedian. He even opened shows for famous rock bands like The Clash.

In 1979, Keith became a popular performer at Comedy Store. This led to him appearing in a series of films called The Comic Strip Presents... on Channel 4 in the 1980s. Some of his notable roles were in The Bullshitters and The Yob. He also helped write The Yob. Keith played the character Pestilence in an episode of The Young Ones. In 1985, The Comic Strip made a movie called The Supergrass, which starred Keith and other actors like Adrian Edmondson and Jennifer Saunders.

Later Film and TV Roles

In 1986, Keith appeared in Comrades, a film about the Tolpuddle Martyrs. He also had his own comedy show called I Love Keith Allen on the Galaxy channel. In 1992, he played Pepi The Poisoner in the film Carry On Columbus.

Keith made a brief appearance in the film Twin Town, which his brother Kevin directed. He also appeared in the TV show A Very British Coup. In 1994, he played a character who dies early in the thriller Shallow Grave. That same year, he played Jonas Chuzzlewit in a BBC show based on Martin Chuzzlewit. He also appeared in the film Trainspotting in 1996.

In 2000, Keith performed in two plays by Harold Pinter at the Almeida Theatre. In 2001, he was in an episode of Murder in Mind. In 2004, he appeared in Black Books as a poker player. He also played a music executive in 24 Hour Party People, a film about the Manchester music scene. Keith made a cameo in the TV show Spaced. He played the villain in the movie Agent Cody Banks 2: Destination London in 2004. He also appeared in the hospital drama Bodies as Dr. Tony Whitman.

From 2006 to 2009, Keith Allen played the Sheriff of Nottingham in the BBC drama series Robin Hood. In 2008, he starred as Long John Silver in a pantomime version of Treasure Island.

In 2011, he appeared in the BBC drama The Body Farm. In 2013, he played a farmer in the comedy-drama Great Night Out. In 2021, Keith played a serial killer named John Cooper in the ITV drama The Pembrokeshire Murders. In 2023, he appeared in the BBC crime drama Steeltown Murders.

Being a TV Presenter

Keith Allen presented the TV show Whatever You Want in 1982. He has also presented documentaries like Little Lady Fauntleroy (2004) and You're Fayed (2005). In 2007, his documentary Tourette De France was shown on Channel 4. In this show, he traveled with a group of people who have Tourette syndrome from London to Paris.

Keith also presented the Manchester Passion in 2006. This was a modern retelling of the last hours of Jesus' life. In 2009, he presented Keith Meets Keith, where he met TV chef Keith Floyd. This show featured Floyd's last TV interview before he passed away.

Music Projects

In the 1970s, Keith was part of a punk band called the Atoms. Later, he was in a band called Fat Les with artist Damien Hirst and Blur bassist Alex James.

In 1980, he played the Devil in a short movie called Meteor Madness. He was also closely involved with the band New Order. He directed the music video for their song "Ruined in a Day". He also helped write their only UK number one song, "World in Motion". Keith sometimes performed with New Order live, including at the Reading Festival in 1998.

Keith appeared in the music video for Blur's 1995 song "Country House". He has also been involved in other football-related songs. He wrote the lyrics for "Vindaloo" by Fat Les. He also contributed the song "On Me Head, Son" to the film Mike Bassett: England Manager.

Family Life

Keith Allen has six children with four different women. His children include pop singer Lily Allen and actor Alfie Allen. They are from his first marriage to Alison Owen. He later married Nira Park in 1997, but they later divorced.

After his second marriage, Keith became partners with actress Tamzin Malleson. They had a daughter named Teddie Allen in 2006. Keith and Tamzin live in Stroud, Gloucestershire. In 2017, they opened a diner in Stroud. They built it using the diner set from the movie Kingsman: The Golden Circle, which Keith got after filming.

Keith supports Fulham Football Club.

Selected Filmography

Film

Television

Music videos

See also

In Spanish: Keith Allen para niños