Tim Minchin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Tim Minchin |
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Minchin in 2024
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| Birth name | Timothy David Minchin |
| Born | 7 October 1975 Northampton, Northamptonshire, England |
| Years active | 1998–present |
| Spouse |
Sarah Minchin
(m. 2001) |
| Children | 2 |
| Musical career | |
| Genres | Comedy rock |
| Instruments |
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| Labels | BMG |
Timothy David Minchin AM (born 7 October 1975) is an Australian comedian, actor, writer, musician, and composer. He is famous for his clever and funny songs, his exciting live shows, and for writing the music and lyrics for the award-winning stage shows Matilda the Musical and Groundhog Day The Musical.
Minchin has released many albums and DVDs of his live comedy shows, which he has performed all over the world. His show Darkside made him famous after it won awards at the 2005 Melbourne International Comedy Festival and the 2005 Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
He is also a talented actor, appearing in theatre, television, and movies. He co-wrote and starred in the popular TV series Upright and played the role of rock star Atticus Fetch in the American show Californication.
For his work in the arts, Minchin has received many honors. He has been awarded three honorary Doctor of Letters degrees from universities. In 2020, he was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia, which is one of Australia's highest honors.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Timothy David Minchin was born in Northampton, England, on October 7, 1975. His parents were Australian, and he grew up in Perth, Australia, with his brother and two sisters. Because he was born in the UK, he holds both British and Australian citizenship.
Minchin began learning piano when he was eight years old. He later taught himself more after he started writing songs with his brother, Dan. He went to Christ Church Grammar School in Perth. After high school, he earned a degree in English and Theatre from the University of Western Australia in 1996. In 1998, he graduated from the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts with a diploma in contemporary music.
Musical and Comedy Career
Minchin calls his performances "funny cabaret shows." He sees himself as a musician first and a comedian second. His shows are known for their unique style. He often performs barefoot with wild hair and heavy eye makeup, while wearing a formal suit and playing a grand piano. He says performing barefoot makes him feel more comfortable on stage.
His songs often talk about big ideas and challenge the way people think. He uses humor to explore topics that can be serious. He believes that comedy and music are powerful ways to talk about important subjects.
Path to Success
After graduating, Minchin wrote music for theatre and documentaries. He moved to Melbourne to find more acting work but struggled to get started. He decided to put all of his funny songs into one show to see what would happen.
That show, Darkside, became a huge success at the 2005 Melbourne International Comedy Festival. It won the Festival Directors' Award and got the attention of international promoters. This led to him performing at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in Scotland, where he won the Best Newcomer award. This was the start of his international fame.
Major Tours and Albums
After his initial success, Minchin created more popular shows like So Rock and Ready for This?. An animated film of his beat poem, "Storm," was released online in 2011 and became very popular.
From 2010 to 2012, he toured with a full orchestra in a show called Tim Minchin and the Heritage Orchestra. This tour was a huge production that played in large arenas across the UK and Australia. A recording of the show at the Royal Albert Hall in London was released on DVD.
In 2019, Minchin returned to touring with a new show called BACK. He toured Australia, New Zealand, and the UK. In 2020, he released his first studio album, Apart Together.
Career in Theatre, TV, and Film
Stage Career
Minchin has a strong background in theatre. He has acted in many plays, including playing the title role in Hamlet and Mozart in Amadeus. In 2012, he played the role of Judas Iscariot in an arena tour of the rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar.
Matilda the Musical
In 2008, the Royal Shakespeare Company asked Minchin to write the music and lyrics for Matilda the Musical, based on the book by Roald Dahl. The show was a massive hit. It opened in London in 2011 and won a record-breaking seven Laurence Olivier Awards. In 2013, it opened on Broadway in New York and won four Tony Awards. The musical is still performed all over the world.
Groundhog Day The Musical
Minchin later worked with the same creative team from Matilda to create Groundhog Day. The musical is based on the famous 1993 movie. It opened in London in 2016 and won the Olivier Award for Best New Musical. It also had a successful run on Broadway.
Television and Film
Minchin has appeared on many TV shows in Australia, the UK, and the US. He is well known for playing the rock star Atticus Fetch in the TV series Californication. In 2019, he co-created, co-wrote, and starred in the Australian drama series Upright.
He has also acted in movies. He played Friar Tuck in the 2018 film Robin Hood. He was the voice of Busker K. Bushy, Esq. in Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway (2021) and the koala Pretty Boy in Back to the Outback (2021). In 2022, a movie version of Matilda the Musical was released, featuring his songs.
Personal Life
Minchin married his wife, Sarah, in 2001. They have a daughter, Violet, and a son, Caspar. After living in Los Angeles for several years, the family moved back to Australia in 2017 and now lives in Sydney.
Minchin is a supporter of several charities, including organizations that support youth theatre and children's health.
Discography
Albums
Studio albums
| Title | Details | Peak chart positions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| AUS |
UK |
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| Sit (with Timmy the Dog) |
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— | — |
| Apart Together |
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3 | 27 |
| Time Machine |
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- | - |
Live albums
| Darkside |
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| So Rock |
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| Ready for This? |
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| Live at the O2 |
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| Tim Minchin and the Heritage Orchestra |
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| So ... Rock (adapted from the 2008 DVD So ... Rock Live) |
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| Apart Together (live at Trackdown Studio) |
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Singles
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| AUS |
|||
| "Drowned" | 2008 | – | Two Fists One Heart |
| "White Wine in the Sun" | 2009 | – | Ready for This? |
| "The Pope Song" | 2010 | – | |
| "The Fence" | 2011 | – | |
| "White Wine in the Sun" (re-release) | 2012 | – | |
| "So Long (As We Are Together)" | 2013 | – | |
| "Come Home (Cardinal Pell)" | 2016 | 11 | |
| "15 Minutes" | 2019 | – | |
| "Leaving LA" | 2020 | – | Apart Together |
| "I'll Take Lonely Tonight" | – | ||
| "Apart Together" | – | ||
| "Airport Piano" | – | ||
| "The Absence of You" | – | ||
| "Beautiful Ugly" (featuring Evie Irie) (Tim Minchin featuring Evie Irie) |
2021 | – | Back to the Outback (soundtrack) |
| "The Aeroplane" | 2022 | – | |
| "Play It Safe" (Sydney Opera House 50th Anniversary) | 2023 | – | |
| "Good Day Sunshine" (The Good Day Sunshine Band, Tim Minchin) |
2024 | – | From the Netflix Series 'Eric' |
| "Ruby" | 2025 | Time Machine | |
| "The Song of the ..." | |||
| "I Wouldn't Like You" |
DVD
- So Live (2007) Australian DVD
- So F**king Rock Live (also known as So ... Rock Live) (11 October 2008)
- Ready for This?, three DVD releases (2009, 2010, 2011)
- Tim Minchin and the Heritage Orchestra (14 November 2011)
- Back - Live (2022)
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Rock'n'roll Nerd: The Tim Minchin Story | Self | Documentary | |
| Two Fists, One Heart | Tom | |||
| 2010 | The Lost Thing | The Boy | Voice, short film (Oscar winner for Best Animated Short Film) | |
| 2011 | Storm | Narrator | Also writer, poem set to an animated short film | |
| 2016 | Matilda & Me | Self | Documentary, directed by his sister Nel Minchin and Rhian Skirving | |
| 2018 | Robin Hood | Friar Tuck | ||
| 2021 | Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway | Busker K. Bushy, Esq. | Voice | |
| Back to the Outback | Pretty Boy | Voice | ||
| 2022 | Matilda the Musical | N/A | Composer and lyricist. Based on the original 2010 stage musical | |
| 2023 | Scarygirl | Chihoohoo | Voice |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Californication | Atticus Fetch | Recurring character, 10 episodes | ||
| 88 Keys | Charlie | Pilot | |||
| 2015 | The Secret River | Smasher Sullivan | |||
| No Activity | Jacob | Guest role, 2 episodes | |||
| 2018 | Squinters | Paul | Main role, series 1 | ||
| 2019-2022 | Upright | Lucky Flynn | Also creator, writer, composer, executive producer, and director of 1 episode | ||
| 2023 | The Artful Dodger | Darius Cracksworth | |||
| 2024 | Eric | N/A | Composer of theme song to fictional show "Good Day Sunshine" | ||
| 2025 | Play School | Self | Appears in episode "Clever Creatives"; reads and performs "When I Grow Up" from Matilda and the illustrated book | ||
| The Horne Section TV Show | Self | Cameo appearance, series 2 episode 3 "The Cancellation" |
Theatre
Actor
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Amadeus | Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart | Perth Theatre Company |
| 2012 | Jesus Christ Superstar | Judas Iscariot | UK Arena Tour |
| 2013 | Australian Arena Tour | ||
| Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead | Rosencrantz | Sydney Theatre Company | |
| Jesus Christ Superstar | Judas Iscariot | UK Arena Tour | |
| 2016 | Shakespeare Live! From The RSC | Himself | 'To be or not to be' sketch, also broadcast on BBC Two Royal Shakespeare Company |
Composer/lyricist
- This Blasted Earth (2004)
- Somewhere...The Magical Musical of Penrith (2005)
- Matilda the Musical (2010)
- Groundhog Day (2016)
Tours
- So Rock (2007-8)
- Ready for This? (2008-9)
- Tim Minchin and the Heritage Orchestra/Tim Minchin vs. The Orchestras (2010-11)
- Back (2019-21)
- An Unfunny Evening with Tim Minchin and His Piano (2023-24)
- Songs The World Will Never Hear (2025)
Awards and nominations
A selection of major awards.
- 2005 Edinburgh Festival Fringe Perrier Comedy Award, Best Newcomer
- 2009 Helpmann Award for Best Comedy Performer for Tim Minchin – Ready For This?
- 2011 Helpmann Award for Best New Australian Work for Tim Minchin Vs Sydney Symphony
- 2012 Olivier Awards: Best New Musical for Matilda The Musical
- 2013 Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album for Matilda: The Musical (Nominated)
- 2016 Logie Award, Most Outstanding Supporting Actor for The Secret River
- 2016 Helpmann Award for Best Original Score for Matilda the Musical
- 2017 Olivier Awards: Best New Musical for Groundhog Day The Musical
- 2017 Tony Award for Best Original Score for Groundhog Day The Musical (Nominated)
- 2019 Helpmann Award for Best Australian Contemporary Concert for Tim Minchin: Back
- 2021 Richard Dawkins Award
See also
In Spanish: Tim Minchin para niños
