Matt Lucas born 5 March 1974Matthew Richard Lucas is a British comedy actor. He is perhaps best known for his acclaimed work with David Walliams in the television sketch show Little Britain and spoof interview series, Rock Profile, as well as for his portrayal of the surreal scorekeeping baby George Dawes in the Reeves and Mortimer comedy panel game Shooting Stars.
In July 2006 he was placed 9th in the list of the UK's 100 most influential gays and lesbians, in fields as diverse as entertainment, business, politics, and science, by the British newspaper The Independent.
Lucas was born in London and raised in a Jewish background in Stanmore, Middlesex. He has had alopecia since his childhood, which in interviews he has inconsistently attributed to various events, including a delayed reaction to a road accident when he was four. He lost all of his hair in 1980, at the age of six.
He was educated at the prestigious Haberdashers' Aske's Boys' School, alongside other well known personalities, including Sacha Baron Cohen and David Baddiel. He studied drama at the University of Bristol and is a former member of both the National Youth Music Theatre and the National Youth Theatre.
He began his career in comedy on the London stand-up comedy circuit at the age of eighteen as Sir Bernard Chumley, legendary actor and raconteur — a character who was to appear later in Little Britain.
Lucas' association with Reeves and Mortimer began in 1992, when he was spotted by Bob Mortimer on stage. In 1994, Lucas appeared in The Smell of Reeves and Mortimer. The second series of the show featured Lucas in several sketches. He went on to star with them in Shooting Stars. He quickly rose to fame as George Dawes, the giant baby, who would deliver a string of meaningless gags (often in character) and insults before delivering the score, while sitting at and playing a drum kit. Many of these parts were introduced not in the style of a baby, but of a grown man — indeed, often, he would come on dressed as a specific adult such as Elton John. He also appeared as Marjorie Dawes, George's mother, who also appears in Little Britain. He also appeared in the Reeves & Mortimer BBC series Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased), and Catterick in a variety of roles.
Lucas has also written for Ali G and Borat actor Sacha Baron Cohen.His music video appearances include; the Damien Hirst-directed video for Blur's Country House (as a psychoanalyst), I'm with Stupid by the Pet Shop Boys and Vindaloo by Fat Les.
Lucas ventured into the world of stage musicals in 2002, when he took one of the main roles in Boy George's musical Taboo, at the The Venue, London. He played the part of infamous performance artist Leigh Bowery, which required him to wear some outrageous and spectacular outfits and make-up.
In 2005, he took his first role in a television drama, a supporting part as a Venetian Duke in the BBC historical serial Casanova, written by Russell T Davies.
On 26 November 2006 he appeared on the BBC Radio 4 show Desert Island Discs.
Little Britain is Lucas' most successful work. Originally a radio show on BBC Radio 4, it later became a TV series. Little Britain has won numerous TV awards, spawning large DVD sales and merchandising. It plays heavily on memorable catchphrases which have become ingrained in playgrounds and offices around the UK. Lucas plays four of the most popular characters in the series, which he writes and acts in along with David Walliams; apparently disabled Andy Pipkin, teenage chav Vicky Pollard, 'bottom enthusiast' Daffyd Thomas and fat fighter Marjorie Dawes. The pair subsequently recreated the series for the US market.On 17 December 2006, Lucas and long-term partner TV producer Kevin McGee were joined in a Civil Partnership ceremony in London. Guests at the service included Walliams as well as Dale Winton and comic Rob Brydon. The ceremony was kept fairly formal, with male guests wearing suits but the evening reception had the guests dressed in pantomime costumes. Evening guests included a hugely broad cross-section of stars from the worlds of television, comedy, music, theatre and the arts. The partnership was dissolved in 2008, Lucas apparently unable to deal with McGee's persistent drug problems. In 2009 Kevin McGee was found hanged having committed suicide, his drug problems allegedly having spiralled out of control. He left a suicide note on Facebook.
Lucas was the first celebrity to make an appearance in 2008's Big Brother Celebrity Hijack on E4, working alongside Big Brother in a series containing housemates aged 18-21 with various talents.
Both actors have also been taking on various straight acting roles to much acclaim.
Matt Lucas appeared in 2010 as Tweedledum and Tweedledee in Tim Burton's 3D version of Alice in Wonderland.
On 3 October 2010, he played the role of Thénardier in a special one-off performance celebrating the 25th anniversary of Les Misérables, held at the O2 Arena in London, which he will reprise at The Queen's Theatre, London from June 23rd 2011 to September 10th 2011. In 2011, Lucas will perform his vocal talents in the CGI film Gnomeo and Juliet. Lucas will work with James McAvoy, from Gnomeo and Juliet also, again in the upcoming Christmas film Arthur Christmas as Santa's #1 elf, Jemaine.
The BBC has just finished showing Matt Lucas and David Walliams new series, Come Fly With Me. In an interview shown on BBC 3 on 9th February, it was stated that they considered bringing Carol Beer from Little Britain to the new series, but decided against it, as they didn't want viewers to see it as a Little Britain spinoff. Instead, new characters were introduced to the series based in an airport. Matt's characters include Precious, Taaj, Tommy, Mickey, Fearghal, Simon and Peter, amongst others.
Matt has recently lost a large amount of weight on doctor's advice.