Funny Business (TV Series)
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Funny Business (TV Series)
''Funny Business'' (also known as ''Laughing Matters'') is a BBC television documentary series about the craft of comedy. Originally airing in the UK on 22 November 1992 the series consisted of six 50-minute episodes, with each one focusing on a different aspect of humour and show business entertainment. The Series Producer was Sarah Williams and was produced by Tiger Aspect Productions (formerly Tiger Television Productions) for the BBC. The series was also broadcast in Germany and New Zealand and later released on video. Episodes Series 1 (1992) Visual Comedy: A Lecture by Rowan Atkinson M.Sc. (Oxon.) This episode was directed by David Hinton. The writers were Rowan Atkinson, Robin Driscoll, and David Hinton. The show featured appearances by many comedians, including Rowan Atkinson who made an appearance both as the presenter/narrator and as an aspiring comedy actor named Kevin Bartholomew. Atkinson demonstrated many of the principles of comedy (slapstick, mime, e ...
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Rowan Atkinson
Rowan Sebastian Atkinson (born 6 January 1955) is an English actor, comedian and writer. He played the title roles on the sitcoms '' Blackadder'' (1983–1989) and ''Mr. Bean'' (1990–1995), and the film series ''Johnny English'' (2003–2018). Atkinson first came to prominence in the BBC sketch comedy show ''Not the Nine O'Clock News'' (1979–1982), receiving the 1981 British Academy Television Award for Best Entertainment Performance, and ''The Secret Policeman's Ball'' (1979) where he performed a skit. Subsequent skits on stage have featured solo performances as well as collaborations. His other film work includes the James Bond film '' Never Say Never Again'' (1983), playing a bumbling vicar in ''Four Weddings and a Funeral'' (1994), voicing the red-billed hornbill Zazu in ''The Lion King'' (1994), and playing jewellery salesman Rufus in ''Love Actually'' (2003). He portrayed Mr. Bean in the film adaptations ''Bean'' (1997) and ''Mr. Bean's Holiday'' (2007). Atkinson a ...
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Leslie Nielsen
Leslie William Nielsen (11 February 192628 November 2010) was a Canadian actor and comedian. With a career spanning 60 years, he appeared in more than 100 films and 150 television programs, portraying more than 220 characters. Nielsen was born in Regina, Saskatchewan. After high school, he enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1943R.I.P. Leslie Nielsen: 5 Things You Didn't Know About The "Naked Gun" Actor.
. Retrieved June 21, 2021.
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Charles Grodin
Charles Sidney Grodin (April 21, 1935 – May 18, 2021) was an American actor, comedian, author, and television talk show host. Grodin began his acting career in the 1960s appearing in TV serials including '' The Virginian''. After a small part in '' Rosemary's Baby'' in 1968, he played the lead in Elaine May's '' The Heartbreak Kid'' (1972) and supporting roles in Mike Nichols's ''Catch-22'' (1970), the 1976 remake of ''King Kong'', and Warren Beatty's '' Heaven Can Wait'' (1978). Known for his deadpan delivery and often cast as a put-upon straight man, Grodin became familiar as a supporting actor in many Hollywood comedies of the era, including ''Real Life'' (1979), '' Seems Like Old Times'' (1980), ''The Great Muppet Caper'' (1981), ''Ishtar'' (1987), ''Dave'' (1993), and '' Clifford'' (1994). Grodin co-starred in the action comedy ''Midnight Run'' (1988) and in the family film ''Beethoven'' (1992). He made frequent appearances on ''The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson'' and ...
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Mike Myers
Michael John Myers OC (born May 25, 1963) is a Canadian actor, comedian, screenwriter, and producer. His accolades include seven MTV Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Award. In 2002, he was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 2017, he was named an Officer of the Order of Canada for "his extensive and acclaimed body of comedic work as an actor, writer, and producer." Following a series of appearances on several Canadian television programs, Myers came to recognition for performing on ''Saturday Night Live'' (1989–1995), which won him the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series. He subsequently earned praise and numerous accolades for playing the title roles in the ''Wayne's World'' (1992–1993), ''Austin Powers'' (1997–2002), and ''Shrek'' (2001–2010) franchises, the latter of which is the second highest-grossing animated film franchise. Myers acted sporadically in the 2010s, notably having supporting roles ...
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Eddie Murphy
Edward Regan Murphy (born April 3, 1961) is an American actor, comedian, writer, producer, and singer. He rose to fame on the sketch comedy show ''Saturday Night Live'', for which he was a regular cast member from 1980 to 1984. Murphy has also worked as a stand-up comedian and is ranked No. 10 on Comedy Central's list of the 100 Greatest Stand-ups of All Time. Murphy has received Golden Globe Award nominations for his performances in ''48 Hrs.'' (1982), the Beverly Hills Cop (film series), ''Beverly Hills Cop'' series (1984–present), ''Trading Places'' (1983), ''The Nutty Professor (1996 film), The Nutty Professor'' (1996), and ''Dolemite Is My Name'' (2019). He has also won numerous awards for his work on the fantasy comedy film Dr. Dolittle (1998 film), ''Dr. Dolittle'' (1998) and its Dr. Dolittle 2, 2001 sequel. In 2007, Murphy won the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture, Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor and received a nomination for the ...
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Gabriel Beristain
Luis Gabriel Beristáin, is a Mexican cinematographer, producer, and television director known for his work on numerous well-known films including ''The Distinguished Gentleman'', ''The Spanish Prisoner'', ''Blade II'', and ''Street Kings'', and several entries in the Marvel Cinematic Universe including the ''Agent Carter'' television series. He has collaborated with filmmakers like Guillermo del Toro, Derek Jarman, David Mamet, and David Ayer. He is an active member of both the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and the British Academy of Film and Television Arts. Life and career Beristain was born in Mexico City, the son of actor Luis Beristáin. His interest in filmmaking began with his involvement in Mexico's independent film scene in the seventies. He studied Engineering at the Instituto Politécnico Nacional, and later joined a new film studies program at the school, while also producing audiovisual training materials for the health department. After filming a ...
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Jonathan Lynn
Jonathan Lynn (born 3 April 1943) is an English stage and film director, producer, writer, and actor. He is known for directing the comedy films such as ''Clue'', ''Nuns on the Run'', ''My Cousin Vinny'', and ''The Whole Nine Yards''. He also co-created and co-wrote the television series ''Yes Minister''. Early life Lynn was born in Bath, Somerset, the son of physician Robin Lynn and sculptor Ruth Helen (née Eban), whose first cousin on her mother's side was the neurologist Oliver Sacks. Another cousin, Caroline Sacks, married Nicholas Samuel, 5th Viscount Bearsted. Lynn was educated at Kingswood School, Bath, between 1954 and 1961, after which he studied law at Pembroke College, Cambridge. (His maternal uncle, Israeli statesman Abba Eban, had also studied at Cambridge in the 1930s.) There he participated in the Cambridge University Footlights Club revue '' Cambridge Circus'' (appearing with the revue in 1964 on Broadway and on ''The Ed Sullivan Show''). Career Acting Lynn's ...
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Penny Marshall
Carole Penny MarshallBorn Carole Penny Marshall in 1943, as per ''My Mother Was Nuts, a Memoir'', p. 10; . Copyright 2012 (October 15, 1943 – December 17, 2018) was an American actress, director and producer. She is known for her role as Laverne DeFazio on the television sitcom ''Laverne & Shirley'' (1976–1983), receiving three nominations for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy for her portrayal. Marshall made her directorial debut with ''Jumpin' Jack Flash'' (1986) before directing ''Big'' (1988), which became the first film directed by a woman to gross more than $100 million at the U.S. box office. Her subsequent directing credits included ''Awakenings'' (1990), which was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture, ''A League of Their Own'' (1992), ''Renaissance Man'' (1994), ''The Preacher's Wife'' (1996) and ''Riding in Cars with Boys'' (2001). She also produced '' Cinderella Man'' (2005) and ''Bewitched'' (2005), a ...
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Buck Henry
Buck Henry (born Henry Zuckerman; December 9, 1930 – January 8, 2020) was an American actor, screenwriter, and director. Henry's contributions to film included his work as a co-writer for Mike Nichols's ''The Graduate'' (1967) for which he received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. He also appeared in Nichols' ''Catch-22'' (1970), Herbert Ross' ''The Owl and the Pussycat'' (1970), and Peter Bogdanovich's '' What's Up, Doc?'' (1972). In 1978, he co-directed '' Heaven Can Wait'' (1978) with Warren Beatty receiving a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Director. He later appeared in Albert Brooks' ''Defending Your Life'' (1991), and the Robert Altman films '' The Player'' (1992) and ''Short Cuts'' (1993). His long career began on television with work on shows with Steve Allen in '' The New Steve Allen Show'' (1961). He co-created ''Get Smart'' (1965–1970) with Mel Brooks for which he received the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writi ...
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Gene Wilder
Jerome Silberman (June 11, 1933 – August 29, 2016), known professionally as Gene Wilder, was an American actor, comedian, writer and filmmaker. He is known mainly for his comedic roles, but also for his portrayal of Willy Wonka in ''Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory'' (1971). He is also known for his collaborations with Mel Brooks on the films '' The Producers'' (1967), ''Blazing Saddles'' (1974) and ''Young Frankenstein'' (1974), as well as with Richard Pryor in the films '' Silver Streak'' (1976), '' Stir Crazy'' (1980), ''See No Evil, Hear No Evil'' (1989) and '' Another You'' (1991). He also starred in Woody Allen's '' Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex* (*But Were Afraid to Ask)'' (1972). Wilder began his career on stage, and made his screen debut in an episode of the TV series '' The Play of the Week'' in 1961. Although his first film role was portraying a hostage in the 1967 motion picture ''Bonnie and Clyde'', Wilder's first major role was as Leopold Bloo ...
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Penelope Spheeris
Penelope Spheeris (born December 2, 1945 or 1946; sources differ) is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. She has directed both documentary and scripted films. Her best-known works include the trilogy titled ''The Decline of Western Civilization'', each covering an aspect of Los Angeles underground culture, and ''Wayne's World'', her highest-grossing film. Early life Spheeris was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. Her Greek-immigrant father owned the ''Magic Empire Shows'' carnival and was a side-show strong man. Her mother, of Irish heritage, was raised in Kansas and later worked as a ticket taker for the carnival. Her father was 40 years old and her mother was 19 when they began a relationship. Spheeris has three full siblings, plus a number of older half-siblings from her father's first marriage. She is a sister of singer Jimmie Spheeris and a first cousin of musician Chris Spheeris, and Greek- French director Costa Gavras, which she says has made her consid ...
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Damon Wayans
Damon Kyle Wayans Sr. (; born September 4, 1960) is an American actor, comedian, producer, and writer. Wayans performed as a comedian and actor throughout the 1980s, including a year long stint on the sketch comedy series ''Saturday Night Live.'' His true breakthrough, however, came as writer and performer on FOX's sketch comedy show ''In Living Color'' from 1990 to 1992, his animated series ''Waynehead'' that ran on the Kids' WB block from 1996 to 1997, and his TV series '' Damon'' (1998). Since then, he has starred in a number of films and television shows, some of which he has co-produced or co-written, including ''Beverly Hills Cop'', ''The Last Boy Scout'', and ''Major Payne'' and the sitcom ''My Wife and Kids''. From 2016 to 2019, he starred as Roger Murtaugh in the television series ''Lethal Weapon''. He is a member of the Wayans family of entertainers. Early life Wayans was born in Harlem in New York City, the son of Elvira Alethia (Green), a homemaker, singer and soci ...
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