Robert Renwick Mortimer (born 23 May 1959) is an English comedian, podcast presenter and actor. He is known for his work with
Vic Reeves
James Roderick Moir (born 24 January 1959), better known by his stage name Vic Reeves, is an English comedian, artist, surrealist, musician, actor and television presenter, best known for his double act with Bob Mortimer as Reeves & Mortimer. ...
as part of their
Vic and Bob
Vic (; es, Vic or Pancracio Celdrán (2004). Diccionario de topónimos españoles y sus gentilicios (5ª edición). Madrid: Espasa Calpe. p. 843. ISBN 978-84-670-3054-9. «Vic o Vich (viquense, vigitano, vigatán, ausense, ausetano, ausonense): ...
comedy double act, and more recently the ''
Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing'' series with comedian
Paul Whitehouse
Paul Julian Whitehouse (born 17 May 1958) is a Welsh actor, writer and comedian. He was one of the main stars of the BBC sketch comedy series ''The Fast Show'', and has also starred with Harry Enfield in the shows '' Harry & Paul'' and ''Harry ...
. He has also appeared on panel shows such as
''Would I Lie to You?'' and
''Taskmaster''.
Early life
Mortimer was raised with three brothers in the
Linthorpe
Linthorpe is an inner-area of Middlesbrough in the Borough of Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire, England. It contains two wards: Linthorpe (containing the cemetery with a population of 9,711) and Park (containing Albert Park with a population o ...
area of
Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough ( ) is a town on the southern bank of the River Tees in North Yorkshire, England. It is near the North York Moors national park. It is the namesake and main town of its local borough council area.
Until the early 1800s, the a ...
. His father, a biscuit salesman, died in a car crash when Mortimer was seven. At around the same time, Mortimer accidentally burnt down his family's home with a stray firework.
Mortimer attended
King's Manor School
King's Manor Speciality Sports School was a secondary school in Acklam, Middlesbrough, England. It was situated on Hall Drive and is next to Hall Garth Community Arts College; the two schools merged in 2010 to create Oakfields Community Coll ...
on the site of
Acklam Hall in
Acklam,
Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough ( ) is a town on the southern bank of the River Tees in North Yorkshire, England. It is near the North York Moors national park. It is the namesake and main town of its local borough council area.
Until the early 1800s, the a ...
. His schoolmates included
Ali Brownlee
Alastair Brownlee (14 April 1959 – 14 February 2016) was an English radio broadcaster best known for his coverage of Middlesbrough F.C. on BBC Tees from 1982 onwards. His connection to the club earned him the honorific "Voice of the Boro".
...
, who would go on to become a sports presenter on
BBC Tees
BBC Radio Tees is the BBC's local radio station serving the former county of Cleveland which comprises the unitary authorities of Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Redcar and Cleveland and Stockton-on-Tees.
It broadcasts on FM, DAB, digital TV an ...
.
He had trials for local professional
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
club
Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough ( ) is a town on the southern bank of the River Tees in North Yorkshire, England. It is near the North York Moors national park. It is the namesake and main town of its local borough council area.
Until the early 1800s, the a ...
, and although he was not able to join the club as a professional due to
arthritis
Arthritis is a term often used to mean any disorder that affects joints. Symptoms generally include joint pain and stiffness. Other symptoms may include redness, warmth, swelling, and decreased range of motion of the affected joints. In som ...
, he still supports them. He left school with three
A-levels
The A-Level (Advanced Level) is a subject-based qualification conferred as part of the General Certificate of Education, as well as a school leaving qualification offered by the educational bodies in the United Kingdom and the educational aut ...
and went on to study law at the universities of
Sussex
Sussex (), from the Old English (), is a historic county in South East England that was formerly an independent medieval Anglo-Saxon kingdom. It is bounded to the west by Hampshire, north by Surrey, northeast by Kent, south by the English ...
and
Leicester
Leicester ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city, Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority and the county town of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest settlement in the East Midlands.
The city l ...
. There, Mortimer became involved in political causes and the
punk
Punk or punks may refer to:
Genres, subculture, and related aspects
* Punk rock, a music genre originating in the 1970s associated with various subgenres
* Punk subculture, a subculture associated with punk rock, or aspects of the subculture s ...
movement, starting a band called Dog Dirt. After leaving university with an
LLM
A Master of Laws (M.L. or LL.M.; Latin: ' or ') is an advanced postgraduate academic degree, pursued by those either holding an undergraduate academic law degree, a professional law degree, or an undergraduate degree in a related subject. In mos ...
in Welfare Law, Mortimer moved to London and became a solicitor for
Southwark Council
Southwark London Borough Council is the local authority for the London Borough of Southwark in Greater London, England. It is a London borough council, one of 32 in the United Kingdom capital of London.
History
There have previously been a numbe ...
. He then moved to a private practice in Peckham, where his work with
Public Health Act
Public Health Act is a stock short title used in the United Kingdom for legislation relating to public health.
List
*The Public Health Act 1848 (11 & 12 Vict c 63)
*The Sanitary Act 1866 (29 & 30 Vict c 90) is sometimes called the Public Health A ...
cases regarding cockroach infestation of council properties led to a local paper dubbing Mortimer "The Cockroach King". According to his autobiography, he was mugged in Peckham by a former client, who apologised after recognising him, and continued to represent the client.
Career
Partnership with Vic Reeves
In 1986, Mortimer went to the Goldsmith's Tavern in
New Cross
New Cross is an area in south east London, England, south-east of Charing Cross in the London Borough of Lewisham and the SE14 postcode district. New Cross is near St Johns, Telegraph Hill, Nunhead, Peckham, Brockley, Deptford and Greenwich, ...
, London, to see a new show by the comedian
Vic Reeves
James Roderick Moir (born 24 January 1959), better known by his stage name Vic Reeves, is an English comedian, artist, surrealist, musician, actor and television presenter, best known for his double act with Bob Mortimer as Reeves & Mortimer. ...
. Mortimer was impressed by the performance, particularly the character Tappy Lappy, which was Reeves attempting to tap dance while wearing a
Bryan Ferry
Bryan Ferry CBE (born 26 September 1945) is an English singer and songwriter. His voice has been described as an "elegant, seductive croon". He also established a distinctive image and sartorial style: according to ''The Independent'', Ferry an ...
mask and planks on his feet. Mortimer approached Reeves after the show, and the two began writing material for the next week's show together. They also became good friends and formed a band, the Potter's Wheel. Mortimer began to perform on the show, which was christened ''
Vic Reeves Big Night Out
''Vic Reeves Big Night Out'' was a cult British comedy stage show and later television series which ran on Channel 4 for two series in 1990 and 1991, as well as a New Year special. Its live incarnation marked the beginnings of the collaboration ...
'', creating such characters as the Singing Lawyer, Graham Lister, Judge Nutmeg and the Man With the Stick.
The show became successful in South London and eventually outgrew Goldsmith's Tavern, moving in 1988 to the
Albany Empire in
Deptford
Deptford is an area on the south bank of the River Thames in southeast London, within the London Borough of Lewisham. It is named after a ford of the River Ravensbourne. From the mid 16th century to the late 19th it was home to Deptford Dock ...
. Mortimer soon became an integral part of the performance, providing him with a weekly break from his legal work, which had begun to disillusion him.
Reeves and Mortimer made their television debut on the short-lived 1989 comedy chat show ''One Hour with
Jonathan Ross
Jonathan Stephen Ross (born 17 November 1960) is an English broadcaster, film critic, comedian, actor, writer, and producer. He presented the BBC One chat show ''Friday Night with Jonathan Ross'' during the 2000s, hosted his own radio show on ...
'', in the game show segment known as "
Knock down ginger
Knock, knock, ginger (also known as ding, dong, ditch in the United States) is a Practical joke, prank or game dating back to 19th-century England, or possibly the earlier Cornwall, Cornish traditional holiday of Nickanan Night. The game is play ...
". Later that year, the duo made their first television pilot together, ''
Vic Reeves Big Night Out
''Vic Reeves Big Night Out'' was a cult British comedy stage show and later television series which ran on Channel 4 for two series in 1990 and 1991, as well as a New Year special. Its live incarnation marked the beginnings of the collaboration ...
''. The television show remained true to the nightclub act's variety show format. Mortimer took a 10-week break from his legal job to film the series and never returned.
The two later created a one-off pilot for a sitcom called ''
The Weekenders
''The Weekenders'' (also known as ''Disney's The Weekenders'') is an American animated television series created by Doug Langdale that ran on February 26, 2000 with the last episode aired on February 29, 2004, spanning four seasons. It centers ...
'' in 1992, followed by the sketch show ''
The Smell of Reeves and Mortimer
''The Smell of Reeves and Mortimer'' is a BBC TV sketch show written by and starring double act Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer. Its first series appeared in 1993 following the duo's move to the BBC after parting company with Channel 4. The show d ...
'' in 1993, and ''
Shooting Stars'', a comedy
panel show
A panel show or panel game is a radio or television game show in which a panel of celebrities participates. Celebrity panelists may compete with each other, such as on ''The News Quiz''; facilitate play by non-celebrity contestants, such as on ' ...
that first aired in December 1993. After being commissioned, ''
Shooting Stars'' ran for five series between 1995 and 2002, with a special anniversary edition broadcast in December 2008. A sixth series was broadcast in late 2009, followed by a seventh series in mid-2010, and an eighth in 2011.
In 1999, Reeves and Mortimer appeared in a second sketch show called ''
Bang Bang, It's Reeves and Mortimer''. A year later, Mortimer played the part of
Jeff Randall in ''
Randall & Hopkirk (Deceased)'', opposite Reeves as
Marty Hopkirk and
Emilia Fox
Emilia Rose Elizabeth Fox (born 31 July 1974) is an English actress and presenter whose film debut was in Roman Polanski's film '' The Pianist''. Her other films include the Italian–French–British romance-drama film '' The Soul Keeper'' (2 ...
as
Jeannie Hurst.
In 2003, Mortimer and Reeves were listed in ''
The Observer
''The Observer'' is a British newspaper published on Sundays. It is a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', whose parent company Guardian Media Group Limited acquired it in 1993. First published in 1791, it is the w ...
'' as one of the 50 funniest acts in British comedy. In a 2005 poll to find the ''Comedians' Comedian'', the duo were voted the 9th greatest comedy act of all time by fellow comedians and comedy insiders.
In 2004, Mortimer and Reeves wrote and starred in
''Catterick'', a six-episode surreal comedy about an ex-soldier, Carl, who returns home from
Cyprus
Cyprus ; tr, Kıbrıs (), officially the Republic of Cyprus,, , lit: Republic of Cyprus is an island country located south of the Anatolian Peninsula in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Its continental position is disputed; while it is geo ...
to join his brother Chris, who has agreed to help find Carl's son. Cast included
Reece Shearsmith
Reeson Wayne "Reece" Shearsmith (born 27 August 1969) is an English actor, writer and comedian. He is best known for being a member of '' The League of Gentlemen'', alongside Steve Pemberton, Mark Gatiss, and Jeremy Dyson. With Pemberton, he l ...
,
Matt Lucas
Matthew Richard Lucas (born 5 March 1974) is an English actor, comedian, writer, and television presenter. He is best known for his work with David Walliams on the BBC sketch comedy series ''Little Britain'' (2003–2006, 2020) and '' Come Fl ...
,
Morwenna Banks
Tamsin Morwenna Banks (born 20 September 1961) is a British comedy actress, writer and producer. She appeared in the Channel 4 comedy sketch show '' Absolutely'', and wrote, produced, and appeared in the British ensemble film ''The Announcemen ...
,
Tim Healy,
Mark Benton
Mark Benton (born 16 November 1965) is an English actor and television presenter known for his roles as Eddie in ''Early Doors'', Howard in '' Northern Lights'' and Martin Pond in '' Barbara''. Benton has also starred in the BBC One school-base ...
and
Charlie Higson
Charles Murray Higson (born 3 July 1958) is an English actor, comedian, author and former singer. He has also written and produced for television and is the author of the ''Enemy'' book series, as well as the first five novels in the ''Young Bo ...
.
On 17 November 2007, Mortimer appeared as Reeves' hairdresser, Carl, in the weekly radio sketch show on
BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It is the most popular station in the United Kingdom with over 15 million weekly listeners. Since launching in 1967, the station broadcasts a wide range of content. ...
entitled ''
Vic Reeves' House Arrest''.
On 27 February 2008, Reeves announced that he and Mortimer were working together on a new sitcom about
superhero
A superhero or superheroine is a stock character that typically possesses ''superpowers'', abilities beyond those of ordinary people, and fits the role of the hero, typically using his or her powers to help the world become a better place, ...
es who get their powers through a malfunctioning telegraph pole.
In November 2013, Reeves and Mortimer filmed episodes of a new BBC sitcom, ''
House of Fools'', also featuring
Matt Berry
Matthew Charles Berry (born 2 May 1974) is an English actor, comedian, musician, and writer. He is best known for his roles in comedy series such as '' The IT Crowd'', ''Garth Marenghi's Darkplace'', ''The Mighty Boosh'', ''Snuff Box'', ''What ...
(as Beef),
Morgana Robinson
Morgana Robinson (born 7 May 1982) is an Australian-born English impressionist, comedian, writer and actress, who is best known for her comedy sketch programme ''The Morgana Show'', ''Morgana Robinson's The Agency'', appearances on ''The TNT Sho ...
(as Julie), and
Dan Skinner
Daniel Renton Skinner (born 25 January 1973) is an English actor and comedy writer, working in stage, film and television. Skinner often performs as the character Angelos Epithemiou and is also one half of the Brian and Roger podcast.
Early li ...
(as Bosh).
In October 2015 the pair cancelled the first leg of their live tour, ''25 Year of Reeves and Mortimer: The Poignant Moments'', after Mortimer underwent an emergency triple heart bypass.
On 29 December 2017, Mortimer and Reeves starred in a relaunch and new singular episode of their comedy
''Big Night Out'' for the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
. The show has been remade and subsequently renamed to ''Vic and Bob's Big Night Out''. The episode remained true to the classic Big Night Out formula and was composed of various comedy songs, skits, characters and sketches. This was the first time the Big Night Out series had featured Mortimer's name in the title. A full series of ''Vic and Bob's Big Night Out'' began on
in November 2018.
. The single reached No. 44 in the
.
, called ''I'm Bland... yet all my friends are krazy!''.
*Mortimer voiced the computer-animated bulldog in adverts for
. Churchill's "Oh, yes!" catchphrase is believed to be an impersonation of Potter the Janitor (played by
''.
Older adverts had Mortimer's voice responding to questions posed by his comedy partner,
. In April 2005, however, Reeves was removed from the adverts, after he was convicted of drink-driving.
* In July 2002, Mortimer fought and defeated
...