Simon Farnaby (born 2 April 1973) is an English actor, comedian and writer. He is a member of the British

Horrible Histories troupe The ''Horrible Histories'' troupe is a group consisting of Mathew Baynton, Simon Farnaby, Martha Howe-Douglas, Jim Howick, Laurence Rickard, and Ben Willbond. They were originally in the TV show ''Horrible Histories'' and then also came tog ...

in which he starred in the television series ''

Horrible Histories ''Horrible Histories'' is an educational entertainment franchise encompassing many media including books, magazines, audio books, stage shows, TV shows, and more. In 2013, Lisa Edwards, UK publishing and commercial director of Scholastic Corpora ...

'', ''

Yonderland ''Yonderland'' is a British sitcom television series that was broadcast on Sky 1 from November 2013 to December 2016. It was produced by Sioned Wiliam, and was created by, written by and starred the main performers from CBBC's series ''Horrible ...

'' and ''

Ghosts A ghost is the soul or spirit of a dead person or animal that is believed to be able to appear to the living. In ghostlore, descriptions of ghosts vary widely from an invisible presence to translucent or barely visible wispy shapes, to rea ...

''. He has written and appeared in films such as '' Mindhorn'' and ''

Paddington 2 ''Paddington 2'' is a 2017 live-action animated comedy film directed by Paul King and written by King and Simon Farnaby. Based on the stories of Paddington Bear, created by Michael Bond (to whom the film is also dedicated, Bond having died th ...

'', and in the BBC sitcom ''

Detectorists ''Detectorists'' is a British comedy television series first broadcast on BBC Four in October 2014. It is written and directed by Mackenzie Crook, who also stars alongside Toby Jones. The series is set in the fictional small town of Danebury i ...

''.

Early life

Farnaby was born on 2 April 1973 in

Darlington Darlington is a market town in the Borough of Darlington, County Durham, England. The River Skerne flows through the town; it is a tributary of the River Tees. The Tees itself flows south of the town. In the 19th century, Darlington underwen ...

County Durham County Durham ( ), officially simply Durham,UK General Acts 1997 c. 23Lieutenancies Act 1997 Schedule 1(3). From legislation.gov.uk, retrieved 6 April 2022. is a ceremonial county in North East England.North East Assembly �About North East E ...

and attended

Richmond School Richmond School & Sixth Form College, often referred to simply as Richmond School, is a Mixed-sex education, coeducational secondary school located in North Yorkshire, England. It was created by the merger of three schools, the oldest of which ...

North Yorkshire North Yorkshire is the largest ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county (lieutenancy area) in England, covering an area of . Around 40% of the county is covered by National parks of the United Kingdom, national parks, including most of ...

Career

Farnaby is a long-time member of ''

The Mighty Boosh The Mighty Boosh is a British comedy troupe featuring comedians Julian Barratt and Noel Fielding. Developed from three stage shows and a six-episode radio series, it has since spanned a total of 20 television episodes for BBC Three which aire ...

'' supporting cast, having had roles both in their series and co-starring in the quasi-spinoff film ''

Bunny and the Bull ''Bunny and the Bull'' is a 2009 British comedy film from writer-director Paul King. It stars Edward Hogg and Simon Farnaby in a surreal recreation of a road trip. King has previously worked on British television comedies ''The Mighty Boosh'' a ...

''. He is also well known for his similarly offbeat characters in the CBBC live-action series of ''

'', such as

Caligula Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus (31 August 12 – 24 January 41), better known by his nickname Caligula (), was the third Roman emperor, ruling from 37 until his assassination in 41. He was the son of the popular Roman general Germanicu ...

and the

Grim Reaper Death is frequently imagined as a personified force. In some mythologies, a character known as the Grim Reaper (usually depicted as a berobed skeleton wielding a scythe) causes the victim's death by coming to collect that person's soul. Other b ...

. Other notable television work includes a recurring role on the sitcom ''

Jam & Jerusalem ''Jam & Jerusalem'' (also known as ''Clatterford'' in the United States) is a British sitcom that aired on BBC One from 2006 to 2009. Written by Jennifer Saunders and Abigail Wilson, it starred Sue Johnston, with an ensemble cast including Sal ...

'' and co-starring as eccentric neighbour Sloman on ''

The Midnight Beast The Midnight Beast, sometimes abbreviated as TMB, is a British comedy/parody music group from London. They are most famous for their YouTube cover-parody of the 2009 single " TiK ToK" by American pop artist Ke$ha. The group currently has three ...

s TV series. He previously had a very brief role in ''

Coronation Street ''Coronation Street'' is an English soap opera created by Granada Television and shown on ITV since 9 December 1960. The programme centres around a cobbled, terraced street in Weatherfield, a fictional town based on inner-city Salford. Origi ...

'' in the 1990s. Along with journalist Scott Murray, Farnaby co-wrote ''The Phantom of the Open'', a biography of

Maurice Flitcroft Maurice Gerald Flitcroft (23 November 1929 – 24 March 2007) was a British golfer. Flitcroft, who had never attempted a round of golf in his life, received widespread attention after shooting a score of 121 in the qualifying competition for t ...

, a would-be professional golfer whose unsuccessful attempts to qualify for the

Open Championship The Open Championship, often referred to as The Open or the British Open, is the oldest golf tournament in the world, and one of the most prestigious. Founded in 1860, it was originally held annually at Prestwick Golf Club in Scotland. Later th ...

led to his being described as "the world's worst golfer". The book was published in 2010. Along with the five other principal members of the cast of ''

'', Farnaby is also the co-creator, writer and star of ''

'', an eight-part family fantasy comedy series that premiered on

Sky One Sky One was a British pay television channel operated and owned by Sky Group (a division of Comcast). Originally launched on 26 April 1982 as Satellite Television, it was Europe's first satellite and non-terrestrial channel. From 31 July 1989, ...

on 10 November 2013. The show ended in 2016, with three series and a Christmas special. He co-starred with the same troupe in ''

Bill Bill(s) may refer to: Common meanings * Banknote, paper cash (especially in the United States) * Bill (law), a proposed law put before a legislature * Invoice, commercial document issued by a seller to a buyer * Bill, a bird or animal's beak Plac ...

'', a 2015 BBC comedy film based loosely around the early life of

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

. In 2013, Farnaby presented a documentary entitled ''Richard III: The King in the Car Park'', tracing the discovery and identification of the remains of the last

Plantagenet The House of Plantagenet () was a royal house which originated from the lands of Anjou in France. The family held the English throne from 1154 (with the accession of Henry II at the end of the Anarchy) to 1485, when Richard III died in batt ...

king. The next year, Farnaby presented another Channel 4 documentary series entitled ''Man Vs Weird'', in which he travelled the world investigating people who claim superhuman abilities. In 2014, Farnaby narrated a series on Channel 5 called ''

On the Yorkshire Buses ''On the Yorkshire Buses'' is a British television documentary programme narrated by Simon Farnaby, first broadcast on Channel 5 in the United Kingdom between 11 July and 29 August 2014. The show follows various staff from the East Yorkshire M ...

'', following

East Yorkshire Motor Services East Yorkshire operates both local and regional bus services in the East Riding of Yorkshire and North Yorkshire, England. Prior to acquisition by the Go-Ahead Group in June 2018, the company was known as East Yorkshire Motor Services. History ...

The starring cast of TV series Horrible Histories arrives at the Children's BAFTAs, 27 November 2011

In 2016, Farnaby co-wrote '' Mindhorn'' with

Julian Barratt Julian Barratt Pettifer (born 4 May 1968) is an English comedian, actor and musician. As a comedian and comic actor, he is known for his use of surreal humour and black comedy. During the 2000s he was part of The Mighty Boosh comedy troupe alongs ...

, a comedy about Richard Thorncroft (Barratt), a faded television actor drawn into negotiations with a criminal who believes his character Detective Mindhorn is real. Farnaby also has a small acting role as Clive Parnevik. In 2016, Farnaby had a small role in ''

Rogue One ''Rogue One: A Star Wars Story'' (or simply ''Rogue One'') is a 2016 American epic space opera film directed by Gareth Edwards. The screenplay by Chris Weitz and Tony Gilroy is from a story by John Knoll and Gary Whitta. It was produced by Luc ...

'', as an X-Wing pilot. In 2017, Farnaby stated that he was working on a film script based on his biography of

. In 2017, Farnaby co-wrote ''

'' with Paul King. Farnaby had a small role in both

the first film ''The First Film'' is a 2015 British documentary film about cinema pioneer Louis Le Prince, made by David Nicholas Wilkinson. It argues the case that Le Prince, rather than the Lumière brothers, was the true inventor of moving pictures, making ...

and its sequel, before subsequently appearing alongside

Paddington Bear Paddington Bear is a fictional character in children's literature. He first appeared on 13 October 1958 in the children's book ''A Bear Called Paddington'' and has been featured in more than twenty books written by British author Michael Bond, a ...

and

Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. She was queen ...

in a short film broadcast as a part of the celebrations for the Queen's Platinum Jubilee in June 2022. In 2020, Farnaby wrote The Wizard In My Shed. In 2021, Farnaby and King were reported to have to signed on to co-write, with King directing, '' Wonka'', a prequel based on the novel ''

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory ''Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'' is a 1964 children's novel by British author Roald Dahl. The story features the adventures of young Charlie Bucket inside the chocolate factory of eccentric chocolatier Willy Wonka. The story was originally ...

'' by

Roald Dahl Roald Dahl (13 September 1916 – 23 November 1990) was a British novelist, short-story writer, poet, screenwriter, and wartime fighter ace of Norwegian descent. His books have sold more than 250 million copies worldwide. Dahl has be ...

Personal life

Farnaby is married to actress

Claire Keelan Claire Keelan (born 8 May 1975) is an English actress. She played Claire Ashcroft in ''Nathan Barley'' and Electroclash in '' No Heroics''. Background Keelan is a former member of the Royal Court Young People's Theatre.Simon Farnaby
on

The Spotlight ''The Spotlight'' was a weekly newspaper in the United States, published in Washington, D.C. from September 1975 to July 2001 by the now-defunct antisemitic Liberty Lobby. ''The Spotlight'' ran articles and editorials professing a "populist and na ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Farnaby, Simon 1973 births Living people 20th-century English male actors 21st-century English male actors Actors from County Durham English male comedians English male film actors English male television actors People from Darlington