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For other persons named Melvin Smith, see Melvin Smith (disambiguation).
Mel Smith
Birth name Melvin Smith
Born 3 December 1952 (1952-12-03) (age 55)
Chiswick, London, England
Nationality English
Notable works and roles Not the Nine O'Clock News (1979–1982)
Alas Smith and Jones (1982–1998)

Mel Smith (born in Chiswick, London on 3 December 1952) is an English comedian, actor, film director, writer, and producer. Events 1800 - War of the Second Coalition: Battle of Hohenlinden, French Year 1952 ( MCMLII) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Chiswick ( IPA /ˈtʃɪzɪk/ is an area of West London, located west of Charing Cross, which covers the eastern part of the London Borough of Hounslow London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Nationality is a relationship between a Person and their State of Origin, Culture, association Affiliation and/or Loyalty England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Not the Nine O'Clock News is a Comedy Television programme shown on the BBC from 1979 to 1982 Alas Smith and Jones was a British Comedy sketch television series featuring Mel Smith and Griff Rhys Jones. Chiswick ( IPA /ˈtʃɪzɪk/ is an area of West London, located west of Charing Cross, which covers the eastern part of the London Borough of Hounslow London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. Events 1800 - War of the Second Coalition: Battle of Hohenlinden, French Year 1952 ( MCMLII) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The English people (from the adjective in Englisc) are a Nation and Ethnic group native to England who predominantly speak English A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience primarily by making them laugh An actor, actress, player or thespian (see terminology) is a person who Acts in a Dramatic production and who works A film director, or filmmaker, is a person who directs the making of a Film.

Contents

Biography

Smith's father Kenneth was born in Tow Law, County Durham, and worked at a coal mine in the Second World War looking after the pit ponies. Tow Law is a town and Civil parish in the Wear Valley district of County Durham, in England. After the war he moved to London, and married Smith's mother, whose parents owned a greengrocers store in Chiswick, West London. Chiswick ( IPA /ˈtʃɪzɪk/ is an area of West London, located west of Charing Cross, which covers the eastern part of the London Borough of Hounslow When the government legalised High Street betting, he turned the shop into the first betting shop in Chiswick [1]

Smith was born and raised over the shop, and was educated at Hogarth Primary School, Chiswick, Latymer Upper School and New College, Oxford [2]

He produced The Tempest, while at the University of Oxford, and this led to him joining the Royal Court Theatre production team in London, followed by Bristol Old Vic. Latymer Upper School, founded in 1624 by Edward Latymer, is a selective independent school in Hammersmith, west London, lying between King Street New College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. The University of Oxford (informally "Oxford University" or simply "Oxford" located in the city of Oxford, Oxfordshire, England is the The Tempest is a comedy written by William Shakespeare. It is generally dated to 1610-11 and accepted as the last play written solely by him although Court Theatre The Royal Court Theatre is a non-commercial theatre on Sloane Square, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. The Bristol Old Vic is a Theatre complex and theatrical company in the centre of Bristol, England. He was also associate director of Sheffield's Crucible Theatre for two years. Sheffield ( is a city and Metropolitan borough in South Yorkshire, England The Crucible Theatre is a theatre built in 1971 and located in the city centre of Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. Later, he directed a theatre production of "Not in Front of the Audience"

When Smith was at Oxford, he performed at the Edinburgh Fringe with the Oxford University Dramatic Society. The Edinburgh Fringe (officially the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, commonly just The Fringe) is the world’s largest Arts festival. The Oxford University Dramatic Society ( OUDS) is the principal Funding body and provider of theatrical services to the many independent student productions put on One year they shared a venue with the Cambridge Footlights, directed by John Lloyd. Cambridge University Footlights Dramatic Club, commonly referred to simply as the Footlights, is an amateur theatrical club in Cambridge England, run by the students John Hardress Wilfred Lloyd (born 30 September 1951) is a British comedy writer and television producer Lloyd later got the opportunity to develop the idea which became the satirical BBC television series Not the Nine O'clock News. Satire is often strictly defined as a literary genre or form; although in practice it is also found in the graphic and Performing arts In satire human Television ( TV) is a widely used Telecommunication medium for sending ( Broadcasting) and receiving moving Images, either monochromatic Not the Nine O'Clock News is a Comedy Television programme shown on the BBC from 1979 to 1982 Lloyd rang Smith to ask if he wanted to do it, to which Smith agreed for £100 an episode [3]. This was followed briefly by Smith and Goody (with Bob Goody) and then the comedy sketch series Alas Smith and Jones, co-starring Griff Rhys Jones, its title being a pun on the name of the American TV series Alias Smith and Jones. Smith and Goody was a children's sketch show on ITV shown for one series in 1980 Alas Smith and Jones was a British Comedy sketch television series featuring Mel Smith and Griff Rhys Jones. Griffith Rhys Jones (born 6th November or 16th November (depending on source speakers agent (6th or BBC (16th 1953 in Cardiff, Wales Alias Smith and Jones is a Western Television series on ABC from 1971 to 1973 He also appeared in Muck and Brass, and also guest starred on an episode of The Goodies. This article discusses The Goodies comedy television series For information about the formation of The Goodies group and for information

In 1981, Smith and Griff Rhys Jones founded TalkBack Productions, a company which has produced many of the most significant British comedy shows of the past two decades, including Smack the Pony, Da Ali G Show, I'm Alan Partridge and Big Train. Griffith Rhys Jones (born 6th November or 16th November (depending on source speakers agent (6th or BBC (16th 1953 in Cardiff, Wales Talkback Productions was formed in 1981 by Mel Smith and Griff Rhys Jones. Smack the Pony was a British Sketch comedy show that ran from 1999 until 2003 on Channel 4. Da Ali G Show is the name of two related satirical TV series starring British comedian Sacha Baron Cohen and featuring the character I'm Alan Partridge is a BBC Situation comedy. Two series of six episodes were produced the first in 1997 and the second in 2002 Big Train is a surreal British Television Comedy Sketch show created by Arthur Mathews and Graham Linehan In 2000, they sold the company to Pearson for £62 million. Pearson plc () is a London -based media conglomerate. It is the largest book Publisher in the UK, India, Australia

Smith co-wrote and had the lead role in the space comedy Morons from Outer Space but the film failed to make much impact. Morons from Outer Space is a 1985 comedy/science-fiction film directed by Mike Hodges. His next cinema effort was better received as director of The Tall Guy, giving Emma Thompson a major screen role. The Tall Guy is a 1989 Romantic comedy and the Feature film debut of screenwright Richard Curtis and director Mel Smith Emma Thompson (born April 15 1959 is an Academy Award - Emmy Award - BAFTA Award - and Golden Globe -winning Anglo-Scottish Actress Perhaps his best-known motion picture in America is Brain Donors, the 1992 update of the comedy classic A Night at the Opera, starring Smith as a cheeky, opportunistic cab driver turned ballet promoter. Brain Donors (1992 is an American Comedy Movie released by Paramount Pictures, loosely based on the Marx Brothers comedy A Night at the Opera is a 1935 Comedy film starring Groucho Marx, Chico Marx, Harpo Marx, Kitty Carlisle, Paramount Pictures considered this film the outstanding comedy of the year, but when the producers left Paramount for another studio, Paramount withdrew its support for the movie. Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American motion picture production and Distribution company, based in Hollywood California.

In 1987, he recorded a single with Kim Wilde for Comic Relief, a cover of the Christmas song "Rockin' around the Christmas tree" with some extra comedy lines written by Smith and Rhys Jones. Kim Wilde (born Kim Smith, November 18, 1960 in Chiswick, West London) is an English Pop singer, professional Comic relief is the inclusion of a humorous character or scene or witty dialogue in an otherwise serious work often to relieve tension

Smith and Jones were reunited in 2005 for a review/revival of their previous TV series in "The Alas Smith And Jones Sketchbook". Smith joked that "Obviously, Griff's got more money than me so he came to work in a Rolls Royce and I came on a bicycle. But it was great fun to do and we are firmly committed to doing something new together, because you don't chuck that sort of chemistry away. Of course, I'll have to pretend I like Restoration" [4]

Smith returned to the theatre stage after some 20 years in August 2006, appearing at the Edinburgh Fringe festival in Irish journalist and author Mary Kenny's play about Churchill's encounter with the Irish nationalist leader Michael Collins in 1921, [5]. Restoration is a set of BBC television series where viewers decided on which Listed building that was in immediate need of remedial works was to win a grant Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. The Edinburgh Fringe (officially the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, commonly just The Fringe) is the world’s largest Arts festival. Mary Kenny (born 1944 in Dublin, Ireland) is an Irish Author, broadcaster, Playwright and Journalist. Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, KG, OM, CH, TD, FRS, PC, PC (Can ( 30 November 1874 Michael John ("Mick" Collins (Mícheál Seán Ó Coileáin 16 October 1890 &ndash 22 August 1922 was an Irish revolutionary leader, Minister for Year 1921 ( MCMXXI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1921 calendar of the Gregorian calendar The play initially caused some controversy, with Smith proposing to flout the Scottish ban on smoking in public places, but the scene was quickly adapted after gaining the required amount of publicity. The play was directed by Brian Gilbert and produced by Daniel Jewel. Brian Gilbert was a Film director.Born in England, he spent much of his childhood in Australia, where he was a Child actor of film television Daniel Jewel is a London based Film producer and director. Since graduating from Oxford University with an MA in Modern History Daniel

In Autumn 2006, Smith starred opposite Belinda Lang in a tour of a new comedy "An Hour and a Half Late" by French playwright Gérald Sibleyras, and adapted by Smith. Belinda Lang (born 23 December 1953) is an English actress well known in the United Kingdom for her Television career He will then direct a West End revival of "Charley's Aunt" starring Stephen Tompkinson. Stephen Tompkinson is an English Actor, born 15 October 1965 in Stockton-on-Tees. From October 2007, he will play the role of Wilbur Turnblad in the London production of Hairspray at the Shaftesbury Theatre. Hairspray is a musical with music by Marc Shaiman, lyrics by Scott Wittman and Shaiman and a book by Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan based The Shaftesbury Theatre is a West End Theatre, located on Shaftesbury Avenue, in the London Borough of Camden.

Personal life

Smith is married to Pam, a former model who grew up in Easington and Durham, and the couple have houses in St John's Wood, Oxfordshire and Barbados. Easington is a town in Easington district in east County Durham, England. Durham (ˈdʌrəm in RP, locally ˈdʏrəm is a small city and main settlement of the City of Durham district of County Durham, England For the rock band please see St John's Wood (band For the Australian locality St Johns Wood see main article St John's Wood Queensland

Smith ended up seriously ill in hospital in 1999 after consuming more than 50 Nurofen tablets, the culmination of a growing addiction to the pills. Nurofen is the brand name of a range of pain-relief medication made by Reckitt Benckiser (The nurofen brand was acquired following Reckitt Benckiser's acquisition of Boots He said at the time that the pressures of film work were a contributing factor, along with a desperate need to ease the pain caused by gout. Gout (also called metabolic arthritis) is a disease created by a buildup of Uric acid. Partly as a result, he agreed to sell Talkback, but Smith admitted to restlessness: "I said to my wife that I needed to do something to get me out of the house".

The actor has had a long time love of Rolls Royce cars, buying his first Silver Shadow at Brighton Racecourse from an advert in Sporting Life for £5000. A Rolls-Royce car may refer to vehicles produced by Rolls-Royce Limited (1906-1973 Rolls-Royce Motors (1973-2003 which was owned Brighton Racecourse is a horse-racing course at Brighton, East Sussex in England for flat races of up to about one and a half miles The Sporting Life was a British newspaper published between 1859 and 1998 that was best known for its coverage of Horse racing. He presently drives a Rolls Royce Corniche[6]

TV shows

Performer

Writer

Producer

Filmography

Director

Actor

External links

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