| Steve Pemberton | |
| Birth Date: | 1 September 1967 |
| Birth Place: | Blackburn, Lancashire, England |
| Education: | Bretton Hall College of Education |
| Occupation: | Actor, comedian, director, writer |
| Partner: | Alison Rowles |
| Children: | 3 |
| Years Active: | 1995–present |
Steven James Pemberton (born 1 September 1967) is a British actor, comedian, director and writer. He was a writer and actor for BBC's The League of Gentlemen with Reece Shearsmith, Mark Gatiss, and Jeremy Dyson. Pemberton and Shearsmith also co-wrote and starred in the black comedy Psychoville and the anthology series Inside No. 9. His other notable television performance credits include Doctor Who, Benidorm, Blackpool, Shameless, Whitechapel, Happy Valley and Mapp & Lucia.
Steve Pemberton was born in Blackburn, Lancashire and grew up around Chorley, attending Saint Michael's Church of England High School in the town.[1] He trained as an actor at Bretton Hall College of Education where he met Mark Gatiss and Reece Shearsmith.[2]
Pemberton's television performance credits include Whitechapel, Doctor Who, Benidorm, Under the Greenwood Tree, Hotel Babylon, The Last Detective, Randall and Hopkirk, Blackpool and Shameless. In 2004, he portrayed Dr Bessner in Death on the Nile and Harry Secombe in The Life and Death of Peter Sellers. He also appeared in the film Lassie (2005).Pemberton is best known as being a member of the sketch comedy team The League of Gentlemen, along with fellow performers Mark Gatiss, Reece Shearsmith, and co-writer Jeremy Dyson, all of whom he met at Bretton Hall College in his late teens. The League of Gentlemen initially began as a stage act in 1995, then transferred to BBC Radio 4 as On the Town with the League of Gentlemen in 1997, and finally arrived on television on BBC Two in 1999. The latter has seen Pemberton and his colleagues awarded a British Academy Television Award, a Royal Television Society Award, and a Golden Rose of Montreux.
From 2007 to 2015, Pemberton appeared as Mick Garvey in Benidorm. Pemberton appeared in 43 episodes.
In the 2008 English language DVD re-release of the cult 2006 Norwegian animated film Free Jimmy, Pemberton voiced Mattis, a heavy-set and bizarrely-dressed biker member of the Lappish Mafia. In June 2009, Psychoville aired and marked Pemberton's return to BBC Two.[3] [4] [5] [6] It was co-written by Pemberton and his fellow League of Gentlemen member, Reece Shearsmith. Both of them play numerous characters in the series, similar to the format of The League of Gentlemen.
Pemberton portrayed Rufus Drumknott in 2010's Terry Pratchett's Going Postal. He appeared as Vice Principal Douglas Panch in the Donmar's 2011 production of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. In 2014, he played Georgie Pillson in an adaptation of E. F. Benson's Mapp and Lucia. He also wrote the adaptation, which featured his League of Gentlemen colleague Mark Gatiss. It was broadcast during Christmas 2014.[7] Since 2014, he has starred as various characters in the dark comedy anthology series Inside No. 9, which he co-created with Shearsmith, airing on BBC Two. Series six aired in 2021.[8]
Pemberton reunited with his The League of Gentlemen colleagues in 2017 for three special episodes, transmitted in December 2017 on BBC2.[9] [10] [11] He appeared as himself in the 2018 short film To Trend on Twitter in aid of young people with cancer charity CLIC Sargent with fellow comedians David Baddiel, Reece Shearsmith, Helen Lederer and actor Jason Flemyng.[12]
In October 2021, Pemberton was nominated for Best Outstanding Comedy Actor at the inaugural National Comedy Awards for Stand Up to Cancer[13] for his appearances in series 6 of Inside No. 9.
The seventh series of Inside No. 9 premiered on 20 April 2022.[14]
Pemberton was a contestant on the seventeenth series of the Channel 4 show Taskmaster in 2024.[15]
Pemberton's early work centred mainly around fringe theatre; he was a founding member of the 606 Theatre with Gordon Anderson, Tom Hadley, and producer Shane Walter. He has produced, performed in, and directed various stage productions.
In 2020 it was announced that Pemberton would join Aaron Taylor-Johnson on West End stage in Martin McDonagh's The Pillowman, directed by Matthew Dunster.[16] However, due to the Covid-19 situation, the run was postponed until 2021. Pemberton said, "It's been a dark time for the performing arts and I can't wait to have the theatres open again. Unfortunately, The Pillowman has to be put to bed for now, but I very much hope that we'll be able to bring Martin's dazzling play to the West End before too long."[17] The play was staged from 10 June 2023 to 2 September 2023 at the Duke of York's Theatre in London's West End with Lily Allen, Paul Kaye, Pemberton, and Matthew Tennison.[18] [19] The Guardian praised Pemberton's performance as "unfailingly excellent",[20] although other reviews of the play were mixed.[21] [22]
On 3 May 2024, it was announced that Pemberton and Shearsmith would write and star in a stage adaptation of the series called Inside No. 9 Stage/Fright which will open at the Wyndham's Theatre in London's West End from 18 January 2025 for a limited run until 5 April. It will be directed by Simon Evans. Tickets for the 85 shows were released on 8 May 2024.[23] [24] [25]
Pemberton has written for Variety and was the assistant editor of the International Film Guide from 1991 to 1998.
Pemberton lives in North London, with his partner, Alison Rowles, and their three children.[26] [27] [28]
He also speaks German and French.[29]
The University of Huddersfield awarded Pemberton an Honorary Doctorate of letters in 2003.[30] In July 2024 he received an Honorary Fellowship from the University of Central Lancashire.[31]
Pemberton is a football fan and a supporter of Blackburn Rovers F.C.[32]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Birthday Girl | Duty Sergeant | ||
| 2004 | The Life and Death of Peter Sellers | Harry Secombe | ||
| Chester | ||||
| 2005 | The League of Gentlemen's Apocalypse | Tubbs / Pauline / Herr Lipp | Also co-creator and co-writer | |
| Lassie | Hynes | |||
| The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy | Mr. Prosser / Additional Vogon voices | Collectively credited as "The League of Gentlemen" | ||
| Match Point | Detective Parry | |||
| 2007 | Mr. Bean's Holiday | Vicar | ||
| I Could Never Be Your Woman | Censor | |||
| 2008 | Free Jimmy | Mattis (voice) | English version | |
| 2011 | Corvus | Vic | Short film | |
| 2012 | National Theatre Live: She Stoops to Conquer | Hardcastle | ||
| Football Managers | Oliver | Writer | ||
| 2018 | Take Rabbit | Man | Short film | |
| To Trend on Twitter | Himself | Short film | ||
| 2024 | Better Man | Peter |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Alice in Russialand | Various Characters | TV film |
| 1996 | Mash and Peas | Fritz | Episode: "American Sitcoms" |
| 1998 | In the Red | Lawrence Boot-Heath | Mini-series; 2 episodes |
| Lenny Goes to Town | (unknown) | Episode: "Stoke on Trent" | |
| 1999–2002, 2017 | The League of Gentlemen | Various Characters | Series 1–4; 22 episodes. Co-creator and co-writer |
| 1999 | The Comedy Trail: A Shaggy Dog Story | Tubbs Tattsyrup | TV Special |
| 2000 | Gormenghast | Professor Mule | Mini-series; Episode #1.3 |
| Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) | Sergeant Liddel | Episode: "Drop Dead" | |
| 2002 | Legend of the Lost Tribe | Viking (voice) | TV film |
| Spheriks | Kaz (2002) (voice) | ||
| 2004 | Blackpool | Adrian Marr | Mini-series; 6 episodes |
| Agatha Christie's Poirot | Dr. Bessner | Episode: "Death on the Nile" | |
| Shameless | Eddie Jackson | 2 episodes: "Meet the Gallaghers" and "We're Going to the Moon" | |
| 2005 | The Last Detective | Edward Netherton | Episode: "Friends Reunited" |
| Riot at the Rite | Critic | TV film | |
| Under the Greenwood Tree | Mr. Shinar | TV film | |
| 2006 | Hotel Babylon | Mr. Daniels | Episode #1.3 |
| 2007 | The Bad Mother's Handbook | Leo Fairbrother | TV film |
| Kingdom | Jack Thriplow | Episode #1.2 | |
| The Old Curiosity Shop | Mr. Short | TV film | |
| 2007–2015 | Benidorm | Mick Garvey | Regular; 43 episodes (Series 1–7) |
| 2008 | Agatha Christie's Marple | Henry Wake | Episode: "Murder is Easy" |
| Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! | Eric's Drums | Episode: "Jazz" | |
| Doctor Who | Strackman Lux | 2 episodes: "Silence in the Library" and "Forest of the Dead" | |
| 2009 | Minder | Vlad the Imposter | Episode: "A Matter of Life and Debt" |
| 2009–2011 | Psychoville | Various Characters | 14 episodes. Also co-writer |
| 2009–2013 | Whitechapel | Edward Buchan | 18 episodes. Writer of 2 episodes |
| 2010 | Terry Pratchett's Going Postal | Drumknott | Mini-series; 2 episodes |
| The First Men in the Moon | Sun | TV film | |
| 2012 | Mr. Stink | Sir Derek Dimble | TV film |
| Sport Relief 2012 | Mick Garvey | Episode: Benidorm meets Britain's Got Talent | |
| 2012–2013 | Horrible Histories | Hollywood Producer #3 | 3 episodes |
| 2013 | Heading Out | Jonathan Walters | Episode #1.4 |
| Psychobitches | Dian Fossey | Mini-series; Episode #1.2 | |
| 2014 | Mapp & Lucia | Georgie Pillson | 3 episodes. Also writer |
| Happy Valley | Kevin Weatherill | 6 episodes | |
| Toast of London | Francis Bacon | Episode: "Fool in Love" | |
| 2014–2024 | Inside No. 9 | Various Characters | 51 episodes. Co-writer and director |
| 2015 | Lewis | Ian Tedman | 2 episodes: "One for Sorrow: Parts 1 and 2" |
| Professor Branestawm Returns | Professor Algebrain | TV film | |
| 2016 | Camping | Robin | Mini-series; 6 episodes |
| Tracey Ullman's Show | Colin | Episode #1.2 | |
| 2017 | Midsomer Murders | Timothy Benson | Episode: "Red in Tooth & Claw" |
| 2018 | The Interrogation of Tony Martin | Tony Martin | TV film |
| The League of Gentlemen - Live Again! | Various Characters | TV Special | |
| 2019 | Bounty Hunters | (unknown) | Episode #2.1 |
| Britannia | Emperor Claudius | 2 episodes: "Imperial Visit" and "May the Gods Speak" | |
| 2019–2021 | Worzel Gummidge | Mr. Braithwaite | 6 episodes |
| 2019–2023 | Good Omens | Mr. Glozier | 2 episodes: "Hard Times" and "Nazi Zombie Flesheaters" |
| 2020 | Death in Paradise | Neil Henderson | Episode: "Switcharoo" |
| Killing Eve | Paul | Recurring role; 5 episodes | |
| 2022 | Ladhood | The Gardener | 2 episodes: "Initiative" and "TV" |
| Brassic | Mr. King | Episode: "Murder Mystery" | |
| 2023 | The Power of Parker | Sandy | 3 episodes |
| 2024 | Taskmaster | Himself - Contestant | Series 17; 10 episodes |
| The Read | Narrator | Episode: "The Remains of the Day" | |
| The Cleaner | Donald | Series 3; Episode 2: "The Baby" | |
| Alma's Not Normal | Uncle Dickie | Series 2; Episodes 3 and 5 |
| Year | Title | Role | Venue | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Art | Mark | Whitehall Theatre | |
| 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010 | The Rocky Horror Show | Guest narrator | Various | |
| 2007 | The Drowsy Chaperone | Man in Chair | Novello Theatre | |
| 2009 | The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee | Vice Principal Douglas Panch | Donmar Warehouse | |
| 2012 | She Stoops to Conquer | Mr Hardcastle | Olivier Theatre, Royal National Theatre | |
| 2016 | Dead Funny | Brian | Vaudeville Theatre | |
| 2023 | The Pillowman | Tupolski | Duke of York's Theatre | |
| 2025 | Inside No. 9 Stage/Fright | TBA | Wyndham's Theatre |
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Royal Television Society | Best Comedy Performance - Male | For Inside No.9 | |||
| 2018 | Writers' Guild of Great Britain | Best TV Situation Comedy | With Reece Shearsmith, For episode 'Zanzibar' | [33] | ||
| 2019 | Royal Television Society | Best Comedy Performance - Male | For Inside No.9 | |||
| 2019 | 2019 British Academy Television Awards | Best Male Comedy Performance | Steve Pemberton | [34] | ||
| 2021 | National Comedy Awards for Stand Up to Cancer | Best Outstanding Comedy Actor | For Inside No. 9 | Nominated |