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Ben Miller

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This article is about the English comedian. For other people named Ben Miller, see Ben Miller (disambiguation).

Ben Miller
Miller in December 2019
Born
Bennet Evan Miller

(1966-02-24) 24 February 1966 (age 58)
London, England
Occupations
  • Comedian
  • actor
  • author
Years active1986–present
Spouses
​
​
(m. 2004; div. 2011)​
Jessica Parker
​
(m. 2013)​
Children3
RelativesAlan Parker (father-in-law)

Bennet Evan Miller (born 24 February 1966) is an English comedian, actor and author. He rose to fame as one half of the comedy duo Armstrong and Miller. He is also known for his roles as Bough in the Johnny English film series, DI Richard Poole in the BBC crime drama series Death in Paradise and James Lester in the ITV sci-fi series Primeval.

Early life

[edit]

Bennet Evan Miller was born in London on 24 February 1966,[1] the son of Welsh mother Marion and English father Michael Miller. He grew up in Nantwich, Cheshire.[citation needed] His father taught American literature at the City of Birmingham Polytechnic. His maternal grandfather was a Lithuanian immigrant. His paternal grandfather was a tailor in the East End of London, while his paternal great-grandmother taught English at South Cheshire College.[2] He has two younger sisters.[3] He is a distant cousin of Abraham Lincoln.[4]

Miller was educated at Malbank School and Sixth Form College in Nantwich before studying Natural Sciences at St Catharine's College, Cambridge. As an undergraduate, he participated in theatre with his then-girlfriend, actress Rachel Weisz.[5] He remained at Cambridge to read for a PhD in solid state physics,[6] with his proposed thesis, Novel quantum effects in low-temperature quasi-zero-dimensional mesoscopic electron systems.[7][8] He abandoned his thesis to pursue a career in comedy.[7] His interest in comedy began when a friend asked him to help chauffeur the judges of the National Student Drama Festival, which was being held that year in Cambridge.[9] Having already finished his degree, he joined the Footlights in 1989 and worked with Andy Parsons, David Wolstencroft and Sue Perkins before he directed a revue.[10]

Career

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Miller moved to London to pursue a career in comedy.[11] He was introduced to fellow Cambridge graduate Alexander Armstrong in 1992, at the TBA Sketch Comedy Group, a comedy club which ran at the Gate Theatre Studio, Notting Hill throughout the 1990s. They performed their first full-length show together at the Edinburgh Fringe in 1994 and returned in 1996, when they were nominated for the Perrier Comedy Award.[12]

Their success resulted in the commission of the television series Armstrong and Miller, which ran for four series from 1997 to 2001 – one on the Paramount Comedy Channel and three on Channel 4. In 1998, the duo also had their own radio show with the same name on BBC Radio 4, which featured many of the sketches and characters from their TV series. After a six-year break,[13] the show was recommissioned for Hat Trick Productions as The Armstrong & Miller Show and three series have been produced.[14] In 2008, they also had a second radio show, Children's Hour with Armstrong and Miller.[15]

Miller also started acting in films, starring in Steve Coogan's first feature film, The Parole Officer (2001).[16] In 2003 he played the role of Bough, sidekick to Rowan Atkinson's title character, in the film Johnny English. In 2004 he co-starred in the romantic comedy The Prince and Me.

In 2004 and 2005, he starred in two series of the BBC television series The Worst Week of My Life,[17] with Sarah Alexander.[18] In 2006 he took part in a three-part Christmas special, The Worst Christmas of My Life. He starred as James Peregrine Lester in ITV's 2007 sci-fi drama Primeval[12] and as children’s dance instructor Mr Jonathan in the Australian mockumentary film Razzle Dazzle: A Journey into Dance.[9]

He and Alexander Armstrong formed a production company named Toff Media in 2007. The company was dissolved in 2023.[citation needed]

Miller provided the voice for the ITV Digital and later PG Tips Monkey in a popular series of television advertisements featuring Johnny Vegas.[19] In 2008, he appeared as television producer Jonathan Pope in Tony Jordan's series Moving Wallpaper on ITV1 and starred in Thank God You're Here.

In 2009, Miller appeared with Rob Brydon in an episode of QI (Series 6. 9). The two have often been mistaken for each other,[5][17] and as a joke they dressed in similar shirts for the episode and shared an on-screen kiss.[8][20]

In 2010, he made his directorial debut with the film Huge.

In January 2011 he presented an episode of the BBC science series Horizon titled "What is One Degree?". Later in 2011 he reprised his role as James Lester in the TV series Primeval. From November 2011 he played the role of Louis Harvey in The Ladykillers at the Gielgud Theatre.

On 23 July 2012, Miller began touring for his book, It's Not Rocket Science, from the Royal Society in London. He also appeared at the British Comedy Awards with Armstrong on Channel 4. In 2013, Miller took part in an episode of Room 101 and a Comic Relief special of game show Pointless. On 13 December 2014, he appeared in a Christmas edition of The Celebrity Chase.

From 2011 until the series three premiere in 2014, Miller starred in the BBC-French co-produced series Death in Paradise as Detective Inspector (DI) Richard Poole.[21] A third series of Death in Paradise was commissioned for early 2014.[22] On 9 April 2013 it was announced that Miller would be departing the series,[23] to be replaced by actor Kris Marshall. Filming began in March 2013, and Miller left in May after completion of the first episode, in which his character was murdered. Miller reprised his role for a cameo appearance in a dream sequence during the tenth series in 2021.

Miller explained he had personal reasons for the change: "It was the job of a lifetime, but logistically I just didn't feel I could continue. My personal circumstances just made it too complicated, but I will miss it like a lung. I love it here."[24] Miller's wife had discovered she was pregnant after he had begun filming the first series. Their time apart caused strains on his relationship with her and their sons, so he wanted to spend more time with his family.[24]

In 2014, Miller appeared in the feature film Molly Moon and the Incredible Book of Hypnotism.[25] He also appeared with Billy Connolly and David Tennant in the film What We Did on Our Holiday.[26] Miller guest starred in Doctor Who as the Sheriff of Nottingham in the third episode: "Robot of Sherwood".[27][28]

Starring opposite Nancy Carroll and Diana Vickers,[29] Miller played Robert Houston in the play The Duck House by Dan Patterson and Colin Swash.[30] The show is a political satire based on the UK parliamentary expenses scandal.[30]

In 2015, following the 800th anniversary of the Magna Carta, Miller starred as King John in Series 6 of Horrible Histories.

Since October 2015, Miller along with Ruth Jones and Will Close, appears in adverts for British supermarket Tesco as Roger with Jones as his wife Jo and Close as their son Freddie. In 2016, Miller co-presented the ITV entertainment series It's Not Rocket Science alongside Rachel Riley and Romesh Ranganathan.

In February 2016 Miller issued a book, accompanied by a lecture tour, entitled The Aliens are Coming!, examining the question "are we alone in the universe?"[31] That year, Miller played the role of Murray in the six-part BBC sitcom I Want My Wife Back, starring alongside Caroline Catz. In 2016 he appeared in the Channel 4 comedy Power Monkeys.

In 2018 he returned to the role of 'Bough', sidekick again to Rowan Atkinson's title character, in the film Johnny English Strikes Again. In September of that same year he played the role of Wolf Hall on the BBC sitcom Upstart Crow.[32]

In November 2022, Miller released his seventh children's book Secrets of a Christmas Elf.[33] In 2024, Miller acted as children's author Jullian Hartswood in the comedy drama Austin for Australian television network ABC TV, and produced by Northern Pictures and Lincoln Pictures.[34]

Personal life

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Miller dated actress Rachel Weisz while they were both studying at Cambridge University during the early 1990s.[5] He married actress Belinda Stewart-Wilson in 2004, and they had a son before divorcing in 2011. He married production executive Jessica Parker, the daughter of musician Alan Parker, in September 2013; they have a son and daughter.[35][36][37]

Miller plays the guitar and drums.[18] He has been diagnosed with OCD.[38]

Awards

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Miller was awarded a Judges' Commendation for his portrayal of Hamlet at the 1990 National Student Drama Festival.[citation needed] He co-wrote MindGym, winner of the first BAFTA Interactive Entertainment Award for comedy in 1998, with Tim Wright and Adam Gee. He and Armstrong won a BCA Award [clarification needed] for The Armstrong and Miller Show. In 2010 they also won a BAFTA for The Armstrong and Miller Show.[39][failed verification][citation needed]

In 2021, with the cast of Bridgerton, Miller received a nomination for the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series.[40]

Books

[edit]
  • It's Not Rocket Science (2014) Sphere ISBN 978-0-7515-4500-5
  • The Aliens Are Coming!: The Exciting and Extraordinary Science Behind Our Search for Life in the Universe (2017) Sphere ISBN 978-0-7515-4504-3
  • The Night I Met Father Christmas (2018) Simon & Schuster ISBN 978-1-4711-7153-6
  • The Boy Who Made the World Disappear (2019) Simon & Schuster ISBN 978 - 1 - 4711 - 7267 - 0
  • The Day I Fell into a Fairytale (2020) Simon & Schuster ISBN 978-1-4711-9243-2
  • How I Became a Dog called Midnight (2021) Simon & Schuster ISBN 978-1-4711-9248-7
  • Diary of a Christmas Elf (2021) Simon & Schuster ISBN 978-1-39850183-6
  • How I Became a Dog Called Midnight (2022) Simon & Schuster ISBN 978-1-47119246-3
  • The Night We Got Stuck in a Story (2022) Simon & Schuster ISBN 978-1-47119249-4
  • Secrets of a Christmas Elf (2022) Simon & Schuster ISBN 978-1398515819
  • Once Upon a Legend (2023) Simon & Schuster ISBN 978-1398515871
  • Diary of a Big Bad Wolf (2024) Simon & Schuster ISBN 978-1398530362
  • Robin Hood Aged 10 3/4 (2024) Simon & Schuster ISBN 978-1398515918

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
1999 Plunkett and Macleane Dixon
2000 There's Only One Jimmy Grimble Johnny Two Dogs
You Can't Dance Short film
Tip of My Tongue Dave Short film
2001 The Parole Officer Colin
Birthday Girl Concierge
2003 Johnny English Angus Jeremy Bough
The Actors Clive
2004 The Prince and Me Søren
2007 Razzle Dazzle: A Journey into Dance Mr Jonathon
2009 Within the Whirlwind Krasny
2010 4.3.2.1. Mr. Philips
2011 Johnny English Reborn Angus Jeremy Bough Scenes deleted[41]
2014 What We Did on Our Holiday Gavin McLeod
2017 Paddington 2 The Colonel
2018 The Extraordinary Journey of the Fakir Officer Smith
Johnny English Strikes Again Angus Jeremy Bough
2021 Off the Rails Dan
2022 This Is Christmas Jonathan

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
1991 Murder Most Horrid P.C. Watkins Episode: "He Died a Death"
1992 The Pall Bearer's Revue Episode: "Episode 3"
1993 French and Saunders Episode: "The Silence of the Lambs"
Paul Merton: The Series Various 6 episodes
1995 You Bet! Himself / various Series 8, show 6
Casualty Daniel Murdoch Episode: "Trials and Tribulations"
Look at the State We're In! Marty Mini-series
Sardines Simon TV film
1997 The Jack Docherty Show Various
1997–2001 Armstrong and Miller Various Roles 27 episodes
1999 Hunting Venus Gavin TV film
Passion Killers Nick TV film
Coming Soon Ben TV film
The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Daredevils of the Desert French Officer Video
2000 Cinderella Dandini TV film
The Blind Date Joe Maxwell
2001 Dr. Terrible's House of Horrible Rebenor Episode: "Lesbian Vampire Lovers of Lust"
2002 Surrealissimo: The Trial of Salvador Dalí Yoyotte TV film
The Book Group Martin Logan 2 episodes
Jeffrey Archer: The Truth Roland Moxley-Nemesis TV film
2004 Agatha Christie's Marple Basil Blake TV film; "The Body in the Library"
Doc Martin Stewart James Episode: "The Portwenn Effect"
2004–06 The Worst Week of My Life Howard Steel 17 episodes
2005 Malice Aforethought Dr. Edmund Bickleigh TV film
Doc Martin Stewart James Episode: "Out of the Woods"
2006 Popetown The Priest 10 episodes
Saxondale Bernard Langley Episode: "Episode No. 1.6"
2007–11 Primeval James Lester 30 episodes
2007–10 The Armstrong & Miller Show Various Roles 19 episodes
2008–09 Moving Wallpaper Jonathan Pope 18 episodes
2008 Moving Wallpaper: The Mole Jonathan Pope 2 episodes; uncredited
2009 The Catherine Tate Show Ghost of Christmas Past Episode "Nan's Christmas Carol"
QI Himself Comedy Panel Show; Episode "The Future"
2011–2014, 2021 Death in Paradise DI Richard Poole Series 1–3, 10; 18 episodes
2011 Episodes Himself 1 episode
Felix and Murdo Various
2013 Room 101 Himself 1 episodes
2014 This is Jinsy Chief Acco / Berpetta 1 episode
Doctor Who Sheriff of Nottingham Episode: "Robot of Sherwood"
2015 Horrible Science Professor McTaggart (voice)/various 10 episodes
Asylum Dan Hern 3 episodes
Mr. Bean: Funeral Mourner who sits next to Mr. Bean TV short
Ballot Monkeys Kevin Sturridge 5 episodes
Horrible Histories King John 10 episodes
2016 It's Not Rocket Science Co-presenter
I Want My Wife Back Murray
2017 Tracey Ullman's Show Rupert Murdoch 2 episodes
2018 Tracey Breaks the News
Upstart Crow Wolf Hall Episode: "If You Prick Us, Do We Not Bleed?"
2019 Sticks and Stones Chris Carter Short Series; 3 episodes
2020 Bridgerton Lord Featherington Main role
2021–present Professor T. Jasper Tempest (Professor T.) Series regular
2021 Scotland: Escape to the Wilderness Himself Episode 3[42]
All Star Musicals Himself Christmas special[43]
2022 The Great Celebrity Bake Off for Stand Up to Cancer Himself Series 5 episode 4; contestant & Star Baker[44]
Suspect Richard
2023 No Place Like Home Himself 1 episode[45]
2024 Austin Julian Hartswood 8 episodes

Filmmaking credits

[edit]
Year Title Writer Producer Director Notes
1995 Sardines Yes No No TV movie
1996 MindGym Yes No No Video game
1997-2001 Armstrong and Miller Yes No No 27 episodes
2005 Starry Night No No Yes Short film
2006 Saxondale No No Yes Episode: "Pigeons"
2009-2010 The Armstrong and Miller Show Yes Yes No 12 episodes
2010 Huge Yes No Yes
2011 Comedy Showcase No Yes No Episode: "Felix & Murdo"
2015 Horrible Science No Yes No 10 episodes
2024 Austin Yes Yes No 8 episodes

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Ben Miller on TV.com Archived 29 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine TV.com – 12 March 2011
  2. ^ Miller, Ben (23 November 2015). "Ben Miller finds out an amazing fact, Series 10, Coming Home". BBC. Retrieved 16 May 2017.
  3. ^ "Ben Miller: My family values". TheGuardian.com. 10 September 2010.
  4. ^ "Ben Miller - my ancestors the Welsh war hero and the US president". 27 November 2015.
  5. ^ a b c This much I know: Ben Miller, The Observer, 24 February 2008
  6. ^ "Once a physicist: Ben Miller". Physics World. 28 (7). Institute of Physics: 55. 2015. Bibcode:2015PhyW...28g..55.. doi:10.1088/2058-7058/28/7/53. Retrieved 13 March 2016.
  7. ^ a b Miller, Ben (2012). It's Not Rocket Science.
  8. ^ a b "The Future". QI. 20 February 2009. BBC 1.
  9. ^ a b "Ben dazzles 'em". news.com.au. 4 March 2007. Archived from the original on 7 September 2012. Retrieved 16 October 2007.
  10. ^ "The Cambridge Footlights: First steps into comedy". The Independent. 28 January 2009.
  11. ^ The Armstrong & Miller Show – Armstrong and Miller, BBC Press Office – 12 October 2007
  12. ^ a b Star of Primeval and The Armstrong and Miller Show, cult.tv
  13. ^ "Ben Miller Twitter post on 2nd series". Twitter. 3 September 2009. Retrieved 3 September 2009.
  14. ^ "Ben Miller Interview". Femalefirst.co.uk. 29 August 2012. Retrieved 27 January 2019.
  15. ^ "Children's Hour with Armstrong and Miller". Episode guide. BBC Radio 4 Extra. Retrieved 17 February 2014.
  16. ^ "Coogan's out on Parole", BBC News, 10 August 2001
  17. ^ a b The 5-Minute Interview: Ben Miller The Independent, 21 December 2005
  18. ^ a b HOW WE MET: Sarah Alexander & Ben Miller Independent on Sunday – 7 March 2004
  19. ^ "Al and monkey bring back the monkey magic" (Press release). Unilever Press Dept. 1 August 2007. Archived from the original on 25 November 2007.
  20. ^ Series 6: Episode 9 of 12 BBC QI Broadcasts – Accessed 20 May 2010
  21. ^ "BBC One – Death in Paradise – Episode guide". BBC. 1 January 1970. Retrieved 4 December 2013.
  22. ^ "Death in Paradise series three confirmed". Radio Times. 12 February 2013. Retrieved 4 December 2013.
  23. ^ Cole, Tom (9 April 2013). "Ben Miller to be replaced by Kris Marshall on Death in Paradise". Radio Times. Retrieved 4 December 2013.
  24. ^ a b Alexia Skinitis (14 January 2014). "Ben Miller: Death in Paradise is the best job in TV". Radio Times. Retrieved 17 February 2014.
  25. ^ Mitchell, Wendy (25 October 2012). "Rowley's Molly Moon starts shooting in London | News | Screen". Screendaily.com. Retrieved 4 December 2013.
  26. ^ "Parkinson joins comedy sexism debate". British Comedy Guide. 21 July 2009. Archived from the original on 9 January 2016. Retrieved 2 March 2014.
  27. ^ "Details on Series 8′s First Four Episodes". Doctor Who TV. 20 August 2014. Retrieved 29 August 2014.
  28. ^ "Robot of Sherwood: Fact File". Doctor Who. BBC One. Retrieved 7 September 2014.
  29. ^ "Political Comedy The Duck House Will Play London's Vaudeville; Cast Announced". playbill.com. Playbill. 16 September 2013. Archived from the original on 25 September 2013. Retrieved 20 September 2013.
  30. ^ a b "The Duck House: MPs' expenses satire heads for West End". BBC News. 16 September 2013. Retrieved 16 September 2013.
  31. ^ "HLF - The Aliens Are Coming! With comedian Ben Miller". Huddersfield Literature Festival 2016. Lawrence Batley Theatre. Archived from the original on 6 February 2016. Retrieved 6 February 2016.
  32. ^ Low, Valentine (11 September 2018). "Mark Rylance ridiculed by upstarts over comedy of errors". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 6 August 2019.
  33. ^ "Ben Miller tells Chris Evans why his new Christmas book will get kids reading". virginradio.co.uk. 11 November 2022. Retrieved 6 December 2022.
  34. ^ "TV series filmed locally and starring big British stars gets air date". The Canberra Times. Canberra: Australian Community Media. 11 May 2024. ProQuest 3053584378. Retrieved 8 July 2024.
  35. ^ "TV game show host Alexander Armstrong was best man at comedy partner's wedding (From Your Local Guardian)". Yourlocalguardian.co.uk. 20 September 2013. Retrieved 2 March 2014.
  36. ^ Rees, Caroline (11 September 2010). "Ben Miller: My family values". The Guardian. London.
  37. ^ "My Perfect Weekend: Ben Miller". The Daily Telegraph. 2 October 2009. Retrieved 13 September 2011.[dead link]
  38. ^ Reilly, Elaine (5 August 2021). "'Professor T' star Ben Miller: 'I was born to play this part'". WhatToWatch. Retrieved 10 April 2023.
  39. ^ Grant, Olly (25 October 2011). "Death in Paradise, Ben Miller on heatstroke, getting divorced and his potato years, interview". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 8 March 2012.
  40. ^ "Nominations Announced for the 27th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards". Screen Actors Guild Awards. Screen Actors Guild. 4 February 2021. Retrieved 4 February 2021.
  41. ^ Deleted scenes from Blu-Ray/DVD extras
  42. ^ "Scotland: Escape to the Wilderness". channel4.com. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  43. ^ "ITV's All Star Musicals unveils a star-studded Christmas line up". Retrieved 3 December 2021.
  44. ^ "The Great Celebrity Bake Off for Stand Up to Cancer". standuptocancer.org.uk. 10 February 2022. Retrieved 14 April 2022.
  45. ^ "No Place Like Home". channel5.com. Retrieved 5 January 2023.
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