Stan Laurel was English, surely worth a mention…

@martinarscott3524

2 ай бұрын

far more worthy than a few of the others in this list that's for sure

@richardgale1287

2 ай бұрын

My immediate thought. Often overlooked because of being part of a US-based double-act (despite the fact he never adopted US citizenship).

@davidjones3890

Ай бұрын

Hear hear.

@MikeGreenwood51

Ай бұрын

I was going to mention Stan Laurel. I laughed more at his comedy than Mr.C.Chaplins. But of course Charlie is one of the greatest English comedians.

@chrisbrace2204

11 күн бұрын

You'd theink Cary Grant might also be worth a mention

You know it's a tough list when comedy greats like Ronnie Barker are left out of the top 10

The whole cast of Acorn Antiques deserves a mention. I’ve watched the whole series on KZread so many times, and it never fails to raise my spirits.

@drwoo6090

Ай бұрын

Have you watched Acorn Antiques, the musical? Omgosh, it’s soooo funny! 🤣

@catherinerobilliard7662

Ай бұрын

@@drwoo6090 No. Now I want to. 🎶

Missed out so many super talented comedy actors: Ronnie Barker, Paul Whitehouse, Harry Enfield, Kathy Burke to name a few...

@natg81

2 ай бұрын

Kathy Burke…..comedy genius! Wish she was on TV more

@robertpatrick3350

2 ай бұрын

@@natg81 Kathy Burke is an amazing actor for whom comedy is just part of a wider repertoire.

@mediocredan8194

2 ай бұрын

Also missed the "Carry on..." generation. Sid, Kenneth, Hattie, ect...

@watchreadplayretro

2 ай бұрын

Agree, there should be a top 40 British Comedy Actors list, because with so many styles of comedy there'd be someone (or a few) for everyone!

@charlottehardy822

2 ай бұрын

Dawn French, Hugh Laurie, Ade Edmonson, Jo Lumley, Craig Charles, Chris Barrie, Kenneth Williams, Frankie Howard… there are so many.

Rowan Atkinson is the only comedian I've ever seen who can make something as simple as putting a pen on a desk funny.

@fayesouthall6604

2 ай бұрын

Yep I saw him live in the 1980’s doing sketches it was brilliantly funny

The Young Ones "Bambi" episode was like a British comedy smorgasboard.. Rik Mayall, Ade Edmondson, Hugh Laurie, Strephen Fry, Emma Thompson, Ben Elton, Griff Rhys-Jones and Robbie Coltrane. I was at university when Young Ones was on and Rik Mayall's student character was hilarious..I nicknamed a fellow student "The People's Poet" after Rik 😁

@scotmax8426

Ай бұрын

one of the funniest ever! lol remember seeing it as it aired... that night has it's own whole story! lol, does anyone remember all the "easter eggs" in the young ones? the sudden good life sketch with the leaping frog for example lololol. i was way too young to actually be tuned into all that lol but hey ;) lol life was free back then

The entire cast of Dad's Army , their names should also go on ze list!

Spaced is a superb series where you can see the origins of the Cornetto Trilogy. So many 'comedy' actors are just brilliant actors, full stop. It feels like a fine line between comedy and tragedy. Love your content as always.

Only Fools And Horses is one of the funniest series I have ever watched!

Rik Mayall and Adrian Edmonson on the Bottom series: ‘We had wanted to call it My Bottom, so that people at work the next day would say, “Did you see My Bottom on television last night?”’

@Bill_Stranix

2 ай бұрын

lol love that if true. They made the right choice though.

You gotta try "Only Fools & Horses" (David Jason) ... well worth a try 👍

Please watch Only Fools and Horses! Its a staple of British comedy and you'll love it.

Really bloody miss Alan Rickman.

@Isleofskye

2 ай бұрын

Just seen Alan in Robin Hood etc

@lemonjapp

Ай бұрын

Surely Alan Rickman himself is a comedy actor?.... as well as every other kind.

Spike Milligan regarded himself as a loony (permanently damaged psychologically) after he was blown up during WW2 ("I was a different person when I landed"). Then he met Peter Sellers, who had no excuse. True!

I first saw Rick Mayall on TV as a rather peculiar character called Kevin Turvey . He was droll and humorous in an quiet unstated way and for a long time I thought he was real.

@sharonwelsh8102

2 ай бұрын

I used to love him doing Kevin Turvey brilliant programme

No Hugh Laurie? I was so convinced that he would be on this list that, even when we finished the honorable mentions and he hadn't shown, I assumed he would be first (even though I would never put him first myself.) But that's how convinced I was that he would make the list. But to not even make the Honorable Mentions, that's shameful on Watch Mojo UKs part.

@lemonjapp

Ай бұрын

Just a bit famous in the US too, in HOUSE

@lemonjapp

Ай бұрын

Morecambe and Wise made a film! I think I wet myself laughing at them as a kid and my sister nearly choked to death on some Christmas trifle....

Fun fact: Jennifer Saunders is married to Ade Edmonson, Rik Mayall's best friend (and co-actor in bottom/the young ones)! Which is why she was on the young ones

@speleokeir

Ай бұрын

And her comedy partner Dawn french was married to comedy legend Lenny Henry.

@tabi122

Ай бұрын

@@speleokeir didn't know that, cool!

@Cleow33

Ай бұрын

They all performed together at the Comedy Store and were part of The Comic Strip. Jennifer and Ade didn’t get married until long after The Young Ones. I think she and Dawn were on it because they are talented and funny, not because Jen was married to one of the stars.

@tabi122

Ай бұрын

@@Cleow33 ah wow. I think Jen and ade met before The young ones anyway, through friends

YES, Charlie Chaplin has many claims to fame and deserves Number 1 but his greatest honour? To be born in EXACTLY the same street in Walworth, South East London : S.E.17 as ME !!!!! and, you know what, he never mentioned it once. NOT ONCE.........and I was 23 when he died in 1977 and STILL no mention.... It's hard to believe,I know...

@drwoo6090

Ай бұрын

That wasn’t very gentlemanly of him! 🥸 Although, maybe he thought, that you wouldn’t be able to handle everything that comes with knowing him! 🤷🏻‍♀️😉 you could get a blue plaque that states that your house was a few houses from him! 😊

@Isleofskye

Ай бұрын

@@drwoo6090 Admittedly,I have lived a meaningless, pointless, valueless life in the obscurity that I, richly, deserve, but nevertheless, even a tiny mention or small gesture like an All Expense paid, First Class trip to stay in his mansion in Hollywood for just, say,6 months, would have been appreciated but nada,niets,nein,nedalia....

@Bethi4WFH

Ай бұрын

@@Isleofskye. God, life is hard and unfair, isn't it?

@Isleofskye

Ай бұрын

@@Bethi4WFH Tell me about it, Beth! My Cook has not arrived and my Gardener is due at 9pm and it is raining!!!!!!!!! Can you, positively imagine, Beth??😥😥

Ronnie Barker was a brilliant comedy actor.

@drwoo6090

Ай бұрын

The 2 Ronnies, brilliant comedy partnership!

Did you know Rowan Atkinson did the voice for Zazu in the original Lion King?

15:10 may I humbly suggest the word Raconteur. To which I would think Stephen Fry would not object, the late Peter Ustinov was frequently given this title.

There's a great TV movie biopic called the Lives of Peter Sellars

People forget that both Cary Grant and Bob Hope were both born in Britain. They should have made the list.

@fayesouthall6604

2 ай бұрын

Yep

@StormhavenGaming

2 ай бұрын

Grant wasn't really known as a comedian and Bob Hope emigrated to the US when he was about five years old. He was, for all intents and purposes, American.

I'm not sure how they could leave probably the most versatile comedy actor on British TV and who also wrote many of his scripts, Ronnie Barker, who I would put just behind Sellars. Also, the ommission of Norman Wisdom and Richard Briers is surprising.

Lanc-a-sheer.... Lancashire.

The Young Ones and Bottom are classic British alternative comedy series. Slapstick meets punk.

Will Hay, Terry Thomas, Alistair Sim, Ian Carmichael

2:53 mate, Rik Mayall is among the top comedy geniuses in Britain. You should check out bottom sometime, youve never knwon such well timed slapstick comedy's until youve seen bottom.

@nolasyeila6261

2 ай бұрын

I loved him on The Young Ones and Drop Dead Fred.

@lynnhamps7052

2 ай бұрын

Outtakes of their live shows are hilarious!

@DraftingandCrafting

2 ай бұрын

@@nolasyeila6261 Drop dead Fred was a favourite of mine too!

A story that I recently heard about Rik Mayall is that he was originally meant to be in Harry Potter. I believe he was meant to play a ghost character. But he was cut from the film because they found it too difficult to film his scenes because all of the child actors couldn't stop laughing at him.

@TheLordofDarkness1995

2 ай бұрын

He was supposed to play Peeves the Poltergeist. He would have been glorious. 😂

Rowan Atkinson is not British. He is an alien who fell to Earth. That is why he has super-human levels of talent.

@danielmarsh373

Ай бұрын

Only in american eyes ...to the brittish he is blackadder

Simon Pegg was in a weird but wonderful sketch show called "Big Train" before Spaced. For Peter Sellers, there's an amazing slapstick movie called "The Party" which starts quiet then just cartwheels out of control hilariously. And yes - he, and his early comedy partner Spike Milligan (together they were two-thirds of radio comedy act The Goons) - were both difficult to work with due to their neurodivergence, shall we say. A few more excellent British comedy film actors deserving of mention on this list include Sir Alec Guinness, Cary Grant, Stan Laurel... the problem is so many British actors can turn their hand to a lot of different styles. Everyone from Alan Rickman to Dame Maggie Smith to Timothy Spall has done good comic roles. Sadly, arguably Britain's best TV comic actor, Ronnie Barker, did very little big screen work.

Victoria Wood was a fantastic actor, writer, and director. Watch her, along with her long term friend, Julie Walters, in Dinner Ladies…it’s really funny. Julie Walters is sooo funny as Victoria’s mum. Also, Acorn Antiques, and An audience with Victoria Wood…if you don’t laugh at that, then you are devoid of all feelings! Victoria also wrote and acted in Housewife 49, excellent acting, she also wrote and directed a film called That Day We Sang, based on a true story. I cried when Victoria died, and I couldn’t watch anything of hers for ages. I was 💔

Stephen Fry has done more than a few acting gigs and voice acting too, he has done a number of audio books but also was the narrator of LittleBigPlanet and also was a voice actor in Fable 2. Also notably Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie (Yes, Dr. House) had their own sketch show called 'A Bit of Fry and Laurie' which had 4 seasons.

@StormhavenGaming

2 ай бұрын

Fry and Lauries also adapted PG Wodehouse's Jeeves and Wooster novels for television in the 80s, and Fry returned in Fable 3.

@Spiklething

2 ай бұрын

And QI. How could you miss out QI?

@aidankirwan9904

2 ай бұрын

And Pocoyo

@speleokeir

Ай бұрын

He's also been in numerous films.

Spaced is one of my favourite series. Simon Pegg, and Jessica Hynes were brilliant in it! And the weird guy in the other flat, Mark Heap, became the fantastic, Dr Alan Statham, in Green Wing. And that show is chaotic, outrageous, and hilarious! It’s actually ad lib based, which adds to the comedy! 😂 I’ve watched it many times, binge watching the dvds is a pastime I’d recommend! 😂

Peter Sellers my favourite he was brilliant very funny 😂😂😂

'Philomena Cunk' is a character portrayed (brilliantly) by the fantastic comedy actor Diane Morgan. So yes- she should potentially be on the list.

@StormhavenGaming

2 ай бұрын

She should at least have been an honourable mention.

@annicecooper8105

2 ай бұрын

Motherland is fab too 😄

@fayesouthall6604

2 ай бұрын

Mandy is genius ! 15 minute episodes

Mr Bean's Holiday is brilliant . "La Mer".

So many great British comedy performers that a list like this is always going to be tough, but it was a decent effort. Wish they could have found room for Julie Walters or Kathy Burke... Or both 😊

It's interesting how Americans often perceive British comedians/actors differently to how we do, because they have often had a long TV career here before becoming famous in the US for later stuff. e.g Rowan Atknson is best known for Not the Nine O'clock News and Black Adder. Mr Bean was much later and his stuff I personally find the least funny. His sketches for The Secret policeman's Ball are also well worth watching where he often plays authority figures such as Priests, Headmasters, Senior Police officers, etc and his version of Satan is brilliant! Hugh Laurie is best known in Britain for A Bit of Fry & Laurie, a sketch show with Stephen Fry, Black Adder and Jeeves & Wooster. In the US he's known for House and many don't realise he's a comedian and comic actor.

So many others could be on this list: Stan Laurel, Hugh Laurie, Stephen Fry, Julie Walters, Ronnie Barker, Emma Thompson, Billy Connolly, Eddie Izzard, Robbie Coltrane, Lee Evans, etc, etc.

CHARLIE CHAPLIN ALSO WAS A COMPOSER HE WROTE “THIS IS MY SONG” 👏THAT PETULA CLARK SANG WHICH BECAME A HIT HE ALSO COMPOSED THE BEAUTIFUL TITLE TO A FILM CALLED LIMELIGHT 👌AND THATS THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG YES A VERY CLEVER MAN INDEED FOR US ALL TO ENJOY 🤷‍♀️

I would add Stan Laurel to the above. Keep up the good work ...

@billspencer9430

2 ай бұрын

Yes and Bob Hope and Cary Grant.

Dudley moore

How was Norman Wisdom not mentioned in that list? He was by far the funniest man alive-or at least he is to me. Wisdom starring in The Early Bird, A Stitch In Time, and On The Beat have been some of the best films that I have ever had the pleasure of watching.

I think you’ll find that Cleese’s mother smelled of elderberries:).

@drwoo6090

Ай бұрын

I think you’ll find that, The mother was an hamster, and the father smells of elderberries! 😉

@robbieellis4840

Ай бұрын

Now go away or I shall taunt you a second time!

"Philomena Cunk, maybe? She's not really an actor"- I fell out of my chair laughing, thank-you! Philomena Cunk is played by writer, actor & comedian Diane Morgan. And I am sure DIane would be the first to confirm Philomena is no actor!

Ronnie Barker should be in there as an honourable mention at least.... Porridge, Open all hours, The 2 Ronnies etc. etc.

How could they leave out Patricia Routledge - her role as Hyacinth Bucket in the Britcom "Keeping Up Appearances".is legendary - the show is still in repeats world-wide.

Not a bad list by Watch Mojo standards, but I would have swapped out Jennifer Saunders for Ronnie Barker and had him further up the list.

Rik Mayall is most loved in my home for his portrayal of Drop Dead Fred. Such an emotional and touching performance! ❤😄🥲

Simon Pegg had a small part in Band of Brothers.

I first came across Simon Pegg in 'Faith In The Future', 1995.

Look up "I love trucking", from not the 9 o'clock news

If you haven’t seen Simon Pegg’s early early work in Big Train (sketch show) then I highly recommend it!

they forgot Hugh Laurie who plays House in America but also played on all the Blackadder series...dude's a genius...

Steve Coogan playing Paul and Pauline Calf was brilliant

I'd have included Stan Laurel

@melonhead3649

2 ай бұрын

And Sid James

@melonhead3649

2 ай бұрын

Also Margaret Rutherford, and Will Hay

David Jason was in a show called open all hours along side the late grate Ronnie Barker from the two Ronnie's

Rik Mayall played drop dead Fred ....

Chaplin's 'The Great Dictator' is well worth seeing, and he SPEAKS ! Victoria Wood is a sadly underrated talent.

You could easily do another list. Ronnie Barker, Kathy Burke, Mel Smith, there are so msny to choose from.

The "Hitler Mustache" came into fashion after WW1 as a way to say that one was a veteran. It was the only kind of facial hair that could be had while wearing a Gas Mask.

"When Charlie Chaplin (London, 1889 - Vevey 1977) presented his film "Limelight" while on a European tour, he was denied reentry to the USA - because of McCarthyism. He decided to settle in Vevey, along with his wife and children, four of whom were born in Switzerland".

@Isleofskye

2 ай бұрын

YES, Charlie Chaplin has many claims to fame and deserves Number 1 but his greatest honour? To be born in EXACTLY the same street in Walworth, South East London: S.E.17... as ME !!!!! and, you know what, he never mentioned it once. NOT ONCE.........and I was 23 when he died in 1977 and STILL no mention.... It's hard to believe,I know...

@corringhamdepot4434

2 ай бұрын

@@Isleofskye And he never gave up his British Citizenship while living in the US.

They missed out on Craig Charles. As my dad used to say, you sort out the beans, and ill wring out the portoloo.

Hugh Laurie not included on the list?

Hey JJ, I've been subscribed for months but haven't commented much. But if you've never heard of David Jason, you have to know that Only Fools and Horses was like Friends, Brooklyn 99 or Big Bang Theory because it was that big. You should find the top ten funniest moments and look at those. I promise you will not regret it. Also, it's pronounced Lan-ka-shyre phonetically. And Weston Super Mare you pronounce Mare like mayor but drop the o. Mayrr. Just an FYI. Really like the channel... CAST ME IN YOUR NEXT PROJECT

It should be noted that a personality trait shared by both Peter Sellars and Sacha Baron Cohen, is both suffer(ed) from severe social anxiety, so whenever they're in public they inhabit a character. Which is noted when you see the interview of Sellars with Michael Parkinson, and Sellars appeared in full Wehrmacht officer's uniform.

Diane Morgan (Philomena Cunk) is a very good actor!

@nolasyeila6261

2 ай бұрын

I loved her in "Frayed".

There’s a long tradition of writer performers in British comedy, and very few writers’ rooms

Rik Mayall (😢RIP) and Ade Edmondson were on The Young Ones and also on Bottom together, and Jennifer Saunders (Ab Fab), who occasionally guest starred on The Young Ones, is married to Ade Edmondson. This was a good line-up but I think a mention could have gone to Hugh Laurie, who is more known as a comic actor in the UK (Fry & Laurie, Blackadder, etc.) I expected Peter Sellers as No.1, (Being There was excellent - quite deep really) but I forgot Charlie Chaplin also! A friend of mine who was an extra on quite a few British shows and has a few tales to tell, worked with David Jason on "A Touch of Frost" and apparently he was quite a demanding type and not very pleasant to others, so that puts me off now when I see him.

Rik Mayall and Ade Edmonson were part of the "alternative" comedy scene, that is they weren't Oxbridge... Stephen Fry, Hugh Laurie, Rowan Atkinson, Emma Thompson, John Cleese, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, Michael Palin, etc. were graduates of the Footlights or Review.

I’m from Weston-super-Mare in Somerset 🇬🇧 xx I always remember John Cleese saying he hates his home town. I always go past the home he lives in as my auntie and uncle live on the same road.

@CrazyInWeston

2 ай бұрын

Yes he said it was a tedious little place which upset the town mayor at the time.

This guy’s voice is so soothing

David Jason you must watch the only fools and horses series , you will fall in love with the characters , the show biggest comedy series ever , about a cockney market trader who looks after his younger brother and dreams of becoming a millionaire 😂 A must watch ❤

New English subscriber ❤

Peter Cook and Dudley Moore should be on this list.

Rik Mayall was the best and 'Comic Strip' was Brilliance

I just saw on the Cleese wiki that his former son-in-law is Ed Solomon, co-creator of Bill and Ted. The other co-creator is Chris Matheson, the son of Richard Matheson, the author of I am Legend.

You should watch the film Chaplin, directed by Richard Attenborough and starring Robert Downey Jr.

I personally would've chosen *Stan Laurel* of *Laurel and Hardy.* He was actually the comic inspiration for the famous duo. Oliver Hardy wasn't actual that talented as a writer. Born in *Ulverston* in the *Lake District* in the northwest county of *Cumbria.*

I recommend Watching the red nose day comedy skits, some are brilliant.

I love the way you try to say Lancashire 😂 You know you can’t pronounce it but try several variations.

I'm surprised that Stan Laurel and Bob Hope weren't even mentioned. Rest in peace prick I mean Rick.

Very spurious. No Norman Wisdom, Will Hay, Kenneth Williams, the list is endless.

I was told that Hitler's toothbrush mustache was modeled on Chaplain, however, I don't know if this is apocryphal. Chaplain went onto film The Great Dictator and thus the distancing begins?

JJ, love yer channel, dude. You REALLY need to check out ‘Spaced’ if you haven’t already done so. They brought out a US box set version with all new episode commentaries including guests Quentin Tarantino and Patton Oswalt to name but two US movie and comedy types… do it, man! JOIN USSSS…. 😎

Charlie Chaplin!!! Didn’t see that coming, but totally worthy… Many more could have been on here. I think Ronnie Barker should have been high on the list

You know Philomeno Cunk is a fictional character.. Diane Morgan who plays her is indeed an actor.. She’s great with Ricky Gervais in After Life 😄

@Lily33McC

2 ай бұрын

I agree but she was also brilliant in Motherland - well worth watching if you haven’t seen it 😂

@woooster71

2 ай бұрын

@Lily33McC I forgot about that series.. yep, watched that too. Excellent series

@Lily33McC

2 ай бұрын

I think it’s still on Netflix 😁

@tabi122

2 ай бұрын

@@Lily33McC Luckily it still is! I still binge it even though I've seen it before. Her with Paul Ready as Kevin is a great duo

@catherinerobilliard7662

2 ай бұрын

She’ll always be a Cunk to me ❤

Love your pronunciation of English place names!

@readmylisp

Ай бұрын

Lunchcashesshire. is hard to pronounce.

@mikdavies5027

Ай бұрын

@@readmylisp. Try saying, "Lan-cash-hear, mate! 😀😀😀

Ricky Gervais, Stephen Merchant, David Mitchell, Robert Webb, Rob Brydon, Hugh Laurie, the rest of the Python crew etc. etc.

Norman wisdom should be on the list.

I would put david Jason in the one spot before only fools he was acting with ronnie barker in porridge and open all hours. This list was so short there are hundreds of comic actors who are very famous abd loved in the uk.

I was sure Hugh Laurie was on the list specially since he was in a lot of the clips shown.

@fayesouthall6604

2 ай бұрын

Exactly right

Rik mayall was a very much loved and missed comedy actor. Most of us brits grew up watching him on the young ones and bottom. Was so sad when he died 😢

Dudley Moore and peter cook, Tony hancock.

Spaced is so good

Mitchell and Webb

Peter Sellers - you need to listen to The Goon Show

"he moved to switzerland" yea you might want to go down the rabbit hole as to why he got kicked out of the US and "moved to switzerland". He made anti nazi movies before the US joined the war so was very brave.

George Formby should be on that list