Adrian Edmondson
Adrian Edmondson was born in Bradford, Yorkshire. He went to Manchester University to study drama. Whilst he was there he met Rik Mayall, and the pair began performing as 20th Century Coyote. The act continued after university when Adrian & Rik moved to London, and they became two of the leading lights in the new 'alternative comedy' scene, performing at the newly established Comedy Store, and setting up their own club, The Comic Strip, with 'Peter Richardson', Nigel Planer, Jennifer Saunders, Dawn French, and Alexei Sayle. This spawned two 1980s TV series: The Young Ones (1982), and The Comic Strip Presents... (1982) In the 1990's Ade & Rik continued their partnership with a new series called Bottom (1991), which ran for three seasons and became a major success on the live circuit. It was basically a live sitcom, liberally sprinkled with slapstick humour, and the pair did 5 long tours between 1993 and 2003. Simultaneously, Adrian established himself as an actor, doing two improvised TV films under the Screen One and Screen Two umbrella, with director Les Blair: Screen Two: Honest, Decent and True (1986), and Screen One: News Hounds (1990) (winner of the BAFTA for best single drama). He was a regular in the hospital drama Holby City (1999) from 2005 - 2008. He took the lead in a drama documentary about the Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster in the series Surviving Disaster (2006), and appeared as Henry Austen in the TV movie Miss Austen Regrets (2008), the film Blood (2012), and the drama series Prey (2014). But his most notable dramatic role to date is that of Count Rostov in the BBC series War & Peace (2016).
Known For
Credits
- 2025 · Alien: Earth as Atom Eins
- 2024 · Kidnapped: The Chloe Ayling Story as Phil
- 2024 · Bottom: Exposed as Himself
- 2024 · 3 Body Problem as Denys Porlock
- 2023 · imagine... French & Saunders: Pointed, Bitchy, Bitter as Self
- 2023 · Toad & Friends as Toad
- 2022 · A Spy Among Friends as Sir Roger Hollis
- 2021 · The Trick as Edward Acton
- 2021 · The Pact as Richard
- 2021 · Letters Live from the Archive: Union Chapel as Self
- 2019 · Completely Bad News as Vim Fuego
- 2019 · The Rizen: Possession as The Interviewer
- 2017 · Interlude In Prague as Herr Luptak
- 2017 · The Rizen as Interviewer
- 2015 · Rocky Horror Show Live as Narrator
- 2012 · Blood as Tom Tiernan
- 2008 · Blackadder's Most Cunning Moments as Baron von Richthoven/Self
- 2008 · Miss Austen Regrets as Henry Austen
- 2007 · If It Ain't Stiff: The Stiff Records Story as Self - Narrator
- 2006 · Surviving Disaster as
- 2004 · Doctors and Nurses as
- 2002 · The Best of French & Saunders as Various
- 1999 · Guest House Paradiso as Eddie
- 1998 · Jack and the Beanstalk: The ITV Pantomime as Dame Dolly
- 1997 · Captain Star as
- 1995 · The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Treasure of the Peacock's Eye as Zyke
- 1993 · Gregory: Diary of a Nutcase as Gregory Dawson
- 1993 · Space Virgins from Planet Sex as 'K' / Air Traffic Controller
- 1991 · The Pope Must Die as Father Rookie
- 1989 · Snakes and Ladders as Giles Tewkesbury
- 1989 · Happy Families as
- 1989 · The Secret Policeman’s Biggest Ball as Self
- 1988 · An Audience With Victoria Wood as Self
- 1988 · The Yob as Michael
- 1988 · Mr Jolly Lives Next Door as Dreamy Time Escort
- 1988 · More Bad News as Vim Fuego
- 1988 · The Strike as Adrian/Slim/Policeman
- 1987 · Eat the Rich as Charles
- 1987 · Hardwicke House as Tiny
- 1986 · The Comic Relief Utterly Utterly Rude Video Live as
- 1986 · Private Enterprise as Brian
- 1985 · The Supergrass as Dennis Carter
- 1984 · Gino: Full Story and Pics as Gordon/Bill
- 1984 · Susie as Martin
- 1983 · Bad News as Vim Fuego/Alan Metcalfe
- 1983 · Dead on Time as Fool
- 1982 · Five Go Mad in Dorset as Dick
- 1981 · The Comic Strip as
- 1980 · Boom Boom... Out Go the Lights as
- Future · Ade at Sea as Self
- 2020 · King Rocker as Self (archive footage)
- 2020 · Out of Her Mind as Lewis
- 2020 · Between the Covers as Self
- 2019 · Cheat as William Vaughan
- 2018 · Celebrity Catchphrase as Self - Contestant
- 2018 · How The Young Ones Changed Comedy as
- 2018 · Save Me as Gideon Charles
- 2018 · RSC Live: Twelfth Night as Malvolio
- 2017 · Star Wars: The Last Jedi as Captain Peavey
- 2017 · Bancroft as Superintendent Cliff Walker
- 2017 · Richard Osman's House of Games as Self - Contestant
- 2017 · Genius as David Hilbert
- 2017 · Urban Myths as Leslie Conn
- 2016 · One of Us as Peter Elliot
- 2016 · Upstart Crow as Dogberry
- 2016 · War and Peace as Ilya Rostov
- 2014 · Ronja the Robber's Daughter as Noodle Pete (voice, English version)
- 2014 · Alan Davies: As Yet Untitled as Self
- 2014 · Prey as DCI Warner
- 2013 · Catchphrase as
- 2012 · Gadget Man as
- 2012 · Five Go to Rehab as Dick
- 2012 · The Bleak Old Shop of Stuff as Headmaster Wackville
- 2012 · The Great Sport Relief Bake Off as Self - Contestant
- 2011 · Ade in Britain as
- 2011 · Death in Paradise as Charles Crabtree
- 2010 · Monte Carlo or Bust as
- 2009 · Let's Dance for Comic Relief as Self - Contestant
- 2008 · Rocky Horror Tribute Show as Brad
- 2008 · Teenage Kicks as
- 2008 · The Dangerous Brothers - Dangervision as Sir Adrian Dangerous
- 2007 · The Making of 'The Young Ones' as Self (Archived Footage)
- 2007 · The Alan Titchmarsh Show as Self
- 2007 · Would I Lie to You? as Self
- 2007 · Britain's Got More Talent as Self
- 2007 · The Graham Norton Show as Self
- 2006 · The One Show as Self - Guest
- 2006 · The Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band: 40th Anniversary Celebration as Self
- 2006 · School's Out as Self
- 2006 · Great British Menu as Self - Guest Judge
- 2005 · The Comic Strip - A Retrospective as Self
- 2005 · Twisted Tales as
- 2004 · Bottom Mindless Violence as Eddie
- 2003 · Celebrity Mastermind as
- 2003 · Bottom Live 2003: Weapons Grade Y-Fronts Tour as Edward Hitler
- 2003 · Spine Chillers as
- 2003 · Comic Relief Does Fame Academy as
- 2001 · Bottom Live 2001: An Arse Oddity as Eddie
- 2000 · Four Men in a Plane as Ian Crisp
- 1999 · The Making of 'Guest House Paradiso' as Himself
- 1999 · Big Bottom Live - The Best of Bottom Live as
- 1998 · Four Men in a Car as Ian
- 1997 · Bottom Live 3: Hooligan's Island as Eddie Hitler
- 1997 · Jonathan Creek as Brendan Baxter
- 1997 · Midsomer Murders as Hugo Welles
- 1996 · Bottom Fluff as
- 1995 · Bottom Live 2: The Big Number 2 Tour as Eddie
- 1995 · Look at the State We're In! as Dewhurst
- 1994 · Ready Steady Cook as Self - Guest
- 1994 · Anna Lee as Dominic Jones
- 1993 · If You See God, Tell Him as Gordon Spry
- 1993 · Bottom Live: The Stage Show as Eddie
- 1993 · Demonella as Sid Vicious
- 1992 · Absolutely Fabulous as Hamish
- 1992 · Red Nose of Courage as John Major/Coco the Clown
- 1991 · Pebble Mill as Self
- 1991 · Bottom as Edward Elizabeth Hitler
- 1990 · Rita Rudner as
- 1990 · News Hounds as Phil Burke
- 1990 · Les Dogs as Best Man
- 1990 · Oxford as 2nd MI5 Man / Fan
- 1990 · South Atlantic Raiders: Part 1 as Billy
- 1990 · South Atlantic Raiders: Part 2 Argie Bargie! as Billy
- 1990 · GLC: The Carnage Continues as Billy/Prince Charles/Giles Cricket Bat Portland
- 1989 · Press Gang as Simon Knowles
- 1989 · Just Like That! as Self
- 1988 · This Morning as Self
- 1987 · Going Live! as Self
- 1987 · French & Saunders as John
- 1987 · Filthy Rich & Catflap as Edward Catflap
- 1987 · Filthy Rich & Catflap as Edward Catflap
- 1986 · Honest Decent & True as Alun Pickersgill
- 1986 · Saturday Live as
- 1986 · The Dangerous Brothers as Sir Adrian Dangerous
- 1986 · Dangerous Brothers Present: World of Danger as Sir Adrian Dangerous
- 1986 · Consuela (or, The New Mrs Saunders) as John
- 1985 · Happy Families as Guy Fuddle
- 1984 · Slags as Ace
- 1984 · Eddie Monsoon - a Life? as Eddie Moonson
- 1984 · A Fistful of Travellers' Cheques as Billy
- 1984 · Dirty Movie as Bean
- 1983 · Five Go Mad on Mescalin as Dick
- 1983 · Natural World as Narrator
- 1983 · Blackadder as Baron von Richtoven
- 1983 · Summer School as Peter
- 1983 · The Beat Generation as Desmond
- 1983 · War as Various Roles
- 1982 · The Young Ones as Vyvyan
- 1982 · The Comic Strip Presents... as Dick
- 1982 · The Comic Strip Presents... as Eddie Monsoon
- 1982 · The Comic Strip Presents... as Mike/Hatchett/Julio/Bolsen/Man in Cage/Jenkins/Zarkoff
- 1982 · The Comic Strip Presents... as Desmond
- 1982 · The Comic Strip Presents... as Gordon/Bill
- 1982 · The Comic Strip Presents... as John
- 1982 · The Comic Strip Presents... as Peter
- 1982 · The Comic Strip Presents... as Martin
- 1982 · The Comic Strip Presents... as Billy
- 1982 · The Comic Strip Presents... as Vim Fuego
- 1982 · The Comic Strip Presents... as Ace
- 1982 · The Comic Strip Presents... as Bean
- 1982 · The Comic Strip Presents... as Dreamy Time Escort
- 1982 · The Comic Strip Presents... as Brian
- 1982 · The Comic Strip Presents... as Adrian/Slim/Policeman
- 1982 · The Comic Strip Presents... as Michael
- 1982 · The Comic Strip Presents... as Billy/Prince/Giles Cricket Bat Portland
- 1982 · The Comic Strip Presents... as 2nd MI5 Man/Fan
- 1982 · The Comic Strip Presents... as Bestman
- 1982 · The Comic Strip Presents... as 'K'/Air Traffic Controller
- 1982 · The Comic Strip Presents... as John Major - Coco the Clown
- 1982 · The Comic Strip Presents... as Gregory Dawson
- 1982 · The Comic Strip Presents... as Sid Vicious
- 1982 · The Comic Strip Presents... as Ian Crisp
- 1982 · The Comic Strip Presents... as Ian
- 1982 · The Comic Strip Presents... as
- 1982 · Kevin Turvey: The Man Behind the Green Door as Keith Marshall
- 1978 · An Audience with... as Self
- 1976 · The Secret Policeman's Ball as Self