Adrian Edmondson
Born: 1957-01-24 in Bradford, Yorkshire, England, UK
Known For: Acting
Biography
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).
Filmography
2026
- Sam & Ade Go Birding
- Rik Mayall: Magnificent B'Stard as Self
- Rik Mayall's Sketches: Rare And Unseen as Self (archive footage)
- Partridge and Moulding Want To Get Laid ... (Thanks)
2025
- Alien: Earth as Atom Eins
- Bergerac as Nigel
2024
- 3 Body Problem as Denys Porlock
- Kidnapped: The Chloe Ayling Story as Phil
- Bottom: Exposed as Himself
2023
- Toad & Friends as Toad
- imagine... French & Saunders: Pointed, Bitchy, Bitter as Self
2022
- A Spy Among Friends as Sir Roger Hollis
- The Best Birthday Ever as Granny (voice)
2021
- The Pact as Richard
- The Trick as Edward Acton
- Letters Live from the Archive: Union Chapel as Self
2020
- Between the Covers as Self
- Out of Her Mind as Lewis
- King Rocker as Self (archive footage)
2019
- Back to Life as John Boback
- Cheat as William Vaughan
- The Rizen: Possession as The Interviewer
- Completely Bad News as Vim Fuego
2018
- Celebrity Catchphrase as Self - Contestant
- Save Me as Gideon Charles
- How The Young Ones Changed Comedy
- RSC Live: Twelfth Night as Malvolio
2017
- Star Wars: The Last Jedi as Captain Peavey
- Genius as David Hilbert
- Richard Osman's House of Games as Self - Contestant
- Urban Myths as Leslie Conn
- Bancroft as Superintendent Cliff Walker
- Interlude in Prague as Herr Luptak
- The Rizen as Interviewer
2016
- War and Peace as Ilya Rostov
- Upstart Crow as Dogberry
- One of Us as Peter Elliot
2015
- Rocky Horror Show Live as Narrator
2014
- Prey as DCI Warner
- Alan Davies: As Yet Untitled as Self
- Ronja, the Robber's Daughter as Noodle Pete (voice, English version)
- Ade at Sea as Self
2013
2012
- Gadget Man
- The Great Sport Relief Bake Off as Self - Contestant
- The Bleak Old Shop of Stuff as Headmaster Wackville
- Blood as Tom Tiernan
- Five Go to Rehab as Dick
- Britain Beware! as Self (Presenter)
2011
- Death in Paradise as Charles Crabtree
- Ade in Britain
2010
2009
- Let's Dance for Comic Relief as Self - Contestant
2008
- Miss Austen Regrets as Henry Austen
- Blackadder's Most Cunning Moments as Self - Baron von Richthoven (archive footage) (uncredited)
- Teenage Kicks
- Rocky Horror Tribute Show as Brad
- The Dangerous Brothers - Dangervision as Sir Adrian Dangerous
2007
- The Graham Norton Show as Self
- Would I Lie to You? as Self
- The Alan Titchmarsh Show as Self
- Britain's Got More Talent as Self
- If It Ain't Stiff: The Stiff Records Story as Self (Narrator)
- The Making of 'The Young Ones' as Self (Archived Footage)
2006
- The One Show as Self - Guest
- Great British Menu as Self - Guest Judge
- Surviving Disaster
- School's Out as Self
- Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band - 40th Anniversary Celebration as Self
2005
- Twisted Tales as Ed Barnes
- The Comic Strip - A Retrospective as Self
2004
- Doctors and Nurses as Dr. Roy Glover
- Bottom Mindless Violence as Vyvyan / Eddie Catflap / Sir Adrian Dangerous / Dreamy Time Escort / Eddie Hitler / Eddie Ndingombaba (archive footage)
2003
2002
- The Best of French & Saunders as Various
2001
- Bottom Live 2001: An Arse Oddity as Eddie
2000
- Mirrorball ... (Director)
- Four Men in a Plane as Ian Crisp
1999
- Holby City as Percy "Abra" Durant
- Guest House Paradiso as Eddie Elizabeth Ndingombaba
- The Man as Ash
- The Making of 'Guest House Paradiso' as Self
- Big Bottom Live - The Best of Bottom Live
1998
- Jack and the Beanstalk: The ITV Pantomime as Dame Dolly
- Four Men in a Car as Ian
1997
- Midsomer Murders as Hugo Welles
- Jonathan Creek as Brendan Baxter
- Captain Star
- Bottom Live 3: Hooligan's Island as Eddie Hitler
1996
1995
1994
- Ready, Steady, Cook as Self - Guest
- French and Saunders' Christmas Carol as Tim Goodchance
1993
- If You See God, Tell Him as Gordon Spry
- Space Virgins from Planet Sex as 'K' / Air Traffic Controller
- Gregory: Diary of a Nutcase as Gregory Dawson
- Bottom Live: The Stage Show as Eddie
- Demonella as Sid Vicious
1992
- Absolutely Fabulous as Hamish
- Red Nose of Courage as John Major/Coco the Clown
- Holy - Bottom: Christmas Special as Edward Elizabeth Hitler
1991
- Pebble Mill as Self
- Bottom as Edward Elizabeth Hitler
- The Pope Must Die as Father Rookie
1990
- Rita Rudner
- South Atlantic Raiders: Part 1 as Billy
- South Atlantic Raiders: Part 2 Argie Bargie! as Billy
- Oxford as 2nd MI5 Man / Fan
- News Hounds as Phil Burke
- GLC: The Carnage Continues as Billy/Prince Charles/Giles Cricket Bat Portland
- Les Dogs as Best Man
- French & Saunders LIVE ... (Director)
1989
- Screen One as Phil Burke
- Press Gang as Simon Knowles
- Snakes and Ladders as Giles Tewkesbury
- The Secret Policeman’s Biggest Ball as Self
- Just Like That! as Self
1988
- This Morning as Self
- The Yob as Michael
- An Audience With Victoria Wood as Self
- More Bad News as Vim Fuego
- Mr Jolly Lives Next Door as Dreamy Time Escort
- The Strike as Adrian/Slim/Policeman
1987
- Going Live! as Self
- French & Saunders as John
- Filthy Rich & Catflap as Edward Catflap
- Hardwicke House as Tiny
- Eat the Rich as Charles
- Filthy Rich & Catflap as Edward Catflap
1986
- Saturday Live
- The Dangerous Brothers as Sir Adrian Dangerous
- Dangerous Brothers Present: World of Danger as Sir Adrian Dangerous
- The Comic Relief Utterly Utterly Rude Video Live as Self
- Consuela (or, The New Mrs Saunders) as John
- Private Enterprise as Brian
- Honest Decent & True as Alun Pickersgill
1985
- Screen Two as Alun Pickersgill
- Happy Families as Guy Fuddle
- The Supergrass as Dennis Carter
- Happy Families as Guy Fuddle / Grandpa Harold Fuddle
1984
- Gino: Full Story and Pics as Gordon/Bill
- Dirty Movie as Bean
- A Fistful of Travellers' Cheques as Billy
- Susie as Martin
- Eddie Monsoon - a Life? as Eddie Moonson
- Slags as Ace
1983
- Natural World as Narrator
- Blackadder as Baron von Richtoven
- Summer School as Peter
- Bad News as Vim Fuego/Alan Metcalfe
- Dead on Time as Fool
- Five Go Mad on Mescalin as Dick
- The Beat Generation as Desmond
- War as Various Roles
- Blackadder as Baron Von Richthoven
1982
- The Comic Strip Presents... as Dick
- The Young Ones as Vyvyan
- Five Go Mad in Dorset as Dick
- Kevin Turvey: The Man Behind the Green Door as Keith Marshall
1981
1978
- An Audience with... as Self
1976
- The Secret Policeman's Ball as Self
1971
- Film '72 as Self