Will Smith (comedian)

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For the American actor and rapper, see Will Smith.

William Smith
Born
William James Smith

(1971-06-08) 8 June 1971 (age 52)[1]
Winchester, Hampshire, England
Occupation(s)Actor, screenwriter, stand-up comedian, novelist, producer
Years active1996–present
Known forTV, film and radio comedy

William James Smith (born 8 June 1971) is an English stand-up comedian, screenwriter, novelist, actor and producer.

As co-writer and co-producer of the

Writers Guild of America Awards, and has received nominations for the Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy and the Producers Guild of America Award for Best Episodic Comedy.[2][3][4][5]

Early life and education

Though born in Winchester, Hampshire,[6] Smith grew up in Jersey and was educated there at Victoria College. His brother is the TV presenter and wine critic Olly Smith.[7]

Stand up comedy

Smith started his career in

Edinburgh Fringe Festival every year from 2003 to 2006: "Will Smith Is Much Obliged", "Misplaced Childhood" (inspired by his love of the rock band Marillion and their 1985 album of the same name),[11] "Ten Arguments I Should Have Won",[12] and "How To Be Cool".[13]
Smith supported Gervais on his record-breaking sell-out 2007 "Fame" tour, and supported Ardal O'Hanlon and Johnny Vegas on national tours.

Television

Smith serves as

USC Scripter Award two years running, for best episodic adaptation of a printed work in 2023, and again in 2024.[16] Smith was also nominated in the writer: drama category in the 2023 Royal Television Society Programme Awards, and for best long form TV drama in the 2023 Writers' Guild of Great Britain awards.[17][18][19]

Smith has been involved with both British and American

cameo role in the closing credits of In the Loop
, the Anglo-American film spin-off.

He served as executive producer on HBO sitcom Avenue 5. Other writing credits include sitcoms Damned and Back (TV series), both airing on Channel 4.[citation needed] With Armando Iannucci and Roger Drew he devised BBC future comedy Time Trumpet, six episodes that screened in 2006.[21] In 2018 he was reported to be working on co-writing a television series of Scarfolk.[22]

Books

Comedy books by Smith include How To Be Cool[23] (Harry Enfield said of it 'Will Smith is the coolest guy in the world (if uncool is the new cool) – he's also terrifically funny'), and The Joy of No Sex, published by Penguin,[24] a parody of The Joy of Sex.

Smith has written for various publications, including the magazine

Intelligent Life, in which he learnt something new for each issue. Articles included banjo-playing, ice-sculpting, circus skills and making a soufflé.[25]

In 2015 Smith published his first novel, Mainlander (4th Estate, a division of HarperCollins),[26] a thriller about a schoolboy who goes missing on Jersey. The Independent described it as 'John le Carré meets Middlemarch',[9] and ShortList called it a 'knockout'.[27]

Smith reflected on the difference between writing for television and writing a novel in The Guardian. "The chain from author to reader is short and simple – agent, editor, proofreader, shop/website. In TV, the script will have to be signed off by producers, executive producers, genre commissioners and channel commissioners, and that’s still only a starting point". He cited as his influences John Cleese and Stephen Fry, as well as Charlotte Brontë and George Eliot.[20]

Radio

Smith has appeared on BBC Radio 4 as a guest in comedy panel shows and in his own shows.

Acting credits

Year Title Role Notes
1997 The 11 O'Clock Show
2000 Time Gentlemen Please
2003 Gash
2004 A Wife For William
2005 Back in the Day
2006 The Charlotte Church Show
2006 Never Mind the Buzzcocks
2006–2012 The Thick of It Phil Smith 2006, one-hour special in 2007, 2009, 2012
2007 The C Word Presenter The euphemism for "cunt", not "cancer"
2007 The Late Edition
2008 For One Night Only
2009 Argumental 2 guest appearances
2011 Comedy Lab Tony Season 12, Episode 5
2012 Have I Got News for You
2012 Dead Boss Governor Gorey Season 1, Episode 6
2014 Paddington Geographer
2016-2018 Damned Zac
2017 Hampstead Leon Rowlands
2019 Greed Teacher

References

  1. ^ "Smith, Will, 1971– – LC Linked Data Service | Library of Congress". Id.loc.gov. Retrieved 30 March 2017.
  2. ^ "Nominees/Winners | Television Academy". emmys.com. Retrieved 9 September 2016. "Nominees/Winners | Television Academy". emmys.com. Retrieved 21 September 2016.
  3. ^ "Veep | Golden Globes". goldenglobes.com. Retrieved 9 September 2016.
  4. ^ "2016 Writers Guild Awards Nominees". awards.wga.org. Archived from the original on 18 October 2017. Retrieved 9 September 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  5. ^ "2016 PGA Nominations (Complete List) | Hollywood Reporter". hollywoodreporter.com. 18 January 2016. Retrieved 9 September 2016. "2017 PGA Nominations (Complete List) | Hollywood Reporter". hollywoodreporter.com. 5 January 2017. Retrieved 12 November 2017.
  6. ^ [1] Archived 11 February 2015 at the Wayback Machine
  7. ^ "Twitter / jollyolly: @tvpeanuts Yes I am related". Twitter.com. Retrieved 11 October 2012.
  8. ^ "Will Smith on : Chortle : The UK Comedy Guide". Chortle. Retrieved 11 October 2012.
  9. ^ a b "Will Smith's New Book: John Le Carre Meets Middlemarch". Independent. Archived from the original on 10 February 2015. Retrieved 10 March 2015.
  10. ^ "The 11 O'Clock Show (1998–2000) : Full Cast & Crew". IMDb.com. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
  11. ^ Ritchie, Jason. "Interview: Will Smith". Get Ready to Rock. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
  12. ^ "Will Smith: 10 Arguments I Should Have Won' review : Chortle : The UK Comedy Guide". Chortle. Retrieved 11 October 2012.
  13. ^ "Will Smith: How To Be Cool' review : Chortle : The UK Comedy Guide". Chortle. Retrieved 11 October 2012.
  14. ^ Harvey, Chris (25 November 2023). "The Thick of It writer Will Smith interview: 'Slow Horses is like the anti-Bond'". The Telegraph.
  15. ^ Thorne, Will (14 December 2020). "Kristin Scott Thomas and Jonathan Pryce Join Gary Oldman in Apple's 'Slow Horses'".
  16. ^ "2024 USC Scripter Awards Winners List: 'American Fiction', 'Slow Horses'". 3 March 2024.
  17. ^ "Trailer for new Apple Original espionage drama "Slow Horses," starring Academy Award winner Gary Oldman, debuts ahead of global premiere on April 1, 2022". Apple.com. 2 March 2022. Retrieved 27 October 2022.
  18. ^ "Will Smith on Slow Horses, working with Gary Oldman and controlling the swear count". Royal Television Society. 17 April 2023.
  19. ^ "Writers Guild Awards Shortlist 2023". 6 December 2022.
  20. ^ a b Will Smith (21 February 2015). "A screenwriter turns novelist, looking for less interference and fewer turkeys | Books". The Guardian. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
  21. ^ "Credits". Time Trumpet. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
  22. ^ "Gaffe as civil service magazine prints poster telling parents to shoot rabid children". Sky News. Retrieved 22 January 2019.
  23. ^ How to Be Cool: Make Social Blunders a Thing of the Past!: Amazon.co.uk: Will Smith: Books. ASIN 0719524903.
  24. ISBN 9780718148379
    .
  25. ^ Archived 16 February 2009 at the Wayback Machine[dead link]
  26. ISBN 9780007594269
    .
  27. ^ "The ShortRead: Will Smith | ShortList Magazine". Shortlist.com. 25 February 2015. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
  28. ^ "BBC – Programmes – Categorised as will smith". Retrieved 18 April 2009.
  29. ISBN 9781405677424
    .
  30. ^ "Will Smith's Mid-life Crisis Management". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
  31. ^ "BBC Radio 4 – Mr and Mrs Smith". Bbc.co.uk. 21 February 2012. Retrieved 11 October 2012.

External links

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