Eddie Izzard originally trained as an Accountant.
Obscure sitcom facts Page 2
Not a sitcom star?
Bob Mortimer was working as a soliciter when he met Vic Reeves.
And he had a trial for Middlesbrough FC
Not a sitcom but Little Jackie, the bald man on the Benny Hill show, was only 4 foot 11 and known as Our Little Donnie Osmond. He was nearly 60 when he took up acting.
Bradley Walsh was a professional footballer at Brentford in the late 1970s.
Worst Week star Ben Miller collects old typewriters.
Allan Rickman and Alfred Molina were the original choice for Rimmer and Lister in Red Dwarf.
Jim Broadbent used to go by the name of Jim Dialup.
Quote: fustidious @ 13th April 2016, 6:35 AM BSTBob Mortimer was working as a soliciter when he met Vic Reeves.
And he had a trial for Middlesbrough FC
He was also the 'Cockroach King' of Peckham!
I guess everybody knows this, but Jim Broadbent (who later went on to play Del's nemesis, Slater) was the first choice to play Del.
On the Big Night Out DVD Bob Mortimer says he was working as a human rights lawyer and had aspirations to change the world when he made the decision to concentrate on comedy. He still changed the world (of comedy)
Big Night Out started as a stage show which would be several hours long and Harry Enfield and Paul Whitehouse were among the regulars.
John Barron, CJ from Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin was down for a film financed by Saddam Hussein.
I didn't get where I am today making films for Saddam Husein
Quote: Paul Wimsett @ 24th July 2016, 6:17 PM BSTJohn Barron
Great comedy actor. I also liked him in Yes, Minister, especially in the episode with the hospital that has 500 administrators but no doctors and patients. Barron plays the permanet secretary for the DHSS and is maybe even more cynical than Sir Humphrey.
Sir Humphrey Appleby: "We are going to get some patients into St. Edwards... eventually, aren't we?"
Sir Ian Whitchurch (played by Barron): "It's possible. Certainly our present intention. In a year or two. Probably."
Quote: Paul Wimsett @ 24th July 2016, 6:17 PM BSTJohn Barron,
Saw him sitting a the bar of a hotel in London I was staying at in the late 70s, where they were also holding the after premiere party for the bloody awful film "Harlequin" (he wasn't in it), and also saw at that party David Hemmings, Robert Powell, Tom Baker, Kenny Lynch etc etc.................
I've lived the high life. 
St was Anthony Hancock's middle name (Anthony Aloysius St. John Hancock).
Tony Howes from Coppers and Co visited my college to do a seminar when I was doing a BTEC performing arts course in 1994. I was the only one who had heard of him and prooved it to him by delivering his classic line "Oohh Coppers". He was really nice and friendly to everyone and an all round great guy.
A few years later I found myself standing behind him at a supermarket checkout and I was going to say hello and remind him of his college visit but he was chatting to a woman at the time who I assume had recognised him and struck up a conversation. I knew it would be bang out of order to interupt him when he was chatting to a gal at a supermarket checkout so I never said anything.