Catherine Tate
- 54 years-old
- English
- Actor, writer, director and executive producer
Known for: The Catherine Tate Show (Actor), Wild West (Angela Phillips), Big School (Miss Postern), Big Train (Actor), Catherine Tate's Nan (Nan)
Catherine Tate is an English comedian, actress, and writer, best known for her work on the sketch comedy series The Catherine Tate Show, which was nominated for four BAFTAs including Best Comedy Performance. Her foul-mouthed grandma character Joannie 'Nan' Taylor has entered popular folklore, leading to a spin-off series Catherine Tate's Nan and a 2020 film Nan The Movie. Tate also Doctor's companion Donna Noble in series 4 of Doctor Who (2008).
More information
- Born
- Sunday 12th May 1968
- Birth name
- Catherine Ford
- Nationality
- English
Biography
Catherine Tate, born Catherine Ford, is an English comedian, actress, and writer, best known for her work on the sketch comedy series The Catherine Tate Show, which was nominated for four BAFTAs including Best Comedy Performance.
Born in Bloomsbury, London, in 1968, she was known at school as something of a rebel, with a keen sense of humour. Thus it was no surprise that one of her most famous sketch-show characters, Lauren, should have been at least partially based on her former self. After taking A-Levels in Salesian College, Battersea, she left school without sitting her A Levels, and finally studied art and drama at The Central School of Speech and Drama having tried for four years to gain entry.
Early work involved appearances in Casualty and The Bill, and minor roles in The Harry Hill Show. In 1998, she wrote and starred in Barking, a late-night sketch show broadcast on Channel 4 that featured the then unknown comedy actors Mackenzie Crook, David Walliams, and Peter Kay, with whom she had formerly appeared on That Peter Kay Thing.
What's more, she played the part of Kate in the unaired pilot of sitcom Not Going Out, featuring Lee Mack, with whom she collaborated on a range of sketch shows at the Edinburgh Fringe. She was then offered a part in Wild West, alongside Dawn French, an idol of hers, who would comment that "Catherine Tate is far too talented and she must be destroyed."
This led the BBC to take, by her own admission, something of a gamble in offering the then relative unknown her own sketch show, The Catherine Tate Show. However, it soon proved a huge success, with many of her characters -- disaffected teenager Lauren, foul-mouthed grandma Joanne 'Nan' Taylor -- passing into popular folklore, with a gigantic following. Lauren's catchphrases 'Am I covered' and 'Are you disrespecting my family?' are immensely famous to this day. She won a British Comedy Award for best newcomer in 2004, was nominated for an International Emmy Award, and 7 BAFTA awards. She was a guest star at the 77th Royal Variety Performance and appeared in the guise of Lauren Cooper. During the sketch, Tate looked up and asked the queen, 'Is one bovvered? Is one's face bovvered?', and her co-star Niky Wardley, in character as Liese, remarked, 'That old man sitting next to her has fallen asleep'. In 2019 it was announced that a new movie, Nan The Movie, would be released in 2020, telling the backstory of the Nan character.
A hugely versatile actor, Tate has played roles in the BBC adaptation of Charles Dickens' Bleak House, as well as featuring alongside David Tennant as the doctor's companion Donna Noble in series 4 (2008) of Doctor Who. Moreover, she appeared in the 2006 film comedies Starter For Ten, Sixty Six, and Scenes Of A Sexual Nature.Latterly she starred as Nellie Bertram in the US version of The Office and provided the voice of Magica de Spell in Disney's DuckTales.
Awards
- BAFTA Television Awards 2015
- Best Female Performance in a Comedy Programme: Nominee
- BAFTA Television Awards 2011
- Best Comedy: Nominee
- BAFTA Television Awards 2007
- Best Comedy: Nominee
- RTS Awards 2007
- Comedy Performance: Nominee
- British Comedy Awards 2007
- Best TV Comedy Actress: Nominee
- British Comedy Awards 2006
- Best TV Comedy Actress: Winner
- BAFTA Television Awards 2006
- Best Comedy Performance: Nominee
- RTS Awards 2006
- Comedy Performance: Winner
- BAFTA Television Awards 2005
- Best Comedy: Nominee
- International Emmy Awards 2005
- Best Actress: Nominee
- BAFTA Television Craft Awards 2005
- New Writer: Nominee
- RTS Awards 2005
- Network Newcomer - On Screen: Winner
- British Comedy Awards 2004
- Best TV Comedy Actress: Nominee
- British Comedy Awards 2004
- Best Comedy Breakthrough Artist: Winner
- Edinburgh Comedy Awards 2000
- Best Comedy Show: Nominee
Credits
Year | Production | Role |
---|---|---|
2022 | Hard Cell | Executive Producer |
2022 | The Nan Movie | Executive Producer |
2022 | Hard Cell | Director |
2022 | Hard Cell | Writer |
2022 | Hard Cell | Laura |
2022 | Hard Cell | Ros |
2022 | Hard Cell | Ange |
2022 | Hard Cell | Big Viv |
2022 | Hard Cell | Marco |
2022 | Hard Cell | Anne Marie |
2022 | The Nan Movie | Writer |
2022 | The Nan Movie | Nan |
2022 | The Brilliant World Of Tom Gates - Series 1 | Rita Gates (Voice) |
2021 | Date Night - Series 2 | Teri |
2019 | 8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown - Series 17 (Channel 4: Series 18)
|
Guest |
2019 | Date Night - Series 1 | Teri |
2018 | Americons Cancelled | Writer |
2018 | Americons Cancelled | Actor |
2018 | The Graham Norton Show - Series 24 | Guest |
2018 | Monster Family | Baba Yaga (Voice) |
2017 | 8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown - Series 13 (Channel 4: Series 14)
|
Guest |
2017 | The Last Leg - Series 11
|
Self |
2017 | The Nightly Show
|
Guest |
2017 | Room 101 - Series 6 | Guest |
2016 | Michael McIntyre's Big Show - Series 2
|
Nan |
2016 | Catherine Tate Show Live | Self |
2016 | The Graham Norton Show - Series 20 | Guest |
2016 | 8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown - Series 10 (Channel 4: Series 11)
|
Guest |
2016 | Alan Davies: As Yet Untitled - Series 4
|
Guest |
2016 | Duck Quacks Don't Echo - Series 4
|
Guest |
2016 | Very British Problems - Series 2 | Self |
2016 | Much Ado About Comedy | Self |
2016 | Drunk History - Series 2
|
Elsie Wright |
2016 | The Last Leg - Series 7
|
Guest |
2016 | Drunk History - Series 2
|
Mary Wilson |
2016 | Do Not Disturb | Anna Wilson |
2016 | The Jonathan Ross Show - Series 10 | Guest |
2016 | Billionaire Boy | Sapphire Diamond |
2015 | Catherine Tate's Nan - 2015 Specials | Executive Producer |
2015 | Catherine Tate's Nan - 2015 Specials | Writer |
2015 | Catherine Tate's Nan - 2015 Specials | Nan |
2015 | The Bed-Sitting Room | Penelope |
2015 | Very British Problems - Very British Problems At Christmas | Self |
2015 | Crackanory - Series 3 | Host / Presenter |
2015 | SuperBob | Theresa |
2015 | Alan Carr: Chatty Man - Series 15 | Guest |
2015 | The Vote | Kirsty Henderson |
2015 | Michael McIntyre's Easter Night At The Coliseum | Nan |
2015 | Little Britain - Comic Relief 2015
|
Sister |
2014 | Nativity 3: Dude, Where's My Donkey?! | Sophie |
2014 | The Graham Norton Show - Series 16 | Guest |
2014 | Big School - Series 2 | Miss Postern |
2014 | Psychobitches - Psychobitches Compilations
|
Edith Piaf |
2014 | Psychobitches - Psychobitches Compilations
|
Eva Braun |
2014 | 50 Years Of BBC 2 Comedy | Self |
2014 | Catherine Tate's Nan - Nan | Executive Producer |
2014 | Catherine Tate's Nan - Nan | Writer |
2014 | Catherine Tate's Nan - Nan | Nan |
2013 | Big School - Series 1 | Miss Postern |
2013 | Frost On Sketch Shows | Self |
2012 | Psychobitches - Playhouse Presents: Psychobitches | Edith Piaf |
2012 | Psychobitches - Playhouse Presents: Psychobitches | Eva Braun |
2012 | The Secret Policeman's Ball | Self |
2011 | The Graham Norton Show - Series 10
|
Guest |
2011 | Catherine Tate: Laughing At The Noughties | Host / Presenter |
2011 | This Is Jinsy - Series 1
|
Roopina Crale |
2011 | The Graham Norton Show - Series 9 | Guest |
2011 | That Sunday Night Show - Series 1
|
Guest |
2010 | Alan Carr: Chatty Man - Series 5 | Guest |
2010 | The One... | Ensemble Actor |
2010 | Being Ronnie Corbett | Self |
2010 | Little Crackers - Little Crackers 2010 | Director |
2010 | Little Crackers - Little Crackers 2010 | Writer |
2010 | Little Crackers - Little Crackers 2010 | Josephine |
2010 | The Royle Family Portraits | Self |
2010 | Royle Exclusive: Behind The Sofa | Self |
2010 | The Graham Norton Show - Series 8 | Guest |
2010 | Never Mind The Buzzcocks - Series 24
|
Host / Presenter |
2010 | Channel 4's Comedy Gala | Guest |
2010 | The Unbelievable Truth - Series 5
|
Guest |
2010 | Friday Night With Jonathan Ross - Series 18 | Guest |
2009 | Alan Carr: Chatty Man - Series 2
|
Guest |
2009 | The Catherine Tate Show - Nan's Christmas Carol | Various |
2009 | Giles Wemmbley Hogg Goes Off - Series 4 | Arabella |
2009 | Never Mind The Buzzcocks - Series 23
|
Guest |
2009 | The Graham Norton Show - Series 6
|
Guest |
2009 | Genius With Dave Gorman - Series 1
|
Guest |
2009 | The Justin Lee Collins Show
|
Guest |
2009 | Little Britain - Comic Relief 2009
|
Dawn |
2008 | Friday Night With Jonathan Ross - Series 14 | Guest |
2008 | Chain Reaction - Series 4 | Host / Presenter |
2007 | The Catherine Tate Show - The Catherine Tate Christmas Show | Writer |
2007 | The Catherine Tate Show - The Catherine Tate Christmas Show | Various |
2007 | Alexei Sayle's Alternative Take
|
Self (Archive Material) |
2007 | Giles Wemmbley Hogg Goes Off - Glastonbury Special | Arabella |
2006 | The Catherine Tate Show - Series 3 | Writer |
2006 | The Catherine Tate Show - Series 3 | Various |
2006 | Friday Night With Jonathan Ross - Series 11 | Guest |
2005 | Friday Night With Jonathan Ross - Series 9 | Guest |
2005 | The Catherine Tate Show - Series 2 | Writer |
2005 | The Catherine Tate Show - Series 2 | Various |
2005 | Giles Wemmbley Hogg Goes Off - Series 3 | Arabella |
2004 | Wild West - Series 2 | Angela Phillips |
2004 | The Catherine Tate Show - Series 1 | Writer |
2004 | The Catherine Tate Show - Series 1 | Various |
2003 | Giles Wemmbley Hogg Goes Off - Series 2 | Arabella |
2003 | Ed Stone Is Dead
|
Woman at Door |
2002 | Wild West - Series 1 | Angela Phillips |
2002 | Big Train - Series 2 | Writer (Additional Material) |
2002 | Big Train - Series 2 | Various |
2001 | Six Geese A Laying | Ensemble Actor |
2001 | Attention Scum | Writer (Additional Material) |
2001 | Attention Scum | Ensemble Actor |
2001 | TV Go Home | Ensemble Actor |
2000 | Harry Hill - Series 3
|
Ensemble Actor |
2000 | Hey Hey We're The Monks | DSS Officer |
2000 | That Peter Kay Thing - Series 1
|
Actor |
1999 | Quando, Quando, Quando | Ensemble Actor |
1998 | Barking | Writer |
1998 | Barking | Various |
1994 | Men Behaving Badly - Series 3
|
Young Woman |
1988 | Comic Relief | Various |
1988 | Comic Relief
|
Nan |
Lee Mack's New Bits With Catherine Tate And Dan Antopolski | Ensemble Actor |
Non-comedy TV and film credits may be found here:
Catherine Tate on IMDb