Rhys Thomas (comedian)

Rhys Thomas (born 12 December 1978 in Essex) is an English comedian and actor.

He got his breakthrough while working as a runner on "Shooting Stars", when he showed Charlie Higson and Bob Mortimer some sketches he had performed in college. Higson recruited Thomas as a supporting cast member on "The Fast Show", and he has since appeared in several comedy series, including "Fun at the Funeral Parlour", "Happiness", "Monkey Trousers", and "Nathan Barley", as well as co-writing and performing in the "Fast Show" spinoff "Swiss Toni", and script editing the later series of "Shooting Stars". He currently plays the host of BBC Radio 4's spoof late-night phone-in, "Down the Line", and writes for and appears in Channel 4 sketch show "Blunder." Thomas has also appeared in the Channel 4 comedy "Star Stories" playing Jude Law, Andrew Ridgely, Warren Beatty, Gary Glitter, Daniel Day Lewis, Kiefer Sutherland and The Fonz amongst others.

He has also worked closely with the rock band Queen over the past 5 years, producing seven of their DVDs, Queen Greatest Video Hits (2001), Queen Live at Wembley (2002), Queen: Greatest Video Hits II (2003), Queen Jewels (Japanese release) (2004), Queen On Fire: Live at the Bowl (2004), Queen + Paul Rogers: Return of the Champions and 'A Night At The Opera - 30th Anniversary DVD', making documentaries and directing new videos including 'I Was Born To Love You.'

Career

Worked as a runner on "Shooting Stars", sometimes filling in for George Dawes on the drums during rehearsals. At the time, still in lower Sixth Form, formed comedy group called "Stay Alive Pepi" with Stephen Burge, Tony Way and Glynne Wiley. Filmed a BBC Two pilot with Ulrika Jonsson called "It's Ulrika" written by Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer in 1997. In the sketch, written by Thomas, Way and Burge.

In 1998 Rhys Thomas starred in "Shooting Stars and The Fast Show Live" at the Hammersmith Apollo, then sketch show "Barking" for Channel 4 alongside Mackenzie Crook, Catherine Tate, Peter Kaye and David Walliams. In 1998, "Stay Alive Pepi" wrote and performed their one and only ever Edinburgh Show at the Assembly Rooms. He also starred in a "Sir Bernard Chumley's Stately Homes" and pilot "Crazy Jonathan's" with Matt Lucas and David Walliams.

Rhys was a presenter on the XFM breakfast show in 1999, alongside Natasha Desborough.

After a stint as team writer on series one of the "The 11 O'Clock Show" in 1999, Rhys wrote pilot script for "Fun at the Funeral Palour" in 1999 at the age of 20. Producer Simon Lupton so impressed, submitted to Stuart Murphy, then controller of BBC Choice and a series was filmed summer 2000 and a second series 2001. Guest stars included Tom Baker, Paul Whitehouse, Charlie Higson, Bill Oddie, Christopher Cazenove, Phil Cornwell, Mitchell and Webb, Lucas and Walliams, Simon Day, Mark Williams, Anita Dobson, Art Malik and Dudley Sutton. Music was specially composed by Brian May of Queen.

In 2002/4, he co-wrote and starred in two series of "Swiss Toni", penning four episodes himself and co-writing others. He also toured with "The Fast Show" for their farewell tour in 2002. At this point he started making a name for himself on panel shows/talking head led programmes. He appeared as team captain on panel show "Fanorama" with David Mitchell (2001/2) and then team captain on "Does Doug Know" with Daisy Donovan on Channel 4 (2002). Since then he has also appeared on "Law of the Playground" (2006), "Comedian's Comedian" (2005), "Nathan Barley" (2005), "8 Out Of 10 Cats" (2006), "FAQ U" (2005), "Charlie Brooker's Screenwipe" (2006), "Tittybangbang" (2005) and "Rob Brydon's Annually Retentive" (2007).

In 2006, Boyd Hilton of HEAT Magazine labelled him a 'Comedy Genius' following his various roles in the Comedy Award Winning "Star Stories".

2007 Performers Paul Whitehouse, Charlie Higson and Rhys Thomas were awarded 'Radio Programme of the Year' for "Down The Line" by the Broadcasting Press Guild and in 2008 the show won a Sony Gold for Best Radio Comedy.

Rhys Thomas has just completed his first feature film "Beyond The Pole". Starring alongside Stephen Mangan, Helen Baxendale and Mark Benton, the film is released in Winter 2008.

In 2003 he wrote, starred and co-directed a commercial for Queen Greatest Video Hits II also starring Roger Taylor and Brian May.

He is currently writing a sitcom for BBC Three about Police Community Support Officers called 'Above Their Stations', a spoof sketch show for Radio 4 'The Don't Watch With Mother Sketchbook' and developing 'Vigilantes' and new comedy drama project starring Michael Kitchen for ITV1.

He recently married actress Lucy Montgomery, who has given birth to a child, which they named Polly.

A TV pilot of Down The Line is currently in production.

External links

*
* [http://www.pbjmgt.co.uk/clients/rhys_thomas/ Rhys Thomas] at PBJ Management
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/comedy/downtheline.shtml Down The Line at bbc.co.uk]