Jim Tavaré

Jim Tavaré (born 1963) is a British stand-up comedian, actor, and musician. He is best known for his work on The Sketch Show on ITV, which won a BAFTA award. He played the role of Tom (the owner of the Leaky Cauldron) in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, and has appeared in several music videos, including Roots Manuva's "Too Cold", McFly's "It's All About You" (for BBC Comic Relief), Phoenix Foundation's "Thames Soup", and Letlive's "Banshee".

Early life Tavaré was born in Essex, England in 1963. He is a cousin of former international cricketer Chris Tavaré. When he was 7, he and his family moved to Cheshire,

Career Tavaré's first film appearance was as a student in Another Country (1984) with Rupert Everett and Colin Firth. Although uncredited, he was a featured extra appearing in numerous scenes throughout the film. Tavaré was Colin Firth's stand-in for the duration of the film. Charles Spencer, Diana, Princess of Wales's brother, was also an uncredited extra. Tavaré eventually branched out into stand-up comedy with a unique act which featured his double bass, an instrument he had learned to play during his childhood.

In 1995, Tavaré wrote and starred in a series of short silent films for BBC2, titled Jim Tavaré Pictures Presents. On Channel Five, he had a skit series of his own that he co-wrote with Ricky Gervais, called The Jim Tavaré Show. He appeared three times in the Royal Variety Performance, alongside Lee Mack, Tim Vine, Ronni Ancona, Karen Taylor, and Kitty Flanagan. In 2004, Tavaré appeared in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban as Tom the Innkeeper. After suffering catastrophic injuries (over 30 broken bones, including 14 broken ribs, collapsed lungs, multiple fractures, broken neck and a hand that detached from the wrist) Tavare returned to the stage with a new show about his experiences entitled "From deadpan to bedpan".