Steve Pemberton

Steven James Pemberton (born 1 September 1967) is a British actor, comedian, director and writer. He was a writer and actor for BBC Television's The League of Gentlemen with Reece Shearsmith, Mark Gatiss and Jeremy Dyson. Pemberton and Shearsmith also co-wrote and starred in the television black comedy Psychoville and the anthology series Inside No. 9. His other notable television performance credits include Doctor Who, Benidorm, Blackpool, Shameless, Whitechapel, Happy Valley and Mapp & Lucia. He also appeared in feature films such as Lassie, The League of Gentlemen's Apocalypse, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Mr. Bean's Holiday and Better Man.

Pemberton has won four awards for the series Inside No. 9.

Early life Steve Pemberton was born in Blackburn, Lancashire on 1 September 1967 and grew up around Chorley, He trained as an actor at Bretton Hall College of Education where he met Mark Gatiss and Reece Shearsmith.

Career Film and television Pemberton's television performance credits include Whitechapel, Doctor Who, Benidorm, Under the Greenwood Tree, Hotel Babylon, The Last Detective, Randall and Hopkirk, Blackpool and Shameless. In 2004, he portrayed Dr Bessner in Death on the Nile and Harry Secombe in The Life and Death of Peter Sellers. He also appeared in the film Lassie (2005).

Pemberton is best known as being a member of the sketch comedy team The League of Gentlemen, along with fellow performers Mark Gatiss, Reece Shearsmith, and co-writer Jeremy Dyson, all of whom he met at Bretton Hall College in his late teens. The League of Gentlemen initially began as a stage act in 1995, then transferred to BBC Radio 4 as On the Town with the League of Gentlemen in 1997, and finally arrived on television on BBC Two in 1999. The latter has seen Pemberton and his colleagues awarded a British Academy Television Award, a Royal Television Society Award, and a Golden Rose of Montreux.

From 2007 to 2015, Pemberton appeared as Mick Garvey in Benidorm. Pemberton appeared in 43 episodes.

In the 2008 English language DVD re-release of the cult 2006 Norwegian animated film Free Jimmy, Pemberton voiced Mattis, a heavy-set and bizarrely-dressed biker member of the Lappish Mafia. In June 2009, Psychoville aired and marked Pemberton's return to BBC Two. It was co-written by Pemberton and his fellow League of Gentlemen member, Reece Shearsmith. Both of them play numerous characters in the series, similar to the format of The League of Gentlemen.

Pemberton portrayed Rufus Drumknott in 2010's Terry Pratchett's Going Postal. He appeared as Vice Principal Douglas Panch in the Donmar's 2011 production of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. In 2014, he played Georgie Pillson in an adaptation of E. F. Benson's Mapp and Lucia. He also wrote the adaptation, which featured his League of Gentlemen colleague Mark Gatiss. It was broadcast during Christmas 2014. Since 2014, he has starred as various characters in the dark comedy anthology series Inside No. 9, which he co-created with Shearsmith, airing on BBC Two. The series ran for 10 years ending with series 9 on 12 June 2024 with a documentary aired on 22 December 2024 titled "The Party's Over".

Pemberton reunited with his The League of Gentlemen colleagues in 2017 for three special episodes, transmitted in December 2017 on BBC2. He appeared as himself in the 2018 short film To Trend on Twitter in aid of young people with cancer charity CLIC Sargent with fellow comedians David Baddiel, Reece Shearsmith, Helen Lederer and actor Jason Flemyng.

In October 2021, Pemberton was nominated for Best Outstanding Comedy Actor at the inaugural National Comedy Awards for Stand Up to Cancer for his appearances in series 6 of Inside No. 9.

Pemberton was a contestant on the seventeenth series of the Channel 4 show Taskmaster in 2024.

Pemberton portrayed Peter Williams, the father of Robbie Williams in the singer's musical biopic film Better Man, directed by Michael Gracey which was released in late 2024.

Theatre Pemberton's early work centred mainly around fringe theatre; he was a founding member of the 606 Theatre with Gordon Anderson, Tom Hadley, and producer Shane Walter. He has produced, performed in, and directed various stage productions.

In 2020 it was announced that Pemberton would join Aaron Taylor-Johnson on West End stage in Martin McDonagh's The Pillowman, directed by Matthew Dunster. However, due to the COVID-19 situation, the run was postponed until 2021. Pemberton said, "It's been a dark time for the performing arts and I can't wait to have the theatres open again. Unfortunately, The Pillowman has to be put to bed for now, but I very much hope that we'll be able to bring Martin's dazzling play to the West End before too long." The play was staged from 10 June 2023 to 2 September 2023 at the Duke of York's Theatre in London's West End with Lily Allen, Paul Kaye, Pemberton, and Matthew Tennison. The Guardian praised Pemberton's performance as "unfailingly excellent", although other reviews of the play were mixed.

On 3 May 2024, it was announced that Pemberton and Shearsmith would write and star in a stage adaptation of Inside No. 9 called Stage/Fright which opened at the Wyndham's Theatre in London's West End from 18 January 2025 for a limited run until 5 April, directed by Simon Evans. Tickets for the 85 shows were released on 8 May 2024. Due to the success of the London run, the show toured the UK in autumn 2025.

Other Pemberton has written for Variety and was the assistant editor of the International Film Guide from 1991 to 1998.

Personal life Pemberton lives in North London, with his partner, Alison Rowles, and their three children: Lucas, Madeline, and Adam .

He also speaks German and French.

The University of Huddersfield awarded Pemberton an Honorary Doctorate of letters in 2003 alongside Mark Gatiss, Reece Shearsmith and Jeremy Dyson. In July 2024 he received two Honorary Fellowships which are from the University of Central Lancashire and University of York (alongside with Reece Shearsmith).

Pemberton is a football fan and a supporter of Blackburn Rovers F.C.

Filmography Film

Television Year Title Role Notes 1995 Alice in Russialand Various Characters TV film 1996 Mash and Peas Fritz Episode: "American Sitcoms"1998 In the Red Lawrence Boot-Heath Mini-series; 2 episodes Lenny Goes to Town (unknown) Episode: "Stoke on Trent" 1999–2002, 2017 The League of Gentlemen Various Characters Series 1–4; 22 episodes. Co-creator and co-writer 1999 The Comedy Trail: A Shaggy Dog Story Tubbs Tattsyrup TV Special2000 Gormenghast Professor Mule Mini-series; Episode #1.3 Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) Sergeant Liddel Episode: "Drop Dead"2002 Legend of the Lost Tribe Viking (voice) TV film Spheriks Kaz (2002) (voice)2004 Blackpool Adrian Marr Mini-series; 6 episodes Agatha Christie's Poirot Dr. Bessner Episode: "Death on the Nile" Shameless Eddie Jackson 2 episodes: "Meet the Gallaghers" and "We're Going to the Moon"2005 The Last Detective Edward Netherton Episode: "Friends Reunited" Riot at the Rite Critic TV film Under the Greenwood Tree Mr. Shinar 2006 Hotel Babylon Mr. Daniels Episode #1.32007 The Bad Mother's Handbook Leo Fairbrother TV film Kingdom Jack Thriplow Episode #1.2 The Old Curiosity Shop Mr. Short TV film 2007–2015 Benidorm Mick Garvey Regular; 43 episodes (Series 1–7)2008 Agatha Christie's Marple Henry Wake Episode: "Murder is Easy" Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! Eric's Drums Episode: "Jazz" Doctor Who Strackman Lux 2 episodes: "Silence in the Library" and "Forest of the Dead" 2009 Minder Vlad the Imposter Episode: "A Matter of Life and Debt" 2009–2011 Psychoville Various Characters 14 episodes. Also co-writer 2009–2013 Whitechapel Edward Buchan 18 episodes. Writer of 2 episodes2010 Terry Pratchett's Going Postal Drumknott Mini-series; 2 episodes The First Men in the Moon Sun TV film2012 Mr Stink Sir Derek Dimble TV film Sport Relief 2012 Mick Garvey Episode: Benidorm meets Britain's Got Talent 2012–2013 Horrible Histories Hollywood Producer #3 3 episodes2013 Heading Out Jonathan Walters Episode #1.4 Psychobitches Dian Fossey Mini-series; Episode #1.22014 Mapp & Lucia Georgie Pillson 3 episodes. Also writer Happy Valley Kevin Weatherill 6 episodes Toast of London Francis Bacon Episode: "Fool in Love" 2014–2024 Inside No. 9 Various Characters 53 episodes. Co-writer and director2015 Lewis Ian Tedman 2 episodes: "One for Sorrow: Parts 1 and 2" Professor Branestawm Returns Professor Algebrain TV film2016 Camping Robin Mini-series; 6 episodes Tracey Ullman's Show Colin Episode #1.2 2017 Midsomer Murders Timothy Benson Episode: "Red in Tooth & Claw"2018 The Interrogation of Tony Martin Tony Martin TV film The League of Gentlemen Live Again! Various Characters TV Special2019 Bounty Hunters (unknown) Episode #2.1 Britannia Emperor Claudius 2 episodes: "Imperial Visit" and "May the Gods Speak" 2019–2021 Worzel Gummidge Mr. Braithwaite 6 episodes 2019, 2023 Good Omens Mr. Glozier 2 episodes: "Hard Times" and "Nazi Zombie Flesheaters"2020 Death in Paradise Neil Henderson Episode: "Switcharoo" Killing Eve Paul Recurring role; 5 episodes2022 Ladhood The Gardener 2 episodes: "Initiative" and "TV" Brassic Mr. King Episode: "Murder Mystery" 2023 The Power of Parker Sandy 3 episodes2024 Taskmaster Himself - Contestant Series 17; 10 episodes The Read Narrator Episode: "The Remains of the Day" The Cleaner Donald Series 3; Episode 2: "The Baby" Alma's Not Normal Uncle Dickie Series 2; Episodes 3 and 5 The Party's Over Himself BBC2 Inside No. 9 documentary2025Missing You Titus 4 episodesThe HackRupert Murdoch3 episodes

Stage credits

Awards and nominations Year Award Category Work Result 2002Laurence Olivier AwardBest EntertainmentThe League of Gentlemen (with Jeremy Dyson, Mark Gatiss, and Reece Shearsmith) 2015 Royal Television Society Best Comedy Performance - Male Inside No. 9 2018 Writers' Guild of Great Britain Best TV Situation Comedy Inside No. 9 Epidode: 'Zanzibar' (with Reece Shearsmith) 2019 Royal Television Society Best Comedy Performance - Male Inside No. 9 2019 2019 British Academy Television Awards Best Male Comedy Performance Inside No. 9 Epidode: 'Bernie Clifton's Dressing Room' 2021 National Comedy Awards for Stand Up to Cancer Best Outstanding Comedy Actor Inside No. 9