Adrian Edmondson
Acting
Adrian Edmondson was born in Bradford, Yorkshire. He went to Manchester University to study drama. Whilst he was there he met Rik Mayall, and the pair began performing as 20th Century Coyote. The act continued after university when Adrian & Rik moved to London, and they became two of the leading lights in the new 'alternative comedy' scene, performing at the newly established Comedy Store, and setting up their own club, The Comic Strip, with 'Peter Richardson', Nigel Planer, Jennifer Saunders, Dawn French, and Alexei Sayle. This spawned two 1980s TV series: The Young Ones (1982), and The Comic Strip Presents... (1982) In the 1990's Ade & Rik continued their partnership with a new series called Bottom (1991), which ran for three seasons and became a major success on the live circuit. It was basically a live sitcom, liberally sprinkled with slapstick humour, and the pair did 5 long tours between 1993 and 2003. Simultaneously, Adrian established himself as an actor, doing two improvised TV films under the Screen One and Screen Two umbrella, with director Les Blair: Screen Two: Honest, Decent and True (1986), and Screen One: News Hounds (1990) (winner of the BAFTA for best single drama). He was a regular in the hospital drama Holby City (1999) from 2005 - 2008. He took the lead in a drama documentary about the Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster in the series Surviving Disaster (2006), and appeared as Henry Austen in the TV movie Miss Austen Regrets (2008), the film Blood (2012), and the drama series Prey (2014). But his most notable dramatic role to date is that of Count Rostov in the BBC series War & Peace (2016).
TV Shows(74)
Sam & Ade Go Birding
2026
Alien: Earth
Atom Eins
2025
Bergerac
Nigel
2025
Kidnapped: The Chloe Ayling Story
Phil
2024
3 Body Problem
Denys Porlock
2024
Toad & Friends
Toad
2023
A Spy Among Friends
Sir Roger Hollis
2022
The Pact
Richard
2021
Out of Her Mind
Lewis
2020
Between the Covers
Self
2020
Back to Life
John Boback
2019
Cheat
William Vaughan
2019
Celebrity Catchphrase
Self - Contestant
2018
Save Me
Gideon Charles
2018
Bancroft
Superintendent Cliff Walker
2017
Richard Osman's House of Games
Self - Contestant
2017
Genius
David Hilbert
2017
Urban Myths
Leslie Conn
2017
One of Us
Peter Elliot
2016
Upstart Crow
Dogberry
2016
War and Peace
Ilya Rostov
2016
Ronja, the Robber's Daughter
Noodle Pete (voice, English version)
2014
Alan Davies: As Yet Untitled
Self
2014
Prey
DCI Warner
2014
Catchphrase
2013
Gadget Man
2012
The Bleak Old Shop of Stuff
Headmaster Wackville
2012
The Great Sport Relief Bake Off
Self - Contestant
2012
Ade in Britain
2011
Death in Paradise
Charles Crabtree
2011
Monte Carlo or Bust
2010
Let's Dance for Comic Relief
Self - Contestant
2009
Teenage Kicks
2008
The Alan Titchmarsh Show
Self
2007
Would I Lie to You?
Self
2007
Britain's Got More Talent
Self
2007
The Graham Norton Show
Self
2007
The One Show
Self - Guest
2006
School's Out
Self
2006
Great British Menu
Self - Guest Judge
2006
Surviving Disaster
2006
Twisted Tales
Ed Barnes
2005
Doctors and Nurses
Dr. Roy Glover
2004
Celebrity Mastermind
2003
Spine Chillers
2003
Comic Relief Does Fame Academy
2003
Holby City
Percy "Abra" Durant
1999
Captain Star
1997
Jonathan Creek
Brendan Baxter
1997
Midsomer Murders
Hugo Welles
1997
Look at the State We're In!
Dewhurst
1995
Ready, Steady, Cook
Self - Guest
1994
If You See God, Tell Him
Gordon Spry
1993
Absolutely Fabulous
Hamish
1992
Pebble Mill
Self
1991
Rita Rudner
1990
Snakes and Ladders
Giles Tewkesbury
1989
Press Gang
Simon Knowles
1989
This Morning
Self
1988
Going Live!
Self
1987
French & Saunders
John
1987
Hardwicke House
Tiny
1987
Filthy Rich & Catflap
Edward Catflap
1987
Saturday Live
1986
The Dangerous Brothers
Sir Adrian Dangerous
1986
Happy Families
Guy Fuddle
1985
Natural World
Narrator
1983
Blackadder
Baron von Richtoven
1983
The Young Ones
Vyvyan
1982
The Comic Strip Presents...
Dick
1982
Boom Boom... Out Go the Lights
1980
An Audience with...
Self
1978
The Secret Policeman's Ball
Self
1976
Ade at Sea
Self
Movies(86)
Bottom: Exposed
Himself
2024
imagine... French & Saunders: Pointed, Bitchy, Bitter
Self
2023
The Best Birthday Ever
Granny (voice)
2022
The Trick
Edward Acton
2021
Letters Live from the Archive: Union Chapel
Self
2021
King Rocker
Self (archive footage)
2020
Completely Bad News
Vim Fuego
2019
The Rizen: Possession
The Interviewer
2019
How The Young Ones Changed Comedy
2018
RSC Live: Twelfth Night
Malvolio
2018
Star Wars: The Last Jedi
Captain Peavey
2017
Interlude In Prague
Herr Luptak
2017
The Rizen
Interviewer
2017
Rocky Horror Show Live
Narrator
2015
Five Go to Rehab
Dick
2012
Blood
Tom Tiernan
2012
Britain Beware!
Self (Presenter)
2012
Blackadder's Most Cunning Moments
Self - Baron von Richthoven (archive footage) (uncredited)
2008
Rocky Horror Tribute Show
Brad
2008
Miss Austen Regrets
Henry Austen
2008
The Dangerous Brothers - Dangervision
Sir Adrian Dangerous
2008
If It Ain't Stiff: The Stiff Records Story
Self (Narrator)
2007
The Making of 'The Young Ones'
Self (Archived Footage)
2007
Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band - 40th Anniversary Celebration
Self
2006
The Comic Strip - A Retrospective
Self
2005
Bottom Mindless Violence
Vyvyan / Eddie Catflap / Sir Adrian Dangerous / Dreamy Time Escort / Eddie Hitler / Eddie Ndingombaba (archive footage)
2004
Bottom Live 2003: Weapons Grade Y-Fronts Tour
Edward Hitler
2003
The Best of French & Saunders
Various
2002
Bottom Live 2001: An Arse Oddity
Eddie
2001
Four Men in a Plane
Ian Crisp
2000
Guest House Paradiso
Eddie Elizabeth Ndingombaba
1999
The Making of 'Guest House Paradiso'
Self
1999
Big Bottom Live - The Best of Bottom Live
1999
The Man
Ash
1999
Jack and the Beanstalk: The ITV Pantomime
Dame Dolly
1998
Four Men in a Car
Ian
1998
Bottom Live 3: Hooligan's Island
Eddie Hitler
1997
Bottom Fluff
1996
Bottom Live 2: The Big Number 2 Tour
Eddie
1995
The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Treasure of the Peacock's Eye
Zyke
1995
French and Saunders' Christmas Carol
Tim Goodchance
1994
Bottom Live: The Stage Show
Eddie
1993
Demonella
Sid Vicious
1993
Gregory: Diary of a Nutcase
Gregory Dawson
1993
Space Virgins from Planet Sex
'K' / Air Traffic Controller
1993
Holy - Bottom: Christmas Special
Edward Elizabeth Hitler
1992
Red Nose of Courage
John Major/Coco the Clown
1992
The Pope Must Die
Father Rookie
1991
News Hounds
Phil Burke
1990
Les Dogs
Best Man
1990
Oxford
2nd MI5 Man / Fan
1990
South Atlantic Raiders: Part 1
Billy
1990
South Atlantic Raiders: Part 2 Argie Bargie!
Billy
1990
GLC: The Carnage Continues
Billy/Prince Charles/Giles Cricket Bat Portland
1990
The Secret Policeman’s Biggest Ball
Self
1989
Just Like That!
Self
1989
An Audience With Victoria Wood
Self
1988
The Yob
Michael
1988
Mr Jolly Lives Next Door
Dreamy Time Escort
1988
More Bad News
Vim Fuego
1988
The Strike
Adrian/Slim/Policeman
1988
Eat the Rich
Charles
1987
Filthy Rich & Catflap
Edward Catflap
1987
The Comic Relief Utterly Utterly Rude Video Live
Self
1986
Honest Decent & True
Alun Pickersgill
1986
Private Enterprise
Brian
1986
Dangerous Brothers Present: World of Danger
Sir Adrian Dangerous
1986
Consuela (or, The New Mrs Saunders)
John
1986
The Supergrass
Dennis Carter
1985
Happy Families
Guy Fuddle / Grandpa Harold Fuddle
1985
Slags
Ace
1984
Eddie Monsoon - a Life?
Eddie Moonson
1984
Gino: Full Story and Pics
Gordon/Bill
1984
A Fistful of Travellers' Cheques
Billy
1984
Susie
Martin
1984
Dirty Movie
Bean
1984
Five Go Mad on Mescalin
Dick
1983
Summer School
Peter
1983
Bad News
Vim Fuego/Alan Metcalfe
1983
The Beat Generation
Desmond
1983
War
Various Roles
1983
Dead on Time
Fool
1983
Five Go Mad in Dorset
Dick
1982
Kevin Turvey: The Man Behind the Green Door
Keith Marshall
1982
The Comic Strip
1981
Codes
Head of MI6