Neil Simon Fitzmaurice (born 20 August 1969) is an English actor, comedian, and writer. He is best known for his role as Jeff, the love rival of protagonist Mark Corrigan, in the Channel 4 sitcom Peep Show. He has written for a number of other sitcoms, including Peter Kay's Phoenix Nights and Benidorm; both of which he has also starred in.
Neil Fitzmaurice | |
|---|---|
Fitzmaurice in February 2010 | |
| Born | Neil Simon Fitzmaurice 20 August 1969 Liverpool, England |
| Occupation(s) | Actor, comedian, writer |
| Children | 4 |
Career
editWriting
editFitzmaurice's writing projects include That Peter Kay Thing, for which he received a British Comedy Award, and the critically acclaimed Phoenix Nights, in which he also appeared as "Ray Von".[1] He has also written two feature films: Going Off Big Time, in 1999, which was nominated for four BIFA awards and is part of Film Four's Best of British, and more recently Charlie Noades R.I.P.
Acting
editAs an actor, Fitzmaurice has appeared in Going Off Big Time (which he also wrote), played Jeff in the Channel 4 comedy series Peep Show, and starred in the prison drama series Buried. He appeared on the first episode of The Office as the applicant whom David Brent interviews for the warehouse position. He plays the same character in the sixth episode, only this time Brent is giving him a redundancy notice.[1] Fitzmaurice has also performed alongside Paul O'Grady in the BBC comedy Eyes Down, had guest roles in the long-running police drama The Bill and on the Casualty spin-off Holby City.
In 2007, he played a lead role in the ITV drama Mobile, as an ex-telecoms worker suffering from a terminal brain tumour. From 2000 he worked on the film Charlie Noades RIP with his brother Tony. The film was in development hell due to funding not being available. Work finally began in 2007, despite the full budget not being in place.[2] The film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in 2009.[1] Around the time of the premiere, Fitzmaurice returned to the stage for the first time in ten years, playing Shaun in On the Ledge at Liverpool's Royal Court Theatre.[1]
Fitzmaurice played Les in an episode of the BBC One miniseries Moving On, "Dress to Impress", as well as the film Fifteen Minutes That Shook the World as the Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez. He starred in the hit play "One Night in Istanbul" at the Liverpool Empire and Dublin's Grand Canal Theatre.[3][4]
On 16 February 2009, Fitzmaurice started presenting the Drivetime show on Radio City 96.7[5] in Liverpool. Due to film and television commitments, he left this position on 4 March 2011.
In 2011, Fitzmaurice starred in British school drama Waterloo Road as Dave Dowling, a parent with xenophobic and racist views. In 2011 he also starred in the fourth series of Benidorm as Lucky Kev who lived in the same caravan campsite as Madge Harvey. He later appeared in the fifth episode of the series reprising the role of Lucky Kev who works at a bar in Benidorm which Madge Harvey was interested in buying.[6]
In 2013, he appeared in one episode of Truckers. In 2014 he starred as Dad in the BBC comedy series Hank Zipzer.
From 2011 to 2017 Fitzmaurice starred in the Sky comedy-drama Mount Pleasant, playing the part of office manager Fergus.
In 2023, it was announced Fitzmaurice would be re-joining Series 11 of Waterloo Road as history teacher Neil Guthrie. He has appeared as a series regular throughout the following three series’. It has also been confirmed he will be resuming his role in Series 14 of the show. [7]
Personal life
editFitzmaurice was born and raised in Liverpool.[2] He is a Liverpool FC fan and a survivor of the Hillsborough disaster, later being featured in the 2009 documentary Hillsborough Remembered.[8][9]
Filmography
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990–1991 | Brookside | Greg Sinnott | Recurring role |
| 1994 | Coronation Street | Electricity Man | 1 episode |
| 2000 | That Peter Kay Thing | Various | |
| Going Off Big Time | Mark Clayton | ||
| 2001 | The Bill | DC Phil Raven | |
| The Office | Alex | ||
| 2001–2002 | Phoenix Nights | Ray Von | Main cast |
| 2003 | Holby City | Stas Andrews | |
| 2003–2015 | Peep Show | Jeff Heaney | Main cast |
| 2003 | Buried | Chris Russo | Main cast |
| 2003–2004 | Eyes Down | Bobby Rutt | Main cast |
| 2005 | Pierrepoint | Cliff the Scouser | Film |
| 2006 | Doctors | Timothy Graham | Guest role |
| Vincent | Eddie Price | Guest role | |
| 2007 | Mobile | Eddie Doig | Main cast |
| The Street | DS Barns | ||
| Blue Murder | Mark Turton | Guest role | |
| 2008 | Casualty 1907 | Thomas Hooley | Main cast |
| 2009 | Kröd Mändoon and the Flaming Sword of Fire | Max The MC | |
| Moving On | Terry | 1 episode | |
| Nativity! | Oakmoor Parent | Film | |
| Fifteen Minutes That Shook the World | Rafael Benitez | ||
| 2011 | Waterloo Road | Dave Dowling | Guest role |
| Benidorm | Lucky Kev | Series 4 | |
| 2011–2017 | Mount Pleasant | Fergus | Main cast |
| 2013 | Truckers | Vince | |
| 2014–2016 | Hank Zipzer | Stan Zipzer | Main cast |
| 2016 | The Aliens | Niall | Main cast |
| Hank Zipzer's Christmas Catastrophe | Stan Zipzer | Television film | |
| 2018 | Walk Like A Panther | Cliff 'Edge' Morris | Film |
| 2019 | Clink | Baldwin Flowers | 1 episode |
| In the Long Run | Dennis | 2 episodes | |
| 2019–2023 | Brassic | Mr. Bishop | 7 episodes |
| 2019–2020 | Semi-Detached | Charlie | 6 episodes |
| 2020 | The First Team | Darren Turner | 3 episodes |
| Tin Star | Taxi Driver | 1 episode | |
| 2023–present | Waterloo Road | Neil Guthrie | Main cast |
| 2024 | The Responder | D.I. Kennedy | 1 episode |
References
edit- ^ a b c d Davis, Laura (16 May 2008). "Actor Neil Fitzmaurice has found that living life on the edge suits him for the moment". Retrieved 1 June 2008. [dead link]
- ^ a b O'Keeffe, Gregg (26 May 2008). "Standing up to be counted ..." Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 1 June 2008.
- ^ "LFC play One Night in Istanbul returns to Liverpool's Empire theatre". Liverpool Echo. 18 May 2010. Retrieved 23 February 2023.
- ^ Jones, Catherine (11 March 2010). "One Night in Istanbul is to get its Irish Premiere at the new Grand Canal theatre in Dublin". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 23 February 2023.
- ^ "Neil Fitzmaurice". Radio City. 16 February 2009. Retrieved 16 February 2009.
- ^ Waterloo Road cast list https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00yzf31/Waterloo_Road_Series_6_Episode_14/
- ^ Bennett, Steve. "Comics Jo Coffey and Neil Fitzmaurice join Waterloo Road : News 2022 : Chortle : The UK Comedy Guide". www.chortle.co.uk. Retrieved 25 February 2024.
- ^ "Hillsborough Agony of New TV Thriller's Star". Daily Mirror. 15 March 2007. Retrieved 30 March 2007.
- ^ Hillsborough Remembered - 2009 History Channel documentary