Simon Farnaby (born 2 April 1973) is an English actor, comedian and writer. He is a member of the British Horrible Histories troupe in which he starred in the TV series Horrible Histories, Yonderland and Ghosts. He has written and appeared in films such as Mindhorn and Paddington 2, and in the BBC sitcom Detectorists.
Early life[]
Farnaby was born on 2 April 1973 in Darlington, County Durham and attended Richmond School, North Yorkshire
Career[]
Farnaby is a long-time member of The Mighty Boosh supporting cast, having had roles both in their series and co-starring in the quasi-spinoff film Bunny and the Bull. He is also well known for his similarly offbeat characters in the CBBC live-action series of Horrible Histories, such as Caligula and the Grim Reaper. Other notable television work includes a recurring role on the sitcom Jam & Jerusalem and co-starring as eccentric neighbour Sloman on The Midnight Beast's TV series. He previously had a very brief role in Coronation Street in the 1990s.
Along with journalist Scott Murray, Farnaby co-wrote The Phantom of the Open, a biography of Maurice Flitcroft, a would-be professional golfer whose unsuccessful attempts to qualify for the Open Championship led to his being described as "the world's worst golfer". The book was published in 2010.
Along with the five other principal members of the cast of Horrible Histories, Farnaby is also the co-creator, writer and star of Yonderland, an eight-part family fantasy comedy series that premiered on Sky One on 10 November 2013. The show ended in 2016, with three series and a Christmas special. He co-starred with the same troupe in Bill, a 2015 BBC comedy film based loosely around the early life of William Shakespeare. He and the 5 others also stared in comedy sitcom Ghosts as Julian Fawcett. The show currently has 5 seasons with 3 Christmas specials.
Personal life[]
Farnaby is married to actress Claire Keelan (his second wife) with whom he has a daughter, Eve.
Trivia[]
- The neighbours in the American remake, The Farnsbys, are named after him.