20 Facts About Simon Farnaby

Simon Farnaby was born on 2 April 1973 and is an English actor, comedian, children's entertainer, writer and singer.

Simon Farnaby is best known for his work with the Them There collective where he has written and starred in productions including the sketch show Horrible Histories, Yonderland, Detectorists, and Ghosts, as well as writing for film, most notably Paddington 2.

Simon Farnaby was born on 2 April 1973 in Darlington, County Durham and attended Richmond School, North Yorkshire.

Simon Farnaby was 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.

Simon Farnaby previously had a very brief role in one episode of Coronation Street in the 1990s.

Simon Farnaby has presented a number of factual programmes including Richard III: The King in the Car Park in 2013, tracing the discovery and identification of the remains of the last Plantagenet king, the 2014 Channel 4 documentary series entitled Man Vs Weird, in which he travelled the world investigating people who claim superhuman abilities, and as narrator of the Channel 5 docu-series called On the Yorkshire Buses, following East Yorkshire Motor Services.

Simon Farnaby accepted a TV BAFTA in 2023 for memorable TV moment, for a short film broadcast as part of the Platinum Party at the Palace for the Platinum Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II in June 2022, in which Simon Farnaby played a butler.

Simon Farnaby has worked extensively with the Them There collective of six writers and actors, who started as principal members of the cast of the CBBC live-action series Horrible Histories, where he played offbeat characters including Caligula and Death.

Simon Farnaby had his first major involvement with the creation of a film with the troupe, on the 2015 historical comedy film Bill, based loosely around the early life of William Shakespeare.

Simon Farnaby played the fictitious Conservative politician ghost, Julian Fawcett, who always appeared without trousers.

Simon Farnaby was a co-author of Ghosts: The Button House Archives, a companion book to the Them There television series for the BBC, Ghosts which he co-wrote and starred in.

In 2016, Simon Farnaby co-wrote and had a small acting part in Mindhorn with Julian Barratt, a comedy about Richard Thorncroft, a faded television actor drawn into negotiations with a criminal who believes his character Detective Mindhorn is real.

Simon Farnaby co-wrote the book The Phantom of the Open about golfer Maurice Flitcroft in 2011, and then started work on a film script of the story in 2017, which led to the release of The Phantom of the Open in 2021, starring Mark Rylance.

Also in 2016, Simon Farnaby had a small on-screen role in Rogue One, as an X-Wing pilot.

The biggest film success of Simon Farnaby's career came with the Paddington film franchise.

Simon Farnaby was the winner of the International Online Cinema Award for Best Adapted Screenplay, and the Hollywood Critics Association award for Best Adapted Screenplay in 2018.

Simon Farnaby subsequently appeared alongside Paddington Bear and Queen Elizabeth II in a short film broadcast as a part of the Platinum Party at the Palace for the Platinum Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II in June 2022, which won the 2023 BAFTA for memorable TV moment, which Simon Farnaby accepted.

Simon Farnaby is the co-writer of 2023 Christmas release Wonka, along with Paul King, which is a prequel to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl.

Alongside Ghosts co-star Charlotte Ritchie, Simon Farnaby has a small on-screen role, with his Them There collaborator Mathew Baynton in one of the leading roles, and starring Timothee Chalamet.

Simon Farnaby is married to actress Claire Keelan with whom he has a daughter, born in 2014.