Tony Slattery

Tony Slattery Biography

Tony Slattery is a Perrier Award winning actor and comedian who has appeared on British television on a regular basis since the 1980’s, most notably on the hit television show ‘Whose Line is it Anyway’, and in films, including Academy Award and BAFTA winning film ‘The Crying Game’, and ‘How to Get Ahead in Advertising’. Being also a Olivier Award nominee Tony is a talented and well established performer.

Early Career

Tony began his career at the University of Cambridge, discovering a love of theatre alongside his fellow students and contemporaries such as Stephen Fry, Hugh Laurie, Emma Thompson and Sandi Toksvig. Encouraged to join the Cambridge Footlights by Stephen Fry, Tony won the ‘Fringe First’ Edinburgh Award in 1979 whilst still at Cambridge. Then in 1981, Slattery, Fry, Laurie, Thompson and Toksvig won the inaugural Perrier Comedy Award for their revue ‘The Cellar Tapes’. Upon becoming president of the Cambridge Footlights, their annual touring revue during Tony’s tenure was ‘Premises Premises’.

Television

Tony’s television career began with a few appearances on television before being invited to join Channel 4’s improvisational comedy show ‘Whose Line is it Anyway’ as a regular guest by 1989. Running for many years, this show was a huge television hit, and ensured that he became a UK household name. As a result of appearing on ‘Whose Line is it Anyway’, he starred in his own improvisational comedy series around this time, ‘S&M’, with comedian Mike McShane, and panel show ‘Have I Got News For You’, and the TV version of Radio 4’s popular quiz show ‘Just a Minute’.

Tony has also appeared on many extremely popular UK television shows including ‘Red Dwarf’, ‘Bad Girls’, ‘Ready Steady Cook’, ‘Grumpy Old Men’, ‘The Weakest Link’, ‘Kingdom’ and ‘Coronation Street’, in addition to television films including ‘Ahead of the Class’ with Julie Walters, and ‘Lady Godiva Back in the Saddle’ with Phil Cornwell and James Fleet.

Film

As an actor he has appeared in many films including Academy Award and BAFTA winning film ‘The Crying Game’, ‘To Die For’, ‘Peter’s Friends’, ‘The Wedding Tackle’, ‘Carry On Columbus’, and ‘How To Get Ahead in Advertising’.

‘The Crying Game’, aside from winning an Academy Award and a BAFTA, also appears on the British Film Institute’s ‘Greatest Films of All Time’ list.

Theatre

Tony starred in the first West End version of ‘Neville’s Island’. Written by Tim Firth (Calendar Girls), this play has been in translation across the world in the West End and in almost continuous production since it’s commissioning by Sir Alan Ayckbourn CBE. Tony was nominated for an Olivier Award for his performance as the sarcastic ‘Gordon’.

In addition to ‘Neville’s Island’ he has also performed in London’s West End musicals such as ‘Me and My Girl’ and ‘Radio Times’. Tony was also the voice of the narrator in the 35th anniversary theatre production of Richard O’Brien’s ‘Rocky Horror Tribute Show’ at the Royal Court Theatre. Tony has also appeared in Ki Longfellow-Stanshall and Vivian Stanshall’s ‘Stinkfoot in Concert’ and the ‘Name in the Hat’ revue (with Kriss Akabusi.) in November 2017 Tony returned to comedy improvisation with his show ‘Slattery Night Fever’ at the London Improv Theatre with Neil Cole.