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'{{Infobox actor | name = Richard Ayoade | image = <!--Richard Ayoade.jpg--> | birthname = | birthdate = 1977 | location = [[Whipps Cross]], [[London]], [[England]] | height = 6'2" (1.88m) | othername = | yearsactive = 1997–present | spouse = [[Lydia Fox]] (2007-present) | homepage = | notable role = "Maurice Moss" <br>in ''[[The IT Crowd]]'' | academyawards = | emmyawards = | tonyawards = }} '''Richard Ellef Ayoade''' (born 1977 in [[Whipps Cross]], [[London]]<ref>{{cite news|first=Charles|last=Nevin|title=When you're smiling|url=http://arts.guardian.co.uk/features/story/0,11710,1644941,00.html|work=[[The Guardian]]|date=[[2005-11-19]]|accessdate=2007-08-12}}</ref>) is an [[England|English]] [[comedian]], [[actor]], [[writer]] and [[television director|director]] best known for his role as Maurice Moss in ''[[The IT Crowd]]''. Ayoade was born an only child to a Norwegian mother and a Nigerian father. Ayoade studied at [[St Joseph's College, Ipswich|St. Joseph's College]] in [[Ipswich]], [[Suffolk]] and later studied law at [[St Catharine's College, Cambridge]] (1995-1998) where he won the Martin Steele Prize for play production<ref>http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/reporter/1997-8/weekly/5747/23.html</ref> and became president of the prestigious [[Footlights]] during 1997 -1998.<ref>{{cite news|title=1997-1998|url=http://www.footlights.org/1990.html|accessdate=2007-10-20}}</ref> While in [[Footlights]], Ayoade acted in and wrote many shows. He and Footlights vice-president [[John Oliver (comedian)|John Oliver]] wrote two pantomimes together: ''Sleeping Beauty'', and ''Grimm Fairy Tales''. Ayoade acted in both Footlights' 1997 and 1998 touring shows: ''Emotional Baggage'' and ''Between a Rock and a Hard Place'' (directed by Cal McCrystal).<ref>http://www.theitcrowd.co.uk/cv/richard-ayoade.htm</ref> On 8 September 2007 he married the actress [[Lydia Fox]], who is the daughter of [[James Fox]], and the sister of [[Laurence Fox]]. ==Television work== ===Garth Marenghi=== Ayoade co-wrote the stage show ''[[Garth Marenghi's Fright Knight]]'' with [[Matthew Holness]], appearing in the show at the [[Edinburgh Fringe]] in 2000 where it was nominated for a [[Perrier Award]]. In 2001 he won the [[Perrier Comedy Award]] for co-writing and performing in the sequel to ''Fright Knight'', ''[[Garth Marenghi's Netherhead]]''. In 2004 Ayoade and Holness took the Marenghi character to Channel 4, creating the [[parody|spoof]] [[horror film|horror]] [[comedy]] series ''[[Garth Marenghi's Darkplace]]''. He directed and also appeared as Dean Learner, Garth's publisher, who plays Thornton Reed, a camp hospital administrator who bears a trademark shotgun and answers to Hospital boss "Won Ton". Ayoade's ''Darkplace'' character, [[Dean Learner]], was resurrected in 2006 to host a [[comedy]] [[chat show]], ''[[Man to Man with Dean Learner]],'' on [[Channel 4]]. The different guests were played each week by Holness. ===The Mighty Boosh=== In [[The Boosh]] radio series Richard played the part of Tommy Nookah in the second episode, Jungle, originally aired on [[23 October 2001]]. Ayoade was part of the original cast of [[Julian Barratt]] and [[Noel Fielding]]'s ''[[The Mighty Boosh]]'': he was selected to play the role of dangerous villain [[Dixon Bainbridge]]. However, by the time the radio series transferred to television he was under contract by [[Channel 4]] and was only able to act in the pilot before leaving the Boosh. The part was taken by fellow Darkplace actor [[Matt Berry]]. He later returned in the second series, to play the part of the belligerent shaman [[Saboo]], where he improvised the line 'an erotic adventurer of the most deranged kind' when describing Noel Fielding's nephew, who was also in the scene. Ayoade continued his association with The Mighty Boosh in the third series, acting as script editor and also reprising his role of Saboo in the episodes "Eels", "The Strange Tale of the Crack Fox" and "Party". ===The IT Crowd=== Ayoade is now a recognisable face in Britain due to his role as the technically brilliant but socially awkward Maurice Moss in Channel 4's ''[[The IT Crowd]]''. In 2008 he won the award for an outstanding actor in a television comedy series at [[Monte-Carlo Television Festival]] for his performance. Ayoade was also going to reprise his character on the American version of ''The IT Crowd'' and shot a [[Television pilot|pilot]] episode but the series wasn't picked up. ==Music video work== Ayoade has directed videos for the [[Arctic Monkeys]] ("[[Fluorescent Adolescent]]" and "[[Crying Lightning]]"), [[Super Furry Animals]] ("Run Away", which has Matt Berry in the lead role.<ref>[http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=BANdftxuqlM Rough Trade Records on YouTube]</ref>), [[The Last Shadow Puppets]] ("[[Standing Next to Me]]" and "[[My Mistakes Were Made For You]]"), [[Vampire Weekend]] ("[[Oxford Comma (song)|Oxford Comma]]" and "[[Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa]]"), as well as videos for [[Kasabian]] ("Vlad the Impaler", which starred [[Noel Fielding]]), and the [[Yeah Yeah Yeahs]] ("Heads Will Roll"). In 2007 he directed the a live [[Arctic Monkeys]] DVD entitled "[[At The Apollo]]", which was recorded in [[Manchester Apollo|Manchester]]. It was previewed at [[VUE]] cinemas across the UK during October 2008 and was released on DVD the following month, winning the "Best DVD" title at the [[NME Awards]] that year. ==Other notable work== In 2005, he played the role of Ned Smanks in [[Chris Morris (satirist)|Chris Morris']] and [[Charlie Brooker]]'s ''[[Nathan Barley]]''. Ayoade also directed, co-wrote and co-starred (with fellow ''Darkplace'' cast member [[Matt Berry]]) in [[AD/BC: A Rock Opera]], and has appeared on [[T4 (Channel 4)|T4]]. He was a [[stand-up comedian]] for a short time performing on ''[[The Stand Up Show]]'' on [[BBC1]] amongst others. His stand-up segment from [[BBC Radio 4]] programme ''[[4 At The Store]]'' in London's [[Comedy Store]] is now available on CD along with other comedians performing. He was quite successful in stand-up before moving onto comedy acting. He helped write ''The Mighty Book of Boosh'', along with [[Noel Fielding]], [[Julian Barratt]], [[Rich Fulcher]], [[Dave Brown]] and [[Michael Fielding]]. Ayoade is currently working on a film version of [[Joe Dunthorne]]'s ''[[Submarine]]'', which he adapted into a screenplay. Ayoade will also direct this film and start filming in August 2009. The cast currently includes [[Michael Sheen]] and [[Paddy Considine]]<ref>http://www.flicksnews.net/2009/05/paddy-considne-michael-sheen-board.html</ref>. He also features in [[Paul King]]'s upcoming film, ''[[Bunny and the Bull]]'', where he plays the role of an extremely boring museum tour guide. <ref>http://www.cinemaisdope.com/bunny-and-the-bull-2009-new-cinema-wallpaper-of-the-day-mighty-boosh-meets-gondry-meets-withnail-i-meets-sideways/</ref> ==Filmography== * 2000 - ''[[That's Life]]'' (himself) * 2003 - ''[[Hello Friend]]'' (The Subject's friend) * 2003 - ''[[The Stand-Up Show]] '' (Himself) * 2004 - ''[[Garth Marenghi's Darkplace]]'' ([[Dean Learner]]/Thornton Reed) * 2004 - ''[[The Life and Death of Peter Sellers]]'' (Photographer at Wedding) * 2004 - ''[[The Mighty Boosh| The Mighty Boosh Pilot]]'' (Dixon Bainbridge) * 2004 - ''[[AD/BC: A Rock Opera]]'' (Joseph) * 2005 - ''[[2004: The Stupid Version]]'' (himself) * 2005 - ''[[Nathan Barley]]'' (Ned Smanks) * 2005 - ''[[Festival (2005 film)|Festival]]'' (Dwight Swan) * 2005 - ''[[The Mighty Boosh]]'' (Saboo) * 2006 onwards - ''[[The IT Crowd]]'' (Moss) * 2006 - ''[[Time Trumpet]]'' (himself) * 2006 - ''[[Man to Man with Dean Learner]]'' ([[Dean Learner]]) * 2006 - "[[Snuff Box]]" (Music Show Presenter) * 2007 - ''Parallel Worlds - A User's Guide'' (Narrator) * 2007 - ''The Big Fat Anniversary Quiz'' (Himself) * 2007 - ''[[The Mighty Boosh]]'' (Saboo) * 2009 - ''[[Bunny and the Bull]]'' == References == {{Reflist}} 'The Mighty Book of Boosh' == External links == * {{imdb name|1547964|Richard Ayoade}} {{start box}} {{s-culture}} {{succession box|title=[[Footlights President]]|before=Sarah Moule|after=Kevin Baker|years=1997–1998}} {{end box}} {{Garth Marenghi's Darkplace}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Ayoade, Richard}} [[Category:1977 births]] [[Category:Garth Marenghi's Darkplace]] [[Category:English comedians]] [[Category:English television actors]] [[Category:English film actors]] [[Category:English television writers]] [[Category:English voice actors]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:People from Suffolk]] [[Category:Alumni of St Catharine's College, Cambridge]] [[Category:English people of Nigerian descent]] [[Category:English people of Norwegian descent]] [[Category:English music video directors]] [[Category:Black British actors]] [[Category:Fox family]] [[cs:Richard Ayoade]] [[de:Richard Ayoade]] [[ru:Эйоэйд, Ричард]]'