Bob Mortimer (born Robert Renwick
Mortimer), is a British comedian and actor, best known
for his double act with Vic Reeves.
Bob's father died when he was very young. As a result,
he and his three brothers were brought up by mother
Eunice. In his youth he had once had trials for the
youth team of his beloved Middlesbrough FC. He left
school with three A-levels and studied law at the University
of Sussex. Here he became involved in the punk movement
and political causes. After leaving University, he
moved to London and became a solicitor.
One fateful afternoon, Bob arrived home to find his
girlfriend in bed with a Hells Angel. In an attempt
to drown his sorrows, he and a friend went to Goldsmith's
Tavern see a performance by a comedian called Vic Reeves.
Bob was impressed by the performance. They were introduced
through a mutual aquintance and became good friends.
They even formed a band together - called The Potter's
Wheel. Bob was soon invited to perform on Vic's stage
show, "Vic Reeves Big Night Out," creating
such characters as the Singing Lawyer, Graham Lister,
Judge Nutmeg and Man With The Stick.
The show became very successful in south London and
eventually outgrew Goldsmith's Tavern moving, in 1988,
to the Albany Empire in Deptford. Although it was still
the Vic Reeves Show, Bob became more integral in setting
up the performance, which provided a weekly break from
the legal work which was beginning to disillusion him.
A television pilot was filmed in late 1989 and the
two soon began filming the first series of Vic Reeves
Big Night Out, which stuck close to the variety show
format of the live shows. Off-screen, Jim and Bob were
now an equal partnership, but didn't become known as ‘Reeves & Mortimer’ until
their move to the BBC in 1993.
Mortimer represented Jarvis Cocker at the police
station following the Pulp singer's arrest at the Brit
awards in 1997 after he flashed his bottom in protest
at Michael Jackson's performance at the ceremony.
Mortimer played the part of Randall in the remake
of Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased). In July 2002 he
fought - and defeated - Les Dennis in the BBC's first "Celebrity
Boxing" match.
Mortimer suffers from Rheumatoid Arthritis which
he controls using steroids.
In 2003, he and Vic were listed in The Observer as
one of the 50 funniest acts in British comedy. In a
2005 poll to find The Comedian's Comedian, he and Vic
were voted the top 9th greatest comedy act ever by
fellow comedians and comedy insiders. |