Nigel Planer

Nigel Planer is a British actor, writer, musician, and voice artist. He is best known for his role as Neil, the hippie in the iconic BBC comedy The Young Ones (1982–1984), and his portrayal of Ralph Filthy in Filthy Rich & Catflap. Planer has had a successful career in theatre, featuring in notable West End productions like Evita, Chicago, Wicked, We Will Rock You, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. He has also performed in Hairspray and toured with Vulcan 7, a play co-written with Ade Edmondson.

In addition to acting, Planer gained fame as a musician, notably for his Brit Award-winning single “Hole in My Shoe” (1984), and as a member of the spoof rock band Bad News. He has also had a varied career in voice acting, narrating numerous Discworld audiobooks and lending his voice to animated characters like Dr. Marmalade in SpongeBob SquarePants.

Planer is an accomplished writer with books, plays, and scripts to his name, including Neil's Book of the Dead and Jeremiah Bourne in Time. A pioneer of the alternative comedy scene, Planer was involved in The Comic Strip and The Outer Limits with Peter Richardson. Over his career, he has been nominated for multiple awards, including BAFTA and Olivier honors.