Jason Forbes

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Jason Forbes
Born (1990-10-27) 27 October 1990 (age 33)
Bristol, England, United Kingdom
EducationQueen Elizabeth's Hospital
Alma materJesus College, Cambridge
Occupation(s)Actor, writer, comedian
Websitewww.jasonforbes.co.uk

Jason Forbes (born 27 October 1990) is a British actor, writer, comedian, impressionist, and TV presenter. He is best known for the CITV series Horrible Science;[1] The Mash Report on BBC Two;[2] as PC Peasey in the Professor Branestawm television films on BBC One;[3] and as a member of the award-winning sketch trio 'Daphne'.[4]

Forbes is co-creator, star and writer of the BBC Radio 4 series, Daphne Sounds Expensive.[5]

Early life and education[edit]

Forbes was born in Bristol, England, and educated at Queen Elizabeth's Hospital in Clifton.[6][7][8] He then went up to Jesus College at the University of Cambridge to read English,[9] graduating in 2012.[10]

At school he joined the 'Gabblers' Club' – a Bristol-based after-dinner speaking society for young students; and, in 2008, was awarded the Gabblers' prize for 'Best Speaker'[11] – a prize formerly awarded to stand-up comedian Mark Watson.[12]

At Cambridge University, Forbes wrote and performed in a number of comedy shows as a member of the famous Cambridge Footlights. In 2012, he co-wrote and performed in Perfect Strangers – the Footlights' 50th annual revue – touring the UK and the United States.[13][14] He also performed in a number of 'serious plays', from contemporary to Shakespeare;[15] and on London's West End as part of a showcase directed by former artistic director of the Royal Court Theatre, Max Stafford-Clark.[16]

Prior to becoming a professional actor, Forbes worked as a marketing executive, civil servant, computer programmer, web designer, graphic designer and teacher of languages.[17]

Career[edit]

Comedy[edit]

In September 2014, Forbes reunited with his Cambridge Footlights contemporaries Phil Wang and George Fouracres to form the sketch group 'Daphne'.[18]

The trio began hosting a comedy night called Nova Nova, every other month at the Cockpit Theatre, Marylebone, where they trialled their new material alongside guests, including British comedians Harry Hill and James Acaster.[19]

Daphne went on to win the London Sketchfest's prize for 'Best New Act' in 2015.[20] Their first Edinburgh Festival Fringe show, Daphne Do Edinburgh, was critically acclaimed[21] and Daphne were nominated for the 2015 Foster's (formerly Perrier) Award for 'Best Newcomer'.[22][23][24]

Radio[edit]

Daphne Sounds Expensive (BBC Radio 4)[edit]

In February 2016, the BBC announced that Daphne would be bringing a "Goon Show-esque" comedy called Daphne Sounds Expensive to BBC Radio 4,[25] with the first episode airing on 14 July 2016.[26] The series consists of four thirty-minute episodes.[27]

Daphne Sounds Expensive was shortlisted for the 'Best Radio Sketch Show' award at the Comedy.co.uk Awards 2016.[28] Radio 4 commissioned a second series which it would broadcast from 13 July 2017.[29][30][31]

Other radio work[edit]

Forbes is a regular guest on the satirical sketch show Newsjack on BBC Radio 4 Extra.[32][33][34][35]

In 2017, he appeared in the two-part BBC Radio 4 sitcom Life on Egg by Daniel Maier, alongside Harry Hill, Marek Larwood and Gyles Brandreth.[36][37]

Film and television[edit]

Forbes made his first TV appearance in 2013 in Kerry, a BBC Three Comedy Feeds episode by comedic actress Kerry Howard.

He later appeared in The Mimic on Channel 4 and Pompidou by Little Britain star Matt Lucas on BBC One.

In 2014, he appeared on BBC One alongside Harry Hill, David Mitchell, Ben Miller, Miranda Richardson, Simon Day and Charlie Higson, as PC Peasey in Higson's adaptation of The Incredible Adventures of Professor Branestawm by Norman Hunter.[38]

In May 2015, ITV announced that Forbes would be among the cast of their new series Horrible Science, based on the Horrible Science books by Nick Arnold.[39]

Forbes also joined the cast of Tracey Ullman's sketch show, Tracey Ullman's Show, for BBC One[40] and HBO.[41] He was a regular in the second series of Tracey Ullman's Show, and portrayed former American World No. 1 professional tennis player, Arthur Ashe, in the 2017 film Borg/McEnroe, starring Sverrir Gudnason and Shia LaBeouf.[42][43]

In 2021, broadcaster UKTV announced that Forbes would be joining Kemah Bob and Tom Allen as co-host of a new panel show called The Island on its comedy channel Dave.[44] The show was co-created by comedians John Robins, Lloyd Langford, Ed Gamble, and James Acaster. Recording of the first eight episodes began in June 2021.[45]

In 2024, he starred in Netflix's science fiction television series, 3 Body Problem, as Omar Khayyam.[46]

Style and influences[edit]

Forbes is a lover of physical comedy and often incorporates slapstick humour into his routines. He has cited Laurel and Hardy, Charlie Chaplin, Rowan Atkinson, Sir Norman Wisdom and, "most of all", Michael Crawford among his physical influences. "Against all advice," says Forbes in an interview with online blog Comedy Blogedy, "I'd try everything they did at home: bumping into things, falling over, deliberately spilling stuff and – to my mother's horror – throwing myself down the stairs."[47]

Forbes apparently perfected his stair-fall in a university production of Michael Frayn's Noises Off.[48]

Of his sketch group Daphne's debut Edinburgh Festival Fringe show, The List magazine's Brian Donaldson remarked upon a "wild slapstick moment that will hopefully not result in an injury to Forbes before August is out."[49]

Credits[edit]

Film and television[edit]

Year Title Role Notes
2013 Kerry Various TV pilot
2014 The Mimic Spa worker TV series (1 episode)
The Incredible Adventures of Professor Branestawm PC Peasey TV movie
2015 Pompidou Ambulance Volunteer TV series (1 episodes)
BBC's Fresh from the Fringe Various (as part of sketch trio, Daphne)
Professor Branestawm Returns PC Peasey TV movie
2015–present Horrible Science Junior/Various TV series (10 episodes)
2016 Tracey Ullman's Show Various
The Windsors Paramedic TV series (1 episode)[50]
2017 Borg/McEnroe Arthur Ashe Feature film[51]
2017–2022 The Mash Report Nathan Muir[52] TV series
2020 Spitting Image Idris Elba/Lewis Hamilton TV series
2024 A Gentleman in Moscow Nachevko TV series
3 Body Problem Omar Khayyam TV series
Renegade Nell Court Clerk[53] TV series

Radio[edit]

Year Title Role Notes
2015 BBC Radio 4's Fresh from the Fringe Various As part of sketch trio, Daphne
2015–2017 Newsjack (BBC Radio 4 Extra) Various Series 13, Episode 4;[54] Series 14, Episode 2;[55]
Series 15, Episode 5;[56] Series 16, Episode 1[57]
2016 Daphne Sounds Expensive (BBC Radio 4) Creator / Writer / Performer Radio series[58][59]
2017 Life on Egg (BBC Radio 4) Skulk / Tim / Nev / Doubleday Radio sitcom[60][61]
Ankle Tag (BBC Radio 4) Trevor / Chris Series 1, Episode 1[62]

Video games[edit]

Year Title Role
2022 Xenoblade Chronicles 3 Mwamba[63]

Awards and nominations[edit]

Forbes' sketch group Daphne were the winners of the London Sketchfest's prize for 'Best New Act' in 2015.[64] Their first Edinburgh Festival Fringe show, Daphne Do Edinburgh, was critically acclaimed[65] and Daphne were nominated for the 2015 Edinburgh Comedy Award for 'Best Newcomer'.[66][67][68]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Ben Miller is bringing Horrible Science to CITV; Digital Spy – 21 May 2015
  2. ^ The Mash Report; British Comedy Guide
  3. ^ The Incredible Adventures of Professor Brainstawm – Credits, BBC One
  4. ^ Edinburgh festival 2015: 10 comedy acts to watch, The Guardian
  5. ^ Daphne Sounds Expensive, BBC Radio 4
  6. ^ QEH Bristol News Archived 7 October 2015 at the Wayback Machine
  7. ^ Guide to Independent Schools
  8. ^ The Good Schools Guide
  9. ^ Cast & Crew | CAST 2011
  10. ^ The Company – Footlights International Tour 2012
  11. ^ QEH Bristol News Archived 7 October 2015 at the Wayback Machine
  12. ^ Talking it up, Bristol Grammar School
  13. ^ The Company – Footlights International Tour 2012
  14. ^ Dates – Footlights International Tour 2012
  15. ^ Person: Jason Forbes, Camdram
  16. ^ Show: Marlowe Showcase 2012, Camdram
  17. ^ Interview with Daphne, Comedy Blogedy
  18. ^ who? | Daphne | Sketch comedy from Phil Wang, Jason Forbes & George Fouracres
  19. ^ Nova Nova Archived 7 October 2015 at the Wayback Machine, Daphne – Official Website
  20. ^ Seven sketch comedy shows to see at the 2015 Edinburgh Festival Fringe, TimeOut
  21. ^ Best-reviewed Edinburgh Fringe shows 2015, British Comedy Guide
  22. ^ Foster's Edinburgh Comedy awards shortlist announced, BBC News
  23. ^ Record 8 nominees for Edinburgh Comedy Award, Chortle
  24. ^ "Foster's Edinburgh Comedy Awards – newcomers". Archived from the original on 6 October 2013. Retrieved 9 September 2015.
  25. ^ Radio 4’s Comedy Commissioner announces a raft of new commissions BBC Media Centre
  26. ^ Daphne Sounds Expensive – Series 1, Episode 1, BBC Radio 4
  27. ^ Daphne Sounds Expensive – Series 1, Episode Guide, BBC Radio 4
  28. ^ Comedy.co.uk Awards 2016 – News – British Comedy Guide
  29. ^ Daphne Sounds Expensive | BBC Radio 4
  30. ^ Daphne Sounds Expensive | British Comedy Guide
  31. ^ Daphne – Official Website
  32. ^ "Episode 4, Series 13, Newsjack – BBC Radio 4 Extra". BBC. Retrieved 3 October 2015.
  33. ^ "Episode 2, Series 14, Newsjack – BBC Radio 4 Extra". BBC. Retrieved 30 March 2016.
  34. ^ "Episode 5, Series 15, Newsjack – BBC Radio 4 Extra". BBC. Retrieved 12 September 2016.
  35. ^ "BBC Radio 4 Extra – Newsjack, Series 18, Episode 6".
  36. ^ Life on Egg – Episode 1, Inspection, BBC Radio 4
  37. ^ Life on Egg – Episode 2, CCTV, BBC Radio 4
  38. ^ Jason Forbes, IMDb
  39. ^ Horrible Science, ITV/CITV
  40. ^ who? | Daphne | Sketch comedy from Phil Wang, Jason Forbes & George Fouracres
  41. ^ "Tracey Ullman on BBC's Female Revolution". The Hollywood Reporter. 7 October 2015. Retrieved 6 January 2016.
  42. ^ Jason, Daphne Comedy – Official Website
  43. ^ Shia LaBeouf to play John McEnroe in movie of Wimbledon legend's 1980 battle with Borg – The Guardian
  44. ^ "Dave joins Tom Allen on The Island | News | UKTV Corporate Site". corporate.uktv.co.uk. Retrieved 7 July 2021.
  45. ^ "The Island – Dave Panel Show". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 7 July 2021.
  46. ^ "Bio – Jason Forbes | Actor & Writer – Official Website". Retrieved 3 May 2022.
  47. ^ Interview with Daphne, Comedy Blogedy
  48. ^ Noises Off, The Tab
  49. ^ Daphne Do Edinburgh – Wild and original sketches from a three-man team clearly going places, The List
  50. ^ Jason Forbes IMDB
  51. ^ Jason, Daphne Comedy – Official Website
  52. ^ Jason Forbes – Official Website
  53. ^ Jason Forbes – Official Website
  54. ^ "Episode 4, Series 13, Newsjack – BBC Radio 4 Extra". BBC. Retrieved 3 October 2015.
  55. ^ "Episode 2, Series 14, Newsjack – BBC Radio 4 Extra". BBC. Retrieved 30 March 2016.
  56. ^ "Episode 5, Series 15, Newsjack – BBC Radio 4 Extra". BBC. Retrieved 12 September 2016.
  57. ^ "Episode 1, Series 16, Newsjack – BBC Radio 4 Extra". BBC. Retrieved 27 January 2017.
  58. ^ Radio 4’s Comedy Commissioner announces a raft of new commissions, BBC Media Centre
  59. ^ Daphne Sounds Expensive, BBC Radio 4
  60. ^ Life on Egg – Episode 1, Inspection, BBC Radio 4
  61. ^ Life on Egg – Episode 2, CCTV, BBC Radio 4
  62. ^ "Episode 1, Series 1, Ankle Tag – BBC Radio 4". BBC. Retrieved 23 August 2017.
  63. ^ Xenoblade Chronicles 3 Credits [HD 1080P], retrieved 23 August 2022
  64. ^ Seven sketch comedy shows to see at the 2015 Edinburgh Festival Fringe, TimeOut
  65. ^ Best-reviewed Edinburgh Fringe shows 2015, British Comedy Guide
  66. ^ Foster's Edinburgh Comedy awards shortlist announced, BBC News
  67. ^ Record 8 nominees for Edinburgh Comedy Award, Chortle
  68. ^ "Foster's Edinburgh Comedy Awards – newcomers". Archived from the original on 6 October 2013. Retrieved 9 September 2015.
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