Arabella Weir
| Arabella Weir | |
|---|---|
| Born |
6 December 1957 San Francisco, United States |
| Occupation | Comedian, actress, writer. |
| Spouse(s) | Dr Jeremy Norton |
| Children | Isabella and Archie |
Arabella Weir (born 6 December 1957) is a British comedian, actress and writer.
The daughter of former British ambassador Sir Michael Weir,[1] she is best known for her roles in The Fast Show and Posh Nosh, and for writing several books including the international best seller Does My Bum Look Big in This? (a catchphrase of one of her characters in The Fast Show).[2] She is also well known for her books Onwards and Upwards and Cupid for which she also wrote the screenplay now owned by Working Title Films. Weir has written for The Independent magazine, which is included with the Saturday edition and The Guardian newspaper and Weekend magazine. She continues to contribute regularly to both newspapers.
Life and career
In 2001 Weir took part in the Weakest Link Comedians Special.[3]
Weir voiced the female incarnation of the Doctor in the Doctor Who Unbound Big Finish episode Exile.
Weir appeared in the Doctor Who 2011 Christmas Special 2011 "The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe".[4]
Weir performed with the original cast from The Fast Show (with the exception of Mark Williams) in six online-only episodes sponsored by the Fosters brand.[5]
In 2015 she joined the team of presenters for BBC Two's Food and Drink programme.[6]
Personal life
She attended Camden School for Girls[7] and then studied drama at Middlesex Polytechnic.[8]
She is married to Dr Jeremy Norton; the couple have two children.[9] The actor David Tennant is a close friend and is godfather to her youngest child. When Tennant first moved to London in the early 1990s, he lodged with Weir at her house in Crouch End for five years; they had met on the set of the BBC TV series Takin' Over the Asylum.[10]
She is a supporter of the British Labour Party.[11]
Books
Novels
- Does My Bum Look Big in This?: the Diary of an Insecure Woman (1998)
- Onwards and Upwards (2000)
- Stupid Cupid (2002)
- The Rise and Rise of Tabitha Baird (2014)
Non-Fiction
- The Real Me is Thin: or Why All Women Think They're Fat (2011)[12]
References
- ↑ Adel Darwish Obituary: Sir Michael Weir, The Independent, 28 June 2006
- ↑ Weir, Arabella (24 January 2015). "After ridiculing vanity in The Fast Show, 'Does My Bum Look Big In This?' comedian Arabella Weir asks: Have I let down the sisterhood by fixing the bags under my eyes?". Mail on Sunday. Retrieved 22 November 2015.
- ↑ "The Weakest Link (UK) Season 3 Episode 7 Comedians Special". tv.com. Retrieved 14 November 2016.
- ↑ Frost, Vicky (21 September 2011). "Cast for Doctor Who Christmas special unwrapped". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 September 2011.
- ↑ "Foster's – The Fast Show". Fosters.co.uk. Retrieved 22 April 2013.
- ↑ Weir, Arabella (26 June 2015). "Arabella Weir: The kebabs, the vodkas, and the lock-ins that help keep a show on the road". The Independent. Retrieved 22 November 2015.
- ↑ Smurthwaite, Nick (17 January 2006). "Weir Not Alone". SecEd. Retrieved 13 February 2009.
- ↑ The Independent, 22 January 1998
- ↑ Ross, Deborah (12 December 2013). "Arabella Weir: Someone up there likes me". The Independent. Retrieved 22 November 2015.
- ↑ Weir, Arabella (6 April 2008). "It's ok to think Doctor Who is gay, says David Tennant". The Times. London. Retrieved 25 April 2010.
- ↑ Thorpe, Vanessa (14 February 2010). "Parties in pre-election battle to sign up stars". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 20 April 2010. Retrieved 25 April 2010.
- ↑ Weir, Arabella (3 July 2011). "Once Upon A Life: Arabella Weir" (The Guardian). Retrieved 22 November 2015.
External links
- Arabella Weir at the Internet Movie Database
- Column archive at The Guardian
- Arabella Weir chooses Joyce Grenfell on BBC Radio 4 Great Lives – listen online: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00bc41s