Steve Speirs
| Steve Speirs | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Steven Roberts 22 February 1965 Troedyrhiw, Merthyr Tydfil, Wales |
| Other names | Dullard, Thuggy Roberts |
| Family | Jeffrey Lloyd Roberts (Brother) |
Steve Speirs (born 22 February 1965),[1] is a Welsh actor and occasional writer, who has appeared in films such as Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest.
Early life
He was born as Steven Roberts in Troed-y-rhiw, a village in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales[2] and went to school in Aberdare where he found a taste for drama. He joined the National Youth Theatre of Wales and studied drama at Loughborough University.[3] He says he took his stage name, Speirs, from the surname of a lecturer at college.[4]
Career
Since graduating from university, Speirs has played Sloan in Eragon, Andy Fellows in Making Waves and the "pathetic loser" Dullard alongside Ricky Gervais in Extras, as well as having small parts in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (Captain Tarpals) and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest.
He appears in Kröd Mändoon and the Flaming Sword of Fire, a comedy fantasy series in which he plays Loquasto, an oafish servant, "who belongs to a race of pig-like creatures known as Grobble".[5]
He wrote his first film, Caught in the Act, in 2008 and starred in it as the lead character. Based on his memories of growing up in South Wales, it was filmed in the Merthyr Tydfil area.[6]
Speirs often goes by the name of "Dullard" in honour of his role in Extras, as he considers the character a mirror of himself. Speirs also appeared in the Gervais and Stephen Merchant film Cemetery Junction released in 2010, a part which Speirs claims was written particularly for him.[2] Speirs also starred as the bouncer at Mother McOakley's Tavern in Burke and Hare, a British black comedy directed by John Landis and released (in the United Kingdom) in October 2010.
Other roles which Speirs is known for include his portrayal of Bernard Bresslaw in Cor, Blimey!, Big Alan Williams in Stella and Colour Sergeant Wormwood in Sharpe's Peril.
Speirs played depressed geography teacher and caretaker Mr Gareth Barber in the BBC One sitcom Big School for two series in 2013 and 2014.
In 2013, Steve played PC McClintock in the Christmas TV film Gangsta Granny, an adaptation of the book written by David Walliams. He played the role of Dad in the 2014 TV film The Boy in the Dress, also written by Walliams.
In 2015 he appeared in the TV spin off The Bad Education Movie playing Don alongside the main cast of Bad Education (TV series) as well as many other guests in the movie.
Personal life
Speirs moved to live in Brighton, West Sussex. He is divorced from first wife, Julie, with whom he had two sons, Jack and Lewis.[2] He also has a third son, Max, and a daughter Amelie (born 2014).[4] His brother is opera singer Jeffrey Lloyd Roberts.[3]
Filmography
- Film
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | House of America | The Head |
| 1999 | Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace | Captain Tarpals |
| 2001 | The Musketeer | Porthos |
| 2005 | The Last Drop | Gustav Hansfeldt |
| 2006 | Eragon | Sloan |
| Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest | Edinburgh's Quartermaster | |
| 2007 | The Baker | Bryn |
| 2008 | Caught in the Act | Eric Jenkins |
| 2009 | Inkheart | Flatnose |
| 2010 | Cemetery Junction | Sgt. Wyn Davies |
| Burke and Hare | McMartin's Doorman | |
| 2011 | Hunky Dory | Mr Cafferty |
| 2015 | Bad Education | Don |
- Television
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1989 | We Are Seven | Albert Thomas |
| 1995 - 1996 | Goodnight Sweetheart | Phil McCavity |
| 2000 | Cor, Blimey! | Bernard Bresslaw |
| 2004 | Jonathan Creek | Herbie Bryant |
| Making Waves | CCMEA Andy Fellows | |
| 2005 | Icon | Viktor Akopov |
| Doctor Who | Strickland/Voice of Sip Fel Fotch Passameer-Day Slitheen | |
| Extras | Dullard | |
| 2007 | New Tricks | Dougie Taylor |
| 2008 | Sharpe's Peril | Colour Sergeant Wormwood |
| No Heroics | Norse Dave | |
| City of Vice | William Pentlow | |
| Kröd Mändoon and the Flaming Sword of Fire | Loquasto | |
| 2009 | A Child's Christmases in Wales | Uncle Huw |
| 2010 | Miranda | Ray |
| 2010 | Ronnie Corbett's Supper Club | Himself |
| 2011-13 | Sadie J | Steve |
| 2011 | Benidorm | Debt Collector |
| 2012–present | Stella | Alan William (Big Al) |
| 2013–14 | Big School | Mr Gareth Barber |
| 2013 | Gangsta Granny | PC McClintock |
| 2014 | The Boy in the Dress | Dad |
References
- ↑ "Steve Speirs". IMDb.
- 1 2 3 "Steve Spiers the Welshman who wowed Rick Gervais". Wales Online. 17 April 2010. Retrieved 11 September 2016.
- 1 2 Rob Driscoll (15 June 2002). "Tinseltown's gain is Hoover's loss; Valleys-born Steve Speirs cuts a dash in big-budget romp The Musketeer". Western Mail. Retrieved 11 September 2016.
- 1 2 Sandra Loy (21 December 2014). "Welsh actor Steve Speirs: You'll probably see more of him this Christmas than you'll see of your own family". Wales Online. Retrieved 11 September 2016.
- ↑ http://www.comedycentral.com/shows/krod_mandoon/characters/index.jhtml
- ↑ "Steve Speirs comes home for his first flim as a writer". Wales Online. 29 November 2008. Retrieved 21 June 2015.