Bill Bailey
Biography
Bill Bailey is an English comedian, musician, actor and television presenter who built a following through stand-up that folds music into his act. Born in 1965 and raised in Keynsham, Somerset, he is a classically trained musician who formed the double act the Rubber Bishops in 1984 and went solo with Bill Bailey's Cosmic Jam. He played Manny Bianco in three series of Black Books from 2000 to 2004 and became a regular on panel shows including Never Mind the Buzzcocks, QI and Have I Got News for You. His screen credits include the film Hot Fuzz (2007) and the 2011 Doctor Who Christmas special, and he won the eighteenth series of Strictly Come Dancing in 2020. He took the Best Live Stand-Up prize at the British Comedy Awards in 1999 and was appointed an MBE in the 2026 New Year Honours.
61years old
Turns 62 on January 13in 93 days
- Born Bath
- Star sign: CapricornThe sign runs December 22 to January 19
- Mark Bailey (birth name)Also credited as Mark Robert Bailey
Movie Career
- Films
- 10
- Career span
- 20 years2000 to 2020
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First role
Bailey's television debut came in the late 1980s on the children's show Motormouth, where he played piano for a mind-reading dog.
About the name
His music teacher gave him the nickname Bill because he could play the song "Won't You Come Home Bill Bailey" so well on the guitar.
A change of course
Bailey took Rock, a show about an aging rockstar and his roadie, to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 1994 with Sean Lock. Attendances were not impressive, and Bailey nearly gave up comedy for a telesales job.
Early training
Bailey is a classically trained musician. At his school, he was the only pupil who took A-level music, and he earned an A grade in it.
Behind the camera
Bailey founded the punk band Beergut 100 in 1995 alongside comedy writer Jim Miller. Martin Trenaman and Phil Whelans were also in the group, Kevin Eldon was lead singer, and they played the 2006 Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
A first
On 13 September 2025, Bailey performed "The Typewriter" by Leroy Anderson, which marked his first appearance at the BBC Proms.
Bill Bailey movies on Netflix
Best known for
The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.
Most often with
Two actors appear in three of them each. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.
Films together
Bill Nighy's page
Jessica Hynes's page
Simon Pegg's page
Martin Freeman's page
Olivia Colman's page
Kevin Eldon's page
Also two films together1 more actor
- Georgia KingChalet Girl (2011) and Burke and Hare (2010)
When several people share the same number of films, the ones with the most films on Netflix are in the chart.
Awards
Two awards and honors.
| Year | Award | Film | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Other honors | |||
| 2026 | Member of the Order of the British Empire | Won | |
| Chortle Awards | Won | ||
Online
Official profiles and reference pages.