Adrian Edmondson
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- January 24, 1957
- Birthplace
- Bradford, Yorkshire, England, UK
Adrian Edmondson was born in Bradford, Yorkshire. He went to Manchester University to study drama. Whilst he was there he met Rik Mayall, and the pair began performing as 20th Century Coyote. The act continued after university when Adrian & Rik moved to London, and they became two of the leading lights in the new 'alternative comedy' scene, performing at the newly established Comedy Store, and setting up their own club, The Comic Strip, with 'Peter Richardson', Nigel Planer, Jennifer Saunders, Dawn French, and Alexei Sayle. This spawned two 1980s TV series: The Young Ones (1982), and The Comic Strip Presents... (1982) In the 1990's Ade & Rik continued their partnership with a new series called Bottom (1991), which ran for three seasons and became a major success on the live circuit. It was basically a live sitcom, liberally sprinkled with slapstick humour, and the pair did 5 long tours between 1993 and 2003. Simultaneously, Adrian established himself as an actor, doing two improvised TV films under the Screen One and Screen Two umbrella, with director Les Blair: Screen Two: Honest, Decent and True (1986), and Screen One: News Hounds (1990) (winner of the BAFTA for best single drama). He was a regular in the hospital drama Holby City (1999) from 2005 - 2008. He took the lead in a drama documentary about the Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster in the series Surviving Disaster (2006), and appeared as Henry Austen in the TV movie Miss Austen Regrets (2008), the film Blood (2012), and the drama series Prey (2014). But his most notable dramatic role to date is that of Count Rostov in the BBC series War & Peace (2016).
Filmography
Codes 2026
as Head of MI6
Rik Mayall's Sketches: Rare And Unseen 2026
as Self (archive footage)
Rik Mayall: Magnificent B'Stard 2026
as Self
Partridge and Moulding Want To Get Laid 2026
Thanks
Bottom: Exposed 2024
as Himself, Director
imagine... French & Saunders: Pointed, Bitchy, Bitter 2023
as Self
The Best Birthday Ever 2022
as Granny (voice)
The Trick 2021
as Edward Acton
Letters Live from the Archive: Union Chapel 2021
as Self
King Rocker 2020
as Self (archive footage)
Completely Bad News 2019
as Vim Fuego, Music, Writer
The Rizen: Possession 2019
as The Interviewer
How The Young Ones Changed Comedy 2018
Actor
RSC Live: Twelfth Night 2018
as Malvolio
Star Wars: The Last Jedi 2017
as Captain Peavey
Interlude in Prague 2017
as Herr Luptak
The Rizen 2017
as Interviewer
Rocky Horror Show Live 2015
as Narrator
Five Go to Rehab 2012
as Dick
Blood 2012
as Tom Tiernan
Britain Beware! 2012
as Self (Presenter)
Blackadder's Most Cunning Moments 2008
as Self - Baron von Richthoven (archive footage) (uncredited)
Rocky Horror Tribute Show 2008
as Brad
Miss Austen Regrets 2008
as Henry Austen
If It Ain't Stiff: The Stiff Records Story 2007
as Self (Narrator)
The Making of 'The Young Ones' 2007
as Self (Archived Footage)
Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band - 40th Anniversary Celebration 2006
as Self
The Comic Strip - A Retrospective 2005
as Self
Bottom Mindless Violence 2004
as Vyvyan / Eddie Catflap / Sir Adrian Dangerous / Dreamy Time Escort / Eddie Hitler / Eddie Ndingombaba (archive footage)
Bottom Live 2003: Weapons Grade Y-Fronts Tour 2003
as Edward Hitler
More Great Comedy Moments 2003
as Vyvyan Basterd / Eddie Hitler (archive footage), Writer
The Best of French & Saunders 2002
as Various
Bottom Live 2001: An Arse Oddity 2001
as Eddie, Writer
Mirrorball 2000
Director
Four Men in a Plane 2000
as Ian Crisp
Guest House Paradiso 1999
as Eddie Elizabeth Ndingombaba, Director, Writer
Big Bottom Live - The Best of Bottom Live 1999
Actor
The Making of 'Guest House Paradiso' 1999
as Self
- The Man
The Man 1999
as Ash
Jack and the Beanstalk: The ITV Pantomime 1998
as Dame Dolly
Four Men in a Car 1998
as Ian
Bottom Live 3: Hooligan's Island 1997
as Eddie Hitler
Bottom Fluff 1996
Actor
Bottom Live 2: The Big Number 2 Tour 1995
as Eddie
The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Treasure of the Peacock's Eye 1995
as Zyke
French and Saunders' Christmas Carol 1994
as Tim Goodchance
Bottom Live: The Stage Show 1993
as Eddie
Demonella 1993
as Sid Vicious
Gregory: Diary of a Nutcase 1993
as Gregory Dawson
Space Virgins from Planet Sex 1993
as 'K' / Air Traffic Controller
Holy - Bottom: Christmas Special 1992
as Edward Elizabeth Hitler, Writer
Red Nose of Courage 1992
as John Major/Coco the Clown
The Pope Must Die 1991
as Father Rookie
News Hounds 1990
as Phil Burke
Les Dogs 1990
as Best Man
French & Saunders LIVE 1990
Director
Oxford 1990
as 2nd MI5 Man / Fan
South Atlantic Raiders: Part 2 Argie Bargie! 1990
as Billy
South Atlantic Raiders: Part 1 1990
as Billy
GLC: The Carnage Continues 1990
as Billy/Prince Charles/Giles Cricket Bat Portland
Just Like That! 1989
as Self
The Secret Policeman’s Biggest Ball 1989
as Self
An Audience With Victoria Wood 1988
as Self
The Yob 1988
as Michael
Mr Jolly Lives Next Door 1988
as Dreamy Time Escort, Writer
More Bad News 1988
as Vim Fuego, Director, Writer
The Strike 1988
as Adrian/Slim/Policeman
Eat the Rich 1987
as Charles
The Comic Relief Utterly Utterly Rude Video Live 1986
as Self
- Honest Decent & True
Honest Decent & True 1986
as Alun Pickersgill, Theme Song Performance
Private Enterprise 1986
as Brian, Writer, Director
Consuela (or, The New Mrs Saunders) 1986
as John
Dangerous Brothers Present: World of Danger 1986
as Sir Adrian Dangerous
The Supergrass 1985
as Dennis Carter
Slags 1984
as Ace
Eddie Monsoon - a Life? 1984
as Eddie Moonson, Writer
Gino: Full Story and Pics 1984
as Gordon/Bill
A Fistful of Travellers' Cheques 1984
as Billy
Susie 1984
as Martin
Dirty Movie 1984
as Bean, Writer
Five Go Mad on Mescalin 1983
as Dick
Summer School 1983
as Peter
Bad News 1983
as Vim Fuego/Alan Metcalfe, Writer, Music
The Beat Generation 1983
as Desmond
War 1983
as Various Roles
Dead on Time 1983
as Fool
Five Go Mad in Dorset 1982
as Dick
Kevin Turvey: The Man Behind the Green Door 1982
as Keith Marshall
The Comic Strip 1981
Actor, Writer
Credits from TMDB.