Comedians unexpectedly appearing in old stuff

[Chriddof]

By this I mean adverts or shows or whatever that various comedians did years ago when they were just getting started and weren't that well known (or at all). To begin with, here's a bunch of advert breaks from Sky Channel (not even called Sky One at this point) during 1989 - skip to 30 seconds in for a quite startling appearance from someone who's pretty famous almost 30 years on:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LeijrAfiHvI

[Bobtoo]

Frankie Boyle appeared as a paper boy in one of those gritty Scottish plays you used to get on BBC in the 80s, I'm buggered if I can remember what it was called though, and he wasn't credited so I can't look it up.

[Phoenix Lazarus]

Ben Elton's still hoping no-one brings up those walk-on extra roles he got in his early-teens, in Love thy Neighbour and On the Buses.

[Sebastian Cobb]

People knew who Dolly Parton was in 1989.

[biggytitbo]

Arthur English pops up in Magnum, as does Larry Grayson.

[Barney Sloane]

David Baddiel in an episode of Filthy Rich and Catflap.

Peter Cook (alongside Christopher Booker) in Bachelor of Hearts.

Ruby Wax and Stephen Fry in Chariots of Fire.

[biggytitbo]

Rik in American Werewolf and an episode of Cannon and Ball.

[Glebe]

I've not actually seen it, but Norman Wisdom appears in The Night They Raided Minsky's - directed by William Friedkin!

Also, John Wayne throwing Tony Robinson into the Thames in Brannigan... no, not seen that either.

Arthur English pops up in Magnum, as does Larry Grayson.

He was more of an all-rounder than a mere 'comedian', but the late entertainer Sir Bruce Forsyth - whom you may be aware of! - did a brief stint on Airwolf. Just a brief stint, mind. He was filling in for Ernest Borgnine.

Ben Elton's still hoping no-one brings up those walk-on extra roles he got in his early-teens, in Love thy Neighbour and On the Buses.

Really?! Really?!

[Alternative Carpark]

Jonathan Ross appeared as an extra in It Ain't Half Hot Mum and Terry And June.

[bgmnts]

Cheggers was in a few weird things wasnt he?

[Chriddof]

Cheggers had the role of Fleance in the 1971 film of Macbeth directed by noted diddler and appalling cunt Roman Polanski. On a nicer note, he played the lead role in "Robin Hood Junior", a Children's Film Foundation movie.

[DrGreggles]

And he got his cock out on Channel 5's 'Cheggers Plays The Crystal Maze (With His Cock Out)'.

[Sgt. Duckie]

When Cheggers donned a wig and sang The Faithful Hussar at the end of Paths of Glory...well... quite unexpected.

[mrClaypole]

Wasn't Ruby Wax in the Omen 3?.

[Famous Mortimer]

If this is Kodak Fun Camera ad is remembered at all, it's for the starring role of Jessica Hynes (nee Stevenson), but perhaps more surprising is a supporting bit from one Sasha Baron-Cohen:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9vEHz4U0CI

[biggytitbo]

Magnum had a weird thing with cameos, not just Arthur English but also Bruce Forsyth and Peter Davison were in it.


On a similar note, June Whitfield is in Friends.

[George White]

Frankie Boyle appeared as a paper boy in one of those gritty Scottish plays you used to get on BBC in the 80s, I'm buggered if I can remember what it was called though, and he wasn't credited so I can't look it up.https://m.imdb.com/title/tt1605536/

he said Russell Hunter was in it. Probably this


Ernie Wise was in an ep of the US remake of Keep It In The Family, Too Close to Comfort.

[Glebe]

"We've got a horse infestation on the track... oh yeah, and Tom Cruise and Jon Voight are having an explosive fight!"



"I don't even work here!"

Peter Cook (alongside Christopher Booker) in Bachelor of Hearts.

And Supergirl.

[Dyl Spinks]

Watched a few minutes of that and certainly enjoyed Tarrant in the Bold advert sporting the old grey trousers/navy blazer combo (or, as we call it round 'ere, The Roger Moore).

[Mike Upchat]

By this I mean adverts or shows or whatever that various comedians did years ago when they were just getting started and weren't that well known (or at all). To begin with, here's a bunch of advert breaks from Sky Channel (not even called Sky One at this point) during 1989 - skip to 30 seconds in for a quite startling appearance from someone who's pretty famous almost 30 years on:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LeijrAfiHvI

Oddly enough,there might be another before they were famous one in there, at 7 mins 15 the Head and Shoulders ad features two models, and the one with the dandruff is being voiced, I'm fairly sure, by Gina Mckee.

And is this not a young John Sessions with a terrible Geordie accent in a complete "Auf Wiedersehen, Pet" rip off?

https://youtu.be/Eem0-iiTvRc?t=4m11s

[non capisco]

If my faintly pathetic addiction to watching old TV continuity YouTube channels has taught me anything it's that Hugh Laurie was in a ton of adverts in the early 80s before he was properly recognised in the UK as a comedian. He was the go-to 'everyman' for a bit.

[Shit Good Nose]

Wasn't Ruby Wax in the Omen 3?.

Yes.


For some reason I regularly watched that short-lived live TV channel that Sacha Baron Cohen used to be on.  So him.  On that.  Graham Norton was a presenter on there as well, but he was already fairly well known both on TV and the comedy circuit by then.

Also, RE the OP, Brydon used to be a presenter on some travel show as well.

[Ghughesarch]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=N_vssdys8lk
Though a coke ad he was in in 1990 turned up in the sidebar. Must check that out...

[Phoenix Lazarus]

If my faintly pathetic addiction to watching old TV continuity YouTube channels has taught me anything it's that Hugh Laurie was in a ton of adverts in the early 80s before he was properly recognised in the UK as a comedian. He was the go-to 'everyman' for a bit.

Wasn't above being in them later.  You get a dafter investor at Sproggitt and Sylvester, he informed us.  The jokes on him, as their returns rocketed just afterwards.

[Chriddof]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=N_vssdys8lk
Though a coke ad he was in in 1990 turned up in the sidebar. Must check that out...

You reminded me of this other ad Matt LeBlanc was in around the same time for Cherry 7Up, which was also aired on UK TV:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DfTvh6a1n-8

[Alternative Carpark]

Cheggers was in a few weird things wasnt he?

Appeared in the Children's Film Foundation production, 'Egghead's Robot' when he was a child.

There's a 1953 Laurence Olivier film adaptation of 'The Beggar's Opera' which is notable for featuring Kenneth Williams in a minor role.

[Tapiocahead]

Mark Heap is very briefly in Octopussy

[DrGreggles]

Philomena Cunk's ads for Wispa:
https://youtu.be/BO6ZBJY84xM
https://youtu.be/nDC3DbOGXDA
https://youtu.be/NMX60wXYjmE
https://youtu.be/9MMhEcCaxik

[studpuppet]

Mark Heap is very briefly in Octopussy

"Flim-Flam-Flong!!"

[George White]

By this I mean adverts or shows or whatever that various comedians did years ago when they were just getting started and weren't that well known (or at all). To begin with, here's a bunch of advert breaks from Sky Channel (not even called Sky One at this point) during 1989 - skip to 30 seconds in for a quite startling appearance from someone who's pretty famous almost 30 years on:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LeijrAfiHvI

Isn't that Tony Doyle (Ballykissangel, Who Dares Wins - the film) as the henpecked husband in the Sky ad? From the same town as myself.