Person of the Week: Matt Lucas

Best known for his work with comedy partner, David Walliams, Matt Lucas made himself a household name through the many hilarious characters he portrayed on Little Britain and its U.S. counterpart, Little Britain, USA. Bubbles DeVere, Marjorie Dawes, Daffyd Thomas, Roy, Kenny Craig, Andy Pipkin and Vicki Pollard are just a few of the stable of characters which Mr. Lucas has brought to us.

Lucas and Walliams
BBC Three

Lucas was born in 1974 in Paddington, London. At the age of six, he was diagnosed with alopecia—a condition which led to the permanent loss of his hair at an early age. For awhile, he wore a wig in school. However, the uncomfortable and ill-fitting hairpiece (a woman’s wig which had been cut down and lined with a handkerchief) proved to be an obvious reminder that he was different. And, so, young Matt Lucas turned his wig into a joke—fooling about with it, using it to do impersonations. Soon, this good-natured boy had become quite popular. He met David Walliams during a youth theater group and the two formed a lifelong friendship and partnership. His entrée into show business came after years of live performing led him to a position on Britain’s Shooting Stars where he played the bizarre baby-giant, George Dawes (sometimes said to be the child of his later creation, Marjorie Dawes).

Lucas as "Marjorie Dawes"
BBC Three

After performing Little Britain with David Walliams on the radio, the program was picked up by BBC Three (later BBC One). Thus began an exciting period for Lucas and Walliams as Little Britain soared in international popularity which culminated with an extensive live stage tour and an American spin-off series for HBO. Since Little Britain wrapped, Lucas has applied himself to a variety of projects—notably playing the dual roles of Tweedles in Tim Burton’s adaptation of Alice in Wonderland. Also a talented dramatic actor and singer, Lucas has appeared on the London stage and in several dramatic series. Debuting in the winter of 2010, Walliams and Lucas are offering a new comedy program entitled Come Fly with Me. Styled in much the same comically grotesque manner as Little Britain, Come Fly with Me promises to be another success for this charming duo.


Lucas as the "Tweedles"
Walt Disney Corporation



Aside from his remarkable contributions to the world of entertainment, Matt Lucas is a patron of The Karen Morris Memorial Trust—a foundation dedicated to helping leukemia patients and their families. Through his positive outlook and ability to bring joy and comfort to people’s lives, Matt Lucas has made a huge difference in our global community. For this reason, he is this week’s “Person of the Week.”

In this clip, we see Matt Lucas as Andy Pipkin and David Walliams as his caregiver Lou Todd in what is certainly one of my favorite—if not my favorite—of the “Lou and Andy” sketches from Little Britain.