Richard Ayoade: Comedy Show Writer | Actor | Director | Music Videos | Panel Shows | TV Show Host | Author
Richard Ayoade is a brilliant actor, writer, director, and comedian. Born on May 23, 1977, in Hammersmith, London, he studied law at Cambridge University before launching a successful entertainment career. His breakout role as Moss in The IT Crowd made him a household name, leading to a diverse career in comedy, film, television, and literature. Ayoade’s sharp wit, deadpan delivery, and distinctive persona have made him one of the most unique voices in British entertainment.
Many UK comedians amplify certain aspects of their personalities for comedic effect. David Mitchell plays up his posh, repressed demeanor (“Shall I do posh and repressed, or repressed and posh?”), while Noel Fielding leans into his glam-eccentricity (“A motorbike made of jealousy”). Ayoade, on the other hand, uses his awkward intellectualism to great comedic advantage, making his self-deprecating humor feel both calculated and effortlessly natural.
Ayoade has carefully crafted a public persona that sets him apart. He leans into his image as a socially awkward intellectual, making his humor feel both endearing and meticulously self-aware. While The IT Crowd solidified this persona, his unscripted moments often feel just as authentic. He frequently downplays his own talent, joking that he isn’t an entertainer or a skilled actor, which only adds to his charm.
One of his comedic strengths is subverting expectations. Ayoade rarely steps outside his comfort zone, making it even funnier when he does. For instance, he seems like someone who would never attempt an impression, yet when he does, the sheer contrast to his usual demeanor makes it even more hilarious. His dry, straight-faced delivery is his signature style, and a genuine laugh from him is a rare but rewarding moment.
Writer
As a writer, Ayoade worked on the short-lived sketch show Bruiser, which featured a powerhouse lineup of rising comedy stars, including Olivia Colman, Robert Webb, David Mitchell, Ricky Gervais, Martin Freeman, and Matthew Holness. His collaboration with Holness continued with Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace, a cult classic that remains one of the most brilliantly absurd comedies ever made.
Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace
It’s only fitting that Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace became a cult classic—it was ahead of its time. When it first aired, the show struggled to find an audience and was canceled after just one season. However, over the years, it gained a dedicated fan base.
Ayoade co-wrote the series with Mathew Holness, starred as producer Dean Learner, and directed all six episodes. The show masterfully parodies both genre and medium. Every episode is packed with absurd humor that will leave you in stitches.
The characters of Garth Marenghi and Dean Learner actually made their debut four years earlier at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. If you’re craving more from this bizarre universe, check out the spin-off series Man to Man with Dean Learner. . This six-episode talk-show parody featured Ayoade’s character, Dean Learner, as the host, with Mathew Holness playing a different guest in each episode—one of them, of course, being Garth Marenghi.
Many of the same people involved in Darkplace also had ties to The Mighty Boosh in its various iterations. Ayoade originally played Dixon Bainbridge in the pilot, but due to contract issues, the role later went to Matt Berry. He did, however, make an appearance in a later episode as a different character. In a fun nod to his involvement, one of the mutants in an early episode is even named “Ayoade.” Along with acting, he also contributed to the show’s writing and script editing.
Working with Noel Fielding
Of all Ayoade’s frequent collaborators, Noel Fielding is the one he’s worked with the most. The two share a fantastic comedic chemistry, both in character and out. Their friendship shines through whenever they appear together on panel shows.
Ayoade played multiple roles in Noel Fielding’s Luxury Comedy, bringing his signature deadpan delivery to Fielding’s surreal world. But before that, the two worked together on AD/BC: A Rock Opera, a hilariously bizarre parody of biblical musicals. Ayoade co-wrote, directed, and starred in the special alongside frequent collaborators Fielding, Julian Barratt, and Matt Berry—all of whom had also appeared in Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace. Barratt played a priest, while Fielding had a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it cameo in a monkey suit.
Actor
Richard Ayoade had a supporting role in the Charlie Brooker and Christopher Morris-penned “Nathan Barley” and the oddity that is “Time Trumpet,” but his most well-known role is Maurice Moss on “The IT Crowd.” It’s a great character and a stellar performance, one that earned him a BAFTA for Best Male Comedy Performance. Frequent collaborators Noel Fielding and Matt Berry also have large roles on the show, created by Graham Linehan, who had a minor involvement with “AD/BC: A Rock Opera.”
Ayoade was also the only actor to reprise his role as Maurice Moss in the attempted American remake of the IT Crowd. The American version didn’t make it past the pilot and for good reason. The Chris O’Dowd role went to Joel McHale. Ayoade and McHale would have a future overlap when Richard Ayoade would end up directing an episode of one “Community.” He directed the episode Critical Film Studies, (that’s the Pulp Fiction episode if you don’t know.)
Directed by Richard Ayoade
Ayoade’s two feature films “Submarine” and “The Double” are both great. You don’t need to be a fan of his as an actor or a comedian, they’re just expertly made, high-quality films. And they are both incredibly different. ‘Submarine’ is a heartfelt coming-of-age tale with creative presentation choices and a top-notch cast, and ‘The Double’ is a dark, moody, thriller with excellent cinematography, incredible production design, and a strong sense of atmosphere and world-building.
The Double was released around the same time as the Dennis Villeneuve film Enemy and may have hurt each other’s viewership. Both are thrillers about doppelgangers with their leads playing dual roles and both were adapted from novels also titled ‘The Double’. Two separate books that share the name, “The Double,” and similar in content.
The ‘Enemy’ movie is an adaptation of the novel by Jose Saramago’s ‘The Double’, while the movie ‘The Double’, is an adaptation of Dostoyevsky’s ‘The Double and The Gambler‘.
Music Videos
Ayoade also has a track record for directing music videos for bands including Vampire Weekend, the Yeah, Yeah Yeahs, and The Arctic Monkeys, whose front-man Alex Turner composed the original soundtrack to Ayoade’s film Submarine.
British Panel Shows
Richard Ayoade has made appearances on a variety of British panel shows, showcasing his wit and comedic talent. Here are some of the notable ones:
- “The Big Fat Quiz of the Year” – Ayoade is a frequent guest on this annual quiz show, often paired with other comedians like Noel Fielding and David Mitchell.
- “8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown” – A spin-off of “8 Out of 10 Cats,” this show combines comedy with a traditional letters and numbers game. Ayoade has appeared as a guest, contributing to the comedic chaos.
- “Would I Lie to You?” – This comedy panel show involves guests trying to deceive each other with unlikely truths and plausible lies. Ayoade has made memorable appearances, adding his distinctive humor to the mix.
- “Never Mind the Buzzcocks” – A music-based panel show where Ayoade has appeared as a guest, participating in various music-related games and discussions.
- “Have I Got News for You” – Ayoade has appeared as a guest panelist on this long-running satirical news quiz show, where his sharp wit and humor shine.
- “QI” – Ayoade has been a guest on this quiz show hosted by Stephen Fry (and later by Sandi Toksvig), which focuses on interesting and obscure facts.
- “As Yet Untitled” – Hosted by Alan Davies, this show features guests discussing various topics and sharing amusing anecdotes. Ayoade has contributed to the lively conversations.
- “Taskmaster” – Although not a regular contestant, Ayoade has appeared in special episodes or segments of this show where comedians compete in absurd and creative tasks.
- “Was It Something I Said?” – Ayoade was a team captain on this short-lived panel show, which revolved around quotes and famous sayings.
- “The Last Leg” – Ayoade has been a guest on this show that combines comedy and current events, adding his unique perspective to the discussions.
These appearances have allowed Richard Ayoade to showcase his quick wit, dry humor, and unique comedic style, making him a beloved figure on the British panel show circuit.
TV Show Host
In addition to being a guest on a plethora of panel shows, Richard Ayoade has hosted several TV shows. Here are some of the shows he’s presented:
- Gadget Man (2013–2015): A show where Ayoade introduced the world to new gadgets and technology.
- Travel Man (2015–2019): A travel documentary series where Ayoade spent 48 hours in different cities to discover the must-see tourist attractions.
- The Crystal Maze (2017–2020): A revival of the classic UK game show where contestants take on a series of challenges.
- Have I Got News for You (2018): A comedic news quiz show where Ayoade appeared as a guest host.
- Have I Got a Bit More News for You (2018): An extended version of the previous show, with Ayoade also serving as a guest host.
These shows highlight Ayoade’s versatility as a host, comfortably navigating through different genres from technology to travel.
Author – Books by Richard Ayoade
And that’s everything from Richard Ayoade, except, oh wait there’s more! He’s written four books – three on film and a children’s book.
Ayoade on Ayoade: A Cinematic Odyssey is essentially an interview-style book in which one fictionalized Richard Ayoade interviews a second fictionalized Ayoade.
Over ten brilliantly insightful and often erotic interviews, Ayoade examines himself fully and without mercy, leading a breathless investigation into this once-in-a-generation visionary.
His second book, The Grip of Film features an introduction and footnotes from one of the fictionalized Ayoade’s from the first book while being primarily written by Gordy Lasure. And don’t worry, Gordy Lasure isn’t a real person, it’s still Ayoade all the way. The Grip of Film is styled as a film encyclopedia with the humor arising from Gordy Lasure’s tremendous character flaws.
(Description from Amazon) In Ayoade on Top, Richard Ayoade, perhaps one of the most ‘insubstantial’ people of our age, takes us on a journey from Peckham to Paris by way of Nevada and other places we don’t care about. It’s a journey deep within, in a way that’s respectful and non-invasive; a journey for which we will all pay a heavy price, even if you’ve waited for the smaller paperback edition. Ayoade argues for the canonization of this brutal masterpiece, a film that celebrates capitalism in all its victimless glory; one we might imagine Donald Trump himself half-watching on his private jet’s gold-plated flat screen while his other puffy eye scans the cabin for fresh, young prey.”
The life of a book isn’t easy, especially when people judge you by your cover (not every book can be adorned with sparkly unicorns!). And this narrator should know—it’s the book itself, and it has a lot of opinions. It gets irritated when readers bend its pages back, and it finds authors quite annoying. But it does have a story to tell. Through witty direct address and charming illustrations, readers meet – The Book That No One Wanted to Read – with a cover the boring color of a school lunch table and pages so dry they give bookworms indigestion. But what happens when this book meets you, a curious reader? Readers of all ages will be delighted by the myriad bookish references and laughs on every page.
If you only know Richard Ayoade as Moss from “The IT Crowd” you are missing out on all this multi-faceted Renaissance Man has to offer.