Matthew Holness

from Whitstable, Kent, England

Artwork for Darkplace IlluminatumImage of Matthew Holness

Biography

Born in Whitstable, Kent in 1975, Matthew Holness is an English comedian, actor, writer and director. He is best known for his comic creation, the fictional horror novelist Garth Marenghi. He read English at Trinity College, Cambridge and was vice-president of the Cambridge Footlights. His contemporaries included Footlights president, David Mitchell, Robert Webb, Olivia Colman and his Marenghi co-writer Richard Ayoade. Holness first appeared on television as a cast-member of the 2000 BBC Choice TV series Bruiser, which starred Mitchell, Webb, Colman and Martin Freeman. In that same year he won the Perrier at the Edinburgh Fringe for Garty Marenghi's Fright Night, which was transferred to UK television in the guise of the 2004 Channel 4 horror comedy Garth Marenghi's Darkplace. Other credits include 2006's Man to Man with Dean Learner, several productions with Ricky Gervais such as The Office, Life's Too Short and Cemetery Junction, and the 2017 Channel 4 sitcom Back which starred Mitchell and Webb. In 2018 he made his feature length directorial debut with the film Possum, having previously helmed short films The Snipist and A Gun For George.

Timeline

2023

  • Poster for Dodger Special: Bad Egg

    Sir Denholm Havers

2021

  • Poster for Friday Night Dinner: 10 Years and a Lovely Bit of Squirrel

    Self

2018

  • Poster for Possum

    Director

2015

  • Poster for Italia Violenta

    (Unknown)

2012

  • Poster for The Snipist

    Writer

2011

  • Poster for A Gun for George

    Terry / George / The Reprisalizer

2010

  • Poster for Cemetery Junction

    Band Leader

2006

  • Poster for Horrificata Illuminata

    Garth Marenghi

  • Poster for Darkplace Illuminatum

    Garth Marenghi

2005

  • Poster for Festival

    Roger - Lighting Man