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Dylan Moran
Born
November 3, 1971 Navan, County Meath, Ireland
Occupation
Actor, comedian, writer, stand-up comedian
Career milestones
Perrier Comedy Award (1997) Black Books (2000-2004) The Actors (2003) Shaun of the Dead (2004)
Website
unofficial comedy tour

Dylan Moran (born November 3, 1971) is an Irish comedian, actor and writer. He is most famous for his work on the television sitcom Black Books, in which he both co-wrote and starred as the sour, drunken bookshop owner Bernard Black, and his role as David in the comedy film Shaun of the Dead. Moran is regular performer at national and international comedy festivals including the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Just for Laughs Montreal Comedy Festival, the Melbourne International Comedy Festival and the Kilkenny Comedy Festival.

Moran was born in Navan, County Meath, Ireland. He left school at age 16 with no qualifications and apparently spent 4 jobless years 'drinking and writing bad poetry'. He once worked as a florist for a week but hated it.

Moran fell into comedy at age 20 after watching Ardal O'Hanlon and other comedians perform at Dublin's 'The Comedy Cellar', a small 90-seater comedy club with no microphone. He had a go at standup at the Comedy Cellar in 1992 and found his calling- attracted also by the need for no qualifications. Between 1995 and 1996 Moran wrote a weekly column for The Irish Times.

Moran's talent was acknowledged in 1993 when he won the So You Think You're Funny award at the Edinburgh Festival. He then went on to become the youngest person to win the Perrier Comedy Award in 1996 at Edinburgh Festival at age 24. 'Gurgling For Money' was Moran's first major one man stand up UK tour in 1997. He went on to perform at many other festivals including the Hay Literary Festival, Montreal Comedy Festival, Vancouver Comedy Festival and the Edinburgh Festival.

In 1998 he won his first major television role in the BBC 2 sitcom 'How Do You Want Me?' with Charlotte Coleman, playing as Ian Lyons. Dylan then won a small role in the 1999 movie 'Notting Hill' as Rufus the Thief.

In 2000, 'Black Books' was first aired on Channel 4. The sitcom about a miserable, unsociable, drunken book shop owner, Bernard Black, was the original idea of Moran and brought into existence with the aid of by co-writer and fellow Irishman Graham Linehan. Series two was televised in 2002, and series three, which aired in March 2004 on Channel 4, was greeted with great enthusiasm by critics and fans alike.

Moran can also be seen playing 'David' in 2004's British movie success, the 'RomZomCom', 'Shaun Of The Dead', written by the writers of Spaced, Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright.

2004 saw Moran taking to the road again with his new show, Monster II, including performances in New York and Milan, as well as a zig-zag tour around Britain, culminating in a week-long run at London's Palace Theatre, before two shows at Dublin's Vicar street, and finally an appearance at the Hay Festival.

A live DVD of the Monster II tour, filmed May 28th at Dublin's Vicar Street, is on general release. This is Moran's first live stand-up DVD. After a successful run in New York in 2004 as part of the British Comedy Invasion (including performances by other top British comedians such as Eddie Izzard, Bill Bailey and Irish comedian Tommy Tiernan) Moran returned to New York for a month-long run at the Village Theatre. He then performed a two-week London West End run at the Wyndham's Theatre, November 1st-13th 2004.

Having finally laid Black Books to rest, Moran remains busy. His next project is a role in Tristram Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story, starring alongside Steve Coogan, Stephen Fry and Rob Brydon amongst others.

Appearances

• The Secret Policeman's Ball (2006)
• Tell it to the Fishes (2006) - Finn
• Melbourne International Comedy Festival 2006
• Like, Totally (tour) 2006
• A Cock and Bull Story 2006 - Dr Slop
• Monster 2 (tour) 2004
• Monster (tour) 2002
• Shaun of the Dead 2004 - David
• The Actors 2003
• Black Books Channel 4 (Writer) 2000, 2002, 2004 (BAFTA Award winning show) - Bernard Black
• Ready, Steady...Cough (tour) 2000
• Notting Hill 1999 - Rufus the Thief
• How Do You Want Me? 1998 - Ian Lyons
• Just For Laughs Montreal Comedy Festival

Trivia

• Cites The Velvet Underground as one of his favourite bands.
• Is a self-confessed pheasant fan - enjoys its chewiness and its no-nonsense attitude.
• Attended the same secondary school as fellow Irish comic Tommy Tiernan.
• Has mumbled a confession about his fear of flying.
• Got married in London on the day of Princess Diana's funeral, in a church just around the corner.
• Some of his favourite authors are Don DeLillo, S.J. Perelman, and J.B. Morton.
• Some of his favourite shows are Frasier, and The Office.
• His height is 5'11, making him taller than average.
• He now lives in Edinburgh with his wife Elaine, and two children.

External links

• Unofficial fansite
• Channel 4 interview
• BBC review of Monster tour

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