Matt Berry | |
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 Berry in 2013 | |
| Born | Matthew Charles Berry (1974-05-02)2 May 1974 (age 51) Bromham, Bedfordshire, England |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1998–present |
Matthew Charles Berry (born 2 May 1974) is an English actor, comedian, musician, and writer. Noted for his distinctive voice, he is best known for his television roles in comedy series such asThe IT Crowd,Garth Marenghi's Darkplace,The Mighty Boosh,Snuff Box,What We Do in the Shadows,Krapopolis, andToast of London, the last of which he also co-created and scored.
ForToast of London, Berry won oneBAFTA Award for Best Male Performance in a Comedy Programme. ForWhat We Do in the Shadows, he has been nominated for onePrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series and twoCritics' Choice Television Awards for Best Actor in a Comedy Series. He has also released 11 studio albums, which are mostly described aspsychedelic rock andfolk music.
Matthew Charles Berry[1] was born on 2 May 1974 inBromham, Bedfordshire,[2] the son of nurse Pauline (née Acreman) and taxi driver Charles Berry.[1]
In 1999, he graduated fromNottingham Trent University with aBA in contemporary arts.[3]
Between 1998 and 1999, Berry appeared in the video game magazine showGame Over onBSkyB's computer and technology channel.tv.[4]
Berry appeared in a UK television commercial forLloyds TSB bank with American 70's pop singerLionel Richie.
Berry's first prominent television role wasTodd Rivers/Lucien Sanchez in the cult 2004 comedy seriesGarth Marenghi's Darkplace and its 2006 spin-off,Man to Man with Dean Learner.[5] He later appeared as eccentric, sinister tycoonDixon Bainbridge inThe Mighty Boosh.[6][7] He met the show'sJulian Barratt andNoel Fielding while performing at theHen and Chickens Theatre, where they were resident in 2000.[8] He can be seen in a cameo performance inThe Mighty Boosh Live DVD.[9]
After meetingRich Fulcher while filmingThe Mighty Boosh, Berry wrote and starred in the comedy seriesSnuff Box with him onBBC Three.[10][11] Fulcher had co-starred as Bainbridge's lackeyBob Fossil inThe Mighty Boosh.[12] Berry also starred with Fulcher andSimon Farnaby onE4'sThe Golf War in November 2007.[13]
In 2007, Berry joinedThe IT Crowd during its second series asDouglas Reynholm.[14] He was nominated as Best Male Comedy Newcomer in the 2007British Comedy Awards for the role.[15]
In 2008, he became the face ofAdult Swim's spoof charity appeal "Save the Workers".[16][17]
In 2010, Berry played journalist Michael Duffy in theBBC productionFive Daughters, about events surrounding the Ipswich murders of 2006. In 2011, he provided the voice of Allen in theAqua Teen Hunger Force episode "Allen Part Two". He appeared in the British comedy panel gameShooting Stars, portrayingVangelis.[18] He appeared as an antiques expert in theITV sketch showMonkey Trousers withVic and Bob andSteve Coogan.[19]
Berry appeared in a number of films during this period, includingThe Devil's Chair (2006)[20] andMoon (2009). He starred inThe Search (2009), a short film about "a lonely man's search for the existence of life outside our universe takes a remarkable turn when he connects with a recently bereaved family".[21]
In 2012, BBC Radio 4 aired his comedy seriesI, Regress, where he portrayed Dr. Berry, a brilliant but unorthodox regressive therapist. In each 15-minute episode, Berry explored the psyche of a guest patient, attempting to treat their problems in surreal dreamlike sequences.[22] Berry appeared in the film adaptation of theDavid Nicholls novelOne Day as Aaron, Dexter's agent. He was briefly featured in the closing ceremony of theLondon 2012 Olympics, introducingELO's "Mr. Blue Sky" by way of a mock weather forecast.[citation needed]
In July 2012, he appeared as vainglorious actor Steven Toast in the pilot episode ofChannel 4 sitcomToast of London, co-written withArthur Mathews. Notwithstanding mixed reviews, a series was commissioned, and the first episode was broadcast on 20 October 2013, and it brought Berry the 2015 BAFTA Award for Best Male Comedy Performance.[23] In 2015, Berry and Arthur Mathews publishedToast on Toast: Cautionary Tales and Candid Advice, a spoof autobiography of Steven Toast. It was released as an audiobook read by Berry.[citation needed]
Berry played the title character in the 2013Portlandia episode "Squiggleman". Co-creatorsFred Armisen andCarrie Brownstein included the appearance on a list of their "proudest musical moments" from the show.[24]
From 2014 to 2015, Berry co-starred in theBBC 2 seriesHouse of Fools, written by and starringReeves and Mortimer.[25] He portrayed Beef, "the highly sexual, flamboyant and blindly confident friend of Vic and Bob" who "will seduce anything in a skirt".[26]
Berry appeared in episode nine of the sixth season ofDan Harmon's television seriesCommunity, released onYahoo Screen on 5 May 2015. In December 2015, he played Professor Awfulshirt inHarry Hill in Professor Branestawm Returns onBBC One.[27]
Since 2019, Berry has starred in the FXTV adaptation of the filmWhat We Do in the Shadows as Laszlo, one of four vampires living inStaten Island.[28] It was renewed for a second season in May 2019, and began airing in April 2020.[29][30] The third season aired in September 2021.[31] In an interview with collider.com, Berry said, "It's different and it's very free. The scripts are starting points and then we go from there. That's how I like to work, anyway. So, for me, it was perfect. That's my background, improvisation. It was home for me in that department."[32]
In 2019, Berry starred in the IFC/Channel 4 sitcomYear of the Rabbit. Set in Victorian London, he plays the alcoholic Detective Inspector Rabbit. On 11 February 2020, the series was renewed for a second series of six episodes.[33] Citing budget cuts caused by theCOVID-19 pandemic, Channel 4 reversed their decision in January 2021, casting doubt on the show's future. Layla Smith, chief executive of the show's production companyOMG, said "Year of the Rabbit is a victim of the devastating effects of COVID. [...] IFC are very committed to the show, but we will need to find another partner — and we're working on that."[34]
In April 2020, BBC Two commissioned Berry for amockumentary series titledSqueamish About ... The four quarter-hour specials would be cowritten by Berry andArthur Mathews and star Berry as Michael Squeamish. The series uses a combination of archive footage and voiceover to produce a surreal perspective on the episodes' subject.[35]
In 2021, after the second series ofYear of the Rabbit was axed, Berry was commissioned by the BBC to make a "Steven Toast in America" series. The show was a six-part television programme for BBC One, broadcast under the titleToast of Tinseltown and co-written by Berry and Arthur Mathews.[36]
In September 2024, Deadline announced that Berry andNatasha Lyonne are creating and starring in a "retro series for Sky titledForce & Majeure."[37]
Berry voiced Bubbles, an inter-dimensional dolphin, in the 2015 SpongeBob SquarePants film sequel,The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water. That year, he also voiced the main villainess, The Butt Witch, inTwelve Forever, a series pilot created by Julia Vickerman forCartoon Network that was released on its website on 18 May 2015. The show was moved toNetflix in December 2017.[38][39] From 2015 to 2016, Berry narratedMatt Berry Does ..., a series of comedy shorts for the BBC.[40] He provided the voice of Prince Merkimer inMatt Groening's animated seriesDisenchantment, which premiered in 2018 onNetflix.[41] Berry's distinctive voice has seen him providing many voiceovers for both radio and television advertising, including forVolvic (as the voice of George the Volcano),[42]The Natural Confectionery Company (voicing various characters alongsideRupert Degas),[43] Fridge Raiders,[44] andMoneysupermarket.com.[45] He has been in the sketch showThe Wrong Door as a recurring bit-part character who runs into asnooker hall and shouts "stop playing snooker!" before whispering an implied impossible wager to one of the players and completing an infeasibletrick shot. In 2012, he worked withTeam17 on their video game titleWorms Revolution, providing voiceover, as fictional wildlife documentary maker Don Keystone, for both the game and the video advertisements produced for it.[46]
In 2014, Berry read out the team sheets atLuton Town FC before the game. In 2015, he provided the voice for a satirical anti-war film by the UK branch ofVeterans for Peace calledAction Man: Battlefield Casualties.[47] In 2019, he provided the voice ofMoominpappa in the Finnish animated children's seriesMoominvalley.[citation needed] He provided the voice for the torture droid 8D8 in the 2021Star Wars television seriesThe Book of Boba Fett.[citation needed]
In 2023, Berry narrated a short segment in an episode ofLast Week Tonight with John Oliver about freight trains titled 'The Sad Tale of Henry the Engine', a spoof of theThomas & Friends television series.[48] In 2024, he voiced Chester Arborday in theseason 35 episode ofThe Simpsons, "Lisa Gets an F1".[49] In 2025, he provided the human voice of Nitwit inA Minecraft Movie.
Berry composed all the music forSnuff Box andToast of London,[50] as well as the music forAD/BC: A Rock Opera, which he co-wrote withRichard Ayoade.[51]AD/BC was a half-hour parody of overblown musicals in general andJesus Christ Superstar in particular, telling the story of the innkeeper who allowed Mary, Joseph and the baby Jesus to sleep in his stable.AD/BC was broadcast in December 2004 and featured Fulcher andMighty Boosh starsJulian Barratt andNoel Fielding. Berry performed a song for an episode ofGarth Marenghi's Darkplace, "One Track Lover", a spoof of cheesy romantic 1980s songs.[52]
Berry wrote music for theBBC 2Steve Coogan comedySaxondale and appeared in the first and third episodes of the second series of the show.[53] He composed the theme song for theChannel 4 sketch showBlunder.[54] He is also credited onThe Peter Serafinowicz Show.[citation needed]
Berry is friends with musical composer Dan McGrath and contributed to theStrictly Come Dancing theme song by playing guitar and providing the audible "Hey".[55]
Berry has recorded 11 studio albums:Jackpot (1995),Opium (self-released 2008),Witchazel (self-released 2009, re-released 2011),Kill the Wolf (2013),Music for Insomniacs (2014),[56][57]The Small Hours (2016),[58]Television Themes (2018),Phantom Birds (2020),The Blue Elephant (2021), andHeard Noises (2025).[59] The most recent five have been released onEddie Piller'sAcid Jazz Records. In 2017, a "companion piece"[60] toThe Small Hours was released,Night Terrors, featuring remixes by artists such asSaint Etienne. Berry stated in the first issue ofBearded in 2007 that he was producing and collaborating on new material with 1960s soul singerGeno Washington and would record an album.[61] It wasWitchazel, which Berry originally released as a one-day-only free download in March 2009.[62] It was later released as a CD and paid-for digital download.[56]
Berry has toured with a number of bands including Jonas 3 and The Maypoles.[63] The latter comprises formerBluetones singerMark Morriss and singer/clarinettist Cecilia Fage.[64] Rich Fulcher has joined Berry on stage for several appearances.Geno Washington has joined him onstage at London gigs for encores of theSnuff Box theme.[citation needed]
In October 2007, Berry provided a new track, "Cream Pie", toBearded for readers to download free,[65] followed by a cover of theBlur song "Sing" in November 2007. "Cream Pie" is still available to supporters of Beardaid.[citation needed]
Until 2010, Berry presented a show onAbsolute Radio, where he still performs various voiceovers and was described as "the voice of Absolute Radio".[66]
In 2015, Berry was the opening act forSteven Wilson's secondRoyal Albert Hall concert.[67]
In July 2018, Berry released the albumTelevision Themes[68] onAcid Jazz Records, featuring covers of famous retro TV themes such asSorry!,Doctor Who andRainbow. It became his first UK Top 40 album chart hit.[69]
In 2019, Berry was revealed as one of the contributing artists onThe Desert Sessions albumVols. 11 & 12. He co-wrote, narrated, and played the organ on the track "Chic Tweetz".[70]
In October 2020, Berry's albumPhantom Birds (also issued by Acid Jazz) made the UK albums chart and eclipsed the number 38 peak ofTelevision Themes by reaching number 31.[71] In December 2020, he appeared inGorillaz's live-streamed concertSong Machine Live, performing the narration for the spoken-word song "Fire Coming Out of the Monkey's Head" from the albumDemon Days.[72] On 14 May 2021, Berry released his ninth studio albumThe Blue Elephant through Acid Jazz.[73] In 2023, he released his 10th studio albumSimplicity. His 11th studio albumHeard Noises was released on 24 January 2025 through Acid Jazz.
The song "Take My Hand" from Berry's albumWitchazel (2009), which first became known as the opening theme for his comedy seriesToast of London (2012–2015),[74] garnered new interest when it was used as the closing credits theme of theNetflix documentary miniseriesAmerican Murder: Gabby Petito in February 2025.[75] In the two weeks following the airing of the series, the song was streamed in the U.S. over 579,000 times, representing a 1,505% increase in the song's streaming activity.[76]
As of October 2025, Berry has transferred toSony Music Publishing for future releases[77].
Berry starred in the video for theSuper Furry Animals song "Run-Away" (2007), directed byRichard Ayoade.[78] Other appearances include the videos for "Reset" (2011) by London-based experimental bandThree Trapped Tigers[79] and "What Are You Like" (2017) by Irish bandPugwash.[80]
In contrast to the boisterous and unhinged characters he is known for playing, Berry has been noted as intensely shy and introverted; he rarely discusses his private life in interviews and avoids promotional events unless he is contractually obliged to attend them.[81][82][83] Hissocial media profiles are dedicated solely to updates on his work.[84][85][86] He was seen having dinner and partying all night inSoho with actressCharlie Brooks in 2016, but the pair did not comment on the tabloid reports and no more updates were ever given.[83] Berry previously lived inLondon, but confirmed in an April 2017 interview withThe i Paper that he had recently "moved to somewhere with a bit more space" before asking the interviewer not to name the place in the article.[87]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | One Last Thing | Mugger | Short film |
| 2007 | The Devil's Chair | Brett Wilson | |
| 2009 | Moon | Overmeyers | |
| The Search | Bootland | Short film | |
| A Bit of Tom Jones? | Philip da Purve | ||
| 2010 | Huge | Head Creative | |
| Braincell | Neil Balsam | ||
| The Pizza Miracle | Daniel | Short film | |
| 2011 | One Day | Aaron | |
| Angry White Man | Bulldog Hayes | ||
| 2012 | Snow White and the Huntsman | Percy | |
| The Wedding Video | Roger | Composed score | |
| 2013 | Svengali | Jeremy Braines | |
| 2014 | Asterix and Obelix: Mansion of the Gods | Vitalstatistix | English dub |
| 2015 | The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water | Bubbles the Dolphin | Voice role |
| Swansong | Toby Taylor | ||
| 2017 | Sleigh | Martin | Short film |
| 2018 | An Evening with Beverly Luff Linn | Rodney von Donkensteiger | |
| Take Rabbit | Fox / Guard 2 | Voice roles; Short film | |
| Christopher Robin | Policeman Bobby | ||
| 2020 | The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run | King Poseidon | Voice role |
| 2023 | The Inventor | Pope Leo X | |
| 2024 | The Wild Robot | Paddler | |
| 2025 | Bubble & Squeak | Shazbor | |
| A Minecraft Movie | Nitwit | Voice role | |
| 2026 | The Cat in the Hat | The Fish | |
| TBA | Rogue Trooper | TBA |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Garth Marenghi's Darkplace | Todd Rivers / Dr. Lucien Sanchez | 6 episodes |
| The Mighty Boosh | Dixon Bainbridge | 4 episodes | |
| AD/BC: A Rock Opera | Innkeeper / Tim Wynde | Television special; also writer and composer | |
| 2006 | Snuff Box | Matt / Various characters | 6 episodes; also co-creator, writer and composer |
| Man to Man with Dean Learner | Various characters | 5 episodes | |
| Saxondale | Geoff | 2 episodes; also composer | |
| 2007 | The Peter Serafinowicz Show | Various characters | |
| 2007–2013 | The IT Crowd | Douglas Reynholm | 16 episodes |
| 2008 | The Wrong Door | Various characters | 3 episodes; also writer |
| 2008–2009 | The Sarah Silverman Program | Sir Corin Ashley / Owl | 2 episodes |
| 2009 | Svengali | Jeremy Braines | Television short |
| 2010 | The Suits | Voice | |
| Five Daughters | Mirror Journalist | Episode #1.3 | |
| 2011 | Duckworth | Turk Cinnamon | Pilot |
| Aqua Teen Hunger Force | Allen (voice) | Episode: "Allen" | |
| Shooting Stars | Vangelis | Episode #8.3 | |
| 2012 | Loserville | Hotelier | Television special |
| 2012–2015 | Toast of London | Steven Toast | 19 episodes; also co-creator, writer and composer |
| 2013 | Portlandia | Squiggleman | Episode: "Squiggleman" |
| It's Kevin | Sex Pistol | Episode #1.3 | |
| 2014 | Lucas Bros. Moving Co. | OG Sherlock Kush (voice) | Episode: "Tales from the Hoodie" |
| 2014–2015 | House of Fools | Beef | 13 episodes |
| 2015 | Community | Professor Roger DeSalvo | Episode: "Grifting 101" |
| Major Lazer | Professor Teacher (voice) | 2 episodes | |
| Matt Berry Does.... | Narrator | 6 Shorts (5 broadcast) | |
| Randy Cunningham: 9th Grade Ninja | Brawn Brickwall (voice) | Episode: "The Brawn Also Rises" | |
| Harvey Beaks | Doctor Roberts (voice) | 2 episodes[88] | |
| 2016 | Morgana Robinson's The Agency | Tony | Episode #1.3 |
| The Last Dragonslayer | King Snodd | Television film | |
| Professor Branestawm Returns | Professor Awfulshirt | ||
| 2018–2023 | Disenchantment | Prince Merkimer (voice) | 13 episodes |
| 2019 | Year of the Rabbit | Detective Inspector Rabbit | 6 episodes |
| Archer | Mr. Deadly (voice) | Episode: "Archer: 1999 -- Mr. Deadly Goes to Town" | |
| Twelve Forever | Butt Witch (voice) | 9 episodes | |
| The Road to Brexit | Michael Squeamish | Television special | |
| 2019–2024 | Moominvalley | Moominpappa (voice) | 26 episodes |
| What We Do in the Shadows | Leslie "Laszlo" Cravensworth | Main cast | |
| 2020 | Squeamish About | Michael Squeamish (voice) | 4 episodes; also writer |
| 2021 | The Watch | Gawain (voice) | 5 episodes |
| 2021–2022 | The Book of Boba Fett | 8D8 (voice) | |
| 2022 | Toast of Tinseltown | Steven Toast | 6 episodes; also co-creator and writer |
| 2023 | Great Expectations | Mr. Pumblechuck | Miniseries[89] |
| Last Week Tonight with John Oliver | The Sad Tale of Henry the Engine narrator | Season 10 Episode 20[90] | |
| 2023–present | Krapopolis | Shlub, Paizo (voices) | Main role |
| 2024 | The Simpsons | Chester Arborday (voice) | Episode: "Lisa Gets an F1"[49] |
| Curb Your Enthusiasm | Les McCrabb | Episode: "Ken/Kendra" | |
| Fallout | Snip Snip (voice) | Episode: "The Ghouls" | |
| Mr. Handy/Sebastian Leslie | Episode: "The Trap" | ||
| 2025 | Watson | Sherlock Holmes (voice) | Episode: "Teeth Marks"[91] |
| TBD | Force & Majeure | Thomas Force | [92] |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Worms Revolution | Don Keystone (Dictor) | |
| 2024 | Thank Goodness You're Here! | Herbert | [93] |
| 2026 | Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight | Bane | [94] |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| TBA | Harry Potter: The Full-Cast Audio Editions | Sir Cadogan | [95] |
| Year | Title | Label | Notes | UK Albums Chart [96] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Jackpot | Self-released | — | |
| 2005 | Opium | Re-released onAcid Jazz Records in 2015 | — | |
| 2009 | Witchazel | Acid Jazz Records | Re-released on Acid Jazz Records in 2011 | — |
| 2013 | Kill the Wolf | — | ||
| 2014 | Music for Insomniacs | — | ||
| 2015 | Matt Berry and the Maypoles Live | First live album | — | |
| 2016 | The Small Hours | — | ||
| 2017 | Night Terrors | Companion piece toThe Small Hours | — | |
| 2018 | Television Themes | 38 | ||
| 2020 | Phantom Birds | 31 | ||
| 2021 | The Blue Elephant | 46 | ||
| 2023 | Simplicity[97] | Acid Jazz Records,KPM Music | — | |
| 2025 | Heard Noises | Acid Jazz Records | 22 | |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart. | ||||
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