Eddie Izzard

Eddie Izzard Headshot

Comedian • Host • Actor • Writer

Birth Date: February 7, 1962

Age: 62 years old

Birth Place: Aden, Yemen

A self-deprecating yet cheeky British comedian with a penchant for eyeliner, Suzy Eddie Izzard was hailed as the "greatest British stand-up comedian of her generation" by The London Sunday Times. A witty, intelligent and unique performer, Izzard's stream-of-consciousness, non-sequitur style of comedy made her one of the top comedians in the business, as well as a successful film and stage actor. A self-professed "executive transvestite," Izzard's eclectic style and gender-bending wardrobe was often a trait that set her apart from the pack. Making a lasting impression on American audiences in her fifth major stand-up tour, "Eddie Izzard: Dress to Kill," (1999), Izzard combined such unrelated topics as the army, makeup, and the Church of England. One of her most popular stand-up routines, "Kill" later won Izzard two Emmy Awards. A world performer, Izzard often performed her stand-up in different languages, ably speaking fluent French which impressed that country and its denizens. On the stage, Izzard has starred in performances of "A Day in the Death of Joe Egg" in both London and New York, and on screen, appeared in numerous films, including "Shadow of the Vampire" (2000), "Ocean's Twelve" (2004) and "Valkyrie" (2008). With a wit and style all her own, Izzard proved to be one of the world's most interesting and versatile performers. Born Edward John Izzard on Feb. 7, 1962 in Aden, Yemen to English parents Harold Izzard, an accountant for British Petroleum, and Dorothy Izzard, a nurse, Izzard grew up in Bangor, Northern Ireland before relocating to Skewen, Wales in 1967. After her mother died of cancer when she was only six-years old, Izzard and her older brother were sent to Eastbourne, England to attend boarding school. As a child at Eastbourne College, Izzard developed an interest in acting and began auditioning for a number of school plays, but found little success. Finally cast in a small role at the age of 15, Izzard appeared as the jailer in a production of Shakespeare's "Comedy of Errors." Handcuffed to the lead during part of the play, Izzard managed to upstage her fellow performer, and was later cast in a number of other plays. She went on to attend Sheffield University as an accounting and financial management major. Spending most of her time writing and performing comedy shows instead, Izzard's attention to her degree only lasted a year. Focusing on her acting, Izzard staged shows at the university and at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, looking for a way to take her performance to a professional level. After "coming out" as a straight transvestite in 1985 (she had a penchant for dresses since the age of four and was caught stealing makeup as a teenager), Izzard and a friend began performing comedy stunts in London's Covent Garden. Though these stunts, which involved swordplay and unicycle tricks, were not particularly well-received, Izzard began to build strong improvisational skills that would later serve her well in stand-up. Taking to the improvisational stage in 1987, Izzard made her first appearance at The Comedy Store in London, where she began to hone her stand-up routine. By the early 90's, Izzard's growing popularity allowed her to take on larger venues around London; in February of 1993, she landed her first stand-up gig at The Ambassador's Theatre in London's West End. Finally hitting her mark, the show was extended past its original four-week run and was later taped and released on video as "Eddie Izzard: Live at the Ambassadors" (1993), winning Izzard the British Comedy Award for Top Stand-Up Comedian. The following year, Izzard released her second stand-up special, "Eddie Izzard: Unrepeatable" (1994) and made her West End dramatic debut as the lead in the premiere of David Mamet's play, "The Cryptogram." Well received on stage, Izzard went on to land starring roles in David Beaird's black comedy, "900 Oneonta" and a 1995 production of Christopher Marlowe's "Edward II." Making her feature film debut in 1996, Izzard appeared as the devious anarchist-ambassador Vladimir in "The Secret Agent" (1996), Christopher Hampton's take on the Joseph Conrad novel. One of Britain's most popular comedians by this time, Izzard continued to release videos of her stand-up performances with "Eddie Izzard: Definite Article" (1996) and, the following year, "Eddie Izzard: Glorious" (1997), in which she posed the important question, "what exactly is an evil giraffe?" Cast as can-do band manager Jerry Divine in the 1970s glam-rock drama "Velvet Goldmine" (1998), Izzard appeared alongside Ewan McGregor and Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, ironically, wearing less makeup than anyone else in the film. The same year, she appeared as a gum-chewing, old lady-thumping bad guy in the film, "The Avengers" (1998). Though Izzard had toured in the U.S., her major breakthrough with American audiences came in 1999 with the release of "Eddie Izzard: Dress to Kill." Broadcast as a special on HBO, the concert became immensely popular with American viewers and went on to earn Izzard two Emmy Awards in 2000 for Outstanding Individual Performance and for Writing in a Comedy Program. On film, Izzard next portrayed evil disco king Tony Pompadour in the comedy "The Mystery Men" (1999), Gustav von Wagenheim in the dark comedy, "Shadow of the Vampire" (2000) and Charlie Chaplin in "The Cat's Meow" (2001). Replacing Clive Owen in the 2001 stage production of Peter Nichols' "A Day in the Death of Joe Egg" at the Comedy Theatre in London, Izzard later reprised the role on Broadway in 2003, earning her a 2003 Tony Award nomination for Best Leading Actor. In her comedy career, Izzard toured with two more stand-up specials, "Eddie Izzard: Circle" (2002), and "Eddie Izzard: Sexie" in 2003, which marked the first ever arena tour by a comedian. Izzard next appeared on film in the hit ensemble caper, "Ocean's Twelve" (2004) alongside George Clooney and Brad Pitt, and in the musical comedy "Romance & Cigarettes" (2005). In 2006, Izzard lent her voice to Nigel, a sarcastic koala, in the animated comedy, "The Wild" (2006); played Professor Bedlam in "My Super Ex-Girlfriend" (2006); and reprised her "Ocean's" role in "Ocean's Thirteen" (2007). Making her first television series debut, Izzard also went into production on "The Riches" (FX, 2007-08), a dramatic series about a pair of con artists (Izzard and fellow Brit Minnie Driver) who take up residence in suburbia by posing as a deceased family. Although "The Riches" was soon canceled due to poor ratings, Izzard kept busy with voice work for "The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian" (2008) as the heroic mouse Reepicheep and as the conniving Dr. Schadenfreude in the animated comedic fantasy "Igor" (2008). Izzard rounded out the year with a rare dramatic turn in Bryan Singer's based-on-fact WWII thriller "Valkyrie" (2008), opposite Tom Cruise as one of several top Nazi officers who conspired to assassinate Hitler. The following year, Izzard was seen as a megalomaniacal cult leader in the miniseries remake of the apocalyptic thriller "The Day of the Triffids" (BBC, 2009) and headlined a documentary about herself, titled "Believe: The Eddie Izzard Story" (2009). She later joined Liev Schreiber and Helen Hunt for the romantic comedy "Every Day" (2010), prior to taking on the recurring role of the skeptical Dr. Hattarras in several episodes of "United States of Tara" (Showtime, 2009-2011) during its final season. The British actor-comedian also lent her immaculate enunciation to the voice role of the duplicitous Sir Miles Axlerod in the Pixar sequel "Cars 2" (2011), then played irrepressible pirate Long John Silver with gleeful abandon in the latest iteration of John Louis Stevenson's adventure classic "Treasure Island" (BSkyB, 2012).

Credits

CulpritsStream

Actor
Series
2023
83%

Little Trains and Big Names with Pete Waterman

Self
Show
2023

Doctor Jekyll

Actor
Doctor Jekyll/Rachel Hyde
Movie
2023

Spike Milligan: The Unseen Archive

Self
Show
2022

The Fringe, Fame and Me

Self
Show
2022

Stand Out: An LGBTQ+ CelebrationStream

Self
Special
2022

The Kids in the Hall: Comedy PunksStream

Self
Movie
2022
100%

Rock Dog 3: Battle the Beat

Voice
Angus Scattergood
Movie
2022

L'histoire racontée par des chaussettes : le film

Voice
Movie
2022

Dan Brown's The Lost SymbolStream

Actor
Peter Solomon
Series
2021
60%

Lee Mack's Road to Soccer Aid

Guest
Show
2021

Eddie Izzard: Wunderbar - Live

Screenwriter
Show
2021

Eddie Izzard: Wunderbar - Live

Self
Show
2021

Extraordinary Escapes with Sandi Toksvig

Self
Show
2021

Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? Celebrity Specials

Contestant
Show
2020

Inside Culture with Mary Beard

Guest
Show
2020

Sport Relief 2020

Guest
Show
2020

The High Note

Actor
Dan Deakins
Movie
2020

Six Minutes to Midnight

Actor
Thomas Miller
Movie
2020

Six Minutes to Midnight

Screenwriter
Movie
2020

Six Minutes to Midnight

Writer
Movie
2020

Green Eggs and Ham

Voice
Snerz
Show
2019

Green Eggs and Ham: The Second Serving

Voice
Snerz
Show
2019

The Dark Crystal: Age of ResistanceStream

Voice
Cadia
Series
2019
89%

AbominableStream

Voice
Burnish
Movie
2019
82%

Boyz in the Wood

Actor
The Duke
Movie
2019

Boyz in the Wood

Executive Producer
Movie
2019

The United Nations of Comedy

Actor
Show
2018

Voulez-vous rire avec moi ce soir ?

Guest
Show
2018

The Flip Side

Actor
Henry
Movie
2018

Believe Me by Eddie Izzard

Narrator
Show
2017

Believe Me by Eddie Izzard

Writer
Show
2017

The Lego Batman MovieStream

Voice
Voldemort
Movie
2017
89%

Victoria & Abdul

Actor
Bertie, Prince of Wales
Movie
2017

Today's Take

Guest
Show
2016

ChelseaStream

Guest
Talk
2016
41%

David Harewood's F Word

Self
Show
2016

Just for Laughs Starring Howie Mandel

Guest
Show
2016

Big Fat Quiz of Everything

Guest
Show
2016

The Beatles: Eight Days a Week: The Touring Years

Self
Show
2016

The Beatles: Eight Days a Week -- The Touring Years

Self
Movie
2016

Rock Dog

Voice
Angus Scattergood
Movie
2016

Dying Laughing

Self
Movie
2016

Whisky Galore!

Actor
Captain Wagget
Movie
2016

Eddie Izzard: Stripped En Francais

Actor
Show
2015

Eddie Izzard: Stripped En Francais

Producer
Show
2015

Eddie Izzard: Stripped En Francais

Writer
Show
2015

The Daily Show with Trevor NoahStream

Guest
Talk
2015

At Midnight With Chris HardwickStream

Guest
Game Show
2015

The Late Show With Stephen ColbertStream

Guest
Talk
2015

Screen

Guest
Show
2015

Travel ManStream

Self
Series
2015

The Late Late Show With James CordenStream

Guest
Talk
2015

PowersStream

Actor
Wolfe
Series
2015

Absolutely Anything

Actor
Headmaster
Movie
2015

Day Out of Days

Actor
Dag
Movie
2015

Monty Python's Best Bits (Mostly)

Guest
Show
2014

Castles in the Sky

Actor
Robert Watson Watt
Show
2014

Late Night With Seth MeyersStream

Guest
Talk
2014

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy FallonStream

Guest
Talk
2014

Boychoir

Actor
Drake
Movie
2014

Portrait Artist of the Year

Guest
Show
2013

At Midnight With Chris Hardwick

Guest
Show
2013

Eddie Izzard's Mandela Marathons

Host
Show
2013

HannibalStream

Guest Star
Dr. Abel Gideon
Series
2013
92%

Meet the Izzards

Actor
Show
2013

What About Dick?

Actor
Deepak Obi Ben Kingsley
Show
2012

Mockingbird Lane

Actor
Grandpa
Show
2012

Eddie Izzard: Force Majeure

Self
Show
2012

Eddie Izzard: Force Majeure

Writer
Show
2012

Bullet in the FaceStream

Actor
Miniseries
2012
67%

Larry King NowStream

Guest
Talk
2012

Brand XStream

Guest
Talk
2012

Blackout

Actor
Show
2012

The Secret Policeman's Ball

Actor
Show
2012

CBS This Morning: Saturday

Guest
Show
2012

CBS This Morning

Guest
Show
2012

Treasure Island

Actor
Show
2012

Treasure Island

Actor
Long John Silver
Movie
2012

L'Île au trésor

Actor
Long John Silver
Movie
2012

Big Fat Quiz of the Year 2011

Contestant
Show
2011

Lost Christmas

Actor
Anthony
Show
2011

Q With Jian Ghomeshi

Guest
Show
2011

Eddie Izzard: Live at Madison Square Garden

Self
Show
2011

Eddie Izzard: Live at Madison Square Garden

Writer
Show
2011

Cars 2Stream

Voice
Miles Axlerod
Movie
2011
40%

Lost Christmas

Actor
Anthony
Movie
2011

Pointless Celebrities

Guest
Show
2010

Eddie Izzard: Stripped

Executive Producer
Show
2010

Eddie Izzard: Stripped

Screenwriter
Show
2010

Eddie Izzard: Stripped

Self
Show
2010

The Talk

Guest
Talk
2010

George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight

Guest
Show
2010

Lorraine

Guest
Show
2010

2010 Spirit Awards

Host
Show
2010

Chatty Man

Guest
Show
2010

Eddie Izzard: Live From Wembley

Self
Show
2010

Eddie Izzard: Live From Wembley

Writer
Show
2010

Every Day

Actor
Garrett
Movie
2010

Day of the Triffids

Actor
Torrence
Show
2009

In the House With Peter Bart & Peter Guber

Guest
Show
2009

The Wanda Sykes Show

Guest
Talk
2009

The Good WifeStream

Guest Star
James Thrush
Series
2009
93%

The Stanley Baxter Story

Host
Show
2009

The Project

Guest
Show
2009

The Tonight Show With Conan O'Brien

Guest
Talk
2009

Kevin Pollak's Chat Show

Guest
Show
2009

Late Night With Jimmy Fallon

Guest
Talk
2009

United States of TaraStream

Actor
Dr. Hattarras
Series
2009
85%

United States of TaraStream

Guest Star
Dr. Hattarras
Series
2009
85%

Skavlan

Guest
Show
2009

Rage

Actor
Tiny Diamonds
Movie
2009

Believe: The Eddie Izzard Story

Self
Movie
2009

IgorStream

Voice
Dr. Schadenfreude
Movie
2008
40%

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince CaspianStream

Voice
Reepicheep
Movie
2008
66%

ValkyrieStream

Actor
Erich Fellgiebel
Movie
2008
62%

The Graham Norton ShowStream

Guest
Talk
2007

The Graham Norton ShowStream

Guest Star
Talk
2007

The RichesStream

Actor
Wayne Malloy
Series
2007
86%

Eddie Izzard: Unrepeatable

Self
Show
2007

Eddie Izzard: Unrepeatable

Writer
Show
2007

The Morning Show With Mike & Juliet

Guest
Show
2007

Ocean's ThirteenStream

Actor
Roman Nagel
Movie
2007
70%

Across the UniverseStream

Actor
Mr. Kite
Movie
2007
53%

Kitchen

Actor
Nick Malone
Movie
2007

Kitchen

Actor
Nick Malone
Show
2006

The One Show

Guest
Show
2006

etalk

Guest
Show
2006

The Wild

Voice
Nigel
Movie
2006

My Super Ex-Girlfriend

Actor
Prof. Bedlam/Barry
Movie
2006

Heroes of Comedy

Guest Star
Show
2005

The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson

Guest
Talk
2005

Romance & Cigarettes

Actor
Gene Vincent
Movie
2005

Live at the Apollo

Guest
Show
2004

Live at the Apollo

Host
Show
2004

Ocean's TwelveStream

Actor
Casino Manager
Movie
2004
55%

Blueberry

Actor
Prosit
Movie
2004

Five Children and It

Voice
It
Movie
2004

Eddie Izzard: Sexie

Self
Show
2003

Eddie Izzard: Sexie

Writer
Show
2003

Real Time With Bill MaherStream

Guest
Talk
2003

Eddie Izzard: Circle

Actor
Show
2002

Eddie Izzard: Circle

Producer
Show
2002

Eddie Izzard: Circle

Writer
Show
2002

Top GearStream

Guest
Reality
2002

Last Call With Carson Daly

Guest
Talk
2002

Eddie Izzard: Dress to Circle

Director
Show
2002

Eddie Izzard: Dress to Circle

Self
Show
2002

Eddie Izzard: Dress to Circle

Writer
Show
2002

Revengers Tragedy

Actor
Lussurioso
Movie
2002

Friday Night with Jonathan Ross

Guest
Show
2001

Agenda

Guest
Show
2001

The Cat's Meow

Actor
Charlie Chaplin
Movie
2001

All the Queen's Men

Actor
Tony
Movie
2001

Circus

Actor
Troy
Movie
2000

Shadow of the VampireStream

Actor
Gustav von Wangenheim
Movie
2000
82%

The Criminal

Actor
Peter Hume
Movie
2000

Eddie Izzard: Dress to KillStream

Actor
Stand-up
1999

Eddie Izzard: Dress to KillStream

Executive Producer
Stand-up
1999

Eddie Izzard: Dress to KillStream

Screenwriter
Stand-up
1999

The Daily Show With Jon StewartStream

Guest
Talk
1999

Mystery Men

Actor
Tony P.
Movie
1999

Stina om...

Guest
Show
1998

Billy Connolly: Erect for 30 Years

Guest
Show
1998

Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?

Contestant
Show
1998

Velvet GoldmineStream

Actor
Jerry Devine
Movie
1998
62%

The AvengersStream

Actor
Bailey
Movie
1998
5%

The View

Guest
Talk
1997

Je Suis A Stand-Up: Eddie Izzard Abroad

Self
Show
1996

Eddie Izzard: Definite Article

Actor
Show
1996

Eddie Izzard: Definite Article

Producer
Show
1996

Eddie Izzard: Definite Article

Writer
Show
1996

Just for Laughs

Actor
Show
1996

Joseph Conrad's The Secret Agent

Actor
Vladimir
Movie
1996

Open Fire

Actor
Rich
Movie
1994

Late Night With Conan O'Brien

Guest
Talk
1993

The SimpsonsStream

Guest Voice
Queen Elizabeth II / Nigel Baker-Butcher / Prince Charles
Series
1989
85%

Tales From the Crypt

Actor
Series
1989
82%

Whose Line Is It Anyway?

Actor
Show
1988

Parkinson

Guest
Show
1971

News aboutEddie Izzard