Craig Charles : biography
11 July 1964 –
Craig Joseph Charles (born 11 July 1964) is an English actor, comedian, author, poet, television presenter and radio and club DJ. He is best known for playing Dave Lister in the British science fiction sitcom Red Dwarf, and Lloyd Mullaney in the long-running soap opera Coronation Street.
Charles first appeared on television as a performance poet, which led on to minor presenting roles. After finding fame in Red Dwarf, he regularly featured on national television, with celebrity appearances on many popular shows, while he continued to host a wide variety of programmes. He has toured the UK extensively as a stand-up comedian.
Charles notably presented the gladiator-style game show Robot Wars and narrated the comedy endurance show Takeshi’s Castle. His acting credits include playing inmate Eugene Buffy in the ITV drama The Governor, and leading roles in the British films Fated and Clubbing to Death. As well as starring in Coronation Street and occasional Red Dwarf series, Charles continues to host The Craig Charles Funk and Soul Show on BBC radio, and performs DJ sets at numerous clubs and festivals nationally and internationally.
Credits
, 2007
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Riverside | Resident poet | Arts review programme | |
| Pebble Mill at One | Resident poet | Daily magazine show. Performed in front of Princess Anne | |
| 1984 | Lift Off | Himself – interviewee | Documentary |
| 1985 | Black on Black | Resident poet | Channel 4’s first multicultural programme. Including the poem "Halt" |
| 1985-87 | Saturday Live | Himself – stand up | Live poetry stand-up comedy. Series 1: VHS (1986), DVD (2007). Series 2: VHS (1987), DVD (2008) |
| 1986-87 | Wogan | Himself – poet | Chat show. Co-hosted and performed weekly topical poem on current affairs |
| 1986 | Club Mix | Resident poet | Entertainment-based successor to Black on Black |
| 1986 | Red Wedge | Himself | Stand-up comedy tour |
| 1986 | Edinburgh Festival Fringe | Himself – poet | August |
| 1987 | Business as Usual | Eddie | Drama feature film. VHS (1988) |
| 1987 | Craig Charles | Himself – stand up | Poetry at Assembly Rooms, Edinburgh Festival Fringe, 7–29 August |
| 1987 | Video View | Himself – presenter | TV series |
| 1987 | Night Network | Himself – presenter | |
| 1987 | The Marksman | McFadden | TV drama miniseries, wrote opening poem and played a murderer, aired December |
| 1988-99, 2009, 2012 | Red Dwarf | Dave Lister | Appeared in all 61 episodes over 10 series |
| 1988 | Open Air | Himself – interviewee | Aired 23 February |
| 1988 | Craig Goes Mad in Melbourne | Himself – host | Behind the scenes at the International Comedy Festival, 1–11 June |
| 1988 | TOR! Total Football | Himself – presenter | Introducing highlights in official film of European Football Championships |
| 1989 | Daytime Live | Himself – interviewee | Aired 6 January |
| 1989 | Teechers | Multiple characters | John Godber stage play |
| 1989 | Star Test: Craig Charles | Himself – interviewee | Interviewed by a computer on chat show, aired 18 April |
| 1989 | Dogs of War | Voiceover | 3D computer video game. Voiced story speech and one character |
| 1989 | What’s That Noise? | Himself – host | Children’s music show |
| 1991 | Comic Relief | Dave Lister | Short television film |
| 1991 | Them and Us | Himself – host | Consumer rights series |
| 1991 | You Bet | Himself – contestant | Celebrity game show |
| 1992 | The Last Cigarette | Himself | Encouraging giving up smoking, aired 8 March |
| 1992 | Open to Question | Himself – interviewee | Audience questions from young people on topical issues, 23 March |
| 1992 | Parallel 9 | Himself | Children’s magazine show. Including episode 1.13, aired 18 July |
| 1992 | Weather Watch | Himself – presenter | Educational TV series investigating different aspect of the weather |
| 1992 | Wogan | Himself | Chat show, 23 October |
| 1992 | Ghostwatch | Himself – reporter | Drama, aired 31 October (Halloween). DVD (2002) |
| 1993 | Cyberzone | Himself – host | All 10 episodes of the world’s first virtual reality game show |
| 1993 | Cyberpunks and Technophobes | Himself | TV series |
| 1993 | Super Mario All Stars | Himself – presenter | Nintendo video game on VHS |
| 1993 | Dinosaurs: The Myths & The Reality | Himself – narrator | Animated documentary. VHS (1993), DVD (2006) |
| 1993 | Prince Cinders | Zipper the Cat | Voice of character in animated film of Babette Cole’s book. VHS (1993), DVD (2007) |
| 1993 | Telly Addicts | Himself – contestant | Aired 13 September and 29 December |
| 1993 | Pebble Mill | Himself – interviewee | Performed song, 29 October |
| 1993 | Funny Stories | Himself – voice | Audiobook anthology of stories for children |
| 1993 | The Big Breakfast | Himself – guest presenter | Magazine show |
| 1994 | Go Getters | Himself – host | Children’s programme |
| 1994 | The Easter Stories | Judas Iscariot | Drama series. Episode: "Judas’ Tale" |
| 1994 | Batchelors Mushy Peas | Himself – voiceover | TV Commercial |
| 1994 | Asterix Conquers America | Asterix (voice) | Animated feature film, English language version |
| 1994 | The Word | Himself – interviewee | Late night magazine show |
| 1994 | Red Dwarf: Smeg Ups | Dave Lister | Video release (archive footage) |
| 1994 | Big Break in Wonderland | Himself – contestant | Charity Christmas special of snooker competition, aired 27 December |
| 1995 | Red Dwarf: Smeg Outs | Dave Lister | Video release (new and archive footage) |
| 1995 | Breakfast with Frost | Himself – guest | Chat show with Sir David Frost, 5 March |
| 1995 | May The 4 Be With You | Himself – presenter | "Starburst Vol.2" VHS (1996) |
| 1995 | Craig Charles: Live on Earth! | Himself – stand up | VHS video release of live stand-up comedy stage show. Also co-producer |
| 1995 | Just a Minute | Himself – contestant | TV version of radio panel game, 21 July |
| 1995 | Beam Me Up Scotty! | Himself – presenter | Aired 26 August |
| 1995 | The Bill | Martin Bailey | Episode: "Honey Pot", 31 October |
| 1995 | Have I Got News for You | Himself – contestant | Guest panelist on satire quiz show. Series 10, episode 7, 8 December |
| 1996 | Craig Charles Live Official Bootleg | Himself | VHS video documentary of stand-up show |
| 1996 | They Think it’s All Over | Himself – contestant | Series 2, episode 3, aired 26 March |
| 1996 | The Governor | Eugene Buffy | Drama from Lynda La Plante. All 6 episodes of series 2. DVD (2012) |
| 1996 | Cyberspace | Himself – narrator | TV series |
| 1996 | The 10 Percenters | Bobby Titan | Episode: "Revenge" playing a rap singer |
| 1997 | The Big Breakfast | Himself – guest | Aired 6 January |
| 1997 | Night Fever | Himself – guest | Pop music quiz |
| 1997 | Captain Butler | Captain Butler | All 6 episodes |
| 1997 | Bully: Ha Bloody Ha | Himself – interviewee | Educational show discussing celebrities’ memories of school bullies, aired 28 August |
| 1997 | Pulling Power | Himself – guest | Motoring show, aired 24 September |
| 1997 | Space Cadets | Team captain | Comedy sci-fi quiz, all 10 episodes |
| 1997 | Funky Bunker | Himself – host | Late night chat show. 13 episodes. Also co-writer |
| 1997 | The National Lottery Live | Himself – presenter | Opened the draw, 5 November |
| 1997 | English Express Language Skills | Himself – presenter | Schools education series |
| 1997-98 | Dick Whittington | Idle Jack | Pantomime stage play |
| 1998 | Can’t Smeg, Won’t Smeg | Dave Lister – contestant | Special edition of Can’t Cook, Won’t Cook, aired 14 February |
| 1998 | Universe Challenge | Himself – contestant | Special Red Dwarf edition of University Challenge, aired 14 February |
| 1998 | Children in Need | Dave Lister | Red Dwarf short episode |
| 1998 | Fully Booked | Himself – interviewee | Magazine show |
| 1998-2004 | Robot Wars | Himself – host | Series 2-7 (after replacing Jeremy Clarkson) |
| 1999-2000 | Ripley’s Believe It or Not! | Himself – host | UK presenter |
| 1999 | The Colour of Funny | Keith Dennis | Short comedy film |
| 2000 | Craig Charles: Sickbag | Himself | VHS video release of live stand-up comedy show |
| 2000 | Craig Charles and His Band | Himself | Edinburgh Festival, August. With album release Giving You The Eye |
| 2000 | Jailbreak | Himself – host | Reality challenge show |
| 2001 | Top Ten TV Sci-Fi | Himself – interviewee | Documentary |
| 2001 | Porridge Selection Box | Himself | Worldwide VHS video release. Introduced clips |
| 2001 | Lexx | The Warden | Canadian sci-fi series. Episode: "P4X" Hattie Hayridge from Red Dwarf as his wife. Series 4, Vol.1 DVD (2001) |
| 2001 | Don’t Walk | Narrator (voice) | Short film |
| 2001 | Amazing Space: The Pub Guide to the Universe | Himself – host | Discussion series with guest experts on space related topics |
| 2002 | EastEnders: Ricky and Bianca | Vince | EastEnders spin-off drama, aired 20 May |
| 2002 | The Saturday Show | Himself – interviewee | Magazine show, 1 June |
| 2002-04 | Takeshi’s Castle | Himself – commentator | UK voiceover of Japanese comedy challenge show. Also co-writer |
| 2003 | The Sitcom Story | Himself | TV documentary |
| 2003 | Sushi TV | Himself – narrator | UK version of Japanese TV clip show (after replacing Julian Clary) |
| 2003 | Doctors | DCI Mercer | 7 episodes of soap opera |
| 2003 | Monstrous Bosses | Himself – presenter | Links between clips in a battle between two comedy characters, 10–11 May |
| 2003 | Lovable Rogues | Himself – presenter | Links between clips, aired 3 August |
| 2003 | Holby City | Adrian Summers | Episode: "Full Circle", aired 16 December |
| 2004 | Ten Minutes | Mark | Short comedy film, launched at the BAFTA and Cannes Film Festival in 2003. Film release July 2004 |
| 2004 | Britain’s Best Sitcom | Himself | TV documentary |
| 2004 | Weapons of Mass Distraction | Himself – presenter | Satirical comedy chat show exploring tabloid newspaper world |
| 2004 | Celebrities Disfigured | Himself (disguised) | Documentary exploring attitudes to disfigurement, aired 17 April |
| 2004 | The Weakest Link | Himself – contestant | Charity edition of quiz show. "Stars of the ’90s". Reached 3rd place, aired 4 August |
| 2004 | Comedy Connections | Himself – interviewee | Documentary episode on Red Dwarf, aired 30 August |
| 2004 | Public Opinion | Himself – interviewee | Panel show, opinions on celebrities from members of the public, aired 21 September |
| 2004 | Celebrity Poker Club | Himself – contestant | Challenge, series 3, reached semi-finals |
| 2004 | Dream Team | Joel Brooks | Soccer agent in Sky TV football drama |
| 2005 | Forty Years of Fuck | Himself – interviewee | BBC documentary examining swearing on TV |
| 2005 | The Games | Himself – contestant | Reality game show for charity, based on the Olympic Games. Series 3. |
| 2005 | Athletes in Training | Himself – contestant | Live feed, following The Games contestants through their intensive training regime |
| 2005–present | Coronation Street | Lloyd Mullaney | Principal cast, first appearance 20 June 2005 |
| 2006 | Fated | Pedro | Feature film. DVD (2011) |
| 2006 | Clubbing to Death | Carl Begsley | Feature film. Not yet released (in post production) |
| 2008–present | The Craig Charles Funk & Soul Club | Himself – DJ | Live DJ performances throughout the UK, and occasionally abroad |
| 2009 | Carpool | Himself – interviewee | Video-podcast interview by Robert Llewellyn of Red Dwarf |
| 2010 | Robert Llewellyn’s Carpool | Himself – interviewee | Chat show. Episode 1.5: aired 2 December |
| 2010 | 50 Years of Corrie Stunts | Himself – voiceover | Documentary, aired 6 December. On Tram Crash DVD (2010) |
| 2011 | Zombie Carnage | Frank | Promotional trailer for feature film |
| 2011 | Cast Mates | Himself | Coronation Street online Q&A, 31 August |
| 2011 | This Morning | Himself – Interviewee | Daytime entertainment show, 6 September |
| 2012 | BBC Breakfast | Himself – interviewee | News programme, 10 March |
| 2012 | Loose Women | Himself – interviewee | Chat show, 15 March |
| 2012 | Motorbike Diaries: Mad in the Med | Himself – narrator | Travel documentary series from Danny John-Jules of Red Dwarf |
| 2012 | Evidently… John Cooper Clarke | Himself – interviewee | Documentary on the poet John Cooper Clarke’s life and career, aired 30 May |
| 2012 | This Morning | Himself – interviewee | Chat show, 6 July |
| 2012 | Loose Women | Himself – interviewee | Chat show, 25 September |
| 2012 | The Alan Titchmarsh Show | Himself – interviewee | Chat show, 28 September |
| 2012 | Celebrity Pointless | Himself – contestant | Charity edition of quiz show, with Danny John-Jules from Red Dwarf, recorded 16 November |
| 2012 | We’re Smegged | Himself – interviewee | Documentary on the making of Red Dwarf X. On series X DVD, released 19 November |
| 2012 | This Morning | Himself – interviewee | Chat show, 19 November |
| 2012 | The Craig Charles Funk & Soul Club | Music compiler | Compilation album, released on Freestyle Records as CD and digital download, 26 November |
