
Person
Matthew Holness
Acting · Whitstable, Kent, England
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.
Known for

Playhouse Presents
Writer

The Haunting of Bly Manor
Dominic Wingrave

The Office
Simon

Friday Night Dinner
Chris Parker

Toast of London
Max Gland

Back
Laurie

The Russell Howard Hour
Garth Marenghi

Year of the Rabbit
Hector, Crown Prince of Bulgaria

We Are Lady Parts
Gameshow host

Garth Marenghi's Darkplace
Garth Marenghi / Dr. Rick Dagless M.D.
Filmography
- 2023Dodger Special: Bad EggSir Denholm Havers
- 2022Toast of TinseltownRichard Chickentoss
- 2021Friday Night Dinner: 10 Years and a Lovely Bit of SquirrelSelf
- 2021We Are Lady PartsGameshow host
- 2020The Haunting of Bly ManorDominic Wingrave
- 2019Year of the RabbitHector, Crown Prince of Bulgaria
- 2018PossumWriter
- 2017The Russell Howard HourGarth Marenghi
- 2017BackLaurie
- 2015Italia Violenta
- 2013Toast of LondonMax Gland
- 2012The SnipistDirector
- 2012Playhouse PresentsWriter
- 2011Life's Too ShortIan
- 2011A Gun for GeorgeTerry / George / The Reprisalizer
- 2011Friday Night DinnerChris Parker
- 2010Cemetery JunctionBand Leader
- 2009Free Agents
- 2006Man to Man with Dean LearnerGarth Marenghi
- 2006Time Trumpet
- 2005FestivalRoger - Lighting Man
- 20042004: The Stupid VersionHimself
- 2004Garth Marenghi's DarkplaceGarth Marenghi / Dr. Rick Dagless M.D.
- 2001The OfficeSimon
- 2000Bruiser
- 1997Backstage... at the Cambridge FootlightsSelf
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