
Person
Lee Cornes
Acting · Born 1951-01-15 · Keresley, Coventry, Warwickshire, England, UK
Biography
Lee Cornes is an English television actor and writer born in Worcester. A stand up comedian since 1980, he was a regular compere at London's Comedy Store throughout the 1980s and won best Stand Up Comedian at the Charrington London Fringe Awards in 1987. Cornes appeared in three series of Blackadder, in two episodes of The Young Ones and as barman 'Dick Head' in the TV show Bottom. He made an appearance in the first episode of Filthy, Rich & Catflap as a binman. Appeared in the Comic Strip episode "Slags". Appearances on Saturday Night Live. Cornes also starred in children's drama Grange Hill as Mr. Jeff Hankin (1990–2002); provided voices for characters in the children's television series TUGS, and featured in the Doctor Who story "Kinda" as the Trickster (1982). He appeared in Red Dwarf as Paranoia in the series one episode "Confidence and Paranoia". He also appeared several times in the BBC Scotland sitcom Rab C. Nesbitt, once as a DSS Clerk and again as a barman in a Highland pub. He played a major role as the harassed talent agent Dickie Valentino in the 1994 partially-improvised comedy film There's No Business..., alongside comedy duos Raw Sex (Simon Brint and Rowland Rivron) and The Oblivion Boys (Stephen Frost and Mark Arden). He appeared in the 2002 S Club Juniors video "One Step Closer." In November 2010 he appeared as Dave in Episode 6 of E4 comedy Phoneshop. He appeared as the Tooting Flasher in Matt Berry's Toast of London pilot. Appeared in Hustle. Also appearances in French and Saunders, The Lenny Henry Show, The Detectives, After You've Gone, and My Family. Stage appearances include Ken Campbell's The Warp at the Liverpool Everyman, several roles at the Orange Tree Theatre, Richmond. Figaro at The Watford Palace Theatre, as well as pantomime roles. Co-writer and performer The WOW Show at the Wyndham's Theatre. He toured Britain with Neal from the Young Ones. Cornes was one of the lead writers for Mr Bean, The Animated Series, and a writer on Cavegirl and Channel 4's Gophers!. He was a co-writer of Channel 4's animation series The Bird, and writer/storyliner on What's Up Doc?, a writer and performer on Thames TV's After Hours and joint writer on two series of The WOW Show on Radio 4. He has appeared in various children's television shows such as My Parents are Aliens, Bear Behaving Badly, Jackanory. In a 2010 interview in The Times, Cornes was cited as one of fellow comedian Sean Lock's biggest comedic influences. Lock said: "He’s not very well known but he is my main influence — he used to compere at the Comedy Store. He’s the comedians’ comedian. He used to be very unpredictable, which is a great skill in a comedian, not knowing where to go next. He also used to play the physics teacher in Grange Hill."
Known for

Doctor Who
Trickster

Grange Hill
Mr. Hankin

Hustle
Ray Bond

Blackadder
Private Fraser

Red Dwarf
Paranoia

The Young Ones
Spasspecker

The Comic Strip Presents...
Arch Crippledick

My Parents Are Aliens
Mr. Cassidy

The Detectives
Doctor Pete

Cavegirl
Writer
Filmography
- 2024Bottom: ExposedSelf
- 2010PhoneShopDave
- 2007After You've GoneMr Deakin
- 2004Bottom Mindless ViolenceDick Head (archive footage)
- 2004HustleRay Bond
- 2002CavegirlWriter
- 1999My Parents Are AliensMr. Cassidy
- 1995Spot's Magical ChristmasDeer 2(voice: UK version)
- 1995Eleven Men Against ElevenJournalist
- 1994Mud
- 1994There's No Business...Dickie Valentino
- 1993I, LovettBingley
- 1993The DetectivesDoctor Pete
- 1991The Trials of OzMarty Feldman
- 1991BottomDick Head
- 1991Filipina DreamgirlsPreston Scott
- 1989Close to HomeParrot (voice)
- 1989TUGS
- 1989Just Like That!Self
- 1988Colin's SandwichGraham
- 1988The Love ChildMan in Supermarket
- 1988Red DwarfParanoia
- 1987Filthy Rich & CatflapDustman
- 1984SlagsArch Crippledick
- 1983BlackadderPrivate Fraser
- 1982The Young OnesSpasspecker
- 1982The Comic Strip Presents...Arch Crippledick
- 1982Uliisses
- 1982Doctor Who: KindaTrickster
- 1978Grange HillMr. Hankin
- 1963Doctor WhoTrickster
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