Jim Tavare Biography

Jim Tavaré (; born 1963) is an English stand-up comedian, actor and musician. He is best known for his work on The Sketch Show on ITV which won a BAFTA award and also played the role of Tom, the owner of the Leaky Cauldron, in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

Life and career

Tavaré was born in Essex, England and moved to Cheshire with his family when he was seven, and he attended art school as a teenager in Northwich. He then moved to London, where he successfully auditioned for and attended RADA.

Later, he branched out into stand-up comedy with a unique act which featured his double bass - an instrument he had learned to play during his childhood. He always donned tails and a white tie outfit - the uniform of the classical musician - when performing his act, though he only played the bass in short bursts for comic effect.

At the beginning of his stand-up career, he toured as an opening act for 'The Stranglers'. He also opened for 'The Macc Lads'.

Jim Tavaré's first movie appearance was as a student in 'Another Country' (1984) with Rupert Everett and Colin Firth. Although uncredited, he was a featured extra appearing in numerous scenes throughout the movie. Jim was Colin Firth's stand-in for the duration of the film. 9th Earl Charles Spencer (Diana, Princess of Wales's brother) was also an uncredited extra.

After many years working the stand-up circuit and making fleeting television appearances as a guest comic, Tavaré wrote and starred in a series of short, silent films for BBC2 titled 'Jim Tavaré Pictures Presents...'. He also had a skit series of his own on Channel Five, co-written with Ricky Gervais called 'The Jim Tavaré Show'.

He appeared three times on the Royal Variety Performance and subsequently worked for Prince Charles for several private engagements. He became renowned in the UK to be HRH Prince Charles favourite comedian

An episode of the American series Wings was written entirely around his bass act. Jim starred in this episode, which was called 'Take My Life Please'

He won International Starsearch in the US.

Jim co-wrote and appeared in the BAFTA winning ITV series 'The Sketch Show', alongside Lee Mack, Tim Vine, Ronni Ancona and Karen Taylor. The Sketch Show went on to syndicate worldwide, and to date has been remade for audiences in 8 different countries.

Jim played Tom the Innkeeper in 'Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban'

In 2004 he supported Michael Bublé on a 13 date UK tour, which included a performance at the Royal Albert Hall.

In 2008 he was a finalist on Last Comic Standing 6 and the only overseas act to ever have reached the final show. On 31 July he was voted into the top 5. He finished in 4th place. He performed a 63 date national tour with the other 4 Last Comic Standing finalists throughout the U.S.

He is a regular headliner at the Laugh Factory, in Hollywood, California, USA.

He appears in the 5th season of the David Duchovny comedy-drama Californication, as an English butler to a hip-hop mogul played by Wu Tang Clan frontman RZA.

He has two children and currently resides in Hollywood, California with his wife, Laura.

His cousin is retired English cricketer Chris Tavaré, who played for England in thirty one Tests and twenty nine One Day Internationals from 1980 to 1989.

He makes a guest star appearance in season 5 of the NBC/Warner Bros comedy, spy drama 'Chuck'.

He appears in two feature films for Charles Band's Full Moon Features: Killjoy Goes to Hell and Reel Evil.

Sources

• Sit-Down Comedy (contributor to anthology, ed Malcolm Hardee & John Fleming) Ebury Press/Random House, 2003. ISBN 0-09-188924-3; ISBN 978-0-09-188924-1