Mackenzie Crook

About this episode

This episode explores the life and career of Mackenzie Crook, creator of 'Small Prophets' and star of 'The Office'.

‘Small Prophets’ has quietly taken the world by storm. A whimsy, magical and gentle show providing a tonic to modern life. Its creator, Mackenzie Crook, could arguably described in a similar way. Born in Sutton-on-hone a village near Dartford in 1971, his creative brilliance was evident to friends early on but instead of drama school he started work at Pizza Hut. Moving to London in his early twenties he shared a flat where dry rot led to the stairs collapsing. But his luck began to change when he took his stand up comedy routine to Edinburgh. He caught the eye of comedian Bob Mortimer and shortly after was cast as Gareth in ‘The Office’ the oddball Territorial Army reservist with one of the worst haircuts on television. Crook went on to star in quirky independent and blockbuster Hollywood films alike, but aged forty he decided he wanted to write his own material and move behind the camera to direct. His first offering was the critically acclaimed series ‘The Detectorists’. So who is the man behind the magic? Production team: Presenter: Becky Milligan Producers: Annabel Deas, Tom Gillett and Katie Solleveld Production Coordinators: Maria Ogundele and Gemma Ashman Sound: Neil…

People in this episode

Host: Becky Milligan

Guest: Mackenzie Crook

Topics covered

• creativity
• comedy
• television
• personal journey
• film industry

Keywords

• Mackenzie Crook
• Small Prophets
• The Office
• The Detectorists
• comedy
• television
• film

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: BBC Radio 4, Pizza Hut, BBC Television

Books & works: Small Prophets, The Office, The Detectorists

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