Miranda Hart


Miranda Katherine Hart Dyke, known professionally as Miranda Hart, is an English actress, comedian, and writer. Following drama training at the Academy of Live and Recorded Arts, Hart began writing material for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and making appearances in various British sitcoms including Hyperdrive and Not Going Out.
Hart reached a wider audience with her self-driven semi-autobiographical BBC sitcom Miranda, which is based on her earlier BBC Radio 2 radio series Miranda Hart's Joke Shop. The television sitcom ran for three series and several Christmas specials from 2009 to 2015, and earned her three Royal Television Society awards, four British Comedy Awards and four BAFTA nominations. In 2012, she began appearing in the BBC drama Call the Midwife as Camilla "Chummy" Fortescue-Cholmondeley-Browne. She made her Hollywood debut in Paul Feig's film Spy as Melissa McCarthy's sidekick Nancy B. Artingstall.
Hart has also written four books: Is It Just Me?, a semi-autobiographical book; The Best of Miranda, a compilation of scripts from the TV series; Peggy and Me, a description of her life since owning her titular dog; and Miranda Hart's Daily Dose of Such Fun!, in partnership with Comic Relief. She embarked on her first stand-up tour, My, What I Call, Live Show, which toured arenas in the UK and Ireland in 2014 and was later released on DVD.
In 2017, Hart presented the Royal Variety Performance in the presence of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, making her the first solo female presenter in 105 years.

Early life

Family

Hart was born on 14 December 1972 in Torquay, Devon, the child of Captain David Hart Dyke and Diana Margaret Luce, daughter of Sir William Luce, Commander-in-Chief and Governor of Aden, and sister of Lord Luce. Hart is from an aristocratic background, but does not consider herself upper class, stating that her aunt and uncle live in a castle that they cannot afford to run.
Her father was commanding officer of when it was sunk during the 1982 Falklands conflict, and he was badly burned trying to escape the stricken warship. She has a younger sister, Alice Louisa Hart Dyke.

Education and training

Hart grew up in Petersfield, Hampshire. She was educated at Downe House, near Thatcham, Berkshire, an independent girls' boarding school. She was a classmate and friend of the sports presenter Clare Balding, who was head girl. She attended the University of the West of England, Bristol, graduating with a 2:1 in political science. She then completed a postgraduate course in acting at the Academy of Live and Recorded Arts.
In 2002, she performed a solo show in Edinburgh, and in 2004 she pitched a comedy show to the BBC. At her read-through for BBC executives, Absolutely Fabulous writer and star Jennifer Saunders was present.

Career

Television

Before her own series was commissioned, Hart made appearances in various British sitcoms. In Not Going Out she initially appeared as an acupuncturist. However, her performance impressed producers so much that they wrote a regular role for her as Barbara, a sarcastic and clumsy cleaner. She continued to play the part until the production of Miranda in 2009. Hart earned a British Comedy Award nomination for her role as Teal in two series of the BBC television comedy sci-fi sitcom Hyperdrive, which ran from January 2006 to August 2007.
She also appeared in even smaller roles in French & Saunders, My Family and Other Animals, Nighty Night, Absolutely Fabulous where she played a 'Japanese' woman called Yoko, The Vicar of Dibley as a speed-date programmer, Lead Balloon, William and Mary, Smack the Pony, Stupid!, Monday Monday as Tall Karen, and as a minicab driver in the Channel 5 comedy Angelos, which ran for 6 episodes.
Hart is best known for her performance in her self-titled, self-penned and semi-autobiographical sitcom Miranda, which started recording for BBC Two in 2008 and began airing on 9 November 2009. The situation comedy also features Sarah Hadland, Tom Ellis, Patricia Hodge, James Holmes, and Sally Phillips. The series is based on Hart's semi-autobiographical writing and followed a television pilot and the BBC Radio 2 comedy Miranda Hart's Joke Shop. Described as an "old-fashioned" sitcom, it received positive comments from critics and Hart won the 2009 Royal Television Society award for comedy performance for her role in the first series.
A second series was commissioned and filming started in mid-2010. The series began airing on BBC Two and BBC HD on 15 November 2010. A third series began broadcasting from 26 December 2012 on BBC One. Repeats of the show have begun airing on UKTV Gold. She also presented a BBC spoof programme looking back over 2009 called 2009 Unwrapped with Miranda Hart. A similar show looking back over 2010 was also broadcast in December 2010. In 2014, she announced that her sitcom Miranda would come to an end after two final episodes due to air in December 2014.
She appeared as guest host of Have I Got News for You in October 2009, December 2010 and again in December 2011. On 27 December, she was a team member on Big Fat Quiz 2011, a quiz about the events of that year presented by Jimmy Carr, appearing alongside David Walliams. As a fan of the series, Hart has also appeared twice on Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two. On Boxing Day 2011, she appeared in an episode of Bear Grylls' Wild Weekend. She also scaled down one of the Alps with Bear Grylls in a show with him in March 2013. She has appeared on the Graham Norton Show 7 times, on 10 May and 3 December in 2010, 29 April 2011, 19 October 2012, 20 December 2013, 24 October 2014 and 8 May 2015. In January 2013, Hart appeared on Room 101 along with Reggie Yates and John Craven.
In 2012, Hart began to appear in the BBC One drama Call the Midwife, playing the character of "Camilla 'Chummy' Fortescue-Cholmondeley-Browne".
As part of the 60-year Diamond Jubilee celebrations, Hart co-presented a number of segments at the Diamond Jubilee Concert in 2012. In 2013, Hart presented a one-off interview show with her hero Bruce Forsyth entitled When Miranda Met Bruce.
In December 2013, Hart appeared in David Walliams' film adaptation of his book Gangsta Granny. She played Linda, Ben's mother. Also in December 2013, she was lined up to star in To Love, Honour and Betray , the TV version of Kathy Lette's novel.
In December 2017, Hart took part in Celebrity Send To All in the third series of Michael McIntyre's Big Show.
In 2017, it was reported that her sitcom Miranda may return for a fourth series, and was said to be in the conception stage. However, in early 2018, Hart denied the rumours were true, stating that while she had "thought about" it, "that's all."
A 10-year anniversary special of Miranda, filmed at the London Palladium in 2019 and described by Hart as "a party ", aired on BBC One on 1 January 2020.

Film

Hart played a cameo in David Baddiel's feature film The Infidel and appeared in World of Wrestling, a short film by Tim Plester, in which she played "Klondyke Kate", a wrestler billed as "hell in boots." The film was released in late 2007 alongside its companion shorts Blakes Junction 7 and Ant Muzak. Hart made a cameo appearance as a loan officer in the 2007 comedy film Magicians which featured David Mitchell and Robert Webb, both stars of the long running television series Peep Show.
In 2013, 12 in a Box was released, a feature film in which Hart plays a small role that was originally made in 2007. In 2015, she co-starred in the comedy film Spy, which was filmed on location in Budapest, Hungary. In 2020, Hart played "harmless chatterbox" Miss Bates in the Jane Austen adaptation film Emma., alongside Anya Taylor-Joy and Bill Nighy.

Radio

Her semi-autobiographical series Miranda Hart's Joke Shop was aired on BBC Radio 2 in 2008 and went on from there to be developed into the television series Miranda. Hart has also presented comedy specials for the network alongside Jon Holmes. In October 2011 she attracted criticism after co-hosting The Chris Evans Breakfast Show with Holmes while Chris Evans was on holiday. The website Digital Spy reported that some listeners were unhappy with the quality of the programme. The BBC issued a statement in response saying, "Miranda Hart is one of the UK's best-loved comedians and BBC Radio 2 felt it appropriate to bring her warmth to its audience for a week. Jon Holmes is a highly experienced presenter from BBC Radio 6 Music BBC Radio 2 appreciates if their presentation wasn't to everyone's liking, but feels it's important to be able to bring new talent to its output and hopes its audience understands the importance of maintaining a breadth of content on the network."

Live performances

Avoiding the normal stand-up circuit for more character-based comedy, including an appearance in the Edinburgh and touring show The Sitcom Trials, Hart has written her own theatre material for the Edinburgh Fringe. Her one-woman shows include Miranda Hart – Throbs, It's All About Me and Miranda Hart's House Party. She also performed in Alecky Blythe's 2006 play Cruising at the Bush Theatre.
She was among the performers at the Diamond Jubilee concert held outside Buckingham Palace on 4 June 2012.
Hart embarked on her first tour in 2014, titled My, What I Call, Live Show, performing in arenas in the UK and Ireland. Tickets went on sale on 17 December 2012.

Comic Relief

Hart was the second contestant to be voted off the third series of Comic Relief does Fame Academy in 2007. Two years later, she appeared in the final sketch from comedy duo French and Saunders, which was broadcast during Red Nose Day 2009. In 2010, she and six other TV celebrities raised over £1 million for the charity Sport Relief cycling from John O'Groats to Land's End. She starred as a judge on both series two and three of Let's Dance for Comic Relief, alongside other guest judges including Kelly Brook, Rufus Hound and Louie Spence in 2010 and 2011.
In aid of Comic Relief, a Miranda mini-episode set in the world of Pineapple Dance Studios was broadcast on 18 March as part of Red Nose Day 2011. She took part in a Red Nose Day edition of Celebrity MasterChef in 2011, which she won. Hart also co-presented Sport Relief 2012, which concluded with her and fellow comedian David Walliams dancing semi-naked to ABBA's Dancing Queen. She also donated a signed Miranda script to be auctioned in aid of Comic Relief.

Stage

It was revealed in February 2017 that Hart would star as "Miss Hannigan" in the West End production of Annie.

Books

Hart released a book in October 2012 titled Is It Just Me?, featuring stories, anecdotes and life advice delivered in her own style. In January 2013 it was announced that she was writing a second book, called Peggy and Me, which was to be published on 9 October 2014, but was pushed back to 2015 and finally released in October 2016. The Best of Miranda, a compilation of scripts from the TV series Miranda, was published on 23 October 2014. In partnership with Comic Relief, Hart released a book called Miranda Hart's Daily Dose of Such Fun! in 2017, which featured something unique for the reader to do each day in the year. Also in 2017, she published The Girl with the Lost Smile, released in October.

Personal life

Hart is a Christian; she once said to fellow theist Victoria Coren Mitchell, "It's scary to say you're pro-God". She lives in Hammersmith, west London.
In her early twenties, Hart had an unsuccessful trial at Queens Park Rangers Ladies; she revealed this during Would I Lie to You. During a special guest exclusive on the BBC Red Button, her first guest was her friend Clare Balding who was head girl in their schooldays.

Filmography

YearTitleRoleNotes
2001Smack the PonyVarious CharactersSeries Three – 3 episodes
2004William and MaryPenelopeSeries Two, Episode Four
2004Mothers & DaughtersKateFeature film
2004Absolutely FabulousYokoChristmas Special – "White Box"
2005The Vicar of DibleySuzieNew Year Special – "Happy New Year"
2005Man Stroke WomanCustomerSeries One, Episode Five
2005Nighty NightBethSeries Two – 4 episodes
2005My Family and Other AnimalsJonquilTelevision film
2005–2006Comedy LabVarious Characters2 episodes – "Speeding" & "Slap"
2006Don't Even Think It!Ginny SingletonShort film
2006Lead BalloonMaureenSeries One, Episode One – "Rubbish"
2006–2007Stupid!Various CharactersSeries Two
200712 in a BoxRachelFeature film
2007Rush HourLollipop LadySeries One
2007I Want CandyWorking Title ReceptionistFeature film
2007Roman's EmpireCasting DirectorSeries One, Episode Five
2007MagiciansBank ManagerFeature film
2006–2007HyperdriveTealSeries One & Two – 12 episodes
2007World of WrestlingKlondykeShort film
2007Angelo'sShelleySeries One – 6 episodes
2007The EvergladesUnnamed roleTelevision short
2008Tales of the River BankMiss MuchDirect-to-DVD feature film
2008Hotel TrubbleMrs. Lily LemonSeries One, Episode Four – "Tall Tales"
2009French and Saunders' Mamma Mia!Phyllida LloydSketch part of Red Nose Day 2009
2009Monday MondayTall KarenSeries One – 7 episodes
2006–2009Not Going OutAcupuncturist / BarbaraSeries One to Three – 17 episodes
2009A Very British CultJoyceShort film
2010The InfidelMrs. KeyesFeature film
2010The One RonnieCake Shop Owner / Church Committee MemberChristmas television special
2011The Itch of the Golden NitJulie Short film
2013Gangsta GrannyLindaTelevision film
2009–2015MirandaMiranda PrestonThree Series & two specials – 20 episodes
2012–2015Call the MidwifeChummy Browne 22 episodes
2015SpyNancy B. ArtingstallFeature film
2016Alan Carr's 12 Stars of ChristmasHerself
2016Miranda: Morecambe & Wise and MeHostTV special
2017Comic ReliefHerself
2020Emma.Miss BatesFeature film
TBAThe Canterville GhostThe Ghost CatcherVoice

Awards and nominations

In 2010, Hart won the Best Comedy Performance award from the Royal Television Society for her performance in Miranda and was also nominated for best comedy writing. She and Patricia Hodge were both nominated for "Best Comedy Actress" awards at the Monte-Carlo TV Festival 2010.
In 2011, she won "Best Comedy Actress" and "People's Choice Award for the King or Queen of Comedy" in the British Comedy Awards 2011, where Miranda also won "Best New British TV Comedy" and was nominated for "Best Sitcom". The same year, she was nominated for a BAFTA for Best Actress in a comedy role and her hit BBC Two sitcom Miranda was nominated for the BAFTA YouTube choice award, the only award voted for by the public.
YearNominated workAwardCategoryResult
2006HyperdriveBritish Comedy AwardsBest Female Comedy Newcomer
2010Miranda—Series 1British Comedy AwardsBest TV Sitcom
2010Miranda—Series 1British Comedy AwardsBest New TV Comedy
2010Miranda—Series 1British Comedy AwardsBest TV Comedy Actress
2010Miranda—Series 1British Comedy AwardsPeople's Choice Award
2010Miranda—Series 1British Academy Television AwardsBest Female Performance in a Comedy Role
2010Miranda—Series 1British Academy Television AwardsBest Situation Comedy
2010Miranda—Series 1Monte-Carlo TV Festival—Golden NymphOutstanding Actress in a Comedy Series
2010Miranda—Series 1Royal Television Society AwardsBest Writer for a Comedy
2010Miranda—Series 1Royal Television Society AwardsBest Comedy Performance
2011Miranda—Series 2Royal Television Society AwardsBest Comedy Performance
2011Miranda—Series 2Royal Television Society AwardsBest Scripted Comedy
2011Miranda—Series 2Banff TV Festival—Banff Rockie AwardBest Sitcom
2011Miranda—Series 2British Academy Television AwardsBest Female Performance in a Comedy Role
2011Miranda—Series 2British Comedy AwardsBest TV Comedy Actress
2011Miranda—Series 2British Comedy AwardsBest TV Sitcom
2011Miranda—Series 2British Comedy AwardsPeople's Choice Award
2011Miranda—Series 2Broadcasting Press Guild AwardsBest Comedy and/or Entertainment
2011Miranda—Series 2TV Quick AwardsBest Comedy Show
2012Miranda—Series 2National Television AwardsMost Popular Sitcom
2012Call the MidwifeBritish Academy Television AwardsBest Supporting Actress
2012Is It Just Me?National Book AwardsNon-Fiction Book of the Year
2013Call the MidwifeNational Television AwardsOutstanding Drama Performance
2013Miranda—Series 3British Academy Television AwardsBest Female Performance in a Comedy Role
2016Miranda—SpecialsBritish Academy Television AwardsBest Female Performance in a Comedy Role

Tours

Works and publications