Ben Miller

Early life and education

Bennet Evan Miller's parents were teachers. His father taught American literature at the City of Birmingham Polytechnic. His mother was from Neath, Wales. He has two younger sisters. He is a distant cousin of Abraham Lincoln.

Miller was educated at Malbank School and Sixth Form College in Nantwich before studying Natural Sciences at St Catharine's College, Cambridge. As an undergraduate, he participated in theatre with his girlfriend, actress Rachel Weisz. He remained at Cambridge to undertake a PhD in solid state physics, with the title of his proposed thesis being "Novel quantum effects in low-temperature quasi-zero-dimensional mesoscopic electron systems".

He abandoned his thesis to pursue a career in comedy. His interest in comedy began when a friend asked him to help chauffeur the judges of the National Student Drama Festival, which was being held that year in Cambridge. Having finished his degree, he joined the Footlights in 1989 and worked with Andy Parsons, David Wolstencroft and Sue Perkins before he directed a revue.

Career

Miller moved to London to pursue a career in comedy. He was introduced to fellow Cambridge graduate Alexander Armstrong in 1992, at the TBA Sketch Comedy Group, a comedy club which ran at the Gate Theatre Studio, Notting Hill throughout the 1990s. They performed their first full-length show together at the Edinburgh Fringe in 1994 and returned in 1996, when they were nominated for the Perrier Comedy Award.

Their success resulted in the commission of the television series Armstrong and Miller, which ran for four series from 1997 to 2001 – one on the Paramount Comedy Channel and three on Channel 4. In 1998, the duo also had their own radio show with the same name on BBC Radio 4, which featured many of the sketches and characters from their TV series. After a six-year break, the show was recommissioned for Hat Trick Productions as The Armstrong & Miller Show and three series have been produced. In 2008, they also had a second radio show, Children's Hour with Armstrong and Miller.

Miller also started acting in films, starring in Steve Coogan's first feature film, The Parole Officer (2001). In 2003 he played the role of Bough, sidekick to Rowan Atkinson's title character, in the film Johnny English. In 2004 he co-starred in the romantic comedy The Prince and Me.

In 2004 and 2005, he starred in two series of the BBC television series The Worst Week of My Life, with Sarah Alexander. In 2006 he took part in a three-part Christmas special, The Worst Christmas of My Life. He starred as James Peregrine Lester in ITV's 2007 sci-fi drama Primeval and as children’s dance instructor Mr Jonathan in the Australian mockumentary film Razzle Dazzle: A Journey into Dance.

He and Alexander Armstrong formed a production company named Toff Media in 2007. The company was dissolved in 2023.

Miller provided the voice for the ITV Digital and later PG Tips Monkey in a popular series of television advertisements featuring Johnny Vegas. In 2008, he appeared as television producer Jonathan Pope in Tony Jordan's series Moving Wallpaper on ITV1 and starred in Thank God You're Here.

In 2009, Miller appeared with Rob Brydon in an episode of QI (Series 6. 9). The two have often been mistaken for each other, and as a joke they dressed in similar shirts for the episode and shared an on-screen kiss.

In 2010, he made his directorial debut with the film Huge.

In January 2011 he presented an episode of the BBC science series Horizon titled "What is One Degree?". Later in 2011 he reprised his role as James Lester in the TV series Primeval. From November 2011 he played the role of Louis Harvey in The Ladykillers at the Gielgud Theatre.

On 23 July 2012, Miller began touring for his book, It's Not Rocket Science, from the Royal Society in London. He also appeared at the British Comedy Awards with Armstrong on Channel 4. In 2013, Miller took part in an episode of Room 101 and a Comic Relief special of game show Pointless. On 13 December 2014, he appeared in a Christmas edition of The Celebrity Chase.

From 2011 until the series three premiere in 2014, Miller starred in the BBC-French co-produced series Death in Paradise as Detective Inspector (DI) Richard Poole. A third series of Death in Paradise was commissioned for early 2014. On 9 April 2013 it was announced that Miller would be departing the series, to be replaced by actor Kris Marshall. Filming began in March 2013, and Miller left in May after completion of the first episode, in which his character was murdered. Miller reprised his role for a cameo appearance in a dream sequence during the tenth series in 2021.

Miller explained he had personal reasons for the change: "It was the job of a lifetime, but logistically I just didn't feel I could continue. My personal circumstances just made it too complicated, but I will miss it like a lung. I love it here." Miller's wife had discovered she was pregnant after he had begun filming the first series. Their time apart caused strains on his relationship with her and their sons, so he wanted to spend more time with his family.

In 2014, Miller appeared in the feature film Molly Moon and the Incredible Book of Hypnotism. He also appeared with Billy Connolly and David Tennant in the film What We Did on Our Holiday. Miller guest starred in Doctor Who as the Sheriff of Nottingham in the third episode: "Robot of Sherwood".

Starring opposite Nancy Carroll and Diana Vickers, Miller played Robert Houston in the play The Duck House by Dan Patterson and Colin Swash. The show is a political satire based on the UK parliamentary expenses scandal.

In 2015, following the 800th anniversary of the Magna Carta, Miller starred as King John in Series 6 of Horrible Histories.

In October 2015, Miller along with Ruth Jones and Will Close, appeared in adverts for British supermarket Tesco as Roger with Jones as his wife Jo and Close as their son Freddie. In 2016, Miller co-presented the ITV entertainment series It's Not Rocket Science alongside Rachel Riley and Romesh Ranganathan.

In February 2016 Miller issued a book, accompanied by a lecture tour, entitled The Aliens are Coming!, examining the question "are we alone in the universe?" That year, Miller played the role of Murray in the six-part BBC sitcom I Want My Wife Back, starring alongside Caroline Catz. In 2016 he appeared in the Channel 4 comedy Power Monkeys.

In 2018 he returned to the role of 'Bough', sidekick again to Rowan Atkinson's title character, in the film Johnny English Strikes Again. In September of that same year he played the role of Wolf Hall on the BBC sitcom Upstart Crow.

In November 2022, Miller released his seventh children's book Secrets of a Christmas Elf. In 2024, Miller acted as children's author Jullian Hartswood in the comedy drama Austin for Australian television network ABC TV, and produced by Northern Pictures and Lincoln Pictures.

Personal life

Miller dated actress Rachel Weisz while they were both studying at Cambridge University during the early 1990s. He married actress Belinda Stewart-Wilson in 2004, and they had a son before divorcing in 2011. He married production executive Jessica Parker, the daughter of musician Alan Parker, in September 2013; they have a son and daughter. He has been diagnosed with obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD). Despite reports to the contrary, in an interview with Roman Kemp on BBC Radio 5 Live in December 2024, Miller said he could not play the drums and did not know where this claim came from.

Awards

Miller was awarded a Judges' Commendation for his portrayal of Hamlet at the 1990 National Student Drama Festival. He co-wrote MindGym, winner of the first BAFTA Interactive Entertainment Award for comedy in 1998, with Tim Wright and Adam Gee. He and Armstrong won a BCA Award for The Armstrong and Miller Show. In 2010 they also won a BAFTA for The Armstrong and Miller Show.

In 2021, with the cast of Bridgerton, Miller received a nomination for the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series.

In 2025, Miller was nominated for a Logie award.

Books

• It's Not Rocket Science (2014) Sphere
• The Aliens Are Coming!: The Exciting and Extraordinary Science Behind Our Search for Life in the Universe (2017) Sphere
• The Night I Met Father Christmas (2018) Simon & Schuster
• The Boy Who Made the World Disappear (2019) Simon & Schuster ISBN 978 - 1 - 4711 - 7267 - 0
• The Day I Fell into a Fairytale (2020) Simon & Schuster
• How I Became a Dog called Midnight (2021) Simon & Schuster
• Diary of a Christmas Elf (2021) Simon & Schuster
• How I Became a Dog Called Midnight (2022) Simon & Schuster
• The Night We Got Stuck in a Story (2022) Simon & Schuster
• Secrets of a Christmas Elf (2022) Simon & Schuster
• Once Upon a Legend (2023) Simon & Schuster
• Diary of a Big Bad Wolf (2024) Simon & Schuster
• Robin Hood Aged 10 3/4 (2024) Simon & Schuster
• Diary of a Puss in Boots (2025) Simon & Schuster
• Diary of a Wicked Witch (2025) Simon & Schuster
• The Night I Met Father Christmas (2025) Simon & Schuster
• A Very Dangerous Pursuit (2026) HarperCollins

Filmography

Film

Television

Filmmaking credits

References

References

1. "Ben Miller". Rotten Tomatoes.
2. Miller, Ben. (23 November 2015). "Ben Miller finds out an amazing fact, Series 10, Coming Home".
3. Rees, Caroline. (10 September 2010). "Ben Miller: My family values". [[The Guardian]].
4. Bevan, Nathan. (27 November 2015). "Ben Miller - my ancestors the Welsh war hero and the US president". Wales Online.
5. [https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2008/feb/24/comedy.television1 This much I know: Ben Miller], ''The Observer'', 24 February 2008
6. (2015). "Once a physicist: Ben Miller". Institute of Physics.
7. Miller, Ben. (2012). "It's Not Rocket Science".
8. "The Future".
9. (4 March 2007). "Ben dazzles 'em".
10. (28 January 2009). "The Cambridge Footlights: First steps into comedy". [[The Independent]].
11. [https://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2007/10_october/12/armstrong_biog.shtml The Armstrong & Miller Show – Armstrong and Miller], BBC Press Office – 12 October 2007
12. [http://www.cult.tv/index.php?cm_id=942&cm_type=article Star of Primeval and The Armstrong and Miller Show], cult.tv
13. (3 September 2009). "Ben Miller Twitter post on 2nd series". Twitter.
14. (29 August 2012). "Ben Miller Interview". Femalefirst.co.uk.
15. "Children's Hour with Armstrong and Miller". BBC Radio 4 Extra.
16. [https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/1484336.stm "Coogan's out on Parole"], BBC News, 10 August 2001
17. [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_20051221/ai_n15942439 The 5-Minute Interview: Ben Miller] ''The Independent,'' 21 December 2005
18. [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4159/is_20040307/ai_n12751087 HOW WE MET: Sarah Alexander & Ben Miller] ''Independent on Sunday'' – 7 March 2004
19. "TOFF MEDIA LIMITED overview - Find and update company information - GOV.UK".
20. (1 August 2007). "Al and monkey bring back the monkey magic". Unilever Press Dept.
21. [https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00hq4mg#synopsis Series 6: Episode 9 of 12] ''BBC QI Broadcasts'' – Accessed 20 May 2010
22. (1 January 1970). "BBC One – Death in Paradise – Episode guide". BBC.
23. (12 February 2013). "Death in Paradise series three confirmed". Radio Times.
24. Cole, Tom. (9 April 2013). "Ben Miller to be replaced by Kris Marshall on Death in Paradise". [[Radio Times]].
25. Alexia Skinitis. (14 January 2014). "Ben Miller: Death in Paradise is the best job in TV". Radio Times.
26. Mitchell, Wendy. (25 October 2012). "Rowley's Molly Moon starts shooting in London | News | Screen". Screendaily.com.
27. (21 July 2009). "Parkinson joins comedy sexism debate". [[British Comedy Guide]].
28. (20 August 2014). "Details on Series 8′s First Four Episodes".
29. "Robot of Sherwood: Fact File". [[BBC One]].
30. (16 September 2013). "Political Comedy The Duck House Will Play London's Vaudeville; Cast Announced". [[Playbill]].
31. (16 September 2013). "The Duck House: MPs' expenses satire heads for West End". BBC News.
32. "HLF - The Aliens Are Coming! With comedian Ben Miller". Lawrence Batley Theatre.
33. Low, Valentine. (11 September 2018). "Mark Rylance ridiculed by upstarts over comedy of errors". [[The Times]].
34. (11 November 2022). "Ben Miller tells Chris Evans why his new Christmas book will get kids reading".
35. (11 May 2024). "TV series filmed locally and starring big British stars gets air date". Australian Community Media.
36. (20 September 2013). "TV game show host Alexander Armstrong was best man at comedy partner's wedding (From Your Local Guardian)". Yourlocalguardian.co.uk.
37. Rees, Caroline. (11 September 2010). "Ben Miller: My family values". The Guardian.
38. (2 October 2009). "My Perfect Weekend: Ben Miller". [[The Daily Telegraph]].
39. (5 August 2021). "'Professor T' star Ben Miller: 'I was born to play this part'".
40. Roman Kemp. (2024-12-07). "Roman Kemp with Maddie Moate, Stephen Mangan and Ben Miller".
41. Grant, Olly. (25 October 2011). "Death in Paradise, Ben Miller on heatstroke, getting divorced and his potato years, interview". The Daily Telegraph.
42. (4 February 2021). "Nominations Announced for the 27th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards". Screen Actors Guild.
43. (3 August 2025). "Logies 2025: Lynne McGranger wins Gold Logie, Fisk sweeps up comedy awards — as it happened". [[ABC News (Australia).
44. Deleted scenes from Blu-Ray/DVD extras
45. "Scotland: Escape to the Wilderness".
46. "ITV's All Star Musicals unveils a star-studded Christmas line up".
47. (10 February 2022). "The Great Celebrity Bake Off for Stand Up to Cancer".
48. "No Place Like Home".