Ben Willbond

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British actor (born 1973)

title: "Ben Willbond" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1973-births", "20th-century-english-comedians", "21st-century-english-comedians", "english-male-comedians", "english-male-stage-actors", "english-male-television-actors", "living-people", "people-educated-at-stamford-school", "alumni-of-st-catherine's-college,-oxford", "20th-century-english-male-actors", "21st-century-english-male-actors", "english-male-film-actors", "english-male-screenwriters", "male-actors-from-bedfordshire", "english-male-television-writers", "comedians-from-bedfordshire"] description: "British actor (born 1973)" topic_path: "arts" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_Willbond" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary British actor (born 1973) ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox comedian"]

FieldValue
nameBen Willbond
imageBen Willbond (cropped).jpg
captionWillbond in 2023
birth_nameBenjamin Thomas Willbond
birth_date
alma_materSt Catherine's College, Oxford
birth_placeBiggleswade, Bedfordshire, England
mediumTelevision, radio, film
active1995–present
genreSatire
spouseCharlotte Gordon
children2
notable_workHorrible Histories, The Thick of It, Rev., Ghosts, We Are Not Alone
website
::

| name = Ben Willbond | image = Ben Willbond (cropped).jpg | caption = Willbond in 2023 | pseudonym = | birth_name = Benjamin Thomas Willbond | birth_date = | alma_mater = St Catherine's College, Oxford | birth_place = Biggleswade, Bedfordshire, England | medium = Television, radio, film | active = 1995–present | genre = Satire | subject = | influences = | influenced = | spouse = Charlotte Gordon | domesticpartner = | children = 2 | notable_work = Horrible Histories, The Thick of It, Rev., Ghosts, We Are Not Alone | website = Benjamin Thomas Willbond (born 18 January 1973) is an English actor and screenwriter best known as a member of the British Them There collective, for which he has written and starred in productions including Horrible Histories, Yonderland, and Ghosts.

Along with fellow Them There member Laurence Rickard, he co-wrote the 2015 feature film Bill and 2022 feature-length television comedy We Are Not Alone.

Early life

Willbond was a Forces child and consequently his family moved around every two years. He was sent to board at Stamford School in Lincolnshire, when he was nine years old. He was bullied whilst attending the school. Willbond, when talking about his experience at the school, said "I don't actually remember that time because it was so shocking". He studied Russian and French at St Catherine's College, Oxford.

Career

Along with Arnold Widdowson, Willbond was part of the comedy duo "Ben & Arn", who won the Perrier Award for "Best Newcomer" in 1999, and formed the self-proclaimed "thinking man's French pop duo" Priorité à Gauche.

He is perhaps best known for his regular role in CBBC's Horrible Histories, in which he played a wide variety of historical figures, most memorably recurring roles as Henry VIII and Alexander the Great. Along with the five other members of the Horrible Histories starring cast, Willbond is also the co-creator, -writer and -star of Yonderland, a family fantasy comedy series that premiered on Sky One on 10 November 2013. In addition he is the co-writer of Bill, a BBC-produced comedy film based loosely around the early life of William Shakespeare, which involved the same starring troupe.

Previously, Willbond had starred in a short-lived sketch show for ITV2 called Laura, Ben & Him Adam Kenyon in BBC Four's The Thick of It and as a television director in the movie-length final episode of the Ricky Gervais comedy Extras (BBC Two). He has also appeared in Katy Brand's Big Ass Show for ITV2 and Mayo for BBC One.

Willbond's other radio credits include BBC Radio 4 series Deep Trouble, * Double Science* (co-written with Justin Edwards), Recorded for Training Purposes and the first series of Electric Ink. He also starred in the YouTube romantic comedy Nigel and Victoria. ::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/91/Philips_Casting_für_Youtube-Web-Soap_"Nigel_and_Victoria"_(cropped).jpg" caption="Willbond in 2011"] ::

His 2010 short film Tooty's Wedding, which he co-wrote with Solon, won numerous international comedy awards and was screened as part of the 2012 Sundance Film Festival. Other notable film work includes the movie Starter for 10 (2006). In 2007 he had a short appearance in St Trinian's, as a nervous school inspector.

Between 2019 and 2023, Willbond portrayed The Captain in the BBC sitcom Ghosts with the other main Horrible Histories cast.

Personal life

Willbond has two children and is married to Charlotte Gordon. He is a keen cricketer and plays for the Thunderers.

Awards

::data[format=table]

YearProjectAwardEventNotes
2011Tooty's WeddingBest Comedy ShortRhode Island International Film Festival
2011Tooty's WeddingBest Foreign Short & Best Direction (Short)LA Comedy Festival
2011Tooty's WeddingJury Prize Best Short FilmFriars Club Comedy Film Festival
2011Tooty's WeddingBest ComedyAesthetica Short Film Festival
2011Tooty's WeddingAward of MeritAccolade Competition
2011Horrible HistoriesBest ActingKidscreen AwardsEntire cast
2012Horrible HistoriesBest ActingKidscreen AwardsEntire cast
::

Filmography

::data[format=table]

YearProjectRoleNotes and references
1999Ben & Arn's Big TopBenEdinburgh Fringe Festival performance
The Now Showtitle=Ben Willbondurl=http://www.avalonuk.com/assets/files/CV%20BEN_WILLBOND(1).pdf
2001Le Hip ParadeFrançoistitle=Le Hip Parade
2004–07Deep TroubleWriter / performer ('Lieutenant Jack Trainor')title=BBC Radio 4 – Comedy – Deep Trouble
2005MayoSimon Johnstontitle=Mayo
The GigolosBenFilm
Imagine Me & YouDavidFilm
The Catherine Tate ShowGym TrainerBBC Two
2006Starter for 10JulianFilm
My HeroDexterBBC One
2006–08Recorded for Training PurposesWriter / performerlast=Wolf
2007St Trinian'sAlistairFilm
2007, 2008Double ScienceDoctor Colin JacksonBBC Radio 4
2007, 2012The Thick of ItAdam Kenyontitle=BBC Four – The Thick of It – Adam Kenyon
2008Exit StrategyHusbandShort film
Lead BalloonJamietitle=Two – Lead Balloon, Series 3, Karmaurl=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00fyvp0
Laura, Ben & HimWriter, performer, co-creatorITV 2
2009–13Horrible HistoriesPrincipal sketch performerCBBC
2010–11Rev.Stephen WarwickBBC Two
2011Tooty's WeddingPeterFilm short
2013–16YonderlandVarious
2014Inside No. 9JeremyEpisode: "Sardines"
2015BillVariousFilm
Acoustic KittyAgent CooperFilm short
Shush!SimonBBC Radio 4
2016Power MonkeysOlegChannel 4. Utilises Russian degree.
Bridget Jones's BabyGilesFilm
2017Playing HouseDr. Clive Ericson5 episodes
QuacksPatrice Dupont1 episode
Danger MouseHam Hands2 episodes
Tracey Breaks the NewsEmmanuel Macron, VariousBBC One
2018DamnedMarcus Bowles
2018–2023There She GoesChrisMain role; 2 series and 2023 special
2019Good OmensNigel Tomkins1 episode
SequinsAlan BigsbyFilm short
2019–2023GhostsThe CaptainMain role; BBC One
2021Alma's Not NormalPhilSeries 1, episode 3
2022We Are Not AloneDarrenthFilm
2023A Kind of SparkAdam QuinnMain role
2024The WivesFrankie Morgan6 episodes
::

References

References

  1. England and Wales Birth Index 1916–2005
  2. Ben Willbond twitter (2012)
  3. BBC Sounds. (2022-10-16). "Ghosts: Ben Willbond on his 'absurd childhood' inspiring his role as Captain {{!}} BBC Sounds".
  4. "Comfort Blanket".
  5. "Foster's Edinburgh Comedy Awards 2011". Foster's Edinburgh Comedy Awards.
  6. "Biography". Priorité à Gauche.
  7. Daoust, Phil. (17 August 2005). "Ben Willbond". The Guardian.
  8. Dominic, Maxwell. "Laura Solon, Ben Willbond." ''Times, The (United Kingdom)'' 22 August 2005: Newspaper Source Plus. Web. 8 December 2011.
  9. (13 May 2013). "Sky1 to visit Yonderland". Sky1 website.
  10. (22 March 2013). "Stars of Horrible Histories to make Shakespeare film". BBC Media Centre.
  11. "BBC Two – Rev., Series 2, Episode 4". BBC.
  12. Mann, Andrea. (15 December 2011). "British Comedy Short 'Tooty's Wedding' Is Sundance-Bound (EXCLUSIVE CLIP)". Aol (UK).
  13. Lawrenson, Edward. "Starter For Ten." ''Sight & Sound'' 16.11 (2006): 82. Associates Programs Source Plus. Web. 8 December 2011.
  14. (17 September 2017). "We catch up with actor Ben Willbond, star of Horrible Histories, Rev.". Henry Arlington.
  15. "Ben Willbond". Avalon Management Group Ltd.
  16. "Le Hip Parade". Tiger Aspect Productions.
  17. (August 2008). "BBC Radio 4 – Comedy – Deep Trouble". BBC.
  18. (11 March 2006). "Mayo". Channel Ten.
  19. http://www.avalon-usa.com/assets/files/BEN_WILLBOND(5).pdf {{dead link. (October 2016)
  20. (28 July 2006). ""My Hero" Here's One I Made Earlier (TV Episode 2006) - IMDb".
  21. Wolf, Ian. "Recorded for Training Purposes". British Comedy Guide.
  22. (October 2009). "BBC Four – The Thick of It – Adam Kenyon". BBC.
  23. (4 March 2008). "Exit Strategy". IMDb.
  24. (4 December 2008). "Two – Lead Balloon, Series 3, Karma". BBC.
  25. (7 November 2015). "Acoustic Kitty (Short 2015) - IMDb".
  26. (2023). "A Kind of Spark - IMDb".

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::

1973-births20th-century-english-comedians21st-century-english-comediansenglish-male-comediansenglish-male-stage-actorsenglish-male-television-actorsliving-peoplepeople-educated-at-stamford-schoolalumni-of-st-catherine's-college,-oxford20th-century-english-male-actors21st-century-english-male-actorsenglish-male-film-actorsenglish-male-screenwritersmale-actors-from-bedfordshireenglish-male-television-writerscomedians-from-bedfordshire