Ben Miller, 60, is an English comedian, actor and author. He rose to fame as half of double act [Alexander] Armstrong and Miller, on their sketch show from 1998-2001. He studied physics at Cambridge, and joined The Cambridge Footlights whilst studying for a PhD. He’s since gone on to star in Death in Paradise, Australian/BBC comedy drama Austin and opposite Rowan Atkinson in the Johnny English films, as well as authoring 13 children’s books. He’s married to Jessica Parker, with whom he has two children, Harrison, 14, and Lana, 11. He has a son, Jackson, 19, from a previous marriage.
Here, he remembers the moments that shaped him, from people refusing to take him seriously as an actor, to being diagnosed with OCD, keeping his mental health intact and getting mistaken for Rob Brydon.
One of my earliest memories is getting a 5p coin stuck in my throat. My dad did that brilliant dad thing of turning me upside down, beating me on the back, until I coughed it up.
Shorts
It’s important to enjoy being a kid. Both my parents were English teachers, so I was surrounded by books, and encouraged to read above my level such as Charles Dickens and Thomas Hardy. But they weren’t pushy. My wife and I have adopted the same approach with our kids – to study for enthusiasm and interest, and encourage them through praise.
