Merseyside Mirth Makers - Neil Fitzmaurice

Neil Fitzmaurice

Neil Simon Fitzmaurice was born on the 20th of August 1969 in Anfield, Liverpool and attended Secondary School at Anfield Comprehensive School between 1981 to 1986. He was perhaps best known for his acting role as Jeff, the love rival for David Mitchell's character Mark, in the Channel 4 sitcom 'Peep Show'.

Neil first found fame in 1996 when he won the ECHO’s 'Stand Up of The Year' contest while going under his then stage name Neil Anthony. It was during his four year career as a stand-up comedian that Neil came into contact with Peter Kay.
"Peter and I entered the BBC New Comedy Awards. We were joint winners of the North West heat and both of us went to the final in Edinburgh. That's how we started working together and became friends. We share a lot of the same interests and favourite comedies."

'Ray Von and Brian Potter in Pheonix Nights'

Neil has written for a number of other shows, which include 'That Peter Kay Thing' for which he received a British Comedy Award, and the critically acclaimed 'Phoenix Nights' in which he also appeared as "Ray-Von" and also 'Benidorm'. He was nominated for a BAFTA in 2003 for his Peter Kay work.
It could be said that Neil is the only actor who can boast roles in the three most successful British comedy series of that last decade, 'Phoenix Nights', 'The Office' and 'Peep Show'. But it’s as the hapless, gypsy DJ 'Ray Von' in 'Phoenix Nights' that he is best known out of the three. Neil says " “I think it was a DJ that Pete had seen at a wedding somewhere, but also I used to work for a DJ, so I had that experience and it sort of amalgamated."

In the first series of 'The Office' Neil played Alex, hired in the first episode and fired in the last (in favour of a little person). He also appears in the series of the very successful CBBC children’s TV comedy show ‘Hank Zipzer’ alongside Henry Winkler.
Neil is a big Liverpool FC fan and was a survivor of the Hillsborough disaster. He starred as the then Liverpool FC manager Rafael Benitez in the hugely successful feature film '15 Minutes That Shook The World'. A comedy about what 'really' happened during half-time in what was probably the most exciting and memorable football game of recent times, the 2005 Champion's League Final!

Since 2011 Neil has been starring in the Sky comedy-drama 'Mount Pleasant' playing the part of office manager Fergus.Neil says of the series " One of the things that I love about Mount Pleasant is that differs it from other northern comedy dramas in that the characters are all quite aspirational. They’re successful, they’ve got nice houses, y’know it’s not a burning mattress on a derelict estate situation. These are really nice houses, they do well, they’re professional. It’s a really warm comedy that makes you laugh out loud but then also makes you think… it’s a real roller coaster of emotions, isn’t it?"

Also he is the resident MC at Liverpool’s Laughterhouse comedy club at The Slaughterhouse pub in Fenwick Street in the town centre. Neil has also written and starred in the film 'Charlie Noades RIP', which has been shot entirely on location on Merseyside. It is the latest offering from North Star Productions - makers of the cult gangster classic, 'Going Off Big Time', also written by Neil. Directed by Jim Doyle and produced by Neil's brother Tony Fitzmaurice, 'Charlie Noads RIP' made its debut at the Cannes Film Festival where it received rave reviews.

see next :-http://www.thefootballvoice.com/2019/05/merseyside-mirth-makers-peter.html