20 years after Peep Show came out here’s what all the cast members have been up to
Big Suze is literally royalty now
As I descend into my twenties I’ve realized that you’re either a Jez or a Mark, or you slowly just end up becoming SuperHans. I can, of course, only be talking about the cult classic, and depressingly accurate Peep Show. Our favourite first person comedy series Peep Show turns 20 years old, yes 20 we all feel old now, and since airing the cast has been up to a lot.
From winning a literal Oscar to becoming actual royalty, the cast who played the delinquents trying to get their lives together seem to have done so very nicely! So keep reading to find out what exactly the cast of Peep Show has been up to.
Mark Corrigan – David Mitchell
The straight-laced Mark is played by David Mitchell who has gone on to have a very successful career in comedy. Following the end of Peep Show, David became a regular panellist on the BBC’s Would I Lie To You?
He also continued to work with Robert Webb on shows like That Mitchell and Webb Look and That Mitchell and Webb Sound. And before you ask, the first was filmed for TV and the latter for radio, hence the inventive names.
While Mark didn’t exactly get a happy ending in Peep Show, David’s love life has been far more promising. In 2012, he married Only Connect presenter Victoria Coren and they have one daughter together.
He’s also just written a new book called Unruly: A History of England’s Kings and Queens which is described as “typically side-splitting yet highly informative history of England’s most powerful rulers.”
Jeremy Usbourne – Robert Webb
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Jeremy or as he was better known, Jez, was played by Robert Webb. Robert and David met at Footlights at Cambridge University, and have been comedy partners ever since. Despite always being close, the two became closer in 2020 when Robert had to undergo emergency surgery on his heart for a mitral valve prolapse.
Aside from Peep Show, Robert is known for making appearances in the likes of Doctor Who and Fresh Meat. He even appeared on Strictly Come Dancing in 2021 with Dianne Buswell, before pulling out for health reasons.
Robert married fellow comedy performer Abigail Burdess in 2006, with David being his best man. Genuine friendship goals, and a guaranteed actually funny best man speech.
Sophie Chapman – Olivia Colman
Is it only me who has such a mental disconnect between Olivia Colman in Peep Show, and the fact she was also in films like The Favourite?
Olivia played Mark’s colleague, Sophie Chapman, whom Mark was obsessed with, and ended up marrying her in the fourth series. But this being Peep Show, Mark and Sophie both instantly regretted it and were absolutely miserable.
After leaving Peep Show Olivia has had several award-winning performances in Broadchurch, The Crown and The Night Manager. At the 2019 Academy Awards, Olivia won the award of Best Actress Oscar for the film, The Favourite, and since then has been nominated for a number of other Oscars. But even more important than her Oscar is the fact she plays Nick’s mum, Sarah, in Netflix’s Heartstopper!
Olivia first met Robert and David at the drama society Footlights in Cambridge. After university, she struggled to find acting work, taking a typing course and working as a cleaner before being cast in Peep Show in 2003. Olivia has been married to her husband Ed Sinclair since 2001 and the couple have three children together.
It still blows my mind that three children out there have THE Olivia Coleman as their actual mum, wild times.
SuperHans – Matt King
And this was taken on my first ever week on Peep Show. Early 2003. Fuck's sake. MK 💜 pic.twitter.com/FDHeCdDZdz
— MATT KING (@RealMattKing) March 30, 2023
In a supremely perfect bit of casting Matt King played the role of druggie SuperHans in Peep Show. Prior to Peep Show Matt had been working as a builder, chef, DJ and stand up comic in Australia for 15 years before Peep Show’s creators discovered him at the Edinburgh Fringe.
Whilst SuperHans is infamously known to be partial to a bit of crack, Matt has insisted he’s never taken any drugs himself. When Peep Show finished Matt continued acting, starring in The End of the F***ing World and the most wholesome film in existence, Paddington.
He also wrote a six part British series called Whites, which starred Alan Davies, as well as having a rogue appearance in the music video for Sam Fender’s single, Saturday.
Alan Johnson – Paterson Joseph
The literal ultimate boss Alan Johnson AKA Johnson was Mark’s alpha-male boss, who stole Big Suze from Jeremy and was played by Paterson Joseph. Since Peep Show, Paterson has starred in loads of TV shows, including Noughts and Crosses, Babylon and Vigil.
Earlier this year, he was the subject of an embarrassing One Show blunder when he was mixed up with fellow actor Patrick Robinson. Apologising for the error the following day, host Jermaine Jenas said: “We are really very sorry for an error in last night’s programme.
“We showed a scene from Casualty featuring Anne Reid and wrongly mentioned that Paterson Joseph was in the clip as well. It was of course Patrick Robinson who famously played Martin ‘Ash’ Ashford, Paterson played Mark Grace later in the 90s. Our apologies to Patrick.”
This makes me feel better for every time someone has thought I’m someone else.
Paterson has gone back to his boss-like roots, and in 2022 was appointed the new Chancellor at Oxford Brookes University!
Dobby – Isy Suttie
Isy Suttie played Dobby, no not the elf, who was Mark’s weird colleague, and who he and Jez ultimately ended up fighting over. Isy has been with Radio X host and fellow comedian Elis James since 2009, when they met at a comedy gig in Barnstaple.
They went on to have a daughter in October 2014, after which Isy developed migraine-associated vertigo, and some time later had a son who was born in January 2019. The two got engaged in 2016 but have not yet got married. Whilst Isy has not been in as much as some of the other cast members she has appeared in shows such as Damned, Man Down and also narrates Posh Pawn.
Big Suze – Sophie Winkleman
Let’s get the main question out of the way which is that yes, Sophie Winkleman is related to the queen of fringes, Claudia Winkelman as she is her half-sister. Although speaking of royalty, Sophie now is one as she married King Charles’ nephew Lord Frederick Windsor in 2009.
Does this mean King Charles knows, and has potentially even watched Peep Show? This is the information we need to know.
Sophie played Big Suze, Jez’s very posh former flatmate who he was obsessed with throughout the series. Sophie’s plans to return to the screen were put into jeopardy in 2017 when she was involved in a near-fatal head-on car crash, which led to a broken back and severe abdominal injuries.
Sophie feared she might never be able to walk again and struggled hugely with everyday tasks for a year after her horrific accident. Luckily she made a full recovery, and last year starred in the TV adaption of This Is Going To Hurt, where she played Kathleen alongside Ben Wishaw.
Gerard Matthew – Jim Howick
@alicialittlepage The man the myth the legend…. the OG of this #jimhowick #fyp #lols #horriblehistories4eva
Our favourite shouty man Jim Howick played Gerard Matthew, who was Mark’s ill coworker and love rival for Dobby, who tragically died in the eighth series of Peep Show.
Whilst Gerard died, Jim is still on our screens and is known for writing and starring in Horrible Histories, and won a children’s BAFTA for it in 2011. Most recently he has been in Broadchurch, and is our favourite dead person in the BBC’s Ghosts. Jim also stars as the iconic science teacher, Mr Hendricks in Netflix’s Sex Education, I don’t think I’m ready to say goodbye to him when the last season releases.
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