Cast & creator
Adrian Edmondson
Best known for Midsomer Murders, The Graham Norton Show, Death in Paradise
Adrian Edmondson was born in Bradford, Yorkshire. He went to Manchester University to study drama. Whilst he was there he met Rik Mayall, and the pair began performing as 20th Century Coyote. The act continued after university when Adrian & Rik moved to London, and they became two of the leading lights in the new 'alternative comedy' scene, performing at the newly established Comedy Store, and setting up their own club, The Comic Strip, with 'Peter Richardson', Nigel Planer, Jennifer Saunders, Dawn French, and Alexei Sayle. This spawned two 1980s TV series: The Young Ones (1982), and The Comic Strip Presents... (1982) In the 1990's Ade & Rik continued their partnership with a new series called Bottom (1991), which ran for three seasons and became a major success on the live circuit. It was basically a live sitcom, liberally sprinkled with slapstick humour, and the pair did 5 long tours between 1993 and 2003. Simultaneously, Adrian established himself as an actor, doing two improvised TV films under the Screen One and Screen Two umbrella, with director Les Blair: Screen Two: Honest, Decent and True (1986), and Screen One: News Hounds (1990) (winner of the BAFTA for best single drama). He was a regular in the hospital drama Holby City (1999) from 2005 - 2008. He took the lead in a drama documentary about the Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster in the series Surviving Disaster (2006), and appeared as Henry Austen in the TV movie Miss Austen Regrets (2008), the film Blood (2012), and the drama series Prey (2014). But his most notable dramatic role to date is that of Count Rostov in the BBC series War & Peace (2016).
Also known as: Ade Edmonson, Ade Edmondson, Ade Edmonton, Bad News, Adrian Charles "Ade" Edmondson
106
film credits
102
television credits
181
1971–2026 · acting roles
6.9
average across scored titles
Signature credits
Known for
Across film & television
Filmography (208)
Showing 208 of 208 credits
Midsomer Murders
Hugo Welles
1997
The Graham Norton Show
Self
2007
Death in Paradise
Charles Crabtree
2011
Holby City
Percy "Abra" Durant
1999
The One Show
Self - Guest
2006
Ready, Steady, Cook
Self - Guest
1994
Screen Two
Alun Pickersgill
1985
Natural World
Narrator
1983
Would I Lie to You?
Self
2007Film '72
Self
1971
Genius
David Hilbert
2017
An Audience with...
Self
1978Pebble Mill
Self
1991
Star Wars: The Last Jedi
Captain Peavey
2017The Alan Titchmarsh Show
Self
2007
3 Body Problem
Denys Porlock
2024
Blackadder
Baron von Richtoven
1983
Richard Osman's House of Games
Self - Contestant
2017
The Comic Strip Presents...
Dick
1982The Comic Strip Presents...
Mike/Hatchett/Julio/Bolsen/Man in Cage/Jenkins/Zarkoff
1982The Comic Strip Presents...
Desmond
1982The Comic Strip Presents...
Vim Fuego
1982The Comic Strip Presents...
Peter
1982The Comic Strip Presents...
Bean
1982The Comic Strip Presents...
Martin
1982The Comic Strip Presents...
Billy
1982The Comic Strip Presents...
Gordon/Bill
1982The Comic Strip Presents...
Eddie Monsoon
1982The Comic Strip Presents...
Ace
1982The Comic Strip Presents...
John
1982The Comic Strip Presents...
Brian
1982The Comic Strip Presents...
Adrian/Slim/Policeman
1982The Comic Strip Presents...
Dreamy Time Escort
1982The Comic Strip Presents...
Michael
1982The Comic Strip Presents...
Billy/Prince/Giles Cricket Bat Portland
1982The Comic Strip Presents...
2nd MI5 Man/Fan
1982The Comic Strip Presents...
Bestman
1982The Comic Strip Presents...
1982The Comic Strip Presents...
Writer
1982The Comic Strip Presents...
Director
1982
Absolutely Fabulous
Hamish
1992
Alien: Earth
Atom Eins
2025
Celebrity Mastermind
2003
Great British Menu
Self - Guest Judge
2006
Jonathan Creek
Brendan Baxter
1997
Going Live!
Self
1987
Celebrity Catchphrase
Self - Contestant
2018
The Young Ones
Vyvyan
1982
Screen One
Phil Burke
1989
Alan Davies: As Yet Untitled
Self
2014
Urban Myths
Leslie Conn
2017
French & Saunders
John
1987
War and Peace
Ilya Rostov
2016
Bottom
Edward Elizabeth Hitler
1991Bottom
Writer
1991Bottom
Creator
1991
A Spy Among Friends
Sir Roger Hollis
2022
Britain's Got More Talent
Self
2007
Catchphrase
2013
Press Gang
Simon Knowles
1989
Comic Relief Does Fame Academy
2003
Upstart Crow
Dogberry
2016
Saturday Live
1986
Between the Covers
Self
2020
Save Me
Gideon Charles
2018
Back to Life
John Boback
2019
Bergerac
Nigel
2025
The Pact
Richard
2021
Let's Dance for Comic Relief
Self - Contestant
2009
The Secret Policeman's Ball
Self
1976
One of Us
Peter Elliot
2016
Spine Chillers
2003
This Morning
Self
1988
Prey
DCI Warner
2014
Twisted Tales
Ed Barnes
2005
Gadget Man
2012
Kidnapped: The Chloe Ayling Story
Phil
2024
Cheat
William Vaughan
2019
The Bleak Old Shop of Stuff
Headmaster Wackville
2012
The Great Sport Relief Bake Off
Self - Contestant
2012
Bancroft
Superintendent Cliff Walker
2017Look at the State We're In!
Dewhurst
1995
Filthy Rich & Catflap
Edward Catflap
1987
If You See God, Tell Him
Gordon Spry
1993
Happy Families
Guy Fuddle
1985
Captain Star
1997
Hardwicke House
Tiny
1987
Rita Rudner
1990School's Out
Self
2006Doctors and Nurses
Dr. Roy Glover
2004
Toad & Friends
Toad
2023
Out of Her Mind
Lewis
2020
The Pope Must Die
Father Rookie
1991
Snakes and Ladders
Giles Tewkesbury
1989
Summer School
Peter
1983
Guest House Paradiso
Eddie Elizabeth Ndingombaba
1999Guest House Paradiso
Director
1999Guest House Paradiso
Writer
1999
The Dangerous Brothers
Sir Adrian Dangerous
1986The Dangerous Brothers
Creator
1986
Eat the Rich
Charles
1987
The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Treasure of the Peacock's Eye
Zyke
1995
Ade in Britain
2011
Interlude in Prague
Herr Luptak
2017
The Best Birthday Ever
Granny (voice)
2022
Boom Boom... Out Go the Lights
1980
Bottom: Exposed
Himself
2024Bottom: Exposed
Director
2024
Five Go to Rehab
Dick
2012
Rocky Horror Show Live
Narrator
2015
Blood
Tom Tiernan
2012
Gino: Full Story and Pics
Gordon/Bill
1984
Miss Austen Regrets
Henry Austen
2008
French and Saunders' Christmas Carol
Tim Goodchance
1994
Surviving Disaster
2006
The Secret Policeman’s Biggest Ball
Self
1989
GLC: The Carnage Continues
Billy/Prince Charles/Giles Cricket Bat Portland
1990Monte Carlo or Bust
2010
The Rizen
Interviewer
2017
Four Men in a Car
Ian
1998
The Comic Strip
1981The Comic Strip
Writer
1981
RSC Live: Twelfth Night
Malvolio
2018
How The Young Ones Changed Comedy
2018
Five Go Mad on Mescalin
Dick
1983
Rik Mayall's Sketches: Rare And Unseen
Self (archive footage)
2026
Mr Jolly Lives Next Door
Dreamy Time Escort
1988Mr Jolly Lives Next Door
Writer
1988
Letters Live from the Archive: Union Chapel
Self
2021
Space Virgins from Planet Sex
'K' / Air Traffic Controller
1993
Dangerous Brothers Present: World of Danger
Sir Adrian Dangerous
1986
Five Go Mad in Dorset
Dick
1982
Sam & Ade Go Birding
2026
Teenage Kicks
2008Teenage Kicks
Creator
2008
Rik Mayall: Magnificent B'Stard
Self
2026
The Comic Strip - A Retrospective
Self
2005
The Comic Relief Utterly Utterly Rude Video Live
Self
1986
The Best of French & Saunders
Various
2002
Bad News
Vim Fuego/Alan Metcalfe
1983Bad News
Music
1983Bad News
Writer
1983
imagine... French & Saunders: Pointed, Bitchy, Bitter
Self
2023
Britain Beware!
Self (Presenter)
2012
The Making of 'The Young Ones'
Self (Archived Footage)
2007
More Bad News
Vim Fuego
1988More Bad News
Director
1988More Bad News
Writer
1988
Demonella
Sid Vicious
1993
Holy - Bottom: Christmas Special
Edward Elizabeth Hitler
1992Holy - Bottom: Christmas Special
Writer
1992
South Atlantic Raiders: Part 2 Argie Bargie!
Billy
1990
Eddie Monsoon - a Life?
Eddie Moonson
1984Eddie Monsoon - a Life?
Writer
1984
The Making of 'Guest House Paradiso'
Self
1999
Kevin Turvey: The Man Behind the Green Door
Keith Marshall
1982
A Fistful of Travellers' Cheques
Billy
1984Codes
Head of MI6
Jack and the Beanstalk: The ITV Pantomime
Dame Dolly
1998
An Audience With Victoria Wood
Self
1988
Blackadder's Most Cunning Moments
Self - Baron von Richthoven (archive footage) (uncredited)
2008
If It Ain't Stiff: The Stiff Records Story
Self (Narrator)
2007
Gregory: Diary of a Nutcase
Gregory Dawson
1993
The Beat Generation
Desmond
1983
Bottom Live 2: The Big Number 2 Tour
Eddie
1995
South Atlantic Raiders: Part 1
Billy
1990
Bottom Mindless Violence
Vyvyan / Eddie Catflap / Sir Adrian Dangerous / Dreamy Time Escort / Eddie Hitler / Eddie Ndingombaba (archive footage)
2004
Rocky Horror Tribute Show
Brad
2008
Completely Bad News
Vim Fuego
2019Completely Bad News
Writer
2019Completely Bad News
Music
2019
Red Nose of Courage
John Major/Coco the Clown
1992
Bottom Fluff
1996
The Supergrass
Dennis Carter
1985The Man
Ash
1999
Bottom Live: The Stage Show
Eddie
1993
Partridge and Moulding Want To Get Laid
Thanks
2026
The Trick
Edward Acton
2021
Consuela (or, The New Mrs Saunders)
John
1986
Four Men in a Plane
Ian Crisp
2000
Bottom Live 2001: An Arse Oddity
Eddie
2001Bottom Live 2001: An Arse Oddity
Writer
2001
Just Like That!
Self
1989
Big Bottom Live - The Best of Bottom Live
1999
Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band - 40th Anniversary Celebration
Self
2006
Bottom Live 3: Hooligan's Island
Eddie Hitler
1997
Mirrorball
Director
2000
Dead on Time
Fool
1983
Private Enterprise
Brian
1986Private Enterprise
Director
1986Private Enterprise
Writer
1986
News Hounds
Phil Burke
1990
Bottom Live 2003: Weapons Grade Y-Fronts Tour
Edward Hitler
2003
The Strike
Adrian/Slim/Policeman
1988
Dirty Movie
Bean
1984Dirty Movie
Writer
1984
Slags
Ace
1984
The Yob
Michael
1988
French & Saunders LIVE
Director
1990
King Rocker
Self (archive footage)
2020Honest Decent & True
Alun Pickersgill
1986Honest Decent & True
Theme Song Performance
1986
The Rizen: Possession
The Interviewer
2019
Ade at Sea
Self
2014
Les Dogs
Best Man
1990
Oxford
2nd MI5 Man / Fan
1990
War
Various Roles
1983
Susie
Martin
1984