Lee Cornes is an English television actor and writer born in Hayes, London.

Career

Cornes began performing at London's Comedy Store in 1979, he was a regular compere at the club throughout the 1980s. He met Stephen Frost, Mark Arden and Paul Mark Elliott while working at the club and they formed a comedy troupe called The WOW Show. They were nominated for Best Comedy Show at the Edinburgh Comedy Awards in 1987 and 1988.

Cornes appeared in three series of Blackadder, in two episodes of The Young Ones and as barman 'Dick Head' in the TV show Bottom. He made an appearance in the first episode of Filthy, Rich & Catflap as a binman. Appeared in the Comic Strip episode "Slags". Appearances on Saturday Night Live. Cornes also starred in children's drama Grange Hill as Mr. Jeff Hankin (1990–2002); provided voices for characters in the children's television series TUGS, and featured in the Doctor Who story "Kinda" as the Trickster (1982). He appeared in Red Dwarf as Paranoia in the series one episode "Confidence and Paranoia". He also appeared several times in the BBC Scotland sitcom Rab C. Nesbitt, once as a DSS Clerk and again as a barman in a Highland pub.

He played a major role as the harassed talent agent Dickie Valentino in the 1994 partially-improvised comedy film There's No Business..., alongside comedy duos Raw Sex (Simon Brint and Rowland Rivron) and The Oblivion Boys (Stephen Frost and Mark Arden).

He appeared in the 2002 S Club Juniors video "One Step Closer."

In November 2010, he appeared as Dave in Episode 6 of E4 comedy Phoneshop. He appeared as the Tooting Flasher in Matt Berry's Toast of London pilot. Appeared in Hustle. Also appearances in French and Saunders, The Lenny Henry Show, The Detectives, After You've Gone, and My Family.

Stage appearances include Ken Campbell's The Warp at the Liverpool Everyman, several roles at the Orange Tree Theatre, Richmond. Figaro at The Watford Palace Theatre, as well as pantomime roles. Co-writer and performer The WOW Show at the Wyndham's Theatre. He toured Britain with Neal from the Young Ones.

Cornes was one of the lead writers for Mr Bean, The Animated Series, and a writer on Cavegirl and Channel 4's Gophers!. He was a co-writer of Channel 4's animation series The Bird, and writer/storyliner on What's Up Doc?, a writer and performer on Thames TV's After Hours and joint writer on two series of The WOW Show on Radio 4. He has appeared in various children's television shows such as My Parents are Aliens, Bear Behaving Badly, Jackanory.

Legacy In a 2010 interview in The Times, Cornes was cited as one of fellow comedian Sean Lock's biggest comedic influences. Lock said: "He’s not very well known but he is my main influence — he used to compere at the Comedy Store. He’s the comedians’ comedian. He used to be very unpredictable, which is a great skill in a comedian, not knowing where to go next. He also used to play the physics teacher in Grange Hill."

Filmography

Film/TV Year Title Role Notes1980The Further Adventures of Oliver TwistBarney3 episodes1982Doctor WhoTrickster"Kinda" Parts 2 and 3UliissesUnknownFilm1984The Comic Strip Presents...Arch Crippledick1 episode ("Slags")The Young OnesMCSpasspecker2 episodes ("Cash", "Time")1985The Lenny Henry ShowVarious1 episode (Episode #2.5)Up Our Street4 episodes1986Blackadder II2nd Guard1 episode ("Chains")Lenny Henry ToniteUnknown1 episode ("Neighbourhood Watch")1987The Love ChildMan in SupermarketFilmFilthy Rich & CatflapDustman1 episode ("Dead Milkmen")Blackadder the ThirdShelley1 episode ("Ink and Incapability")1988Red DwarfParanoia1 episode ("Confidence and Paranoia")KnowhowTobias Trumble1 episode1988-1990Colin's SandwichGraham8 episodes1989Morris Minor's Marvellous MotorsCooper 31 episode ("Nightmare")TugsGrampusBilly ShoepackBoomerFuel DepotVoiceClose to HomeParrot1 episode ("Father and Family"), voiceBlackadder Goes ForthPrivate Fraser1 episode ("Corporal Punishment")Mornin' SargeOily2 episodes1990-2002Grange HillMr. Hankin1990-1993Rab C. NesbittD.S.S. ClerkBarman3 episodes1991Screen OnePreston Scott1 episode ("Filipina Dreamgirls")PerformanceMarty Feldman1 episode ("The Trials of Oz")1991-1995BottomDick Head3 episodes ("Smells", "Parade", "Dough")1993French and SaundersDickie Valentino1 episode ("In Bed With French and Saunders")I, LovettBingley1 episode ("Imagine")The Full MontyVarious1994The All New Alexei Sayle Show1 episodeThere's No BusinessDickie Valentino1995Jack & Jeremy's Police 4DetectiveTV MovieSpot's Magical ChristmasDeer 2Voice, UK versionEleven Men Against ElevenJournalistTV MovieDrunk and DisorderlyUnknown1996-1997DetectivesDr. Pete2 episodes1996Saturday LiveVarious1 episodeJack and Jeremy's Real Lives4 episodes1997Loved by YouGary1 episodeLike It or Lump ItUnknownDoes China Exist?TV Movie1998Adam's Family TreeJack1 episode ("The Irate Pirate")2002-200415 Storeys HighUnknown2 episodes2005HustleRay Bond1 episode ("The Lesson")2006Jam & JerusalemPatient1 episode ("Sudden Death")2008Teenage KicksTim Bennet1 episode ("Goodbye Cruel Worm")After You've GoneMr. Deakin1 episode ("There Will Be Pud")2009Bear Behaving BadlyTodd1 episode ("Bird Brain")2010My FamilyCouncil Official1 episode ("Wheelie Ben")PhoneShopDave1 episode ("Soldier, Swinger, Shelley, Shelley")2012Toast of LondonFlasher1 episode ("The Flasher of London")2016The National Union of Space PeopleNews ReaderFilm2024Bottom: ExposedSelfDocumentary

Writing Credits Year Title Notes1990Gophers!2 episodes1994What's Up Doc?14 episodes2002-2003Mr. Bean: The Animated Series7 episodes

References

Sources

External links