Bob Mortimer (b.1959,) fully Robert Renwick Mortimer, is an English comedian, actor, writer, and television presenter, best known as one half of the surreal comedy duo Reeves and Mortimer with Vic Reeves. He has also gained acclaim for his later work with Paul Whitehouse in the series Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing (s.2018,) as well as his appearances on panel shows such as Would I Lie to You? and Taskmaster.
Born in Middlesbrough, Mortimer attended King’s Manor School and earned three A-levels before studying law at the University of Sussex and completing an LL.M. in Welfare Law at the University of Leicester. Mortimer worked as a solicitor for Southwark Council and later in private practice in Peckham, where his work earned him the nickname “The Cockroach King” in the local press.
His comedy career began in 1986 after meeting Vic Reeves at the Goldsmiths Tavern in London. Together they created Vic Reeves Big Night Out (1990,) which led to The Smell of Reeves and Mortimer (1993–95,) Shooting Stars (1993–2011,) and Catterick (2004.) Mortimer’s absurdist humor and improvisational style became his trademark. Later projects included House of Fools (2014) and the acclaimed Gone Fishing series with Paul Whitehouse, which blends comedy with reflections on health and friendship.
Mortimer published his autobiography And Away… (2021,) which recounts his life from Middlesbrough to comedy fame, including his health struggles and heart surgery.
More: Wikipedia • READ: Works by Bob Mortimer
A river is a very good teacher. It shows you that you can encounter a rock, a bend, or a fall, and yet your essence remains exactly the same as you keep moving.
—Bob Mortimer
The best way to know someone isn’t to ask them questions; it’s to sit in silence with them and see if the silence feels heavy or light.
—Bob Mortimer
Be a ‘checker’ in life, not just a ‘doer.’ Check if you’re happy, check if your friends are okay, check if the birds are singing. If you just ‘do,’ you’ll miss the point.
—Bob Mortimer
The world is obsessed with the ‘extraordinary,’ but the ‘ordinary’ is where the actual living happens.
—Bob Mortimer
Nature doesn’t care about your problems, and that is its greatest kindness. It just carries on being beautiful regardless of your nonsense.
—Bob Mortimer
I’m sure a lot of people have these little daydreams and flights of fancy to fill the passing of time, but I don’t know if they realize how important they can be to inject a bit of balance and optimism into your life.
—Bob Mortimer
The past is a foreign country; but the future is a neighborhood you have yet to explore. You might as well go there with a smile on your face.
—Bob Mortimer
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