British humor has held a special place among global comedy. Its deadpan trait and cultural portrayal of British life has placed it among the biggest comedy industries in the world. He produced several acclaimed comics such as Ricky Gervais, Rowan Atkinson, Sacha Baron Cohen, Steve Coogan, John Cleese, among many others. Eddie Izzard is one of the hottest products in the British comedy industry. The comedian has been professionally active since 1982 and has built a successful career ever since. He is also a political activist. Learn more about Eddie Izzard by reading below.
Who is Eddie Izzard?
Eddie was born on February 7, 1962 in the colony of Aden, known today as Yemen. He is one of two sons of his parents, Dorothy Ella and Harold John Michael Izzard. Before the age of 10, Eddie had lived in Northern Ireland and Wales. He was brought up in the latter country – Skewan, West Glamorgan in Wales, alongside his brother.
As a child, Eddie suffered the unfortunate tragedy of losing his mother to cancer at the age of six, leaving him with a busy father and no mother to care for him. Eddie would be enrolled in a boarding school – St Bede’s Prep School before moving on to Eastbourne College. He was educated at the University of Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England.
It was while in college that he began to explore acting as a performing interest. Eddie Izzard, who is studying accountancy in Sheffield, taking over from his father, who was an accountant for British Petroleum, has decided to retire along with his friend, Rob Ballard.
The two went on the road trying to hone their craft as comedians. Shortly after college, Eddie and Rob broke up and so Eddie moved on into the early 80s, working alone as a street performer. He had his first comedy concert in a small London bar, Banana Cabaret.
After years of honing his materials and learning the ropes of connecting with his audience, he got his big break in 1991 after playing Raised By Wolves, a sketch on the benefit of Hysteria 3 AIDS. After the performance, Izzard cemented his place among British comics.
With television shows and the existence of comedy in film, comedians often make the transition between film and television. The case was no different for Eddie Izzard. He made his screen debut in 1994 for Shoot. Since then, he has starred in several movies and TV shows including Ocean’s Twelve, Ocean’s Thirteen, Cars 2, Mystery Men among others.
Eddie Izzard’s acting actions aren’t just limited to being in front of the camera. He is also a theater man who has acted in plays like Edward II and Trumbo. He debuted in 1994 for The Cryptogram.
Other than comedy, Eddie Izzard is a fairly well-known politician and activist. He is a strong supporter of the British Labor Party and a pro-European campaigner. He is also a philanthropist who regularly devotes his time and body to fundraising for various charities. Highlights of his philanthropy include running marathons for Sport Relief. He has also received several honorary doctorates from various institutions.
Is Eddie Izzard Transgender?
Eddie Izzard is transgender and identifies as such. He is known to cross-dress regularly on stage and in real life and says he found out he was transgender when he was four years old. Eddie also describes Caitlyn Jenner as a role model for those still hiding in the closet.
Other Facts to Know The Comedian
He is a polyglot
Eddie speaks several languages, aside from his native language, English. He speaks German, Spanish and French. It adopted and interpreted the languages as part of its efforts to increase cultural integration and tolerance. He received his first honorary doctorate in recognition of his work promoting modern languages.
He is author
Eddie published his first and only book to date in 2017. An autobiography titled Believe Me: A Memoir of Love, Death and Jazz Chickens.
He is an atheist
Eddie is publicly an atheist. He mentioned finding out he was an atheist in 2008; however, he considers himself a humanist and has been recognized by several humanist organizations for his contributions to belief and lifestyle.
He supports Crystal Palace football club
Eddie Izzard is a fan of the English Premier League club. He became the club’s associate manager in 2012.
His comedy role model is Monty Python
Comedians usually have an act that inspires them, or after which they model their own act. Eddie’s role model is the Monty Python sketch comedy group. His love and likeness to the band once earned him the nickname John Cleese’s ‘Lost Python’.