Matthew Holness
Biography
Born in Whitstable, Kent in 1975, Matthew Holness is an English comedian, actor, writer and director. He is best known for his comic creation, the fictional horror novelist Garth Marenghi. He read English at Trinity College, Cambridge and was vice-president of the Cambridge Footlights. His contemporaries included Footlights president, David Mitchell, Robert Webb, Olivia Colman and his Marenghi co-writer Richard Ayoade. Holness first appeared on television as a cast-member of the 2000 BBC Choice TV series Bruiser, which starred Mitchell, Webb, Colman and Martin Freeman. In that same year he won the Perrier at the Edinburgh Fringe for Garty Marenghi's Fright Night, which was transferred to UK television in the guise of the 2004 Channel 4 horror comedy Garth Marenghi's Darkplace. Other credits include 2006's Man to Man with Dean Learner, several productions with Ricky Gervais such as The Office, Life's Too Short and Cemetery Junction, and the 2017 Channel 4 sitcom Back which starred Mitchell and Webb. In 2018 he made his feature length directorial debut with the film Possum, having previously helmed short films The Snipist and A Gun For George.
Known For

The Haunting of Bly Manor

The Office

The Russell Howard Hour

Friday Night Dinner

Toast of London

Back

Life's Too Short

Garth Marenghi's Darkplace
All Movies (8)
- Dodger Special: Bad Egg2023 · as Sir Denholm Havers
- Friday Night Dinner: 10 Years and a Lovely Bit of Squirrel2021 · as Self
- Italia Violenta2015
- A Gun for George2011 · as Terry / George / The Reprisalizer
- Cemetery Junction2010 · as Band Leader
- Festival2005 · as Roger - Lighting Man
- Backstage... at the Cambridge Footlights1997 · as Self
- garth marenghi's darkplace horrificata illuminata— · as garth marenghi
All TV Shows (21)
- Toast of Tinseltown2022 · as Richard Chickentoss
- We Are Lady Parts2021 · as Gameshow host
- The Haunting of Bly Manor2020 · as Dominic Wingrave
- Year of the Rabbit2019 · as Hector, Crown Prince of Bulgaria
- The Russell Howard Hour2017 · as Garth Marenghi
- Back2017 · as Laurie
- Toast of London2013 · as Max Gland
- Life's Too Short2011 · as Ian
- Friday Night Dinner2011 · as Chris Parker
- Free Agents2009
- Man to Man with Dean Learner2006 · as Garth Marenghi
- Man to Man with Dean Learner2006 · as Steve Pising
- Man to Man with Dean Learner2006 · as Glynn Nimron
- Man to Man with Dean Learner2006 · as Merriman Weir
- Man to Man with Dean Learner2006 · as Amir Chanan
- Man to Man with Dean Learner2006 · as Randolph Caer / Garth Marenghi / Glynn Nimron / Steve Pising / Amir Chanan
- Time Trumpet2006
- 2004: The Stupid Version2004 · as Himself
- Garth Marenghi's Darkplace2004 · as Garth Marenghi / Dr. Rick Dagless M.D.
- The Office2001 · as Simon
- Bruiser2000