Miranda Katherine Hart Dyke, known professionally as Miranda Hart, is an English actor, comedian
and writer.
Following drama training at the Academy of Live and Recorded Arts, Hart began writing
material for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and making small appearances in various British
sitcoms.
She reached a wider audience with her self-written semi-autobiographical radio series Miranda
Hart's Joke Shop, which started airing on BBC Radio 2 in 2008.
Hart writes and stars in the 2009 BBC sitcom Miranda, which has earned its star four BAFTA
nominations, three Royal Television Society awards and four British Comedy Awards throughout
its three series.
The sitcom's third series aired on BBC One 2012–2013.
In 2012, she began appearing in the BBC drama Call the Midwife as Camilla "Chummy" Fortescue-Cholmondeley-Browne.
Hart's semi-autobiographical book, Is It Just Me?, was released in October 2012.
Early life Family
Miranda Hart was born on 14 December 1972 in Torquay, Devon, to Royal Navy officer Captain
David Hart Dyke CBE LVO RN and Diana Margaret Luce.
Her father was commanding officer of HMS Coventry when it was sunk by the Argentinians in the
1982 Falklands conflict, as a result of which he was badly burned trying to escape the stricken
warship.
Her mother, Diana Margaret, is the daughter of Sir William Luce GBE KCMG, who was the
British Governor and Commander-in-Chief of Aden, 1956–60.
She has a sister, Alice Louisa Hart Dyke.
Whilst from an aristocratic background, Hart has stated that she hates saying that, and
does not consider herself upper class.
Hart added that her family tree can be traced back to the 12th century and that her aunt
and uncle live in a castle which they cannot afford to run.
Education and training Though born in Torquay, Hart grew up in Petersfield,
Hampshire, and was educated at Downe House, Berkshire, an independent girls' boarding
school, where she was a contemporary and friend of the sports presenter Clare Balding, who
was head girl.
She attended the University of the West of England in Bristol, graduating with a 2:1
degree in political science.
Hart then completed a postgraduate course in Acting at the Academy of Live and Recorded
Arts.
In 2002, she performed a solo show in Edinburgh and in 2004 she pitched a comedy show to the
BBC.
At her read-through for BBC executives, Ab Fab writer and star Jennifer Saunders was
present.
Career Television and film
Before her own series was commissioned, Hart made appearances in various British sitcoms.
In Not Going Out she initially appeared as an acupuncturist.
However, her performance impressed the producers so much that they wrote a regular role for
her as Barbara, a clumsy cleaner.
She continued to play the part until the production of Miranda in 2009.
Hart earned a British Comedy Award nomination for her role as Teal in two series of the
BBC television comedy sci-fi sitcom Hyperdrive, which ran from January 2006 to August 2007.
She also appeared in even smaller roles in French & Saunders, My Family and Other Animals,
Nighty Night, Absolutely Fabulous where she played a 'Japanese' woman called Yoko, The
Vicar of Dibley as a speed-date programer, Lead Balloon, William and Mary, Smack the
Pony, Stupid!, Monday Monday as Tall Karen, and as a minicab driver in the Channel 5 comedy
Angelos, which ran for 6 episodes.
Hart played a cameo in David Baddiel's feature film The Infidel.
She appeared in a short film by Tim Plester, World of Wrestling, in which she played "Klondyke
Kate", a wrestler billed as 'hell in boots'.
The film was released in late 2007 alongside its companion shorts Blakes Junction 7 and
Ant Muzak.
Hart made a cameo appearance as a loan officer in the 2007 comedy film Magicians which featured
David Mitchell and Robert Webb, both stars of the long running television series Peep
Show.
25 March 2013 saw the UK cinema release of 12 in a Box, a feature film that was originally
made in 2007.
Hart is best known for her performance in her self-titled, self-penned and semi-autobiographical
sitcom Miranda, which started recording for BBC Two in 2008 and began airing on 9 November
2009.
The situation comedy also features Sarah Hadland, Tom Ellis, Patricia Hodge, James Holmes, and
Sally Phillips.
The series is based on Hart's semi-autobiographical writing and followed a television pilot and
the BBC Radio 2 comedy Miranda Hart's Joke Shop.
Described as an "old-fashioned" sitcom, it received positive comments from critics and
Hart won the 2009 Royal Television Society award for comedy performance for her role
in the first series.
A second series was commissioned and filming started in mid-2010.
The series began airing on BBC Two and BBC HD on 15 November 2010.
A third series began broadcasting from 26 December 2012 on BBC One.
Repeats of the show have begun airing on UKTV Gold.
She appeared as guest host of Have I Got News for You in October 2009 and again in December
2011.
She also presented a BBC spoof programme looking back over 2009 called 2009 Unwrapped with
Miranda Hart.
A similar show looking back over 2010 was also broadcast in December 2010.
On 27 December, she was a team member on Big Fat Quiz 2011, a quiz about the events of
that year presented by Jimmy Carr, appearing alongside David Walliams.
As a fan of the series, Hart has also appeared twice on Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two.
On Boxing Day 2011, she appeared in an episode of Bear Grylls' Wild Weekend.
She also scaled down one of the Alps with Bear Grylls in a show with him in March 2013.
In 2012, Hart began to appear in the BBC One drama, Call the Midwife, playing the character
of "Camilla 'Chummy' Fortescue-Cholmeley-Browne".
As part as the 60-year Diamond Jubilee celebrations, Hart co-presented a number of segments at
the Diamond Jubilee Concert in 2012.
In 2013, Hart presented a one-off interview show with her hero Bruce Forsyth entitled
When Miranda Met Bruce.
In December 2013, Hart appeared in David Walliams' film adaptation of his book Gangsta Granny.
She played Linda, Ben's mother.
Also in December 2013, she was lined up to star in To Love, Honour and Betray, the TV
version of Kathy Lette's novel.
In 2014 she joined the comedy film Spy, which was filmed on location in Budapest, Hungary.
Radio Her semi-autobiographical series Miranda Hart's
Joke Shop was aired on BBC Radio 2 in 2008 and went on from there to be developed into
the television series Miranda.
Hart has also presented comedy specials for the network alongside Jon Holmes.
In October 2011 she attracted criticism after co-hosting The Chris Evans Breakfast Show
with Holmes while Chris Evans was on holiday.
The website Digital Spy reported that some listeners were unhappy with the quality of
the programme.
The BBC issued a statement in response saying, "Miranda Hart is one of the UK's best-loved
comedians and BBC Radio 2 felt it appropriate to bring her warmth to its audience for a
week.
Jon Holmes is a highly experienced presenter from BBC Radio 6 Music [...] BBC Radio 2 appreciates
if their presentation wasn't to everyone's liking, but feels it's important to be able
to bring new talent to its output and hopes its audience understands the importance of
maintaining a breadth of content on the network."
Live performances Avoiding the normal stand-up circuit for more
character-based comedy, including an appearance in the Edinburgh and touring show The Sitcom
Trials, Hart has written her own theatre material for the Edinburgh Fringe.
Her one-woman shows include Miranda Hart – Throbs, It's All About Me and Miranda Hart's House
Party.
She also performed in Alecky Blythe's 2006 play Cruising at the Bush Theatre.
She was among the performers at the Diamond Jubilee concert held outside Buckingham Palace
on 4 June 2012.
Hart embarked on her first tour in 2014, titled My, What I Call, Live Show, performing in
arenas in the UK and Ireland.
Tickets went on sale on 17 December 2012.
Tours Comic Relief
Hart was the second contestant to be voted off the third series of Comic Relief does
Fame Academy in 2007.
Two years later, she appeared in the final sketch from comedy duo French and Saunders,
which was broadcast during Red Nose Day 2009.
In 2010, she and six other TV celebrities raised over £1 million for the charity Sport
Relief cycling from John O'Groats to Land's End.
She starred as a judge on both series two and three of Let's Dance for Comic Relief,
alongside other guest judges including Kelly Brook, Rufus Hound and Louie Spence in 2010
and 2011.
In aid of Comic Relief, a Miranda mini-episode set in the world of Pineapple Dance Studios
was broadcast on 18 March as part of Red Nose Day 2011.
She took part in a Red Nose Day edition of Celebrity MasterChef in 2011, which she won.
Hart also co-presented Sport Relief 2012, which concluded with her and fellow comedian
David Walliams dancing semi-naked to Abba's Dancing Queen.
She also donated a signed Miranda script to be auctioned in aid of Comic Relief.
Other work Hart released a book in October 2012 titled
Is It Just Me?, featuring stories, anecdotes and life advice delivered in her own style.
In January 2013 it was announced that she was writing a second book, called Peggy and
Me, which was to be published on 9th October 2014 but has been pushed to 2015.
'The Best of Miranda' is a compilation of scripts from the TV series Miranda which will
be published on 23 October 2014.
Awards and nominations In 2010 Hart won the Best Comedy Performance
award from the Royal Television Society for her performance in Miranda and was also nominated
for best comedy writing.
She and Patricia Hodge were both nominated for "Best Comedy Actress" awards at the Monte-Carlo
TV Festival 2010.
In 2011 she won "Best Comedy Actress" and "People's Choice Award for the King Or Queen
of Comedy" in the British Comedy Awards 2011, where Miranda also won "Best New British TV
Comedy" and was nominated for "Best Sitcom".
The same year, she was nominated for a BAFTA for Best Actress in a comedy role and her
hit BBC Two sitcom Miranda was nominated for the BAFTA YouTube choice award, the only award
voted for by the public.
Personal life Hart lives in Hammersmith, west London.
In her early twenties, Hart had an unsuccessful trial at Queens Park Rangers Ladies.
She revealed this during Would I Lie to You.
She did a special guest exclusive on the BBC Red Button.
Her first guest was her good friend Clare Balding who was her head girl back at school,
being a few years older than her.
On The Graham Norton Show, in 2011, Hart mentioned she suffers from asthma.
She is the first cousin of the journalist and author Edward Luce.
References
External links Miranda Hart at the Internet Movie Database
Miranda Hart's official website Miranda Hart on Twitter
Miranda Hart's agent Miranda Hart interview recorded at BAFTA London
– June 2011 www.burkespeerage.com