Mark Heap

Mark Heap (born 13 May 1957) is a British actor and comedian renowned for his chameleon‑like ability to slip into both absurdist comedy and period drama with equal ease. Born in Kodaikanal, Tamil Nadu, India, he is the youngest of four boys to an English father and an American mother; the family later relocated to Wales before settling in northern England, where Heap still resides. His early fascination with performance led him to join the Medieval Players in the 1970s, a touring troupe that combined stilt‑walking, juggling and puppetry, and he later formed the street‑theatre duo The Two Marks with Mark Saban. Heap first gained television prominence on the BBC sketch show Big Train (1998‑2002), where his wild physical comedy and barefoot gymnastics earned a cult following alongside future stars such as Simon Pegg and Julia Davis. He cemented his status as a versatile character actor with memorable roles as Brian Topp in Spaced, Dr Alan Statham in Green Wing, and the eccentric neighbour Jim Bell in Friday Night Dinner, a part he sustained from 2011 to 2020. His film work spans a wide spectrum, from a torch‑juggler cameo in Octopussy (1983) to supporting parts in About a Boy (2002), Stardust (2007) and Edgar Wright’s ensemble comedy The World’s End (2013). Beyond screen acting, Heap has contributed richly to radio, voicing Eric Feeble in Stressed Eric, portraying Aziraphale in the BBC Radio adaptation of Good Omens, and starring in numerous BBC Radio 4 dramas. Throughout his career, Heap’s blend of physicality, dead‑pan delivery and willingness to embrace the eccentric has made him a beloved fixture of British comedy and an actor whose work continues to delight audiences across multiple mediums.