Tony Slattery was a British actor and comedian who appeared on British television regularly from the mid-1980s, including as a regular on the Channel 4 show Whose Line Is It Anyway? He also appeared in the films including roles in The Crying Game, Peter’s Friends, and How to Get Ahead in Advertising.
Tony Slattery Biography
Tony Declan James Slattery was born on 9 November 1959 in Stonebridge, England, UK, and died on 14 January 2025 in the UK after 65 years of his birth.
Tony Slattery Relationship
Slattery openly identified as gay and was in a long-term relationship with actor Mark Michael Hutchinson from 1986 until Hutchinson’s death.
Tony Slattery Health Issues
In the mid-1990s, Tony faced a “midlife crisis” of heavy cocaine use and drinking. He admitted he couldn’t recall how much he spent on cocaine but it was around £4,000 per week.
By 1996, he ignored calls, bills, and basic hygiene, simply sitting in isolation. A friend eventually broke into his flat and convinced him to go to the hospital, where he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. He later shared his experience in Stephen Fry’s documentary The Secret Life of the Manic Depressive, mentioning he once lived in a warehouse and threw his furniture into the Thames.
In September 2020, Tony signed a deal to write his memoirs. On January 14, 2025, he passed away at the age of 65 after suffering a heart attack two days earlier. 1theguardianÂ
Tony Slattery Parents
Tony’s father was Michael Slattery and his mother was Margaret Slattery and they belonged to Catholic Irish Ancestry. 2imdbÂ
Tony Slattery Career Ventures
Tony Slattery began his TV career in 1983 on Saturday Stayback, a follow-up to Chris Tarrant’s O.T.T., and also appeared on children’s shows like Behind the Bike Sheds and TX. In 1988, he joined the first series of Whose Line Is It Anyway? and in 1991, he and Mike McShane starred in their own improv series, S&M. Tony appeared frequently on shows like Have I Got News for You and Just a Minute, both on TV and radio.
Slattery also had roles in films such as The Crying Game, To Die For, Peter’s Friends, and The Wedding Tackle. He also presented Saturday Night at the Movies as a film critic and acted in the ITV sitcom That’s Love. He made other TV appearances, including The Music Game and chat shows with Ruby Wax and Clive Anderson.
Slattery was a regular with the Comedy Store Players in London and he appeared as a contestant on Cluedo in 1990 and hosted the game show Trivial Pursuit from 1993 to 1994. In 1992, Tony starred in Carry On Columbus, and Dead Ringer, and appeared on GamesMaster. He also led the ITV sitcom Just a Gigolo in 1993.
He voiced a vending machine in Red Dwarf in 1999 and appeared occasionally on TV, including roles in Ahead of the Class, Bad Girls, and Coronation Street. He won a celebrity edition of The Weakest Link and donated his winnings to charity.
In the 2000s, Slattery appeared in Grumpy Old Men, Lady Godiva: Back in the Saddle, and Robin Hood. He joined the ITV series Kingdom as Sidney Snell, returning for three seasons. In 2011, he reunited with Whose Line Is It Anyway? cast members for a Comic Relief special.
In 1981, Slattery teamed up with Richard Vranch to form a comedy duo called “Aftertaste.” They also hosted The Music Game on Channel 4 and Cue the Music on ITV. Tony performed on London’s West End in musicals like Me and My Girl and Radio Times, as well as in the play Neville’s Island.
In 1994, Tony became a founding patron of the Leicester Comedy Festival and appeared at its first event in 1996 and again in 2020. In May 2006, he narrated Richard O’Brien’s Rocky Horror Tribute Show at the Royal Court Theatre.
From 2017 to 2018, Slattery appeared in the improvised comedy show Slattery Night Fever in London. He also hosted a podcast, Tony Slattery’s Rambling Club, featuring guests like Robin Ince and Julian Clary.
Tony returned to the Edinburgh Fringe in 2017 and performed a show titled Slattery Will Get You Nowhere in 2018. In May 2019, he launched a fundraising appeal to continue performing on stage. 3wikipediaÂ
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