BBC AMERICA WINTER TCA 2016 PANEL BIOGRAPHIES
INTRODUCTION
 Sarah Barnett – President and General Manager, BBC AMERICA
PANEL ONE – TOP GEAR
 Chris Evans – Host
PANEL TWO – THE HUNT
 Alastair Fothergill – Executive Producer
 Huw Cordey – Series Producer
PANEL THREE – UNDERCOVER
 Peter Moffat – Creator
 Dennis Haysbert – Actor
 Sophie Okonedo – Actor – Via Satellite
 Adrian Lester – Actor – Via Satellite
PANEL FOUR – LONDON SPY
 Tom Rob Smith – Creator
 Ben Whishaw – Actor – Via Satellite
TOP GEAR
Chris Evans – Host
Chris Evans is one of Britain's most high-profile and successful presenters. His
entrepreneurial zeal emerged at an early age, when he ran the local newsagents in
his home town of Warrington and set up his own Kiss-o-gram and Private
Detective agencies. He started his broadcasting career at Piccadilly Radio then
moved to GLR, where his infamous Round at Chris' Saturday morning show
attracted a huge cult following and he later took the format to Virgin 1215.
A stint on the short-lived BSB Channel, The Power Station allowed Chris time to
hone his presenting technique, until Channel 4 opted for a different type of early
morning show with The BIG Breakfast.
Chris dived into the nation's mornings in September 1992, spearheading the
morning extravaganza alongside Gaby Roslin. From the first sitting, his name
became synonymous with the television story of the decade and within weeks The
BIG Breakfast topped 2 million viewers. Chris' years on the show made him a
national star.
In 1993, Chris formed his own company called Ginger Productions to formulate a
brand new variety show for Saturday nights: Don't Forget Your Toothbrush. Devised,
written and performed by Chris, the ratings peaked at a combined 6 million
viewers. News of the totally original format resulted in a global clamor for the
rights, which to date have been sold to networks throughout Europe and all over
the world including Australia and US.
With Chris at its helm, Ginger Productions fast became one of the major players
in entertainment production. Under the Ginger banner, Chris produced and
presented a second series of Don't Forget Your Toothbrush and revitalized BBC
Radio 1 with his Radio 1 Breakfast Show before bowing out to concentrate on his
unique end-of-the-week TV show on Channel 4, TFI Friday. TFI ran for 5 years,
before finishing on December 22, 2000 with a show hosted by Elton John.
Chris has been a presenter on BBC Radio 2 for more than ten years and in 2010
he took over the station’s Breakfast Show following the retirement of Irish-born
broadcasting legend Terry Wogan. His show is currently the UK’s most listened
to – with over 10 million listeners tuning in each week. He also presented the
BBC’s TV magazine show The One Show on Fridays between 2010 and 2015 and
has hosted the UK music industry’s BRIT Awards on four occasions. In 2012, he
launched CarFest, an annual cars, music and food festival which has raised more
than £5.5 million for the charity Children In Need. He is a motoring columnist
for the UK’s biggest selling Sunday newspaper, The Mail on Sunday and the author
of several best-selling books, with his latest, entitled Call the Midlife.
In June 2015, Chris celebrated the 20th anniversary of TFI Friday with a one-off
special for Channel 4 which resulted in a full series being commissioned and
launched in Fall 2015.
Also in June 2015, the BBC announced Chris as the new host of its hit show Top Gear - which is, according the Guinness Book of World Records, the biggest
factual entertainment TV show in the world. Chris is a monthly contributor to
Top Gear magazine and his first season of the Top Gear program will be broadcast
in May 2016.
THE HUNT
Alastair Fothergill – Executive Producer
Alastair Fothergill was educated at Harrow School and the Universities of St. Andrew’s
and Durham. He joined the BBC Natural History Unit in 1983. He has worked on a
wide range of the department’s programs, including the BAFTA award-winning The
Really Wild Show, Wildlife on One, The Natural World and the innovative Reefwatch, where
he was one of the team that developed the first live broadcasting from beneath the
ocean.
Alastair went on to work on the BBC1 series The Trials of Life with Sir David
Attenborough. In 1993, he produced Life in the Freezer, a six-part series for BBC1
celebrating the wildlife of the Antarctic, presented by Sir David Attenborough. While
still working on this series, he was appointed Head of the BBC Natural History Unit in
November 1992, aged 32.
In June 1998, he stood down as Head of the Unit to concentrate on his role as series
producer of The Blue Planet, a landmark series on the natural history of the world’s
oceans. In 2001 Alastair became Director of Development for the Natural History
Unit.
In 2002 he co-presented Going Ape, a film that took Alastair to the Ivory Coast in
Africa. He has produced Deep Blue, a cinematic movie of the world’s oceans and he was
one of the presenters and executive producer of the innovative live broadcast Live from
the Abyss.
He was series producer for the Natural History Unit’s landmark series, Planet Earth, the
ultimate portrait of our planet. He subsequently co-directed the cinematic version Earth
to great worldwide acclaim.
He was executive producer on the Unit’s major landmark series Frozen Planet, a natural
history of the polar regions, which aired to record audiences and critical acclaim in
autumn 2011.
In addition to his work with the BBC Natural History Unit, Alastair co-directed two
cinematic movies for Disney as part of their Disneynature label. One of these
movies featured the big cats of East Africa and was released in the U.S. in April 2011 and
worldwide during 2012. The second movie, Chimpanzee, was released in the U.S. in
April 2012 and was released worldwide in 2013.
In November 2012 Alastair left the BBC to set up his own production company
Silverback Films. He is currently co-directing two further cinema films for Disneynature.
Silverback Films has also made the new landmark series The Hunt, which looks at the
relationships between predators and their prey.
Alastair is fellow of the Royal Geographic Society who awarded him their gold medal in
2012. He has honorary doctorates from the Universities of Durham and Hull. Alastair
lives in Bristol with his wife Melinda and two teenage sons.
Huw Cordey – Series Producer
Huw graduated from London University with a History and Politics
degree – not the typical background for someone working in natural
history television – but a longstanding passion for wildlife was rewarded
with a job at Partridge Films, one of the leading independent natural
history film companies in the ‘90s. After three years with Partridge,
making educational films for National Geographic, amongst others, he
went on to work with Mike Birkhead Associates, where he made two
BBC Natural Worlds in the U.S., Badlands, which involved living in a
trailer house in South Dakota for a year and becoming fairly intimate
with prairie dogs, and Grand Canyon, which took another year in the
field.
He joined the BBC Natural History Unit in 1995 where he worked on
long running series like Wildlife on One and Big Cat Diary, as well as some
of the Unit’s biggest blue chip landmark series, including Land of the Tiger,
Andes to Amazon, and Sir David Attenborough’s Life of Mammals. In 2003,
he became part of the Planet Earth team, under Alastair Fothergill, and
produced three episodes for this hugely popular and multi-award
winning series.
Following Planet Earth, he was appointed series producer of South Pacific,
a six part landmark series for BBC2. This series was the recipient of a
number of awards including an Emmy for best cinematography.
In 2009 he left the BBC to join Wild Horizons and, under Keith Scholey,
was the Series Producer for North America – Discovery Channel’s first
foray into fully funded blue chip, landmark natural history programming.
He is now the series producer for Castaways, a presenter led series on
islands for Discovery International and Animal Planet, and The Hunt, a
major blue chip series looking at the world’s predators and prey. Both
are being made by the newly formed Silverback Films, set up by Alastair
Fothergill and Keith Scholey.
In addition to his TV work, he has written and presented a number of
radio programs on subjects ranging from raccoons in Chicago to the
Gobi desert in Mongolia. Huw has also contributed nearly a dozen
pieces for BBC Radio 4’s long running news strand, From Our Own
Correspondent.
UNDERCOVER
Peter Moffat – Creator
Celebrated writer Peter Moffat has won two Writers Guild of Great
Britain Awards for Best Writer – Criminal Justice in 2009 and Silk in
2013.
Peter’s writing credits include the mini-series Cambridge Spies, starring
Tom Hollander, Sam West, Toby Stephens and Rupert Penry-Jones,
BBC’s BAFTA-nominated Hawking, starring Benedict Cumberbatch,
the BBC’s Macbeth starring James McAvoy and Keeley Hawes and the
BBC’s BAFTA-nominated Einstein & Eddington, starring Andy Serkis.
He also wrote the BBC’s BAFTA-winning drama Criminal Justice, starring
Pete Postlethwaite, Ben Wishaw and Lindsay Duncan, followed by Criminal
Justice 2 starring Maxine Peake, Matthew Macfadyen, Sophie Okonedo, and
Eddie Marsan.
More recently he wrote for three seasons of the BBC’s BAFTAnominated series Silk, starring Rupert Penry-Jones, Maxine Peake and
Neil Stuke and wrote for two seasons of the BBC’s BAFTA-nominated
series The Village, starring Maxine Peake, John Simm and David Ryall.
Peter’s theatre credits include New Play at the National Theatre in
2009, Brilliant Days in 1999 and Nabokov’s Gloves in 1998 at the
Hampstead Theatre.
Before he began his writing career, Peter was at the Criminal Bar
for ten years.
Dennis Haysbert – Actor – Rudy Jones
Dennis Haysbert captured the attention of audiences and critics alike
with his groundbreaking role as President David Palmer on FOX’s hit
series 24, for which he received his first Golden Globe® nomination.
He starred in the CBS series The Unit, which continues to be an
iconic and culturally relevant television show.
Haysbert returns to TV in the highly anticipated BBC AMERICA and
BBC miniseries, Undercover. His upcoming projects include WB’s
comedy Fist Fight starring alongside Charlie Day, Ice Cube and Tracy
Morgan. His recent film credits include Experimenter, Seth
MacFarlane’s Ted sequel, Ted 2, and Crackle’s Dead Rising: Watchtower.
Haysbert’s previous film credits include: Men Women & Children, Dear
White People, romantic comedy Think Like a Man Too, sequel to the
2012 film Think Like a Man, Sin City: A Dame to Kill For, Life of a King,
Welcome to the Jungle, Mr. Peabody & Sherman, Wreck-it Ralph, LUV,
Kung Fu Panda 2, The Details, Breach, Jarhead, Love and Basketball,
Absolute Power, Love Field, Major League, Heat, Random Hearts, What’s
Cooking, Waiting to Exhale, The Thirteenth Floor, Navy Seals, Suture, and
Sinbad Legend of the Seven Seas. Haysbert also appeared on the small
screen in the critically acclaimed CBS production Now and Again.
In 2015, Haysbert was given the honor of becoming the newest voice
of NBC News’ Meet The Press. He is a third-party advocate for
Allstate Insurance Co. and has appeared in commercials for the
company since 2003.
Born and raised in Northern California, Haysbert began acting with a
television role on an episode of the Emmy®-winning Lou Grant.
He is active in the fight against AIDS and in 2000 was spokesperson
for the Harlem Health Expo “Break the Silence” as well as The
Western Center on Law and Poverty. He has done many USO tours,
most recently in Italy, Germany, Southwest Asia, Afghanistan, and
aboard a Naval Ship.
Haysbert lives in Los Angeles.
Sophie Okonedo – Actor – Maya
Sophie Okonedo trained at RADA and is an award-winning film,
TV and stage actress. She earned nominations for an Academy
Award, Screen Actors’ Guild Award and NAACP Image Award
for her performance in Hotel Rwanda in 2005, won the NAACP
Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a TV Movie, Mini-Series
or Dramatic Special and earned a Golden Globe nomination for
Tsunami: The Aftermath in 2007, an NAACP Image Award
nomination for The Secret Life of Bees in 2009, BAFTA Award
nominations for Criminal Justice and Mrs Mandela in 2010, an
NAACP Image Award nomination for Mae in 2010, she won the
Tony Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured
Role in a Play for A Raisin in the Sun (Ethel Barrymore Theatre) in
2014. Sophie will return to Broadway this February to star in The
Crucible with Ben Whishaw and Saoirse Ronan at the Walter Kerr
Theatre.
Sophie’s film credits include: War Book, After Earth, Skin, Scenes of
a Sexual Nature, Martian Child, Stormbreaker, Aeon Flux, Dirty Pretty
Things, Peaches, Mad Cows, This Year’s Love, The Jackal, Ace Ventura
II: When Nature Calls, Go Now and Young Soul Rebels.
Her television credits include: The Hollow Crown Season 2, The
Escape Artist, Mayday, Sinbad, The Slap, Doctor Who, Criminal Justice,
Father and Son, Oliver Twist, Celebration, The True Voice of Rape,
Bank Holiday, Born with Two Mothers, Whose Baby is it Anyway?,
Alibi, Spooks (MI-5), The Inspector Lynley Mysteries: In The Presence
of the Enemy, Dead Casual, Clocking Off, Staying Alive, Sweet
Revenge, Never Never, In Defence, Murder Most Horrid, Deep
Secrets, The Governor, The Bill, Maria’s Child, The Age of Treason and
Casualty.
Sophie’s theatre credits include: The Haunted Child (Royal Court
Theatre), Caryl Churchill Event (Royal Court Theatre), Night Songs
(Royal Court Theatre), The Vagina Monologues (Ambassadors
Theatre), I Just Dropped By To See The Man (Royal Court
Theatre), Troilus and Cressida (National Theatre), Money (National
Theatre), The Arabian Nights (Young Vic Theatre), 900 Oneonta
(Old Vic Theatre/Ambassadors Theatre), Been So Long (Royal
Court Theatre), His Lordship’s Fancy (Gate Theatre), A Jovial Crew
(RSC), The Odyssey (RSC), Tamburlaine The Great (RSC), The
Changeling (RSC), Women and Sisters (Royal Court Theatre).
Adrian Lester OBE – Actor – Nick
Adrian Lester OBE is an award-winning actor and director. In 2013, Adrian
was presented with the Officer of the British Empire (OBE) medal from
Queen Elizabeth II for his services to drama.
His television credits include the starring role of Mikey Bricks in the BBC
series Hustle as well as When Romeo Met Juliet, Merlin, Sleep with Me, Ghost
Squad, Being Human, Bonekickers, Red Band Society, Girlfriends and London Spy.
His film credits include: Primary Colors, The Day After Tomorrow, Maybe Baby,
Born Romantic, Love’s Labour’s Lost, Dust, Final Curtain, Doomsday, Scenes of a
Sexual Nature, Starting Out in the Evening, As You Like It, Case 39, Grey Lady
and Breakable You.
His theatre credits include Henry V and Othello at the National Theatre,
Hamlet at the Bouffes Du Nord and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Fences, Six
Degrees of Separation, As You Like It and Company in London's West End.
Awards include the Evening Standard Theatre Award 2013 for Best Actor
for Othello, the Critics Circle Award 2012 for Best Actor for Red Velvet
and an Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical for Company.
LONDON SPY
Tom Rob Smith – Creator
Tom Rob Smith graduated from Cambridge University in 2001 and lives in
London. His novels in the Child 44 trilogy were New York Times bestsellers
and international publishing sensations. Among its many honors, Child
44 won the ITW 2009 Thriller Award for Best First Novel, The Strand
Magazine 2008 Critics Award for Best First Novel, the CWA Ian Fleming
Steel Dagger Award, and was longlisted for the Man Booker Prize. In just
five years, Tom Rob Smith has amassed over 3 million sales worldwide for
his bestselling Child 44 trilogy.
His new standalone novel The Farm is a UK #1 Bestseller and he is
currently adapting it for the screen. London Spy is his first original
television series.
Ben Whishaw – Actor – Danny
After graduating from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in Spring 2003,
Ben went on to appear in Enduring Love, a film adaptation of Ian McEwan's
novel directed by Roger Michel and Layer Cake, a feature directed by
Matthew Vaughn.
In 2003, he also starred in the popular comedy-drama The Booze Cruise for
ITV.
Ben subsequently made his West End debut at the National Theatre in their
stage adaptation of Phillip Pullman's His Dark Materials and starred as Hamlet
in Trevor Nunn's electric 'youth' version of the play at the Old Vic, for
which he has received tremendous critical acclaim and a Laurence Olivier
nomination (2005).
It was during this run that Perfume producer Bernd Eichinger and director
Tom Tykwer discovered Ben’s extraordinary talent. Ben played the lead
character Grenouille in the highly acclaimed Perfume which debuted in the
UK in December 2006. Ben also shot a feature film called Stoned, in which
he plays Keith Richards from the Rolling Stones (2006). In the same year,
Ben completed filming I’m Not There, Todd Haynes’ film portrayal of Bob
Dylan’s life alongside the likes of Cate Blanchett, Richard Gere and
Christian Bale. Ben plays the young, poetic Dylan. He also appeared on
television in Nathan Barley and returned to the theatre for Katie Mitchell’s
version of The Seagull at the National Theatre in the Autumn of 2006.
In 2008, Ben appeared in Brideshead Revisited, which was released to critical
acclaim. He also starred in the hugely popular BBC drama Criminal Justice,
which saw him pick up the award for best actor at the 2009 Royal
Television Society Awards, Best Actor at the International Emmy Awards
2009 and was nominated for ‘Best Actor’ at the 2009 BAFTA Television
Awards. He also played the lead in The Idiot at the National Theatre.
In 2009, Ben starred as poet John Keats in Bright Star. He then played the
lead at The Royal Court Theatre in Mike Bartlett’s play Cock - a story which
takes a candid look at one man’s sexuality and the difficulties that arise
when you realize you have a choice. Ben then played Ariel opposite Helen
Mirren and Russell Brand in The Tempest.
Ben went on to star as Freddie Lyon in The Hour for the BBC AMERICA
and BBC series opposite Dominic West and Romola Garai. This was
followed by the lead role alongside James Purefoy and Patrick Stewart in
the BBC’s adaptation of Shakespeare’s Richard II, which was released in
Summer 2012 and earned him a TV BAFTA. Ben replaced John Cleese as
the new Q in the Bond movie, Skyfall alongside Daniel Craig and Ralph
Fiennes. The beginning of 2013 saw the release of Cloud Atlas in which Ben
starred alongside an all-star cast including Tom Hanks, Jim Sturgess and
Halle Berry. Ben appeared on stage starring alongside Judi Dench in Peter
and Alice, which received rave reviews.
In 2014, Ben played the dark and tragic character of Baby in Jez
Butterworth’s Mojo in the West End and was the lead in the independent
film Lilting. He also voiced the title role of Paddington Bear in the box office
smash Paddington.
In 2015, Ben starred alongside Eddie Redmayne in the sensationally moving
Danish Girl. Ben also played alongside Meryl Steep, Helena Bonham Carter
and Carey Mulligan in Suffragette, returned to the role of Q in Spectre, and
starred alongside Colin Farrell and Rachel Weisz in the sci-fi thriller The
Lobster. In December, Ben starred as Herman Melville in The Heart of the
Seas. He recently finished on stage in the Bakkhai at the Almeida Theatre.