Keith Allen (Schauspieler)

Keith Allen broke through as a stand-up at the Comedy Store in London, with an act that mixed comedy and vocal performance and stayed close to punk: he had played in the band the Atoms and opened for The Clash. Television came through The Comic Strip Presents... on Channel 4, where he appeared in several episodes and co-wrote The Yob, a comic take on science fiction horror. On British Satellite Broadcasting he fronted I Love Keith Allen, a mix of stand-up and sketches.

Music has run alongside the comedy. He co-wrote World in Motion with New Order and sometimes joined the band live, wrote the lyrics of the England football song Vindaloo for Fat Les, a project that included Damien Hirst and Alex James, and turned up in the video for Blur's Country House. As an actor he is known for Shallow Grave and Trainspotting and for playing the Sheriff of Nottingham in the BBC series Robin Hood, and he has directed and presented documentaries as well.