Biography

Born November 9, 1959 in Northern London, Tony Slattery was the fifth and final child of Michael and Margaret Slattery, working class Irish immigrants. As a child, Tony was a bit of a loner as his sister Marlene was much older than him and his triplet brothers, Christopher, Michael and Stephen, tended to stay within their own circle. Still, he says, Tony had a "gloriously happy" childhood. One of the things that kept him busy was a companion he made out of an old pair of pajamas. Already showing signs of the improvisational creativity he would become known for in his adulthood, he called his playmate "Fred."

Tony would act out scenes from "The Man From U.N.C.L.E.," practice judo, and literally beat the stuffing out of Fred! The practice gained him the opportunity to represent Britain in a 15-and-under judo competition. He achieved black belt status by age 17. After completing his schooling at Gunnersbury Boys' Grammar School in West London, Tony won a scholarship to study medieval and modern languages at Cambridge University. His specialties were Spanish poetry and French literature.

It was during his time at Cambridge that Tony was introduced to the theatre. He was invited by Stephen Fry to become a member of the renowned Footlights Dramatic Club. From that point on, any thoughts Tony had about becoming an academic ended when "getting up on stage and hearing laughter took over." The Footlights won the very first Perrier Comedy Award at the 1981 Edinburgh Festival for their production, "The Cellar Tapes." In 1982, Tony was given the prestigious honor of being named President of the Footlights, following such luminaries as Eric Idle, Clive Anderson, and Peter Cook. That year's touring show was entitled "Premises, Premises."

Tony's fellow students included future stars such as Emma Thompson, Stephen Fry, Hugh Laurie, Jan Ravens, Sandi Toksvig, Morwenna Banks and Richard Vranch.

Before his appearances on "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" Tony started his professional career doing "a kind of variety act, with bizarre turns." After dodging bottles at the now defunct Tunnel Club, he realized he would never be a stand up comedian. He then put together a video tape of his best material and sent it off to "Whose Line" and found a showcase for his talents.

For those not familiar with "Whose Line," it's a very funny improvisational comedy show hosted by Clive Anderson that began on England's Channel 4 (now seen in the US on Comedy Central). There is now an American version of the show on ABC hosted by Drew Carey. The US show has had a number of cast members from the British version as regulars, including Ryan Stiles and Colin Mochrie. Sadly, Tony hasn't been on YET but hopefully that will change sometime in the future.

An article written about Tony stated: "Tony Slattery has usually come across on his chat and quiz shows as a bit of a rude boy, frighteningly fluent and funny, but with a manic streak, and often pushing the boundaries of decency. In private conversation, he is rather proper, considerate and amusing, with a Baroque use of the English language. 'Words are loaded pistols,' he is fond of saying. 'You use them at your peril'." Top, left to right: Greg Proops, Ryan Stiles Bottom: Colin Mochrie, Tony Slattery

This isn't too surprising. Some of the things Tony has done on "Whose Line" have been so outrageous, it sometimes looks as if he's embarrassed himself! He'll either start blushing or hold his hands over his face while giggling to himself. No one can get offended, though, because he has this angelic face that allows him to get away with anything, and all we can do is laugh.

Given his reputation in the media, what people might not realize is that Tony is a very brilliant, articulate and shy man. Even through all the silliness, when you watch him, it's obvious he's a very generous and sensitive person. He's always quick to shake someone's hand or give them a pat on the back and tell them "Well done" after a good performance.

In 1998, Tony added a new job to his resume. He was elected to the post of rector at Dundee University, Scotland. As rector, Tony attended university court meetings to represent the students' interests and see to their well-being. Upon election, Tony said, "I know it sounds cliche, but when the moment came I was very flattered and honoured and I saw it as a chance to do something important, authentic and useful."

For two years prior to his election, Tony went through a dark period in his life, as he suffered from endogenous clinical depression. Compounding his depression and subsequent breakdown was the fact that he was also suffering from exhaustion. He had been working non-stop since his graduation from Cambridge without ever taking a break. He said, "The only excuse I can offer is of my plain, basic insecurity and because of my working class ethic - make hay while the sun shines." That period of time was very traumatic for him, but he has since gained great strength from it. Tony said he believed that experience would be helpful to his role as rector. "Student days can be the happiest of your life but they can also be isolating and depressing." He has since been trying to rebuild his life, saying, "I reached the bottom and there is no more fuel left to destroy myself further. It's evaporated, I've used it up and there's nothing left now. In fact, things can only get better." Fortunately for his fans, after taking some time off to focus on his recovery, Tony has returned to working again. He occasionally performs at the Comedy Store in London and has appeared in a number of television and radio programs for the BBC. His most recent feature film was 2000's "The Wedding Tackle."

I admire Tony for conquering his demons and his willingness to talk so openly about them. He has become a source of inspiration to others dealing with similar issues. I hope the rest of his life is filled with love and happiness. He deserves nothing less after all the happiness and entertainment he has provided us with. I'm also counting the days until we can see his beautiful smile on TV or the big screen again, in the US as well as England.

Home   News   Filmography   Articles   Links   Pictures Sign   Guestbook   View The Tony Slattery Admiration Page Copyright (c) 2000-2005 Phanatic_L