Tim Minchin

Timothy David Minchin AM (born 7 October 1975) is a British-born Australian comedian, actor, writer, musician, poet, composer, and songwriter.

Timothy David Minchin was born in Northampton on 7 October 1975, the son of Australian parents Ros and David Ellison Minchin.

He holds both Australian and British citizenship, as everyone born in the UK before 1983 was automatically a citizen of the country.

His father and grandfather were both surgeons in Perth.

He is also descended from R. E. Minchin, founding director of Adelaide Zoo.

Minchin returned to Australia with his parents and was raised in Perth, alongside his elder brother, Dan, and two younger sisters, Katie and Nel.

Minchin started learning to play the piano at the age of eight, but gave it up after three years because he did not enjoy the discipline.

He developed a renewed interest in the instrument after he started writing music with his brother Dan, a guitarist, but still describes himself as a "hack pianist ... a 'more you practise, the better you get' kind of guy".

He was educated at Christ Church Grammar School, an independent school in Perth.

He graduated from the University of Western Australia (UWA) in 1996 with a BA in English and theatre, and from the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts in 1998 with an Advanced Diploma in contemporary music.

Minchin describes his act as a "funny cabaret show" and sees himself primarily as a musician and songwriter as opposed to a comedian; he has said that his songs "just happen to be funny."

His reasoning for combining the disciplines of music and comedy was revealed in one interview when he said: "I'm a good musician for a comedian and I'm a good comedian for a musician but if I had to do any of them in isolation I dunno."

He draws on his background in theatre for his distinctive onstage appearance and persona.

In his performances, he typically goes barefoot with wild hair and heavy eye makeup, which is juxtaposed with a crisp suit and tails, and a grand piano.

According to Minchin, he likes going barefoot in his shows because it makes him feel more comfortable.

He considers the eye makeup important because while he is playing the piano he is not able to use his arms and relies on his face for expressions and gestures; the eyeliner makes his features more distinguishable for the audience.

He has said that much of his look and persona is about "treading that line between mocking yourself and wanting to be an iconic figure. Mocking the ridiculousness and completely unrealistic dream of being an iconic figure."

The shows consist largely of Minchin's comedic songs and poetry, with subjects including social satire, inflatable dolls, sex fetishes, and his own failed rock star ambitions.

In between songs, he performs short stand-up routines.

Several of his songs deal with religion, a subject with which Minchin—an atheist and a fan of Richard Dawkins—says he is "a bit obsessed".

He argues that, as one of the most powerful and influential forces in the world, religion should never be off-limits to satirists.

He says that his favourite song to perform is "Peace Anthem for Palestine", which reflects his feelings about religious conflict.

His comedy also deals with taboos more broadly.

A prime example of this is the song "Prejudice", which parodies the power awarded to something as simple as a word.

After graduating from WAAPA in 1998, Minchin started out composing music for documentaries and theatre.

In 2000, he wrote and starred in the musical Pop at the Blue Room Theatre in Perth.

He released a CD titled Sit with his band Timmy the Dog in 2001 but achieved little success.

Born to Australian parents in Northampton, United Kingdom, and raised in Perth, Minchin attended the University of Western Australia (UWA) and the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA), before moving to Melbourne in 2002.

He is best known for his musical comedy.

He has released six CDs, five DVDs, and live comedy shows that he has performed internationally.

He has appeared on television in Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

His show Darkside launched him into the public eye, achieving critical success at the 2005 Melbourne International Comedy Festival and the 2005 Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

Minchin has a background in theatre and has appeared in various stage productions, in addition to small acting roles on Australian television.

A documentary film about Minchin, Rock N Roll Nerd (directed by Rhian Skirving), was released theatrically in 2008 and broadcast by ABC1 in 2009.

He is the composer and lyricist of the Olivier Award-winning, Tony Award-winning and Grammy Award-nominated show Matilda the Musical and the Olivier Award-winning and Tony Award-nominated show Groundhog Day The Musical.

In October 2010 he was made a Distinguished Supporter of the British Humanist Association.

In 2013, he played rock star Atticus Fetch on Californication and in 2019 he co-wrote and starred as Lucky Flynn in the TV series Upright.

In 2013, the University of Western Australia awarded Minchin an honorary Doctor of Letters degree for his contribution to the arts.

In 2015, he was awarded a second honorary Doctor of Letters degree from the Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts.

He was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in the 2020 Australia Day Honours "for significant service to the performing arts, and to the community".