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Catherine Tate

Catherine Tate
Catherine Tate, born Catherine Ford (May 12th 1968), was brought up in the Brunswick Centre in Bloomsbury, London by her mother Josephine, a florist, and her Nan.

She trained as an actress at the Central School of Speech and Drama. Tate began her career onstage in productions for The National and the RSC, and appeared in TV shows such as ‘The Bill’ and ‘London's Burning’.

She turned to comedy when she got fed up of waiting for the phone to ring, comedy allowed her to be active and seek jobs. She did stand-up comedy for several years and joined Lee Mack's 2000 ‘New Bits’ show, which played at the Edinburgh Festival. The following year, she took her one-woman show to the Edinburgh Festival – it was a sell-out.

Spotted in Edinburgh by Geoffrey Perkins (the BBC controller of comedy at the time), she won the role of Angela, acting alongside Dawn French in ‘Wild West’ (2002-4). French is quoted as saying: ‘Catherine Tate is far too talented and she must be destroyed.’

In 2004, Tate was given her own sketch show. Her best-loved characters include Lauren, Nan and Derek.

In 2005 Tate returned to the theatre and appeared alongside David Schwimmer in ‘Some Girl(s)’ by Neil LaBute.

In 2006 and 2008, she returned to our TV screens in the role of Donna Noble, the assistant to David Tennant’s ‘Dr Who’.

Her film credits include: Mrs Ratcliffe’s Revolution, Love & Other Disasters, Starter For 10, Sixty-Six and Scenes Of A Sexual Nature.

Most recently, in 2010, she took part in Sky’s Christmas series ‘Little Crackers’ where she wrote and directed a short film entitled ‘My First Nativity’.

She is currently combining her stage and television work, having recently appeared in the final episode of the seventh series of ‘The Office’ in the US and appearing alongside David Tennant in a theatre production of ‘Much Ado About Nothing’.







What members say | Filmography

Catherine Tate - what members say


  • Big Train - Series 1 And 2
  • Big Train - Series 1 And 2 review by rpj from Dorset Coast, England
    Rated - 5.0 stars An uneven first series... but series 2 rocks! 18 August 2005
    ...you like your humour a bit on the surreal side, or want to see what Simon Pegg, Catherine Tate and Tracy Ann-Oberman used to do, then this is highly recommended. ...   Read customer review
  • Wild West - Complete Series 1 And 2
  • Wild West - Complete Series 1 And 2 review by A customer from Guildford, England
    Rated - 5.0 stars Class In A Glass 18 February 2007
    ...Its the little things that I loved about this. Dawn French and Catherine Tate are excellent but it's the 'little bits' that the other characters bring that were hysterical. ...   Read customer review

Catherine Tate - filmography


  • Now That's What I Call Comedy on DVD (2009)
    Starring: Catherine Tate,  Peter Kay,  Michael McIntyre
    Certificate: Certificate: 15
    Released to coincide with Comic Relief, this superb compilation features some of the funniest sketches from some of the UK hottest comedy talents including Lee Evans, Harry and Paul, Lenny Henry, Jo Brand, Little Britain and Sacha Baron Cohen. Sketches include: Catherine Tate - 'Lauren And Tony ..read more »
    3 stars out of 5 56% from 1,383 member
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  • Doctor Who - Series 4 Vol.4 on DVD (2008)
    Starring: David Tennant,  Catherine Tate,  Billie Piper
    Director: Graeme Harper
    Certificate: Certificate: 12
    Hot on the heels of the acclaimed third series, Doctor Who returns for a fourth instalment with a familiar face alongside the Doctor. Award-winning comedienne Catherine Tate returns as the Doctor's new companion, revisiting her role as Donna Noble who featured in the 2006 Christmas special The ..read more »
    4.5 stars out of 5 86% from 3,069 members
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  • Mrs. Ratcliffe's Revolution on DVD (2007)
    Starring: Catherine Tate,  Iain Glen,  Brittany Ashworth
    Director: Billie Eltringham
    Certificate: Certificate: 12
    Watch now: Unavailable
    1960s Yorkshire. Socialist Frank Ratcliffe (Glen) takes a job in East Germany, bringing his family along for the ride. But once there, they find that all is not as rosy as they believed, and meek wife Dorothy (Tate) begins to question her husband's leadership.
    3 stars out of 5 59% from 1,653 member
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  • The Catherine Tate Show - Series 3 on DVD (2006)
    Starring: Catherine Tate
    Director: Gordon Anderson
    Certificate: Certificate: 15
    Comedienne Catherine Tate returns for six more episodes of character-based sketch comedy. New characters include a Northern Irish mum who's delighted that her son is gay and 1950s landlady Ma Willow. Meanwhile, Lauren gets hitched, the Aga Saga woman takes a wrong turn into Tottenham and Nan ..read more »
    4 stars out of 5 76% from 693 members
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  • Love and Other Disasters (2006)
    Starring: Brittany Murphy,  Matthew Rhys,  Catherine Tate
    Director: Alek Keshishian
    Certificate: Certificate: TBC
    Emily Jackson lives a fast-paced life. Always on the go, able to talk around the clock, with a sensitive soul she loves playing matchmaker for her friends. It's Emily's gay room mate and frequent companion Peter, who becomes again the subject matchmaking skills when handsome new photographer ..read more »
    4 stars out of 5 75% from 17 members
    Currently unavailable
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  • Doctor Who - The Runaway Bride on DVD (2006)
    Starring: Catherine Tate,  David Tennant,  Sarah Parish
    Director: Euros Lyn
    Certificate: Certificate: PG
    Whilst preparing to marry her boyfriend, bride-to-be Donna suddenly vanishes, only to reappear in the Doctor's Tardis. As the Doctor races the Tardis back in an attempt to get Donna to the Church on time, it becomes evident that she is the key to an elaborate alien plan masterminded by the ..read more »
    4 stars out of 5 78% from 4,175 members
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  • Scenes Of A Sexual Nature on DVD (2006)
    Starring: Eileen Atkins,  Hugh Bonneville,  Ewan McGregor
    Director: Ed Blum
    Certificate: Certificate: 15
    Sex and love. Some seek it, some need it, some spurn it and some pay for it, but we're all involved in it. Set on one afternoon on Hampstead Heath, London, the film investigates the minutiae of seven couples. The film is a comedic and erotically charged look at what makes us tick, and it seems that ..read more »
    2.5 stars out of 5 52% from 11,475 members
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  • Bad Mother's Handbook on DVD (2006)
    Starring: Catherine Tate,  Holly Grainger,  Anne Reid
    Director: Robin Sheppard
    Certificate: Certificate: 15
    A dark Northern comedy based on the best selling book by Kate Long, The Bad Mother’s Handbook tells the story of a year in the life of 3 generations of women living in one house in Bolton. The main theme revolves around the fact that Karen (Catherine Tate) had her now teenage daughter Charlie (..read more »
    3.5 stars out of 5 69% from 1,344 member
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  • The Catherine Tate Show - Series 2 on DVD (2005)
    Starring: Catherine Tate
    Director: Gordon Anderson
    Certificate: Certificate: 15
    Catherine Tate's ascension to fame has been rapid but definitely well-deserved. Her sketch show features an eclectic collection of comedy creations; from Cockney Nan to the rather outspoken schoolgirl, Lauren, Tate’s characters are all the more funny because they remind us of people in everyday ..read more »
    4 stars out of 5 74% from 1,320 member
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  • The Catherine Tate Show - Series 1 on DVD (2004)
    Starring: Catherine Tate
    Director: Gordon Anderson
    Certificate: Certificate: 15
    Meet opinionated, manipulative Nan, the AGA SAGA Woman who simply can't cope with major disasters like a droppe egg cleaver, Paul and Sam the impossibly excited couple, Bunty the Doncaster spinners oldest majorette, Margaret who is frightened of her own shadow, Bernie the Irish nurse, Ben and Karen ..read more »
    3.5 stars out of 5 67% from 7,118 members
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Catherine Tate facts