--- name: "Chris Langham" canonical: "https://film.one/person/chris-langham" fi1m_id: "chris-langham" imdb_id: "nm0486413" tmdb_id: 167449 wikidata_id: "Q5107190" roles: ["Actor"] born: "14 April 1949" died: "24 June 2026" reviewed_on_fi1m: 4 average_fi1m_score: 83 average_as: "actor" average_over: 4 updated: "2026-10-07T14:07:40.946926+00:00" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Chris Langham ## Identity Chris Langham - **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/chris-langham - **Type:** Person - **Fi1m ID:** chris-langham - **IMDb ID:** nm0486413 - **TMDB ID:** 167449 - **Wikidata ID:** Q5107190 - **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Langham, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5107190, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0486413/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/167449 Actor. Born 14 April 1949 in London, England, UK. Died 24 June 2026. ## Details - **Work:** Actor - **Born:** 14 April 1949, London, England, UK - **Died:** 24 June 2026 - **Active:** 1979–2011 - **Also known as:** Christopher Langham - **Average Fi1m score:** 83, as actor, over 4 titles - **Fi1m score by decade:** 1970s 88 (1), 1980s 76 (1), 2000s 94 (1), 2010s 74 (1) - **Fi1m against the critics:** 85 to 81 across 3 titles - **Score spread:** 2 at 80+, 2 at 60–79, 0 under 60 - **Lead roles:** 2 of 2 acting credits billed first or second - **Genres:** Comedy 3, Drama 1 - **Screen time:** 4 hours of reviewed films - **Box office:** $21m across 1 films with figures - **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Langham, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5107190, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0486413/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/167449 ## Streaming the US now - **Apple TV:** [*The Thick of It*](https://film.one/tv/the-thick-of-it.md) (94) For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country. ## Fi1m on Chris Langham > Chris Langham made people in authority look painfully unprepared, with a deadpan delivery that seldom announced the joke. We rate him most highly when that restraint lets the embarrassment hurt, particularly in *The Thick of It*. Hugh Abbot's discomfort in *The Thick of It* (2005) is funny without there being any obvious joke to admire. Chris Langham plays the minister as a man out of his depth, without making his inadequacy look like a comic routine. We laughed at his unease, then felt uncomfortable about enjoying it, because Langham makes his embarrassment so recognisable. He gives us someone to watch when the insults might otherwise become exhausting. The performance does not need to make the minister endearing. The earlier work was in sketches and comedy writing, including *Not the Nine O'Clock News* and *The Muppet Show*. A part in *Monty Python's Life of Brian* (1979) sits alongside a longer career in television, voice work and improvisation. Roy Mallard in *People Like Us* (1995) gave his deadpan delivery a mock-documentary setting. In *Help* (2005), he co-created a therapy comedy and starred alongside his co-writer Paul Whitehouse. The recurring character is the baffled man who has to keep going without quite knowing what he is doing. In *The Thick of It*, creator and director Armando Iannucci has an ensemble capable of making the abuse feel personal. Joanna Scanlan's restraint as Terri Coverley and James Smith's indignation as Glenn Cullen also make the insults register as something being done to people. The programme needs those different responses; its relentless abuse can become monotonous. Langham's particular contribution is to let Abbot be ridiculous without making him seem exempt from hurt. We need not think much of the minister to recognise his discomfort. That does not mean Abbot earns our sympathy simply by looking miserable. Langham keeps the ineptitude visible, and the comedy would be weaker if embarrassment became an excuse for it. Nor does his performance solve the programme's occasional lack of variety; a recognisably hurt person can still be subjected to one tirade too many. Start with *The Thick of It*, but pay as much attention to the people receiving the insults as to those delivering them. ## Biography Christopher Langham was an English actor, writer and comedian. He was born in London on 14 April 1949 and died there on 24 June 2026. He played Hugh Abbot in the BBC sitcom *The Thick of It* (2005) and Roy Mallard in *People Like Us*. Other television roles included appearances in *Not the Nine O'Clock News*, *Help* (2005) and *Kiss Me Kate*, and he appeared in films including *Monty Python's Life of Brian* (1979) and *The Pink Panther Strikes Again* (1976). He won BAFTA awards in 2006 for *The Thick of It* and *Help*. In 2007 Langham was convicted on fifteen counts of downloading and possessing indecent images of children. He was sentenced to ten months in prison, reduced to six months on appeal, and placed on the sex offenders register. *Sources: en.wikipedia.org, theguardian.com, telegraph.co.uk, hollywoodreporter.com, imdb.com.* ## On Fi1m (4) - *Black Pond* (2011), Fi1m 74, as Tom Thompson — [page](https://film.one/film/black-pond.md) - *The Thick of It* (2005), Fi1m 94, as Hugh Abbot — [page](https://film.one/tv/the-thick-of-it.md) - *Silas Marner* (1985), Fi1m 76, as Keating — [page](https://film.one/film/silas-marner.md) - *Life of Brian* (1979), Fi1m 88, as Alfonso / Giggling Guard — [page](https://film.one/film/life-of-brian.md) ## Complete filmography (56) Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page. - *Vengeance* (2020), as Danny - *The Darkest Universe* (2016), as Alan - *Full Time* (2013), as Vinnie - *The Factory* (2013), as Doctor - *Black Pond* (2011), as Tom Thompson — Fi1m 74, [page](https://film.one/film/black-pond.md) - *Not Again: Not the Nine O'Clock News* (2009), as Various Roles (archive footage) - *The Art of Football from A to Z* (2006), Writer - *My Family and Other Animals* (2005), as Theodore Stephanides - *John Wyndham: The Invisible Man of Science Fiction* (2005), as John Wyndham - *The Thick of It* (2005), series, as Hugh Abbot — Fi1m 94, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-thick-of-it.md) - *Help* (2005), series, as Peter · Writer, Producer - *London* (2004), series, as Ned Ward - *The Legend of the Tamworth Two* (2004), as Jack - *The Worst Week of My Life* (2004), series, as Barry Turner - *The Best of Not the Nine O'Clock News Volume One* (2003), Actor - *George Orwell: A Life In Pictures* (2003), as George Orwell - *The Emperor's New Clothes* (2001), as Maurice - *The Very Best of the Muppet Show: Volume 3* (2001), Writer - *Room to Rent* (2001), as Mr. Paul - *The Big Tease* (1999), as BBC Interviewer - *People Like Us* (1999), series, as Roy Mallard - *The Very Best of the Muppet Show: Volume 2* (1999), Writer - *The Very Best of the Muppet Show* (1999), Writer - *Gimme Gimme Gimme* (1999), series, as Narrator — Fi1m 52, [page](https://film.one/tv/gimme-gimme-gimme.md) - *Kiss Me Kate* (1998), series, Writer, Creator - *Les Misérables: In Concert at Hylands Park* (1997), as Thénardier - *The Preventers* (1996), as Dr. Keelover - *Sardines* (1995), Writer - *Look at the State We're In!* (1995), series, Writer - *Carry On Columbus* (1992), as Hubba - *Tales from the Poop Deck* (1992), series, Producer - *Murder Most Horrid* (1991), series, as Harry - *Bottom* (1991), series, as Tight-Mouthed Larry - *Bejewelled* (1991), as Cop - *Hollywood Dog* (1990), Story, Teleplay - *The Jim Henson Hour* (1989), series, as Officer, Exerciser · Writer - *Call from Space* (1989), Screenplay - *Teams from Hell* (1989), Actor - *Chelmsford 123* (1988), series, as Roman Guard - *The McGuffin* (1986), as Detective - *Private Enterprise* (1986), as Nigel - *Silas Marner* (1985), as Keating — Fi1m 76, [page](https://film.one/film/silas-marner.md) - *Happy Families* (1985), series, as Reporter - *Muppet Treasures* (1985), Writer - *Gonzo Presents Muppet Weird Stuff* (1985), Writer - *Alas Smith and Jones* (1984), series, Actor - *The Comic Strip Presents...* (1982), series, as Nigel - *Soft Targets* (1982), as Drinkwater - *The Muppets Go to the Movies* (1981), Writer - *The Gaffer* (1981), series, as Spencer Moffatt - *Not the Nine O'Clock News* (1979), series, Actor - *Life of Brian* (1979), as Alfonso / Giggling Guard — Fi1m 88, [page](https://film.one/film/life-of-brian.md) - *Phoelix* (1979), Actor - *Cold Harbour* (1978), as Tim - *The Pink Panther Strikes Again* (1976), as Police Driver - *The Muppet Show* (1976), series, Writer --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/chris-langham