Dylan Moran makes exasperation funny by letting it become unreasonable. We rate him most highly when that acerbic presence has room to develop, though Shaun of the Dead shows how well he can work in company.
Fi1m perspective
Dylan Moran's blustering men tend to sound as though everyone else has made a simple situation intolerable. He lets their exasperation become unreasonable without losing the recognisable complaint underneath it. We like this acerbic presence, especially when it has time to develop; a small film part can give us the manner and leave us wishing he had more to do.
As Rufus the Thief in Notting Hill (1999), he has an early cameo in a romance that belongs to Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant. Roger Michell keeps the affection in Richard Curtis's writing credible, even when the second half spends too long arranging obstacles. It is a film we recommend for its leads. Moran's part is too small to make it the place to start with his work.
Black Books (2000–2004), which he co-created and starred in, gives Bernard Black room to be persistently difficult. Moran sustains the acerbity across a leading role, where the character's exasperation can become the reason to keep watching. The sharp observation and surreal use of language in his stand-up help explain the appeal, though the sitcom remains the clearest introduction to his screen persona.
Shaun of the Dead (2004) makes better use of him within a film ensemble, as David alongside Simon Pegg. Edgar Wright takes ordinary failings seriously enough to make both the comedy and the danger count. We laughed, then found ourselves more concerned for the characters than we had expected, because those failings had made them recognisable. The later horror business is more familiar, but Moran contributes to the supporting energy that keeps us invested.
There have been film leads, including Pierce in A Film with Me in It (2008), and dramatic supporting work as Michael Fitzgerald in John Michael McDonagh's Calvary (2014). Yet his reputation still rests chiefly on stand-up and Black Books. His feature-film leads have been fewer and less reliable; a larger part is no guarantee of a better evening. Begin with Bernard Black, and try Shaun of the Dead for the pleasures of seeing him in company.
Biography
Dylan Moran is an Irish comedian, writer and actor. He was born on 3 November 1971 in Navan, County Meath. He began performing stand-up comedy in Dublin in 1992 and won the Perrier Comedy Award at the Edinburgh Festival in 1996.
Moran co-wrote and starred as Bernard Black in the Channel 4 sitcom Black Books (2000–2004). His film roles include Rufus the Thief in Notting Hill (1999), David in Shaun of the Dead (2004), Gordon in Run Fatboy Run (2007), Michael Fitzgerald in Calvary (2014) and Father O’Brien in The Killer's Game (2024). He has also appeared in A Cock and Bull Story (2005), The Decoy Bride (2011) and Pixie (2020).
