---
name: "Mathew Horne"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/mathew-horne"
fi1m_id: "mathew-horne"
imdb_id: "nm1328703"
tmdb_id: 82806
wikidata_id: "Q6787022"
roles: ["Actor"]
born: "6 September 1978"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 6
average_fi1m_score: 71
average_as: "actor"
average_over: 6
updated: "2026-10-07T13:56:37.497562+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."
---

# Mathew Horne

## Identity

Mathew Horne

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/mathew-horne
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** mathew-horne
- **IMDb ID:** nm1328703
- **TMDB ID:** 82806
- **Wikidata ID:** Q6787022
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mathew_Horne, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6787022, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1328703/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/82806

Actor. Born 6 September 1978 in Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England, UK.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor
- **Born:** 6 September 1978, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England, UK
- **Active:** 2001–2009
- **Also known as:** Mathew Frazer Horne
- **Average Fi1m score:** 71, as actor, over 6 titles
- **Score spread:** 2 at 80+, 3 at 60–79, 1 under 60
- **Lead roles:** 1 of 5 acting credits billed first or second
- **Genres:** Comedy 6, Animation 2, Drama 2, Family 2, Adventure 1, Sci-Fi & Fantasy 1
- **Screen time:** 2 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $105m across 1 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mathew_Horne, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6787022, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1328703/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/82806

## Streaming the US now

- **Amazon Prime Video:** [*The Smoking Room*](https://film.one/tv/the-smoking-room.md) (63), [*Planet 51*](https://film.one/film/planet-51.md) (52)
- **Apple TV:** [*Gavin & Stacey*](https://film.one/tv/gavin-and-stacey.md) (80)
- **Tubi:** [*Teachers*](https://film.one/tv/teachers.md) (76)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Fi1m on Mathew Horne

> Mathew Horne makes ordinary decency convincing without asking us to admire it. We value his restraint in ensemble comedy, though *Gavin & Stacey* also shows the limits of giving a quiet leading man too little to do.

In *Gavin & Stacey* (2007), Mathew Horne keeps Gavin Shipman’s reactions small enough that we can believe in him between the jokes. There is no insistence that we notice how pleasant he is, which makes his company easier to enjoy. We warmed to him because he plays Gavin’s kindness without asking for our approval. Beside Joanna Page’s more expressive Stacey, he helps their quieter exchanges feel unforced. We rate that restraint, even when the writing gives the pair too little to occupy them.

His early work in *The Catherine Tate Show* (2004), playing Jamie in the Nan sketches, established him within character comedy before Gavin became his breakthrough. The follow-up partnership with James Corden produced *Horne & Corden* (2009) and *Lesbian Vampire Killers* (2009), drawing criticism for crude, lazy material. Those projects should not define an actor whose work has continued across sitcoms and theatre. He also played Sloane in *Entertaining Mr Sloane* (2009), a darker stage role than his television persona suggested. *Bad Education* (2012) brought another sustained ensemble part.

The difficulty in *Gavin & Stacey* is that Ruth Jones and Corden give their own characters such distinct comic rhythms that Horne can seem short of something to play. When the interruptions stop, his scenes with Page do not always sustain the comedy. Page supplies more expression in their quieter scenes, and at times we want Gavin to be awkward enough to make an exchange less comfortable. That is partly a complaint about the writing, but Horne’s smoothness does not much disturb it. The supporting players get the bigger laughs, and his likeability cannot always compensate.

We would be wary, though, of treating quietness as the limit of what he can do. His sketch and stage work also draw on physical timing, which gives him more to use than Gavin generally requires. In an ensemble, there is value in an actor who does not compete for emphasis on every line. For another leading role, we would like him to be allowed a little more impatience before someone else gets the punchline.

## Biography

Mathew Horne is an English actor and comedian. Born Mathew Frazer Horne on 6 September 1978 in Nottinghamshire, he studied drama at the University of Manchester.

He is best known for playing Gavin Shipman in the BBC sitcom *Gavin & Stacey* (2007–2024). Other television credits include *The Catherine Tate Show*, *Horne & Corden*, *Bad Education* and *Agatha Raisin*. Film roles include *Lesbian Vampire Killers* (2009) and voice work in *Planet 51* (2009). He has also appeared in stage productions such as *Rain Man*.

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com.*

## On Fi1m (6)

- *Planet 51* (2009), Fi1m 52, as Soldier #1 (voice) — [page](https://film.one/film/planet-51.md)
- *Gavin & Stacey* (2007), Fi1m 80, as Gavin Shipman — [page](https://film.one/tv/gavin-and-stacey.md)
- *Phineas and Ferb* (2007), Fi1m 80, Actor — [page](https://film.one/tv/phineas-and-ferb.md)
- *Nathan Barley* (2005), Fi1m 74, as Shop Assistant — [page](https://film.one/tv/nathan-barley.md)
- *The Smoking Room* (2004), Fi1m 63, Actor — [page](https://film.one/tv/the-smoking-room.md)
- *Teachers* (2001), Fi1m 76, as Ben — [page](https://film.one/tv/teachers.md)

## Complete filmography (61)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *Welcome to Paradise* (2026), as Tom
- *Box of Frogs* (2026), as Rob
- *Gavin & Stacey: The Finale* (2024), as Gavin Shipman
- *Gavin & Stacey: The Finale* (2024), as Gavin Shipman
- *Bad Education: A Christmas Carol* (2023), as Shaquille Fraser
- *Bolan's Shoes* (2023), as Jez
- *Everybody Dies... Sometimes* (2023), as Therapist
- *Bad Education: Reunion* (2022), as Shaquille Fraser
- *Newark, Newark* (2022), series, as Terry
- *The Nan Movie* (2022), as Jamie
- *Agatha Raisin: Kissing Christmas Goodbye* (2021), as Roy Silver
- *The Existential Hotline* (2020), as Soren
- *We Love Gavin and Stacey* (2020), Actor
- *The Big Night In* (2020), as Shaquille Fraser
- *Gavin & Stacey: A Special Christmas* (2019), as Gavin Shipman
- *Porters* (2017), series, as Mark
- *British Sitcom: 60 Years of Laughing at Ourselves* (2016), as Gavin (archive footage) (uncredited)
- *You Can't Teach a New Dog Old Tricks* (2016), as Mr. Grace
- *Agatha Raisin* (2016), series, as Roy Silver
- *Breaking the Bank* (2016), as Nick
- *Catherine Tate's Nan* (2015), series, as Jamie
- *The Bad Education Movie* (2015), as Shaquille 'Simon' Fraser
- *Agatha Raisin and the Quiche of Death* (2014), as Roy Silver
- *Inside No. 9* (2014), series, as Edgar — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/tv/inside-no-9.md)
- *Catherine Tate's Nan* (2014), as Jamie
- *Bad Education: Christmas Special* (2013), as Shaquille Fraser
- *Catherine Tate's Nan vs Holby City* (2013), as Jamie
- *Bad Education* (2012), series, as Shaquille Fraser
- *Playhouse Presents* (2012), series, as Johnny
- *My Daughter the Teenage Nudist* (2012), as Narrator (voice)
- *Death in Paradise* (2011), series, as Leo Downs
- *Horrid Henry: The Movie* (2011), as Dad
- *Chekhov Comedy Shorts* (2010), series, as Lomov
- *Worried About the Boy* (2010), as Jon Moss
- *The Catherine Tate Show: Nan's Christmas Carol* (2009), as Jamie
- *Phineas and Ferb Christmas Vacation!* (2009), as Blay'n (voice)
- *Planet 51* (2009), as Soldier #1 (voice) — Fi1m 52, [page](https://film.one/film/planet-51.md)
- *Lesbian Vampire Killers* (2009), as Jimmy
- *Horne & Corden* (2009), series, Actor
- *Gavin & Stacey Christmas Special 2008* (2008), as Gavin Shipman
- *Trimming the Fat* (2008), as Sutcliffe
- *The Secret Policeman's Ball 2008* (2008), Actor
- *Fairy Tales* (2008), series, as Dean Gruff
- *The Omid Djalili Show* (2007), series, Actor
- *Phineas and Ferb* (2007), series, Actor — Fi1m 80, [page](https://film.one/tv/phineas-and-ferb.md)
- *Gavin & Stacey* (2007), series, as Gavin Shipman — Fi1m 80, [page](https://film.one/tv/gavin-and-stacey.md)
- *Roman's Empire* (2007), series, Actor
- *Robin Hood* (2006), series, Actor
- *Losing It* (2006), as Mike
- *I Love You. And You. And You.* (2006), as Narrator
- *Stingray* (2006), as Kurt
- *Our Hidden Lives* (2005), as Davy
- *Nathan Barley* (2005), series, as Shop Assistant — Fi1m 74, [page](https://film.one/tv/nathan-barley.md)
- *Agatha Christie's Marple* (2004), series, as Eversleigh
- *Carrie & Barry* (2004), series, as Adrian
- *Vanity Fair* (2004), as Casino Boy
- *The Smoking Room* (2004), series, Actor — Fi1m 63, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-smoking-room.md)
- *The Catherine Tate Show* (2004), series, as Jamie
- *20 Things to Do Before You're 30* (2002), series, Actor
- *Being April* (2002), series, as Whiffy
- *Teachers* (2001), series, as Ben — Fi1m 76, [page](https://film.one/tv/teachers.md)

---
© 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/mathew-horne