--- name: "Tony Slattery" canonical: "https://film.one/person/tony-slattery" fi1m_id: "tony-slattery" imdb_id: "nm0805495" tmdb_id: 162398 wikidata_id: "Q2559165" roles: ["Actor"] born: "9 November 1959" died: "14 January 2025" reviewed_on_fi1m: 2 average_fi1m_score: 77 average_as: "actor" average_over: 2 updated: "2026-09-17T17:44:07.728351+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." --- # Tony Slattery ## Identity Tony Slattery - **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/tony-slattery - **Type:** Person - **Fi1m ID:** tony-slattery - **IMDb ID:** nm0805495 - **TMDB ID:** 162398 - **Wikidata ID:** Q2559165 - **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Slattery, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2559165, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0805495/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/162398 Actor. Born 9 November 1959 in Stonebridge, London, England, UK. Died 14 January 2025. ## Details - **Work:** Actor - **Born:** 9 November 1959, Stonebridge, London, England, UK - **Died:** 14 January 2025 - **Average Fi1m score:** 77, as actor, over 2 titles - **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Slattery, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2559165, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0805495/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/162398 ## Streaming the US now - **Apple TV:** [*Peter's Friends*](https://film.one/film/peters-friends.md) (72) For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country. ## Fi1m on Tony Slattery > We value Tony Slattery most as an improviser: quick, articulate and cheerfully indecent. His supporting film work was less dependable, especially when a busy ensemble needed him to do less rather than more. On *Whose Line Is It Anyway?* (1988–1995), Tony Slattery could be articulate and badly behaved in the same breath. The speed was impressive, but the pleasure was in how precisely he could phrase something rude. We laughed because the language was so much more considered than the thought deserved. With Clive Anderson hosting, the programme gave his unruly energy somewhere to go. His early film work included Basil in *How to Get Ahead in Advertising* (1989), alongside Richard E. Grant, but improvisation remains the clearest reason to seek him out. *Peter's Friends* (1992) puts him back among Cambridge Footlights colleagues, with Kenneth Branagh directing and Slattery playing Brian. The reunion comedy is funny and companionable, but its script gives too many people a personal crisis, and Slattery's tendency to overplay does not help it settle. We like the film without finding him its strongest reason for a return visit. Emma Thompson and Imelda Staunton supply the emotional weight; their work helps explain why a performer so well suited to quick invention could be less satisfying when fitting into a busy scripted ensemble. *The Crying Game* (1992) places him in Neil Jordan's romantic thriller as Deveroux, rather than in another reunion comedy. We rate it more highly than *Peter's Friends*: it is tender and unsettling, despite plotting that occasionally demands attention better spent on the characters. Stephen Rea gives it its vulnerable centre, and Slattery is part of the supporting company. It is worth seeing him outside comedy, though this would be a peculiar film to recommend chiefly on his account. Those two films belong to his busiest period of screen work, from the late 1980s to the mid-1990s. After his regular run on *Whose Line Is It Anyway?* ended in 1995, screen appearances became less frequent, with occasional dramatic parts and returns to the stage. For his particular talent, we would still begin with the improvisation, where the speed and unruliness had room to work. Try *Peter's Friends* afterwards, allowing for a performance that can be larger than the film needs. ## Biography Tony Slattery was an English actor and comedian. Born in Stonebridge, London, he studied at Trinity Hall, Cambridge, where he was a member of the Cambridge Footlights. He appeared regularly on British television from the mid-1980s, including as a performer on the improvisation show *Whose Line Is It Anyway?* (1988). His film roles included Deveroux in *The Crying Game* (1992) and Brian in *Peter's Friends* (1992), as well as parts in *How to Get Ahead in Advertising* (1989) and *Carry On Columbus* (1992). He received an Olivier Award nomination for his stage work in *Neville's Island*. Slattery died on 14 January 2025, aged 65. *Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com, theguardian.com.* ## On Fi1m (2) - *Peter's Friends* (1992), Fi1m 72, as Brian — [page](https://film.one/film/peters-friends.md) - *The Crying Game* (1992), Fi1m 82, as Deveroux — [page](https://film.one/film/the-crying-game.md) ## Complete filmography (44) Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page. - *Drama Trails* (2010), series, Actor - *Rocky Horror Tribute Show* (2008), as Narrator - *Lady Godiva: Back in the Saddle* (2007), Actor - *Kingdom* (2007), series, as Sidney Snell - *Confessions of a Diary Secretary* (2007), as Gordon Brown - *Robin Hood* (2006), series, Actor - *New Street Law* (2006), series, as Dr Harr - *The English Harem* (2005), as Sebastian Partidge - *Ahead of the Class* (2005), as Stuart Stiles - *Three Steps to Hendon* (2005), as Teddy O'Connor - *Life Begins* (2004), series, as Linus - *Blackball* (2003), as Flash Referee - *The Last Detective* (2003), series, Actor - *The Royal* (2003), series, as Phil Granger - *The Wedding Tackle* (2000), as Little Ted - *Bad Girls* (1999), series, as DI Alan Hayes - *Up 'n' Under* (1998), as Reg Welch - *To Die For* (1994), as Terry - *The Easter Stories* (1994), series, as Centurion - *Just a Gigolo* (1993), series, Actor - *Monkey Business* (1993), as Presenter - *Carry On Columbus* (1992), as Baba the Messenger - *Peter's Friends* (1992), as Brian — Fi1m 72, [page](https://film.one/film/peters-friends.md) - *The Crying Game* (1992), as Deveroux — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/film/the-crying-game.md) - *GamesMaster* (1992), series, Actor - *Murder Most Horrid* (1991), series, as Tony Sparkle - *Tonight at 8.30* (1991), series, as Stevens - *This Is David Harper* (1990), series, as David Harper - *Cue The Music* (1990), series, as Presenter - *Drowning in the Shallow End* (1990), as Bennett - *About Face* (1989), series, Actor - *How to Get Ahead in Advertising* (1989), as Basil - *Alas Sage & Onion* (1988), Actor - *This Is David Lander* (1988), series, Actor - *Whose Line Is It Anyway?* (1988), series, Actor - *Red Dwarf* (1988), series, as Brooke (androids) (voice), Dispensing Machine (voice) — Fi1m 88, [page](https://film.one/tv/red-dwarf.md) - *That's Love* (1988), series, Actor - *Jake's Journey* (1988), as Lobster #2 - *Casualty* (1986), series, as Michael Chambers — Fi1m 68, [page](https://film.one/tv/casualty.md) - *Screen Two* (1985), series, as Bennett - *The Bill* (1984), series, Actor - *Saturday Stayback* (1983), series, Actor - *The Cellar Tapes* (1982), as various · Writer - *Who Am I?*, series, as Host --- © 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/tony-slattery