Early life and education

Tate was born on 12 May 1968 in Bloomsbury and brought up in the Brunswick Centre. Her mother, Josephine, was a florist, and Tate has said that the character of Margaret in The Catherine Tate Show, who shrieks at the slightest of disturbances, is based largely on Josephine.

Tate never knew her father as he left very early on in her life and, consequently, she was brought up in a female-dominated environment, being cared for by her mother, grandmother and her godparents. As a child, Tate suffered from an obsessive-compulsive disorder which centred on word association. For example, Tate was not able to leave a jumper on the floor or it might have brought misfortune to her mother whose name began with the letter "J" like jumper.

She attended St Joseph's Roman Catholic Primary School, Macklin Street, Holborn and Notre Dame High School, Southwark, a south London convent secondary school for girls. By the time Tate was a teenager, she knew she wanted to follow a professional acting career and, following the abolition of the sixth form at her secondary school, was sent to a boys' Roman Catholic school, Salesian College in Battersea at the age of 16 for sixth form as it had the necessary facilities for drama. Tate left school without sitting her A-Levels. She then tried for four years to get a place in the Central School of Speech and Drama (University of London), succeeding on her fourth attempt. She studied there for three years, and until the age of 26, lived in Holborn and Bloomsbury. Prior to getting a place at the Central School of Speech and Drama, Tate went to the Sylvia Young Theatre School, but left after a week; "Even at that age, I realised I wasn't Bonnie Langford. It was very competitive", she stated.

Career

Beginnings

Tate began her television acting career with roles in serial dramas such as The Bill, and London's Burning. Tate started stand-up comedy in 1996, and has appeared in comedy series such as The Harry Hill Show, Barking and That Peter Kay Thing and a role in Men Behaving Badly. She played the part of Kate in the unaired pilot episode of sitcom Not Going Out alongside Lee Mack and Tim Vine. In 1998 she wrote and starred in Barking, a late night sketch show broadcast on Channel 4 and featuring a host of, back then, unknown stars such as David Walliams, Peter Kay and Mackenzie Crook.

Soon after, she became involved with Lee Mack's Perrier Comedy Award-nominated New Bits show at the Edinburgh Film Festival in 2000. In 2001, she returned to the festival with her own sell-out one-woman show, which was followed by roles in Big Train, Attention Scum and TVGoHome. After being spotted at Edinburgh, she was given the role of Angela in the comedy, Wild West, with Dawn French, who commented "Catherine Tate is far too talented and she must be destroyed."

Tate has also performed with the Royal Shakespeare Company, and at the National Theatre. She acted the role of Smeraldina in a 2000 RSC production of A Servant to Two Masters, and another role in The Way of the World at the National Theatre.

2004-05

Tate was approached at a post-show party at the Edinburgh Festival by then-BBC controller of comedy Geoffrey Perkins, who encouraged Tate to develop her character ideas, especially to push the boundaries with teenager Lauren Cooper. Undertaking Perkins' advice, after a live show Tate found the audience walking out of the show repeating the character's catchphrase Am I bovvered?

Produced by Perkins at Tiger Aspect, Tate was given her own programme on BBC Two in 2004, which she co-wrote and starred in with Derren Litten, entitled The Catherine Tate Show, which ran for three series. Two of the show's well-known characters are teenager Lauren Cooper and Joannie "Nan" Taylor, the cockney grandmother. Tate's inspiration for the cockney grandmother came from visits to old people's homes when she was at drama college. Tate won a British Comedy Award for Best Comedy Newcomer for her work on the first series of The Catherine Tate Show, and with the first series becoming a success, in March 2005, Tate made a guest appearance during the BBC's Comic Relief as the character of Lauren from The Catherine Tate Show, alongside boy-band McFly, which gained her further exposure.

In November 2005, Tate appeared in another charity sketch as part of the BBC's annual Children in Need telethon. The segment was a crossover between EastEnders and The Catherine Tate Show, featuring Eastenders characters Peggy Mitchell, Little Mo Mitchell and Stacey Slater, whilst Tate appeared as Lauren. Also at that time, she was a guest star at the 77th Royal Variety Performance and appeared again in the guise of Lauren Cooper. During the sketch, Tate looked up at the Royal Box and asked The Queen, "Is one bovvered? Is one's face bovvered?". During the sketch, co-star Niky Wardley (in character as Liese) remarked: "That old man sitting next to her has fallen asleep." Prince Philip then reportedly complained to the show's executive producer, saying he had been insulted. Tate later won a British Comedy Award for Best British Comedy Actress for her work in the second series of The Catherine Tate Show. At the end of 2005, she appeared in the BBC television adaptation of Bleak House.

Tate returned to the stage for the first time since working with the RSC, to play a role in the 2005 West End revival of Some Girl(s), alongside Sara Powell, Lesley Manville, Saffron Burrows and Friends star David Schwimmer. In an interview, Tate commented that she could not look Schwimmer in the eye during her time with him, leading to speculation that the pair did not get on. Tate immediately denied the rumours, explaining that she was joking about her attempts to act "cool" around Schwimmer, whom she described as "a very funny, personable man, and easy to get along with".

2006-07

The third series of The Catherine Tate Show aired in 2006, going on to win the National Television Award for most popular comedy as voted for by the public, and Tate's catchphrase "bovvered", used by her character Lauren Cooper, became so influential in popular culture that it was named Word of the Year and was even poised to enter the Oxford English Dictionary. Tate also played the role of Donna Noble in Doctor Who, a woman in a wedding dress who suddenly appears in the TARDIS at the end of the episode "Doomsday". The following episode, the Christmas special entitled "The Runaway Bride", saw Tate's character in a major role, where she was temporarily the Doctor's companion. On her appearance in the series, Tate commented "I'm honoured and delighted to be joining David Tennant aboard the TARDIS. I was holding out for a summer season at Wigan rep but as a summer job, this'll do."

Tate had roles in three films in 2006, these included, Starter for 10, Sixty Six, and Scenes of a Sexual Nature. She later appeared in the films Mrs Ratcliffe's Revolution, in which she played the title character, and Love and Other Disasters.

In the 2007 television adaptation of the novel, The Bad Mother's Handbook, she played the lead role and co-starred with Anne Reid.

On 16 March 2007, Tate appeared for a second time on Comic Relief as some of her well-known characters from The Catherine Tate Show. She acted in sketches with David Tennant, Daniel Craig, Lenny Henry and the then Prime Minister Tony Blair, who used the show's famous catchphrase, "Am I bovvered?" Tate also appeared as Joannie "Nan" Taylor in an episode of Deal or No Deal, hosted by Noel Edmonds.

Tate became a Patron of the performing arts group Theatretrain.

Late 2007-present

Despite speculation that the third series of The Catherine Tate Show would be the last, Tate and the BBC have not ruled out further episodes. She later filmed a one-off special episode which aired on Christmas Day 2007. The episode was subject to criticism when 42 viewers complained about the amount of swearing, and accused Tate of bigotry over the depiction of a family from Northern Ireland as terrorists, whose Christmas presents included a balaclava and a pair of knuckle dusters, in reference to the Troubles. After the complaints were made, an Ofcom report later concluded that the show was not offensive and did not violate broadcasting regulations. An extract from the Ofcom report read "Overall this episode was typical of the Catherine Tate Show and would not have gone beyond the expectations of its usual audience. For those not familiar with the show, the information given at the start was adequate."

She has also been nominated for four BAFTA Awards for her work on The Catherine Tate Show to date, including Best Comedy Performance.

Tate returned to Doctor Who in 2008 to reprise the role of Donna Noble as the Doctor's companion throughout the fourth series, which was shown on BBC One starting on 5 April for a 13-week run. Producer Russell T Davies said, "We are delighted that one of Britain's greatest talents has agreed to join us for the fourth series." Tate added, "I am delighted to be returning to Doctor Who. I had a blast last Christmas and look forward to travelling again through time and space with that nice man from Gallifrey." At the TV Quick Awards 2008, Tate was voted best actress for her role in Doctor Who. She returned as Donna Noble in the two-part Doctor Who Christmas special "The End of Time" which was broadcast over Christmas 2009.

In 2008, she starred as Michelle, a 38-year-old promiscuous maths teacher, in David Eldridge's Under The Blue Sky at the Duke of York's Theatre, London, alongside Francesca Annis and Nigel Lindsay. Tate injured her ankle in rehearsal on 15 July. She tackled previews with the aid of a crutch. On 11 April 2009, 26 December 2009 and 30 January 2010, Tate with David Tennant guest hosted Jonathan Ross' BBC Radio 2 show. In 2009 she created a one off special spin off to her long running TV sketch show. Although this time the show only starred 'Nan'. In the show, Nan played Scrooge, and was visited by 3 ghosts, one of whom was played by David Tennant. The show was a one off Christmas special. In 2010, Tate took part in Channel 4's Comedy Gala, a benefit show held in aid of Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital, filmed live at the O2 Arena in London on 30 March.

Tate took part in a series of short comedy films called 'Little Crackers'. Tate appeared as Queen Isabelle of Lilliput in the 2010 film adaptation of Gulliver's Travels. On 18 March 2011, the video for Take That's new single "Happy Now" was debuted on Comic Relief. The video shows comedians Catherine Tate, Alan Carr, James Corden, John Bishop and David Walliams audition to become Take That's ultimate tribute band, Fake That. Filming took place at Ealing Studios on 17 February 2011.

Tate appeared alongside former co-star David Tennant in the Shakespeare comedy Much Ado About Nothing at London's Wyndham's Theatre from 16 May to September 2011. For her performance - as Beatrice - Catherine won the BroadwayWorld UK Award for Best Leading Actress in a Play. In the seventh season finale of The Office, which aired on 19 May 2011, Tate guest starred as Nellie Bertram, a potential replacement for the departing Michael Scott (played by Steve Carell). On Saturday 17 December 2011, Tate presented the second episode of Channel 4's Laughing at the... series - entitled "Catherine Tate: Laughing at the Noughties" - in which she met Alan Carr, David Walliams, Noel Fielding, Rob Brydon and (her Doctor Who co-star) David Tennant to discuss the comedy highlights of the 2000s.

In January 2012, Tate returned to The Office for its eighth season. She reprised her role as Nellie, who was hired as a "misguided special projects manager". She returned as Nellie for the ninth and final season.

She starred alongside David Walliams and Philip Glenister in BBC One's situation comedy Big School in 2013. In November 2014 she was a guest on BBC One's The Graham Norton Show in which she revealed that her first stage appearance had been performing an impression of Gary Glitter in her school nativity play.

For Comic Relief 2015, Tate appeared as a nun in a sketch alongside with David Walliams as Lou Todd and Stephen Hawking in the Andy Pipkin role. Two further episodes of Catherine Tate's Nan aired in December 2015 on BBC One.

In January 2016, Tate played the role of Sapphire in the one-off comedy show Billionaire Boy, written by David Walliams. She appeared in Bruce's Hall of Fame with Alexander Armstrong the following day.

In January 2016, it was announced she will appear in the new musical comedy Miss Atomic Bomb in the St. James Theatre.

On 27 April 2016, Tate announced she would be taking her characters on tour later the same year. She confirmed Nan, Nurse Bernie, Geordie Georgie and Sam and Paul will return for the November/December tour.

Personal life

Tate's former partner is stage manager Twig Clark. They have a daughter, Erin (born at London's Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in January 2003), delivered following an emergency caesarean section. The family had a home in Richmond-upon-Thames, London. The family had both a cat and a dog, the latter of which was given to her by Jonathan Ross. Tate and Clark split before summer 2011.

Tate is the patron for the Laura Crane Youth Cancer Trust, supporting the charity since August 2006. In 2011 she took part in the charity's 2011 Charity Calendar Tate also speaks fluent French.

Tate suffered from post-natal depression, from which she only recovered after the filming of the second series of The Catherine Tate Show. She also suffers from occasional panic attacks. Regarding her personal outlook, Tate has said "I'm an incredibly negative person, so any form of success is only ever going to be a relief to me and set my default position back to neutral."

Awards and nominations

All for her work on The Catherine Tate Show unless otherwise stated:

Awards

• 2004: British Comedy Award - Best Comedy Newcomer
• 2006: RTS Television Award - Best Comedy Performance
• 2006: British Comedy Award - Best TV Comedy Actress
• 2007: National Television Awards - Most Popular Comedy Programme
• 2008: TV Quick Award - Best Actress in a Drama Series (for Doctor Who)
• 2009: Constellation Awards -Best Female Performance in a Science Fiction Television Episode

Nominations

• 2004: British Comedy Award - Best TV Comedy Actress
• 2005: British Comedy Award - Best TV Comedy Actress
• 2005: British Comedy Award - People's Choice Award (polled most votes but award not received)
• 2005: International Emmy - Best Performance by an Actress
• 2005: BAFTA TV Award - Best New Writer
• 2005: BAFTA TV Award - Comedy Programme or Series Award
• 2006: BAFTA TV Award - Best Comedy Performance
• 2007: BAFTA TV Award - Best Comedy Programme
• 2008: Nickelodeon's UK Kids Choice Awards 2008 - Funniest Person
• 2008: Nickelodeon's UK Kids Choice Awards 2008 - Best TV Actress (for Doctor Who)
• 2008: National Television Award - Outstanding Drama Performance (for Doctor Who)
• 2011: BAFTA TV Award - Catherine Tate's Little Cracker

Filmography

Television and film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1994	Men Behaving Badly	Potential buyer	Guest role
1998-2002	Big Train	Various Characters	Main role
2002-2004	Wild West	Angela Phillips
2004-2007	The Catherine Tate Show	Various Characters	Lead role
2006	Starter for 10	Julie Jackson	Film
	Sixty Six	Aunt Lila
2006-2010	Doctor Who	Donna Noble	Main role
2009	Nan's Christmas Carol	Joannie Taylor	TV film (lead role)
2010	Little Crackers	Josephine	Short film (Tate's first directing role)
	Gulliver's Travels	Queen of Lilliput	Film
2011	Monte Carlo	Alicia
	A Quiet Word With ...	Herself	Guest role (Season 2, Episode 3)
2011-2013	The Office	Nellie Bertram	Main role
2011	Laughing at the...	Herself	Catherine Tate: Laughing at the Noughties Guest Presenter (Season 1, Episode 2)
2013	Khumba	Nora the Sheep	Film (voiceover role)
2013-2014	Big School	Miss Sarah Postern	Main role
2014-present	Catherine Tate's Nan	Joannie Taylor	Lead role
2014	Nativity 3: Dude, Where's My Donkey?	Sophie O'Donnell	Film
2015	Unity	Narrator
2016	Billionaire Boy	Sapphire Diamond	TV film

Theatre

Year	Title	Role	Theatre/Company
1995	The Way of the World		Royal National Theatre
1996	The Prince's Play	Barmaid	Royal National Theatre
2000	New Bits	Various roles	Edinburgh Festival
	A Servant to Two Masters	Smeraldina	Royal Shakespeare Company
2005	Some Girl(s)	Sam	Gielgud Theatre
	Royal Variety Performance	Lauren Cooper	Wales Millennium Centre
2006	The Exonerated	Sunny Jacobs	Riverside Studios
2008	Under The Blue Sky	Michelle	Duke of York's Theatre
2010-2011	Season's Greetings	Belinda	Royal National Theatre
2011	Much Ado About Nothing	Beatrice	Wyndham's Theatre
	Sixty Six Books	God	Bush Theatre
2012	24 Hour Plays	Various	American Airlines Theatre, Broadway
2014-2015	Assassins	Sara Jane Moore	Menier Chocolate Factory
2015	The Vote	Kirsty Henderson	Donmar Warehouse
2016	Miss Atomic Bomb	Myrna	St James Theatre, London
	The Catherine Tate Show	Various	UK tour

Radio and CD audio drama

Year	Title	Role	Broadcaster
2008	The Forever Trap	Narrator	BBC Audio
2009	The Nemonite Invasion	Narrator	BBC Audio
2009-10	Jonathan Ross	Guest host - DJ	BBC Radio 2
2016	Doctor Who	Donna Noble	Big Finish Productions

[ Source: Wikipedia ]