Chris Morris (satirist)
A satirical demolition expert who used blistering parody to expose the absurdities and hypocrisies of the media and political establishment.
Born 1962 (age 64)·English comedian·Birthday: June 15·Baby Boomers
Biography
Chris Morris operates in the shadows of British comedy, a figure who inspires equal parts admiration and unease. With a background in radio, he forged a unique style: a flawless, deadpan imitation of authoritative broadcast tones used to deliver content of surreal, often deeply disturbing hilarity. His groundbreaking show 'Brass Eye' was a cultural detonation, using elaborate hoaxes to skewer media sensationalism and public gullibility, famously provoking outrage with a special on paedophilia that dared to mock the hysteria surrounding the topic. He co-created the sitcom 'The IT Crowd', showing a lighter touch, but his true métier is the morally complex, journalistically rigorous satire. Films like 'Four Lions', which he wrote and directed, treated the subject of incompetent jihadists with a humanity and bleak humor that sparked fierce debate, cementing his reputation as a fearless provocateur who attacks sacred cows not for shock, but with a scalpel-sharp ethical purpose.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Chris was born in 1962, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Chris Was Born
The biggest hits of 1962
#1 Movie
Lawrence of Arabia
Best Picture
Lawrence of Arabia
#1 TV Show
Beverly Hillbillies
Chris's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1962Born
Cuban Missile Crisis brings the world to the brink
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,800Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Stranger on the Shore" — Acker BilkBest Picture: Lawrence of Arabia
1967Started school
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1975Became a teenager
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1978Could drive
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1980Could vote
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1983Turned 21
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1992Turned 30
LA riots after Rodney King verdict
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $84,300Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"End of the Road" — Boyz II MenBest Picture: Unforgiven
2002Turned 40
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
2012Turned 50
Curiosity rover lands on Mars; Sandy Hook shooting
Gas: $3.64/galHome: $143,200Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Somebody That I Used to Know" — GotyeBest Picture: Argo
2022Turned 60
Russia invades Ukraine; Queen Elizabeth II dies
Gas: $3.97/galHome: $348,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"As It Was" — Harry StylesBest Picture: Everything Everywhere All at Once
2026Age 64 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Created and starred in the seminal, controversial satire series 'Brass Eye' and 'The Day Today'.
- Wrote and directed the film 'Four Lions', a dark comedy about would-be terrorists that won a BAFTA for Outstanding Debut.
- Co-created the influential cult radio show 'On the Hour', which spawned the TV series 'The Day Today'.
- His 2001 'Brass Eye' special on paedophilia generated unprecedented media and political controversy in the UK.
Did You Know?
He is a trained pianist and originally studied zoology at the University of Bristol.
He convinced real celebrities and politicians to endorse fake charities and campaigns on 'Brass Eye'.
He provided the voice of the antagonist in the popular video game 'The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt'.
He is known for his intense research; for 'Four Lions', he spent years consulting with counter-terrorism experts and imams.
“Satire is supposed to be about attacking the powerful, not the weak.”
