Greg Davies
A towering physical and comedic presence, he channeled a decade as a teacher into playing hilariously tyrannical authority figures.
Born 1968 (age 58)·Welsh comedian and actor·Birthday: May 14·Generation X
Biography
Standing at six foot eight, Greg Davies used his imposing frame not for intimidation but for absurdity. His path to comedy was unconventional, spending his twenties as a secondary school drama and English teacher in England and Spain—an experience that directly fueled his breakout role as the bellicose, sarcastic teacher Mr. Gilbert in *The Inbetweeners*. That performance, a masterclass in simmering rage, unlocked a career built on playing exasperated, larger-than-life men. He moved seamlessly to creating and starring in his own sitcoms, like *Man Down* and *The Cleaner*, where his frustrated everyman characters became beloved. Off-stage, his storytelling prowess made him a powerhouse on panel shows, where anecdotes from his teaching days and chaotic family life are delivered with the precision of a seasoned stand-up.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Greg was born in 1968, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Greg Was Born
The biggest hits of 1968
#1 Movie
2001: A Space Odyssey
Best Picture
Oliver!
#1 TV Show
The Andy Griffith Show
Greg's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1968Born
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1973Started school
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1981Became a teenager
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1984Could drive
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1986Could vote
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1989Turned 21
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1998Turned 30
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2008Turned 40
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2018Turned 50
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
2026Age 58 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Created and starred in the sitcoms *Man Down* (2013-2017) and *The Cleaner* (2021-2024), serving as writer and executive producer.
- Won the British Comedy Award for Best Comedy Actor for his role in *Cuckoo* in 2013.
- Gained widespread recognition for his role as the intimidating teacher Mr. Gilbert in the hit E4 series *The Inbetweeners*.
- Is a regular and celebrated guest on British panel shows like *Would I Lie To You?* and *8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown*.
Did You Know?
He worked as a secondary school teacher for ten years before pursuing comedy full-time at age 30.
His mother often appears in his stand-up routines and made a cameo in his sitcom *Man Down*.
He was the team captain on the BBC comedy music quiz *Never Mind the Buzzcocks* for its 2011 revival.
Davies studied English and Drama at the University of Warwick and was part of the same comedy circuit as fellow comedians like Tim Vine.
“I spent ten years as a teacher, and I think I'm still decompressing from that.”
