Nigel Planer
A chameleonic British performer who morphed from anarchic sitcom hippie to a commanding, award-winning presence on the West End stage.
Born 1953 (age 73)·British actor, comedian and writer·Birthday: February 22·Baby Boomers
Biography
Nigel Planer played Neil, the woolly-hatted hippie roommate on 'The Young Ones.' That defining role launched him into public consciousness. He then built a remarkably diverse career. Planer is at heart a stage creature. Early work in the original London cast of 'Evita' hinted at his musical talents, which later flourished in long runs in 'Chicago,' 'Wicked,' and 'We Will Rock You.' He delivers sublime comic pathos one moment and towering theatrical gravitas the next, as seen in his performance in 'Art' and his narration of 'Grizzly Tales for Gruesome Kids.' His BRIT Award for the 'Young Ones' theme remains a quirky footnote to a serious and sustained body of work across comedy, drama, and song.
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.
Nigel was born in 1953, 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 Nigel Was Born
The biggest hits of 1953
#1 Movie
Peter Pan
Best Picture
From Here to Eternity
#1 TV Show
I Love Lucy
Nigel's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1953Born
DNA structure discovered by Watson and Crick
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,750Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Song from Moulin Rouge" — Percy FaithBest Picture: From Here to Eternity
1958Started school
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
1966Became a teenager
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1969Could drive
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1971Could vote
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1974Turned 21
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1983Turned 30
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
1993Turned 40
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
2003Turned 50
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2013Turned 60
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $152,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan LewisBest Picture: 12 Years a Slave
2023Turned 70
ChatGPT goes mainstream; Israel-Hamas war begins
Gas: $3.52/galHome: $361,600Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Flowers" — Miley CyrusBest Picture: Oppenheimer
2026Age 73 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won a BRIT Award in 1984 for Best Comedy Recording for the theme to 'The Young Ones.'
- Originated the role of Herod in the London production of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical 'Evita.'
- Received a Laurence Olivier Award nomination for Best Actor in a Play for his performance in 'Art' in 2000.
Did You Know?
He is a trained musician and has released comedy music albums, including 'Hits' with his 'Young Ones' co-star Adrian Edmondson.
Planer is a published novelist, having written books like 'The Right Man' and the 'Faking It' series.
He portrayed the wizard Nikolai in the BBC's adaptation of 'The Colour of Magic' by Terry Pratchett.
“I've always been drawn to the immediacy and danger of live theatre.”
