Peter Serafinowicz
A British comedic chameleon with a velvet baritone, equally at home voicing a Sith Lord or delivering deadpan satire on social media.
Born 1972 (age 54)·British actor·Birthday: July 10·Generation X
Biography
Peter Serafinowicz possesses one of the most recognizable and versatile voices in entertainment, a tool he wields for both menace and mirth. While millions first heard him as the sinister growl of Darth Maul in 'The Phantom Menace', his true home ground is comedy. He cut his teeth on the cult UK series 'Spaced', where his timing and presence were immediately apparent. This led to 'The Peter Serafinowicz Show', a sketch series that showcased his gift for mimicry and absurdist writing. His career is a mosaic of eclectic roles: he's the hapless Pete in 'Shaun of the Dead', a deadpan alien in 'Guardians of the Galaxy', and the eerily knowledgeable Sommelier in 'John Wick: Chapter 2'. Beyond screen and voice acting, he became a social media phenomenon with witty, edited video observations, proving his comic intellect is as sharp in 280 characters or a 15-second clip as it is in a screenplay.
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.
Peter was born in 1972, 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 Peter Was Born
The biggest hits of 1972
#1 Movie
The Godfather
Best Picture
The Godfather
#1 TV Show
All in the Family
Peter's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1972Born
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1977Started school
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1985Became a teenager
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1988Could drive
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1990Could vote
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
1993Turned 21
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
2002Turned 30
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 40
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 50
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 54 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Voiced the iconic villain Darth Maul in 'Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace', contributing to the character's menacing presence.
- Created, wrote, and starred in the self-titled BBC sketch show 'The Peter Serafinowicz Show' in 2007.
- Co-created and starred in the Amazon Prime series 'The Tick', bringing the blue superhero to life in a live-action adaptation.
- His Twitter account gained a massive following for its sharp, edited video critiques of film and media tropes.
Did You Know?
He is the older brother of comedian and director Robert Popper, creator of 'Friday Night Dinner'.
He provided the voice for the 'Duel of the Fates' choral chants in the same Star Wars film he acted in.
He is a skilled musician and composed the theme music for his own BBC sketch show.
He performed the voice of the talking mailbox in the children's show 'The Adventures of Paddington'.
“I'm interested in the gap between what people intend and what they actually do.”
