Robert Webb
One half of the Mitchell and Webb duo, his perfectly timed sarcasm and hapless characters became a cornerstone of 2000s British comedy.
Born 1972 (age 54)·English comedian·Birthday: September 29·Generation X
Biography
Robert Webb, with his partner David Mitchell, formed one of the most defining comedy double acts of modern Britain. Meeting at Cambridge University, their chemistry was immediate, leading to a prolific partnership on stage, radio, and most famously, television. On shows like 'That Mitchell and Webb Look,' Webb's genius lay in his ability to play the exasperated straight man one moment and a blissfully ignorant idiot the next, from a snarky game show host to a clueless Sir Digby Chicken-Caesar. His writing and performance were sharp, literate, and deeply silly. Beyond the duo, Webb carved out a solo path as an actor in sitcoms like 'Back' and as an author, penning a candid memoir and a book on masculinity. He remains a witty, thoughtful, and sometimes provocatively funny presence in British cultural life.
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.
Robert 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 Robert Was Born
The biggest hits of 1972
#1 Movie
The Godfather
Best Picture
The Godfather
#1 TV Show
All in the Family
Robert'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
- Co-created and starred in the acclaimed BBC sketch series 'That Mitchell and Webb Look' and its sitcom predecessor 'That Mitchell and Webb Sound.'
- Co-wrote and starred in the cult sitcom 'Peep Show,' playing the feckless Jeremy Usborne for its entire 12-year run.
- Authored the bestselling memoir 'How Not To Be a Boy,' which examined gender norms and his own upbringing.
- Won a British Academy Television Award for Best Comedy Performance with David Mitchell for 'That Mitchell and Webb Look.'
Did You Know?
He is a trained pianist and has performed comedy songs as part of his act with David Mitchell.
Webb is a vocal supporter of the Labour Party and has written political columns for UK newspapers.
He underwent major heart surgery in 2019 to replace a faulty valve, an experience he wrote about publicly.
Before his comedy breakthrough, he worked as a copywriter for a mail-order company.
“The key to a happy life is not to get what you want, but to want what you get.”
