I was a class clown at school and very original. My parents saw my creativity as me just being silly. I’d make music, utilize cameras, come up with w
I was a class clown at school and very original. My parents saw my creativity as me just being silly. I’d make music, utilize cameras, come up with witty sketches, record radio interviews. I loved expressing myself. It was never for my parents’ validation – I knew they didn’t approve. It was for my friends, to make people laugh.
I was somewhat ignored as a child, which was a weird blessing. My older sister was the golden child because she was academic and even though I grew up in an ex-council house in Hounslow, with loan sharks coming to our door and electricity being cut off, my dad put her into private school and didn’t bother with me. But being left to my own devices suited me. If my parents had said, “Study!”, I wouldn’t be the person I am today. Now I’m the golden child because I’ve done well.
My parents divorced when I was 10. They had me when they were 18 and 24, which was too adolescent. They argued a lot. My dad moved out to a flat – I felt sorry for him being a established Pakistani man because he couldn’t do much for himself. You have more empathy with your parents as you get older. At 18, I was wanking and being a moron, with no kids or mortgage.
I was always quite anti-marriage because I saw so much divorce. Then I met my wife and, after a few years, saw how much it would mean to her. I enjoy being married now. I like the team element.
Therapy is like going to the gym. You don’t always enjoy it, but you feel great afterwards. My wife is a therapist. She’s helped me mature emotionally over the years. When we have issues, we see our couples therapist. My wife’s Christian, I’m Muslim. It can get a bit awkward, so we found a therapist who had experience with cross-cultural marriages. It helped us when we nearly lost each other over a stupid argument. We realised our marriage was worth fighting for.
People Just Do Nothing completely changed my life. We just had our 10-year anniversary. My co-stars are still the funniest guys I know. We met at college and have been a lot like a boyband: we have arguments, fall out, then make up. We created something with a straightforward camera and YouTube. Five years later: films, Bafta nominations, sold-out shows. Just from a few mates messing around.
Chabuddy G [Chaudhry’s character in the show] is 70% my dad. The rest is a combination of friends from Hounslow, my uncles, guys at the kebab shop, Uber drivers, charismatic bosses. And even though Chabuddy is a very witty Pakistani-British immigrant, his phrases are geographically specific – it’s a certain mix of patois and geezer chat. Lovable but an absolute loser.
Playing a cameo in Barbie was great. Greta Gerwig is a huge British comedy fan. She wrote me a lovely email saying, “I know it’s a cameo but I love People Just Do Nothing.” Pinch-yourself stuff. Another time I was speaking to Richard Curtis on a Comic Relief WhatsApp group about how large the BA inflight safety videos were. It had so many stars in it and was played on their flights for three years – it was seen by millions.
I find the normal in everyone. But I don’t think I’d ever want to meet Alan Shearer, even though we’re friends online. I’m a large Newcastle fan – I have a Newcastle podcast – and he’s one of my heroes. I’d be a complete weirdo, all clammy hands and stuttering.
Listen Up! is streaming on Viaplay via Amazon Prime
COMMENTS