Ben Bailey Smith

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Template:Short description Template:Use British English Template:Use dmy dates Script error: No such module "Unsubst". Script error: No such module "Infobox".Template:Template otherScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Benjamin Harvey Bailey Smith, professionally known as Doc Brown, is an English actor, comedian, rapper, screenwriter, songwriter, producer, and voiceover artist. He portrayed DS Joe Hawkins in the television series Law & Order: UK. He is also known for portraying Nathan Carter in the CBBC television series 4 O'Clock Club from 2012 to 2015, and Imperial Security Bureau agent Lieutenant Supervisor Blevin in Andor. He also voiced a number of episodes of the show Funny Animals: Unleashed, aired via 4MUSIC.

Early life and education

Doc Brown was born Benjamin Harvey Bailey Smith, son of a Jamaican born British citizen, Yvonne Bailey, and an Englishman, Harvey Smith, who was 30 years his wife's senior. Raised in the Willesden area of north-west London, Smith is the younger brother of novelist and essayist Zadie Smith.[2][3][1] They also have a younger brother Luke, who performs as a professional rapper under the name Luc Skyz.[4][5]

Smith attended Hampstead School.[6] He said that he'd acquired the nickname "Doc Brown" at school, after the scientist in the film Back to the Future, because he was "gangly and geeky". When he started doing rap battles as a teenager, it became his hip-hop handle [7]

Career

Music

Doc Brown began performing as a battle rapper in 2000, appearing at the Dingwalls nightclub in Camden Lock, and later at the "Jump Off" competition in Soho.[4] He released his debut album Citizen Smith Volume 1 in 2004.[8] This was followed by The Document and Citizen Smith: Volume 2: Nothing to Lose, released in 2005 and 2006 respectively, before he went on a hiatus in his solo musical career.Script error: No such module "Unsubst".

He formed the British hip hop group Poisonous Poets alongside rappers Lowkey, Stylah, DJ Snips, Therapist, and Tony D, releasing a mixtape in 2005.[9]

In 2015 he released Empty Threats, his first album in a decade, this time solely based on comedy rap, a first in his discography.[10] He returned to his original rapping style on his fifth album, Stemma, released in 2017.Script error: No such module "Unsubst". During this time he also collaborated with Ricky Gervais on the soundtrack to the 2016 film David Brent: Life on the Road, performing alongside Gervais as David Brent on the tracks “Lonely Cowboy, “Equality Street”, “Ain’t no Trouble”,and on his solo track “Cards We’re Dealt”.[11]

Since then, Doc Brown has released collaboration material with Andy Burrows,[12] The Jazz Defenders,[13] Verb T, and Romesh Ranganathan.[14]

Film and television

Smith appeared in the BBC series Rev and Miranda, as well as Channel 4's The Inbetweeners, and the CBBC series Big Babies. In 2013 he guest starred in the Channel 4 comedy-drama series Derek as a young man sentenced to community service in a nursing home.[4]

He appeared in Ben Miller's film Huge, and co-starred in Other Side of the Game. He wrote music for the 2011 Joe Cornish film Attack the Block.[4]

Smith co-created a teen comedy-drama for the BBC called 4 O'Clock Club.[4]

He starred in the 2012 Frank Spotnitz television show Hunted, a thriller for Cinemax,Script error: No such module "Unsubst". and went on to shoot an episode of Midsomer Murders.Script error: No such module "Unsubst". In 2014, he played DS Joe Hawkins in the final series of ITV's Law & Order: UK.Script error: No such module "Unsubst".

In 2016, he guest-starred on the BBC One television film Damilola, Our Loved Boy as a taxi driver.[7]

In February 2017, he appeared on Dave's Crackanory, reading "Devil's Haircut" by Sarah Morgan.Script error: No such module "Unsubst". That October, he was a guest on Episode 100 of The Gaffer Tapes: Fantasy Football Podcast.[15] In late 2017, he played DS Evans in Sky One's Bounty Hunters.[16]

In 2018, he appeared in the Doctor Who episode "The Tsuranga Conundrum".[17]

In 2020, he played Richie Hansen, an abusive husband, in the second series of BBC TV drama The Split.Script error: No such module "Unsubst".

In 2022, he played Lieutenant Supervisor Blevin in five episodes of the first series of the Star Wars TV series Andor.[18]

In 2023, he played Simon Blake, in a four-part series of BBC TV drama The Sixth Commandment. His song “Smash That” featured in episode 3.[19]

Radio and podcasts

Smith has been a guest presenter several times on the BBC Radio 5 Live film review show hosted by Simon Mayo and Mark Kermode.[20]

He has co-hosted the podcast Shrink The Box with Nemone.Script error: No such module "Unsubst".Script error: No such module "Unsubst".

In April 2024, he appeared on the football trivia podcast Career We Go, and in October 2024 appeared on the Football Cliches podcast.Script error: No such module "Unsubst".

Other work

Smith's children's picture book, I Am Bear, illustrated by Sav Akyüz, has been described as "a rap-style read-aloud story". It was published by Walker Books in February 2016.[21]

Personal life

Smith is a supporter of Crystal Palace F.C.[22] He has three daughters.[23]

Discography

Year Title Label
2004 Citizen Smith: Volume One Bust-A-Gut Productions
2005 The Document Janomi
Poisonous Poetry (with Poisonous Poets) Self-released
2006 Citizen Smith: Volume Two: Nothing to Lose Hiptones
2008 Another Way (unreleased) Unreleased
2015 Empty Threats
2017 Stemma Bust-A-Gut Productions

Filmography

Year Show Role Notes
2007 Never Mind the Full Stops Panel member Game show
2009 Miranda Hotel Receptionist 1 episode
2010 Big Babies Budge 13 episodes
Rev Ikon 1 episode
The Inbetweeners Drug dealer 1 episode
2011 Little Howard's Big Question Plithy Nondeploom 1 episode
2012–2015 4 O'Clock Club Nathan Carter 23 episodes; also creator, writer and songwriter
2012 Hunted Tyrone 7 episodes
2013 Derek Deon 1 episode
Imagine Himself Credited as Ben Bailey Smith
2013–2014 Strange Hill High Mitchell Tanner 26 episodes
2014 Midsomer Murders Zach Credited as Ben Bailey Smith, 1 episode
Law & Order: UK DS Joe Hawkins Credited as Ben Bailey Smith, 8 episodes
The Football's On Himself Guest panelist
Live at the Apollo Himself Performer, Series 10 Episode 2
Give Out Girls Andy 6 episodes
Jack and Dean Pedestrian Episode: "Freaky Mouth Pizza"
2014-2017 British Academy Children's Awards Presenter Four ceremonies
2015 Ghost Fighting Corporation Detective Stoker Pilot of unreleased series
The John Bishop Show Himself Performer, 1 episode
2016 David Brent: Life on the Road Dom Johnson
Fleabag Workshop Leader 1 episode
Taskmaster Himself 5 episodes
Brief Encounters Johnny 6 episodes
Film 2016[24] Host 1 episode
2017 Bounty Hunters DS Evans 5 episodes
2018-2020 Thunderbirds Are Go Jensen Hunt (voice) 1 episode
101 Dalmatian Street Sid Squirrel, Spencer Sausage Dog (voice) Recurring role
2018 Doctor Who Durkas Cicero Episode: "The Tsuranga Conundrum"
2019 Cleaning Up Blake 6 episodes
Britannia Rufus 3 episodes
Teddles Blocks Episode: "Tidy Up Time"
2020 Silent Witness Lt Col Ben Carmichael 2 episodes S23 Ep9 & 10 "The Greater Good"
The Split Richie Hansen 6 episodes
Des DC Brian Lodge 3 episodes
2021 Cinderella Town Crier
2022 Persuasion Charles Musgrove
Andor Lieutenant Supervisor Blevin 5 episodes
2023 The Sixth Commandment Simon Blake 4 episodes
Boiling Point Darren 1 episode
Significant Other Damien
2025 Richard Osman's House of Games Himself 5 episodes
Black Mirror Gabe Episode: "Bête Noire"
2025 Little Disasters Nick Post-production[25]

References

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  1. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  2. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  3. ↑ Duerden, Nick (6 February 2013), "Ben Bailey Smith: Out of the shadow, into the limelight", The Independent.
  4. ↑ a b c d e Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  5. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  6. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  7. ↑ a b Hogan, Michael (14 April 2013), "Doc Brown: 'I'm an accidental comedian. That makes me dangerous'", The Observer.
  8. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  9. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  10. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  11. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  12. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  13. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  14. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  15. ↑ Week 9: The Gaffer Tapes 100th Episode Special #FPL 17/18. The Gaffer Tapes: Fantasy Football Comedy Podcast, Episode 31, 18 October 2017.
  16. ↑ "Bounty Hunters - Character Guide".
  17. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  18. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  19. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  20. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  21. ↑ Kellaway, Kate (31 January 2016), "Hey, kids, there’s a new bear on the block", The Observer.
  22. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  23. ↑ As told to Rich Pelley (18 July 2022), Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  24. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  25. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".

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External links

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