Devotees of British comedy might know Matt Berry for his early role in The Mighty Boosh. More casual fans may recognize him as Victorian vampire Laszlo Cravensworth in What We Do in the Shadows or even as the voice of the droid 8D8 in The Book of Boba Fett. But one thing is for sure – Matt Berry is a bloody funny guy.

His funniest characters tend to be over-the-top narcissists, capable of delivering outrageous and often downright hilarious dialogue with a completely straight face. Berry’s booming voice and willingness to don a ridiculous costume make him one of the best purveyors of British comedy in recent history.

Updated on July 11, 2023, by Ryan Heffernan:

Whether he’s occupying the starring role or playing a supporting part, Matt Berry is always a comedic delight, something that fans of What We Do in the Shadows know all too well. The series, based on Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi’s film of the same name, will release its fifth season on July 13.

10 Beef Galore – 'House of Fools' (2014 - 2015)

Beef Galore stands in Bob and Vic's hallway in an extravagant disco costume.
Image via BBC Two

Written by and starring Bomb Mortimer and Vic Reeves, House of Fools is an underrated comedy series that follows the ridiculous mishaps of two housemates whose home was so often invaded by scores of uninvited guests. With a recurring role in the series, Matt Berry appeared as Bob and Vic’s neighbor Beef Galore.

Boasting a flamboyant '70s disco style and an affinity for Black women, Beef was an eccentric highlight of the series which collided brilliantly with Bob and Vic’s ever-mounting frustration. The series ran for two seasons on BBC Two and produced a Christmas special before being axed in 2015.

9 Rodney Von Donkensteiger – 'An Evening with Beverly Luff Linn' (2018)

Rodney Von Donkensteiger yells at someone in a bar in 'An Evening with Beverly Luff Linn'
Image via The Film Arcade

Given the immense comedic talent on display in An Evening with Beverly Luff Linn it’s fair to say the film didn’t quite live up to its potential. The film follows Lulu (Aubrey Plaza) and Shane (Emile Hirsch), a couple stuck in an unsatisfying marriage which is only made more complicated when a mysterious figure from Lulu’s past visits town for a one-night-only special.

Amid comedy giants from all around the globe, Berry is an absolute standout. He appears as Rodney Von Donkensteiger, Beverly Luff Linn’s (Craig Robinson) Scottish sidekick who is a fiercely loyal friend, and maybe wants to be more.

8 Matt Berry – 'Snuff Box' (2006)

Matt Berry and Rich Fulcher in 'Snuff Box'
Image via BBC Three

After meeting on the set of The Mighty Boosh, Matt Berry and Rich Fulcher started collaborating on a separate project which would come to be known as Snuff Box. The BBC series lasted for just one season, but its six episodes gave fans of the two comedians plenty of laughs with its shockingly dark humor – it's a must-see British dark comedy show.

Following a prestigious hangman and his assistant, the series starred Berry and Fulcher as fictionalized versions of themselves. Berry in particular was hilarious as the “High Executioner to the King of England” whose antics around the gentleman’s club for hangmen range from ensuring his joke’s land well to thwarting his friend’s marriage.

7 Eli Rabbit — 'Year of the Rabbit' (2019 - )

Eli Rabbit from Year of the Rabbit

Berry plays Victorian detective Eli Rabbit in this crime-comedy set in Dickensian London. Rabbit is a foul-mouthed, booze-riddled detective who likes to act first and think later. This Cockney cop has seen it all and is brutal in his pursuit of justice.

Berry manages to mix the grittiness of a hard-boiled detective with the flourish of a classic British inspector, all while making the audience laugh in Year of the Rabbit. His constant profanity may contradict a traditional Dickensian story, but Berry makes it work. His impressive mutton chops alone are worth the watch.

Watch on BritBox

6 Grifting Professor — 'Community' (2009 - 2015)

Grifting Professor from Community

While only guest-starring in one Community episode, Berry makes his mark as the professor of Grifting 101, the latest class offering at Greendale Community College. He uses many pseudonyms, but Roger DeSalvo seems to be his main one. To the professor, grifting is not merely a lie but an art form.

The professor's fierce rivalry with Greendale's resident grifter Jeff Winger (Joel McHale) becomes the episode's focal point, ending with Berry's character being beaten as his own game. But he does hold his own among the Greendale crew, as only Matt Berry can.

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5 Todd Rivers / Dr. Lucien Sanchez — 'Garth Marenghi's Darkplace' (2004)

Todd Rivers from Darkplace

In his first television role in Garth Marenghi's Darkplace, Berry plays an actor called Todd Rivers, who is part of the cast of a fictional 1980s horror drama called "Darkplace." Berry’s character-within-a-character is an eccentric doctor named Dr. Lucien Sanchez.

Dr. Sanchez gets himself into all kinds of tomfoolery, including a shootout with a floating cordless iron, followed by an '80s music video montage. Starring alongside future colleague Richard Ayoade, Berry’s debut into the outrageously wacky world of British comedy sets the tone for some of his later characters.

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4 Dixon Bainbridge — 'The Mighty Boosh' (2004 - 2007)

Dixon Bainbridge raising his fists in The Mighty Boosh

Berry fits right into the surrealist comedy with his portrayal of the pompous Dixon Bainbridge – part-time mad scientist, part-time adventurer, and owner of the "Zooniverse." His penchant for colorful vocabulary starts to come through, referring to the resident python as "the windy man, the long mover."

Besides his excellent mustache and irrational hate for Howard Moon (Julian Barratt), one of Bainbridge's stand-out moments is his rendition of "Total Eclipse of the Heart," sung alongside Berry's longtime colleague Rich Fulcher in the role of zookeeper Bob Fossil.

Watch on Fubo

3 Steven Toast — 'Toast of London' (2013 - 2022)

Steven Toast from Toast of London

In Toast of London, Berry stars as Steven Toast, a washed-up, middle-aged actor who truly believes his career is a success despite being quite the opposite. Toast is a self-proclaimed ladies' man who has an affair with his acting arch-rival, Ray Purchase's (Harry Peacock) wife.

Despite many unfortunate circumstances, Toast makes the best of what he's got, working as a voiceover artist, an author of erotic literature, and a tour bus guide. The actor's uncanny ability to make a cringe-worthy, outrageous character lovable is undoubtedly at play here, making it one of the most essential Matt Berry performances.

Watch on BritBox

2 Douglas Reynholm — 'The IT Crowd' (2006 - 2013)

Douglas Reynholm from The IT Crowd

Berry plays the son of Denholm Reynholm (Chris Morris), the former director of Reynholm Industries in The IT Crowd. Douglas makes a memorable entrance following his dad's death, shouting "FAAAAATHER" down the church aisle at his funeral before engaging in fisticuffs with the priest.

Berry plays the bumbling, self-assured, crude HR nightmare of a boss with his signature panache. Douglas's corporate wardrobe consists of many an open-collared shirt, and his unrelenting pursuit of Jen (Katherine Parkinson) ends in him having a "ball-taser" strapped to his nether regions, much to his dismay.

1 Laszlo Cravensworth — 'What We Do in the Shadows' (2019 - )

Laszlo Cravensworth from What We Do In The Shadows

In one of his best roles, Berry plays Victorian aristocratic vampire Laszlo Cravensworth. He lives with his good lady wife Nadja (Natasia Demetriou) and their friend Nandor the Relentless (Kayvan Novak). Laszlo is delightfully verbose, a chronic oversharer regarding his sexual exploits, and a skilled topiarist–his vulva garden speaks for itself.

Berry's ability to be ridiculous yet endearing makes Laszlo a fan favorite. His unexpected affection for human neighbor Sean (Anthony Atamanuik) has even become meme fodder, "He's my best friend, my pal, my homeboy, my rotten soldier, my sweet cheese, my good time boy." Everyone needs a friend like Laszlo.

Watch on Hulu

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