Keith Allen (actor)

Keith Allen
Allen on stage in 2009
Born	Keith Howell Charles Allen (1953-09-02) 2 September 1953 (age 63) Llanelli, Wales
Occupation	Actor, author, broadcaster, singer, musician, comedian
Years active	1979–present
Spouse(s)	Alison Owen (m. 1984; div. 1989) Nira Park (m. 1997–?)
Partner(s)	Julia Sawalha (former) Tamzin Malleson (present)
Children	6; including: Lily Allen, Alfie Allen
Relatives	Kevin Allen (brother)

Keith Howell Charles Allen (born 2 September 1953) is a Welsh actor, comedian, musician, singer-songwriter, artist, author, and television presenter. He is the father of singer Lily Allen and actor Alfie Allen, and brother of actor and director Kevin Allen.

Allen was born on 2 September 1953 in Llanelli, Carmarthenshire, Wales, the second of three children, the son of Edward Charles Owen, a Royal Navy submariner. His younger brother is actor Kevin Allen. He spent his early years near Swansea and in Malta, and most of his childhood in Gosport, Hampshire, while his father served in Portsmouth. At the age of 11 he was sent to Brentwood boarding school in Essex when his father was posted to Singapore. He was expelled from the school at the age of 13. At the age of 15 he was sent to a borstal after repeatedly being caught stealing, later saying that he "had a great time" there.

After having several jobs during the 1970s, including a job as a stagehand from which he was sacked after joining Max Bygraves' chorus line on stage naked, Allen also worked as a stand-up comedian, opening for rock bands such as The Clash.

He appeared in a number of films in the series The Comic Strip Presents... on Channel 4 in the 1980s after becoming one of the breakthrough acts of the Comedy Store in 1979. Notable episodes featuring Allen include The Bullshitters (a parody of The Professionals), and The Yob (a parody of The Fly), which he also co-wrote. Allen has done both straight and comedy acting. In 1985 The Comic Strip hit the big screen with The Supergrass starring Allen, Adrian Edmondson, Peter Richardson, Jennifer Saunders and Robbie Coltrane, directed by Comic Strip actor Peter Richardson.