# David Earl (actor)
**David Earl** is a British actor, comedian, writer and producer, best known for his stand-up comedy character Brian Gittins and for roles in [Ricky Gervais](https://www.edgepedia.org/ricky-gervais)'s sitcoms *Derek* and *After Life*.[1](https://www.unitedagents.co.uk/david-earl/) He co-wrote and starred in the feature film *Brian and Charles* (2022), which won the Audience Favourite Award at the [Sundance Film Festival](https://www.edgepedia.org/sundance-film-festival) 2022 and was nominated for a BAFTA in 2023 for Outstanding British Film.[1](https://www.unitedagents.co.uk/david-earl/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full name | David Geoffrey Earl[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2393045/) |
| Best known for | The stand-up character Brian Gittins; Kev in *Derek*; Brian in all three series of *After Life*[1](https://www.unitedagents.co.uk/david-earl/) |
| Signature film | *Brian and Charles* (2022), co-written with Chris Hayward; Sundance 2022 Audience Favourite Award; BAFTA 2023 nomination for Outstanding British Film[1](https://www.unitedagents.co.uk/david-earl/) |
| Collaborations with Joe Wilkinson | Co-wrote and starred in the sitcom *Rovers* and the comedy series *The Cockfields*; co-hosts the podcasts Gossipmongers, Chatabix, and My New Football Club[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2393045/) |
| Other screen credits | *Apocalypse Clown* (2023, as Bobo), *Sick Note*, *Extras*, *Cemetery Junction*, *The Penalty King*[1](https://www.unitedagents.co.uk/david-earl/) • [3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/david_earl) |
| Voice work | Puke in Ricky Gervais's animated series *Alley Cats* (2026)[4](https://www.comedy.co.uk/people/david_earl/) |
| Before acting | Worked as a gardener and delivery driver; Gervais persuaded him to give up gardening when casting him in *Derek*[5](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2022/jul/03/actor-david-earl-cockfields-brian-and-charles-interview) |
## Career
Earl's breakthrough came through the stand-up character Brian Gittins, an abrasive, shambolic café owner who wants to break into comedy. A Guardian review of his 2009 Edinburgh show described Gittins as trading in anti-comedy, with the humor coming from the gap between a pathetic man's ambitions and his lack of entertainment ability.[6](https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2009/aug/18/brian-gittins-edinburgh-review) Ricky Gervais saw Earl's work and became an early supporter; Earl has said that Gervais's encouragement by voicemail helped him through bad gigs in his early stand-up years.[5](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2022/jul/03/actor-david-earl-cockfields-brian-and-charles-interview)
His screen acting career is closely tied to Gervais. On BBC's *Extras* he took a minor part, on [Channel 4](https://www.edgepedia.org/channel-4) and Netflix's comedy-drama *Derek* he portrayed the unsavory Kev, and he portrayed Brian throughout every series of Gervais's Netflix show *After Life*, a program whose honors included taking the National Television Awards 2021 prize for Best Comedy and the National Film Awards UK 2021 prize for Best Screenplay in a TV series.[1](https://www.unitedagents.co.uk/david-earl/) He also appeared in Gervais's film *Cemetery Junction* and in *Sick Note* (Netflix) alongside [Rupert Grint](https://www.edgepedia.org/rupert-grint) and [Nick Frost](https://www.edgepedia.org/nick-frost).[1](https://www.unitedagents.co.uk/david-earl/)
## Brian and Charles
With Chris Hayward, Earl co-wrote and starred in *Brian and Charles* (2022), directed by Jim Archer, about a lonely inventor in rural Wales who builds a robot companion from a mannequin head and a washing machine. The characters grew out of an internet radio show and a live stand-up act, became a 2017 short film, and were then developed into the feature.[7](https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/film/2022/07/02/brian-and-charles-a-debut-feature-from-david-earl/) The film won the Audience Favourite Award at the Sundance Film Festival 2022 and received a BAFTA 2023 nomination for Outstanding British Film.[1](https://www.unitedagents.co.uk/david-earl/) Critics received it warmly; the Guardian called it "the bromance of the year" and the Observer described it as a sweet-natured odd-couple fable with charm to spare.[8](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2022/jul/06/brian-and-charles-review-david-earl-chris-haywood-inventor-robot-comedy) • [9](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2022/jul/10/brian-and-charles-review-a-very-british-robot-story-david-earl-chris-hayward)
## Writing and collaboration with Joe Wilkinson
Earl works frequently with the comic [Joe Wilkinson](https://www.edgepedia.org/joe-wilkinson). Together they co-wrote and starred in the sitcom *Rovers* ([Sky One](https://www.edgepedia.org/sky-one), 2016), about fans of a struggling non-league football team, and the comedy series *The Cockfields* (Gold/BBC).[1](https://www.unitedagents.co.uk/david-earl/) • [2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2393045/) They also co-host three podcasts: Gossipmongers, Chatabix, and My New Football Club.[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2393045/) In 2026 the pair present *Joe & David's Magical Sitcom Tour* for U&Gold, a three-part series visiting the real-world locations behind classic British sitcoms including *[The Office](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-office-british-tv-series)*, *Porridge*, and *Fawlty Towers*.[10](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2393045/news/)
## Recent work
Earl played Bobo, one of a group of failed clowns, in the Irish comedy film *Apocalypse Clown* (2023).[3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/david_earl) He voices the stray cat Puke in *Alley Cats*, Ricky Gervais's adult animated Netflix series first released in 2026.[4](https://www.comedy.co.uk/people/david_earl/) • [11](https://www.thedailybeast.com/obsessed/ricky-gervais-netflix-show-alley-cats-is-an-insult-to-the-office/)
## References
1. [David Earl, United Agents](https://www.unitedagents.co.uk/david-earl/)
2. [David Earl (VI), IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2393045/)
3. [David Earl Movies & TV Shows List, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/david_earl)
4. [David Earl, British Comedy Guide](https://www.comedy.co.uk/people/david_earl/)
5. [Actor David Earl: 'Sex scenes? I'd rather go back to gardening', The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2022/jul/03/actor-david-earl-cockfields-brian-and-charles-interview)
6. [Brian Gittins, Edinburgh festival, The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2009/aug/18/brian-gittins-edinburgh-review)
7. [Brian and Charles: a debut feature from David Earl, The Irish Times](https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/film/2022/07/02/brian-and-charles-a-debut-feature-from-david-earl/)
8. [Brian and Charles review – robot comedy is bromance of the year, The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2022/jul/06/brian-and-charles-review-david-earl-chris-haywood-inventor-robot-comedy)
9. [Brian and Charles review – a very British robot story, The Observer via The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2022/jul/10/brian-and-charles-review-a-very-british-robot-story-david-earl-chris-hayward)
10. [David Earl – News, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2393045/news/)
11. [Ricky Gervais Hits New Low With Pathetic Netflix Series, The Daily Beast](https://www.thedailybeast.com/obsessed/ricky-gervais-netflix-show-alley-cats-is-an-insult-to-the-office/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of the Anglosphere and Europe › Welsh actors*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license