# Stephen Mangan
**Stephen Mangan** (born 1968) is an English actor, writer, and presenter known for playing Guy Secretan in the sitcom *Green Wing*, Sean Lincoln in *Episodes*, and barrister Nathan Stern in the drama *[The Split](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-split-tv-series)*, alongside an extensive London stage career.[1](https://www.bbcamerica.com/blogs/stephen-mangan-interview-the-split--1054591) • [2](https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2022/may/21/stephen-mangan-sister-anita-look-back) He is also a frequent host on British television, best known as the presenter of *Portrait Artist of the Year* on Sky Arts.[3](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/27938/stephen-mangan)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | Enfield, London, 1968, to Irish parents[2](https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2022/may/21/stephen-mangan-sister-anita-look-back) • [3](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/27938/stephen-mangan) |
| Education | Law at the University of Cambridge; RADA, graduated 1994[4](https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2025/apr/20/actor-stephen-mangan-the-split-unicorn) |
| TV breakthrough | Adrian Mole in *Adrian Mole: The Cappuccino Years*, his first lead television part[4](https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2025/apr/20/actor-stephen-mangan-the-split-unicorn) • [5](https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2012/jul/03/stephen-mangan-actor) |
| Signature roles | Guy Secretan in *Green Wing*, Sean Lincoln in *Episodes*, Nathan Stern in *The Split*, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in *Houdini & Doyle*[1](https://www.bbcamerica.com/blogs/stephen-mangan-interview-the-split--1054591) |
| Stage milestone | Norman in *The Norman Conquests* at the Old Vic (2008) and on Broadway; Tony Award nomination in 2009[6](https://writeblog.co.uk/stephen-mangan/) • [7](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0542118/) |
| Writing | Children's book *Escape the Rooms* (2021), illustrated by his sister Anita Mangan; wrote and starred in the Channel 4 sitcom *Hang Ups*[8](https://www.theguardian.com/books/2021/jun/05/stephen-mangan-whenever-i-considered-writing-i-thought-what-right-do-you-have) • [6](https://writeblog.co.uk/stephen-mangan/) |
| Family | Married actress Louise Delamere on 12 May 2007; three sons, Harry, Frank, and Jack[3](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/27938/stephen-mangan) |
Most sources give his birth year as 1968[2](https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2022/may/21/stephen-mangan-sister-anita-look-back) • [3](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/27938/stephen-mangan), although a 2012 Guardian interview listed him as born in London in 1972[5](https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2012/jul/03/stephen-mangan-actor).
## Early life and path to acting
Mangan was born in Enfield, London, to Irish immigrant parents who had left school at 14 and placed, as he described it, a huge store on education.[2](https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2022/may/21/stephen-mangan-sister-anita-look-back) • [4](https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2025/apr/20/actor-stephen-mangan-the-split-unicorn) He was the eldest child and the only boy in an Irish Catholic family, with the expectations of a high achiever that came with it, and won a scholarship to boarding school in [Hertfordshire](https://www.edgepedia.org/hertfordshire).[9](https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/jun/06/stephen-mangan-this-much-i-know) • [4](https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2025/apr/20/actor-stephen-mangan-the-split-unicorn)
His mother's death redirected his career. He was reading law at Cambridge when she developed colon cancer; he took a year out to care for her, and she died at 45, when he was 21.[9](https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/jun/06/stephen-mangan-this-much-i-know) • [4](https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2025/apr/20/actor-stephen-mangan-the-split-unicorn) Weeks after her death he successfully auditioned for RADA, deciding that he did not enjoy law and would become an actor instead.[4](https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2025/apr/20/actor-stephen-mangan-the-split-unicorn)
## Stage career
After graduating from RADA in 1994, Mangan chose the theater over early screen roles, performing plays by Shakespeare, Shaw, Coward, Benn, and [Goldsmith](https://www.edgepedia.org/goldsmith) across the UK and the West End between 1994 and 2000.[7](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0542118/) He then joined the theater company Cheek by Jowl for an international tour of *Much Ado About Nothing*, for which he received a nomination for a National Theatre Ian Charleson Award, and later worked again with director Declan Donnellan at the [Royal Shakespeare Company](https://www.edgepedia.org/royal-shakespeare-company) in *School for Scandal* and at the Savoy Theatre in *Hay Fever*.[7](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0542118/) He spent about five years after RADA on classical parts before moving into comedy.[9](https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/jun/06/stephen-mangan-this-much-i-know)
**The Norman Conquests.** In 2008 he played Norman in Alan Ayckbourn's *The Norman Conquests*, directed by Matthew Warchus, at the Old Vic in London and then at the Circle in the Square on Broadway.[7](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0542118/) Mangan received a Tony Award nomination for the role in 2009, and the production won the Tony Award for Best Revival of a Play.[6](https://writeblog.co.uk/stephen-mangan/) He named performing *The Norman Conquests* on Broadway as his career high point.[5](https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2012/jul/03/stephen-mangan-actor)
His later theater work has been wide in range: *Birthday* at the Royal Court, *Private Lives* at the Donmar Warehouse, *The Man in the White Suit*, *The Birthday Party*, and *Jeeves and Wooster* in the West End, *Rules for Living* at the National Theatre, *A Christmas Carol* at the Old Vic, and *Unicorn* at the Garrick in 2025, opposite [Nicola Walker](https://www.edgepedia.org/nicola-walker) and [Erin Doherty](https://www.edgepedia.org/erin-doherty).[10](https://www.shakespearesglobe.com/bio/stephen-mangan/) • [11](https://www.theguardian.com/stage/stephen-mangan)
## Television
His first lead television part was [Adrian Mole](https://www.edgepedia.org/adrian-mole) in [BBC One](https://www.edgepedia.org/bbc-one)'s *Adrian Mole: The Cappuccino Years* in 2001, which he has described as his breakthrough.[4](https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2025/apr/20/actor-stephen-mangan-the-split-unicorn) • [5](https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2012/jul/03/stephen-mangan-actor) The role that defined him for comedy audiences followed soon after: the arrogant anaesthetist Guy Secretan in the BAFTA-winning sitcom *Green Wing*.[1](https://www.bbcamerica.com/blogs/stephen-mangan-interview-the-split--1054591) • [12](https://cbso.co.uk/index.php/actions/tools/tools/download-file?id=402694) He has said the character's arrogance led to many similar offers afterwards.[9](https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/jun/06/stephen-mangan-this-much-i-know)
In *Episodes*, the British-American comedy created by David Crane and Jeffrey Klarik, he played conflicted screenwriter Sean Lincoln opposite [Matt LeBlanc](https://www.edgepedia.org/matt-leblanc) and [Tamsin Greig](https://www.edgepedia.org/tamsin-greig).[1](https://www.bbcamerica.com/blogs/stephen-mangan-interview-the-split--1054591) • [7](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0542118/) His other television work includes the title role in *Dirk Gently*, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in *Houdini & Doyle*, and Nathan Stern in Abi Morgan's *The Split*, a drama about divorce lawyers, in which he appeared for its full run from 2018 to 2024.[10](https://www.shakespearesglobe.com/bio/stephen-mangan/) • [7](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0542118/) • [1](https://www.bbcamerica.com/blogs/stephen-mangan-interview-the-split--1054591)
**Writing for television.** In *Hang Ups*, a [Channel 4](https://www.edgepedia.org/channel-4) comedy adapted from the American series *Web Therapy*, Mangan played the therapist Richard Pitt and also helped write and produce the show, which ran largely through video calls.[6](https://writeblog.co.uk/stephen-mangan/) • [8](https://www.theguardian.com/books/2021/jun/05/stephen-mangan-whenever-i-considered-writing-i-thought-what-right-do-you-have)
His film work includes parts in *Billy Elliot*, *Confetti*, *Festival*, and *A Gaza Weekend*, and the voice of [Postman Pat](https://www.edgepedia.org/postman-pat) in *Postman Pat: The Movie*.[10](https://www.shakespearesglobe.com/bio/stephen-mangan/) • [7](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0542118/)
## Presenting, radio, and writing
Mangan is a regular presence on British panel shows and has hosted *Have I Got News For You* on several occasions.[1](https://www.bbcamerica.com/blogs/stephen-mangan-interview-the-split--1054591) • [3](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/27938/stephen-mangan) Since 2013 he has been the host of *Portrait Artist of the Year* on Sky Arts, with more than 70 episodes credited as host, and he has also fronted *The Fortune Hotel* and *Password*.[3](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/27938/stephen-mangan) On radio he has written and hosted the interview series *The Confessional*, and has performed in comedies and dramas including *Ed Reardon's Week* and a 2025 desert island comedy, *The Island*.[3](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/27938/stephen-mangan) • [13](https://www.radio-lists.org.uk/r4/R4_2025_0322-0328_3columns_6pt_20pages.pdf)
He turned to children's writing with *Escape the Rooms*, a book for primary-age children about grief, illustrated by his sister, the artist Anita Mangan.[8](https://www.theguardian.com/books/2021/jun/05/stephen-mangan-whenever-i-considered-writing-i-thought-what-right-do-you-have)
## Personal life and current work
Mangan married the actress Louise Delamere on 12 May 2007, and the couple have three sons, Harry, Frank, and Jack; the family lives in [Primrose Hill](https://www.edgepedia.org/primrose-hill), north London, where he has lived for more than 30 years.[3](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/27938/stephen-mangan) • [8](https://www.theguardian.com/books/2021/jun/05/stephen-mangan-whenever-i-considered-writing-i-thought-what-right-do-you-have) He is a company director at the production company Slam Films.[14](https://www.comedy.co.uk/people/stephen_mangan/)
His recent and announced stage projects include a limited season of Florian Zeller's comedy *The Truth* at the [Apollo Theatre](https://www.edgepedia.org/apollo-theatre), in which he plays Michel, and the role of Lopakhin opposite [Kristin Scott Thomas](https://www.edgepedia.org/kristin-scott-thomas) in Conor McPherson's new adaptation of Chekhov's *The Cherry Orchard*, running at the Harold Pinter Theatre from 3 October 2026 to 9 January 2027 with opening night on 13 October.[6](https://writeblog.co.uk/stephen-mangan/) • [15](https://playbill.com/article/stephen-mangan-to-join-kristin-scott-thomas-in-west-end-the-cherry-orchard)
## References
1. [Exclusive Interview: Stephen Mangan Talks About BBC America's 'The Split', BBC America Anglophenia](https://www.bbcamerica.com/blogs/stephen-mangan-interview-the-split--1054591)
2. [Stephen Mangan and his sister Anita look back, The Guardian (2022)](https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2022/may/21/stephen-mangan-sister-anita-look-back)
3. [Stephen Mangan, TVmaze](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/27938/stephen-mangan)
4. [Stephen Mangan: 'With three people in a bed, who goes in the middle?', The Guardian (2025)](https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2025/apr/20/actor-stephen-mangan-the-split-unicorn)
5. [Stephen Mangan, actor – portrait of the artist, The Guardian (2012)](https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2012/jul/03/stephen-mangan-actor)
6. [Stephen Mangan: Remarkable TV and Theatre Career, Writeblog](https://writeblog.co.uk/stephen-mangan/)
7. [Stephen Mangan, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0542118/)
8. [Stephen Mangan: 'Whenever I considered writing, I thought: "What right do you have?"', The Guardian (2021)](https://www.theguardian.com/books/2021/jun/05/stephen-mangan-whenever-i-considered-writing-i-thought-what-right-do-you-have)
9. [Stephen Mangan: 'I had to learn not to be too gobby', The Guardian (2015)](https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/jun/06/stephen-mangan-this-much-i-know)
10. [Stephen Mangan biography, Shakespeare's Globe](https://www.shakespearesglobe.com/bio/stephen-mangan/)
11. [Stephen Mangan, The Guardian topic page](https://www.theguardian.com/stage/stephen-mangan)
12. [Stephen Mangan CV, Conway Van Gelder Grant](https://cbso.co.uk/index.php/actions/tools/tools/download-file?id=402694)
13. [Radio 4 Listings for 22–28 March 2025](https://www.radio-lists.org.uk/r4/R4_2025_0322-0328_3columns_6pt_20pages.pdf)
14. [Stephen Mangan, British Comedy Guide](https://www.comedy.co.uk/people/stephen_mangan/)
15. [Stephen Mangan to Join Kristin Scott Thomas in West End The Cherry Orchard, Playbill (2026)](https://playbill.com/article/stephen-mangan-to-join-kristin-scott-thomas-in-west-end-the-cherry-orchard)
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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 › English actors: 2000s onward › Surnames L to Mb*
*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