He made his film debut in 1972 in Anoop and the Elephant. He had an incidental appearance (with fellow drama students) in 1975 in Thames Television's You Must Be Joking! In 1976, at the age of 17, he featured as a waiter in Bugsy Malone.[5] Also in 1976 he had significant roles in three television series: The Molly Wopsies, Four Idle Hands, and The Flockton Flyer. Over the following four years he appeared in Quadrophenia, Breaking Glass and Scum.[3] He also appeared in the 1977 TV drama serial Raven.
In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Daniels was a member of new wave band The Cross, along with fellow actor Peter Hugo Daly.[3] They released an album (Phil Daniels + The Cross) and single, "Kill Another Night" on RCA Records in 1979.[6]
His musical inclinations were revealed when he starred in a 1985 British snooker musical Billy the Kid and the Green Baize Vampire. He narrated tracks "Parklife" and "Me, White Noise" on the Parklife and Think Tank albums for Blur.[3]
He contributed the voice of Fetcher, the dull-witted rat to the animated film Chicken Run. In recent years he has turned his attention to comedy, appearing in the series Sunnyside Farm and alongside Al Murray in the cult sitcom Time Gentlemen Please. Daniels also starred as Freddy Windrush in an episode of Gimme Gimme Gimme (Series 2, Episode 3 – "Prison Visitor").
In 2006 he joined the cast of the popular BBC soap operaEastEnders playing Kevin Wicks. The actor temporarily left the show in early 2007; however, he returned in March 2007. He left the show in August 2007, with his character dying in a brutal car crash in December 2007.[7] Daniels, along with his co-stars, attended a Quadrophenia Reunion at London Film and Comic Con at Earls Court on 1 and 2 September 2007. In May 2008, Daniels ran the London Marathon on behalf of the "Sparks" Charity, and, in December 2008, starred in Sheffield Theatre and Evolution Pantomimes co-production of Aladdin as "Abanazar" at Lyceum Theatre, Sheffield.[8] In late 2008, Daniels voiced a major character in the English language re-release of the cult 2006 Norwegian animated film Free Jimmy, alongside Woody Harrelson and with dialogue written by Simon Pegg. Also in 2008, Daniels starred alongside Gary Stretch and Geoff Bell in the UK film Freebird, directed by Jon Ivay, which followed three bikers across a drug-fuelled ride in the Welsh countryside. Daniels appeared in the 2008 series of Strictly Come Dancing with dancing partner Flavia Cacace; he was the first to be eliminated from the show on 21 September 2008.[9]
He appeared on Celebrity Mastermind: 2008/2009, finishing in second place on 24 points. On 26 June 2009, he appeared on stage with Blur at the M.E.N. Arena and then again on 28 June 2009 at Glastonbury 2009 on their song "Parklife",[10] as well as on 2/3 July 2009 in their Hyde Park Concerts.[11] Daniels portrayed Edward Kitchener "Grandad" Trotter in the Only Fools and Horses prequel, Rock & Chips. He co-starred with actress Kellie Bright (who played Grandad's daughter-in-law, Joan), with whom he had previously appeared alongside in EastEnders. 2012 (2013 in the UK) saw the release of the film Vinyl in which Daniels not only stars but also wrote and performs most of the film's music soundtrack. Directed by Sara Sugarman, Vinyl is the story of an aging rock group forced to con the music industry to gain radio play of future record releases. The film is based on true events faced by The Alarm that took place in the UK in 2004.
In September 2012, Daniels appeared in a production of This House at the National Theatre's Cottesloe Theatre; it transferred to the Olivier in February 2013. In 2015, it was announced that he would play the role of Thenardier in Les Misérables. Daniels revisited his role in a revival of This House at Chichester's Minerva Theatre in September 2016 and appeared in the same play (November 2016 – Feb 2017) at the Garrick Theatre in London's West End. In 2017, he recorded two songs for the album Wit & Whimsy – Songs by Alexander S. Bermange (one solo and one featuring all of the album's 23 artists), which reached No. 1 in the iTunes comedy album chart.
Daniels was a contestant in the 2020 BBC Celebrity MasterChef.[12]
In April 2023, Daniels appeared as Reggie in the BBC black comedy Inside No. 9. The episode was series 8 episode 2, "Mother's Ruin".[15]
In July 2023, Daniels featured as a special guest at Blur’s concerts at Wembley Stadium, London, for the song “Parklife”.[16]
Personal life
Daniels had a 30-year relationship with Jan Stevens, a record industry associate whom he met in the eighties, until her death from pancreatic cancer in 2012. They had one daughter, Ella, born in 1990.[17][18]
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