Danny John-Jules
Encyclopedia
Daniel "Danny" John-Jules (born 16 September 1960 in London
) is a British
actor
, singer and dancer. John-Jules attended Rutherford Comprehensive School, Penfold Street, Marylebone, from 1972 to 1977. He is best known for portraying Cat
in the television programme Red Dwarf.
. Before his television and film work, he was a dance
r in many productions in West End
theatres. He was a member of the original cast of Starlight Express
, playing a boxcar
called Rocky I. In 1993, he released a song from Red Dwarf, "Tongue Tied", as a single, which entered the top 20
. John-Jules featured his Red Dwarf co-stars and backup singers in the video
.
Among other productions, Danny was the dancer from the crowd in the WHAM!
video
for "The Edge Of Heaven
". He gets up partway through the instrumental
section and dances alongside George Michael
. John-Jules also danced on The Lena Zavaroni
TV Series in 1981, and has made a tribute to her on her website.http://www.lenazavaroni.net/dannyjohnjulestribute.htm
, and Cat's geeky alter ego
Duane Dibbley, in the British
comedy series Red Dwarf
. He obtained the part of Cat by turning up half an hour late for his audition
, dressed in his father's old zoot suit
. He was unaware that he was late and hence did not appear at all concerned with his tardiness. The producers immediately decided he was cool enough to be "the Cat". Craig Charles
said at a Red Dwarf convention that John-Jules was a lot like the Cat in that he had a lot of clothes. He said, "Danny John-Jules could change his clothes every four seconds for a year and he still wouldn't run out of clothes."
His first acknowledged television and film roles were in Roy Minton's critically acclaimed "Scum", where he played one of the inmates. The TV version, which was part of the Play for Today
strand, was banned prior to broadcast.
He has also played the parts of Barrington in Maid Marian and Her Merry Men
; Byron Lucifer in The Tomorrow People
; and Milton Wordsworth
, the original presenter of The Story Makers
on CBeebies
.
Since 1999, he has had several guest appearances as himself in shows such as Comedy Connections
, Casualty, RI:SE
and Night Fever
.
He has also appeared in at least one episode of CBBC
's sitcom Kerching!
, playing Trevor, Michael's father, and appeared as Lenny Bicknall in series 1 and 2 of M.I.High
, also on CBBC. He has also appeared in The Crouches
. He is currently appearing in the BBC One
series Death in Paradise
as Dwayne Myers.
On 8 November 2009, Danny made a brief appearance during BBC Two
's coverage of 2009 Valencian Moto GP
.
career began in 1975 playing 'Frog' in the short film Seven Green Bottles, which was produced in conjunction with the Metropolitan Police
and warned of the dangers and consequences of juvenile crime. He supplied the voice for two characters in Labyrinth
, then appeared in the 1986 version of Little Shop of Horrors
, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels
, and Blade II
. He has also appeared, uncredited, in the 1979 British film Scum
, playing a look-out during a fight scene.
He is currently filming The Tournament
, produced by Shakabuku Films. He has also appeared in the 2008 British films The Grind
and Sucker Punch.
John-Jules also played one of the dancers in the 1981 movie The Great Muppet Caper
. He is among the dancers in the restaurant where Kermit
and Miss Piggy
are dancing.
at Aldershot's
Prince's Hall theatre, playing his Cat character.
In 2011, playing a policeman, Dwayne, in the new BBC series, Death in Paradise, set in the Caribbean.
and told to pay £350 costs and £75 compensation to each victim. John-Jules denied the attack and said he had a clear conscience.
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
) is a British
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
, singer and dancer. John-Jules attended Rutherford Comprehensive School, Penfold Street, Marylebone, from 1972 to 1977. He is best known for portraying Cat
Cat (Red Dwarf)
The Cat is a character in the British science fiction sitcom Red Dwarf. He is played by Danny John-Jules.-Character development:According to Danny John-Jules, the character of Cat is based on a combination of Little Richard's look, James Brown's moves and Richard Pryor's facial...
in the television programme Red Dwarf.
Dance and song
John-Jules is a baritoneBaritone
Baritone is a type of male singing voice that lies between the bass and tenor voices. It is the most common male voice. Originally from the Greek , meaning deep sounding, music for this voice is typically written in the range from the second F below middle C to the F above middle C Baritone (or...
. Before his television and film work, he was a dance
Dance
Dance is an art form that generally refers to movement of the body, usually rhythmic and to music, used as a form of expression, social interaction or presented in a spiritual or performance setting....
r in many productions in West End
West End of London
The West End of London is an area of central London, containing many of the city's major tourist attractions, shops, businesses, government buildings, and entertainment . Use of the term began in the early 19th century to describe fashionable areas to the west of Charing Cross...
theatres. He was a member of the original cast of Starlight Express
Starlight Express
Starlight Express is a rock musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber , Richard Stilgoe and Arlene Phillips , with later revisions by Don Black and David Yazbek . The story follows a child's dream in which his toy train set comes to life; famously the actors perform wearing roller skates...
, playing a boxcar
Boxcar
A boxcar is a railroad car that is enclosed and generally used to carry general freight. The boxcar, while not the simplest freight car design, is probably the most versatile, since it can carry most loads...
called Rocky I. In 1993, he released a song from Red Dwarf, "Tongue Tied", as a single, which entered the top 20
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
. John-Jules featured his Red Dwarf co-stars and backup singers in the video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
.
Among other productions, Danny was the dancer from the crowd in the WHAM!
WHAM!
Wham! were a short-lived British musical duo formed by George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley in the early 1980s. They were briefly known in the United States as Wham! UK due to a naming conflict with an American band....
video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
for "The Edge Of Heaven
The Edge of Heaven
"The Edge of Heaven" is a song by British pop duo Wham!, released on Epic Records in 1986. It was written by George Michael, one half of the duo, and was promoted in advance as Wham!'s farewell single.-History:...
". He gets up partway through the instrumental
Instrumental
An instrumental is a musical composition or recording without lyrics or singing, although it might include some non-articulate vocal input; the music is primarily or exclusively produced by musical instruments....
section and dances alongside George Michael
George Michael
George Michael is a British musician, singer, songwriter and record producer who rose to fame in the 1980s when he formed the pop duo Wham! with his school friend, Andrew Ridgeley...
. John-Jules also danced on The Lena Zavaroni
Lena Zavaroni
Lena Hilda Zavaroni was a Scottish child singer and a television show host. With her album Ma! He's Making Eyes At Me at ten years of age, she is the youngest person in history to have an album in the UK album chart top ten. Later in life she hosted TV shows and appeared on stage...
TV Series in 1981, and has made a tribute to her on her website.http://www.lenazavaroni.net/dannyjohnjulestribute.htm
Television
John-Jules is best known for his portrayal of CatCat (Red Dwarf)
The Cat is a character in the British science fiction sitcom Red Dwarf. He is played by Danny John-Jules.-Character development:According to Danny John-Jules, the character of Cat is based on a combination of Little Richard's look, James Brown's moves and Richard Pryor's facial...
, and Cat's geeky alter ego
Alter ego
An alter ego is a second self, which is believe to be distinct from a person's normal or original personality. The term was coined in the early nineteenth century when dissociative identity disorder was first described by psychologists...
Duane Dibbley, in the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
comedy series Red Dwarf
Red Dwarf
Red Dwarf is a British comedy franchise which primarily comprises eight series of a television science fiction sitcom that aired on BBC Two between 1988 and 1999 and Dave from 2009–present. It gained cult following. It was created by Rob Grant and Doug Naylor, who also wrote the first six series...
. He obtained the part of Cat by turning up half an hour late for his audition
Audition
An audition is a sample performance by an actor, singer, musician, dancer or other performing artist.Audition may also refer to:* The sense of hearing* Adobe Audition, audio editing software...
, dressed in his father's old zoot suit
Zoot suit
A zoot suit is a suit with high-waisted, wide-legged, tight-cuffed, pegged trousers, and a long coat with wide lapels and wide padded shoulders. This style of clothing was popularized by African Americans, Mexican-Americans, and Italian Americans during the late 1930s and the 1940s...
. He was unaware that he was late and hence did not appear at all concerned with his tardiness. The producers immediately decided he was cool enough to be "the Cat". Craig Charles
Craig Charles
Craig Joseph Charles is an English actor, stand-up comedian, author, poet, radio and television presenter, best known for playing Dave Lister in the British cult-favourite science fiction sitcom Red Dwarf...
said at a Red Dwarf convention that John-Jules was a lot like the Cat in that he had a lot of clothes. He said, "Danny John-Jules could change his clothes every four seconds for a year and he still wouldn't run out of clothes."
His first acknowledged television and film roles were in Roy Minton's critically acclaimed "Scum", where he played one of the inmates. The TV version, which was part of the Play for Today
Play for Today
Play for Today is a British television anthology drama series, produced by the BBC and transmitted on BBC1 from 1970 to 1984. During the run, more than three hundred programmes, featuring original television plays, and adaptations of stage plays and novels, were transmitted...
strand, was banned prior to broadcast.
He has also played the parts of Barrington in Maid Marian and Her Merry Men
Maid Marian and her Merry Men
Maid Marian and her Merry Men is a British children's sitcom created and written by Tony Robinson and directed by David Bell. It began in 1989 on BBC One and ran for four series, with the last episode shown in 1994...
; Byron Lucifer in The Tomorrow People
The Tomorrow People
The Tomorrow People is a British children's science fiction television series, devised by Roger Price. Produced by Thames Television for the ITV Network, the series first ran between 1973 and 1979. The series was re-imagined in 1992, Roger Price acting as executive producer...
; and Milton Wordsworth
The Story Makers
The Story Makers is a children's television programme broadcast on the BBC's pre-school digital television network, CBeebies. The Story Makers is set in a children’s library, and encourages literacy and creativity.-The programme:...
, the original presenter of The Story Makers
The Story Makers
The Story Makers is a children's television programme broadcast on the BBC's pre-school digital television network, CBeebies. The Story Makers is set in a children’s library, and encourages literacy and creativity.-The programme:...
on CBeebies
CBeebies
CBeebies is the brand used by the BBC for programming aimed at children 6 years and under. It is used as a themed strand in the UK on terrestrial television, as a separate free-to-air domestic British channel and used for international varients supported by advertising, subscription or both...
.
Since 1999, he has had several guest appearances as himself in shows such as Comedy Connections
Comedy Connections
Comedy Connections was a BBC One documentary series produced by BBC Scotland that aired from 2003 to 2008. The show looked at the stories behind the production of some of Britain's comedy television programmes, showing how they tied in with the production of other comedy shows...
, Casualty, RI:SE
RI:SE
RI:SE was a breakfast television show made by Princess Productions in collaboration with BSkyB for Channel 4 in the UK. It was scheduled to replace The Big Breakfast after declining ratings. It launched on 29 April 2002...
and Night Fever
Night Fever (TV series)
Night Fever was a karaoke style panel game show airing in the United Kingdom on Channel 5. It was hosted by Suggs and in the early series he was helped by 'The Big Guy in the Sky' - a disembodied voice giving the scores, and later by 'Wolfie' - John Ireland dressed as Mozart...
.
He has also appeared in at least one episode of CBBC
CBBC
CBBC is one of two brand names used for the BBC's children's television strands. Between 1985 and 2002, CBBC was the name given to all the BBC's programmes on TV for children aged under 14...
's sitcom Kerching!
Kerching!
Kerching! was a children's comedy drama on CBBC devised by Juliet Denison and Chris Cockerham in the later series. It follows the lives of teenagers Taj, Danny and Seymour. The programme revolves around Taj's website, Rudeboy, and his money-making schemes...
, playing Trevor, Michael's father, and appeared as Lenny Bicknall in series 1 and 2 of M.I.High
M.I.High
M.I. High is a BBC children's spy-fi adventure series. It is produced for the BBC by the independent production company Kudos, who also produced the hit BBC spy drama Spooks. It follows in the success of the Young Bond and the Alex Rider series of books and films. M.I...
, also on CBBC. He has also appeared in The Crouches
The Crouches
The Crouches is a sitcom which aired on BBC One between 2003 and 2005. The show stars Rudolph Walker, who played Robbie Gee's father, and Mona Hammond, who played Jo's mother. Also other main casts were Robbie Gee and Jo Martin. The show was not well received by critics and only two series were...
. He is currently appearing in the BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
series Death in Paradise
Death in Paradise (TV series)
Death in Paradise is a crime drama/comedy joint UK/French television programme filmed in Guadeloupe, the first overseas region of France, starring Ben Miller and Sara Martins.-Synopsis:...
as Dwayne Myers.
On 8 November 2009, Danny made a brief appearance during BBC Two
BBC Two
BBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...
's coverage of 2009 Valencian Moto GP
2009 Valencian Community motorcycle Grand Prix
The 2009 Valencian Community motorcycle Grand Prix was the last round of the 2009 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season. It took place on the weekend of November 6–8, 2009 at the Circuit de Valencia. It was the final race of the 250cc class, as Moto2 will replace it from 2010 onwards...
.
Film
John-Jules' filmFilm
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
career began in 1975 playing 'Frog' in the short film Seven Green Bottles, which was produced in conjunction with the Metropolitan Police
Metropolitan Police Service
The Metropolitan Police Service is the territorial police force responsible for Greater London, excluding the "square mile" of the City of London which is the responsibility of the City of London Police...
and warned of the dangers and consequences of juvenile crime. He supplied the voice for two characters in Labyrinth
Labyrinth (film)
Labyrinth is a 1986 British/American fantasy film directed by Jim Henson, produced by George Lucas, and designed by Brian Froud. Henson collaborated on the screenwriting with children's author Dennis Lee, Terry Jones from Monty Python, and Elaine May .The film stars David Bowie as Jareth the Goblin...
, then appeared in the 1986 version of Little Shop of Horrors
Little Shop of Horrors (1986 film)
Little Shop of Horrors is a 1986 American comedy musical film adaptation of the off-Broadway musical comedy of the same name by composer Alan Menken and writer Howard Ashman, about a nerdy florist shop worker who raises a vicious plant that feeds on human blood...
, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels
Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels
Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels is a 1998 British crime film directed and written by Guy Ritchie. The story is a heist film involving a self-confident young card sharp who loses £500,000 to a powerful crime lord in a rigged game of three card brag...
, and Blade II
Blade II
Blade II is a 2002 superhero vampire film based on the fictional Marvel Comics character Blade. It is the sequel of the Blade film series. It was written by David S. Goyer, who also wrote the previous film...
. He has also appeared, uncredited, in the 1979 British film Scum
Scum (film)
Scum is a 1979 British crime drama film directed by Alan Clarke, portraying the brutality of life inside a British borstal. The story was originally made for the BBC's Play for Today strand in 1977, however due to the violence depicted in the film, it was withdrawn from broadcast...
, playing a look-out during a fight scene.
He is currently filming The Tournament
The Tournament (film)
The Tournament is a 2009 British independent action film, marking the directorial debut of local filmmaker Scott Mann. The film was conceived by Jonathan Frank and Nick Rowntree while at the University of Teesside with Mann...
, produced by Shakabuku Films. He has also appeared in the 2008 British films The Grind
The Grind (2008 film)
The Grind is an upcoming crime film written and directed by Rishi Opel, and starring Jamie Foreman, Freddie Connor, Gordon Alexander, Zoe Tapper, Danny John-Jules and Kellie Shirley...
and Sucker Punch.
John-Jules also played one of the dancers in the 1981 movie The Great Muppet Caper
The Great Muppet Caper
The Great Muppet Caper is a 1981 mystery comedy film directed by Jim Henson. It is the second of a series of live-action musical feature films, starring Jim Henson's Muppets. This film was produced by Henson Associates, ITC Entertainment and Universal Pictures, and premiered on 26 July 1981. The...
. He is among the dancers in the restaurant where Kermit
Kermit the Frog
Kermit the Frog is puppeteer Jim Henson's most famous Muppet creation, first introduced in 1955. He is the protagonist of many Muppet projects, most notably as the host of The Muppet Show, and has appeared in various sketches on Sesame Street, in commercials and in public service announcements over...
and Miss Piggy
Miss Piggy
Miss Piggy is a Muppet character who was primarily played by Frank Oz on The Muppet Show. In 2001, Eric Jacobson began performing the role, although Oz did not officially retire until 2002....
are dancing.
Other work
John-Jules provided his voice for the character of Gex in the UK and European release of Gex 3: Deep Cover Gecko. For several years in the late 1990s he appeared in the annual Christmas pantomimePantomime
Pantomime — not to be confused with a mime artist, a theatrical performer of mime—is a musical-comedy theatrical production traditionally found in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Jamaica, South Africa, India, Ireland, Gibraltar and Malta, and is mostly performed during the...
at Aldershot's
Aldershot
Aldershot is a town in the English county of Hampshire, located on heathland about southwest of London. The town is administered by Rushmoor Borough Council...
Prince's Hall theatre, playing his Cat character.
In 2011, playing a policeman, Dwayne, in the new BBC series, Death in Paradise, set in the Caribbean.
2008 conviction
On 13 November 2008 John-Jules was convicted for assaulting two refuse collectors for not emptying his recycling bin. He was sentenced to 120 hours' community serviceCommunity service
Community service is donated service or activity that is performed by someone or a group of people for the benefit of the public or its institutions....
and told to pay £350 costs and £75 compensation to each victim. John-Jules denied the attack and said he had a clear conscience.