Ben Willbond


Benjamin Thomas Willbond is an English actor and screenwriter best known as a member of the British Them There collective, for which he has written and starred in productions including Horrible Histories, Yonderland, and Ghosts.
Along with fellow Them There member Laurence Rickard, he co-wrote the 2015 feature film Bill and 2022 feature-length television comedy We Are [Not Alone |We Are Not Alone].

Early life

Willbond was a Forces child and consequently his family moved around every two years. He was sent to board at Stamford School in Lincolnshire, when he was nine years old. He was bullied whilst attending the school. Willbond, when talking about his experience at the school, said "I don't actually remember that time because it was so shocking". He studied Russian and French at St Catherine's College, Oxford.

Career

Along with Arnold Widdowson, Willbond was part of the comedy duo "Ben & Arn", who won the Perrier Award for "Best Newcomer" in 1999, and formed the self-proclaimed "thinking man's French pop duo" Priorité à Gauche. He then went on to perform his solo character shows at several Edinburgh Fringe Festivals, the last being in 2005 which also starred Katy Brand and Jim Field Smith.
He is perhaps best known for his regular role in CBBC's Horrible Histories, in which he played a wide variety of historical figures, most memorably recurring roles as Henry VIII and Alexander the Great. Along with the five other members of the Horrible Histories starring cast, Willbond is also the co-creator, -writer and -star of Yonderland, a family fantasy comedy series that premiered on Sky One on 10 November 2013. In addition he is the co-writer of Bill, a BBC-produced comedy film based loosely around the early life of William Shakespeare, which involved the same starring troupe.
Previously, Willbond had starred in a short-lived sketch show for ITV2 called Laura, Ben & Him with Marek Larwood and sometime writing partner Laura Solon. He also appeared in Solon's BBC Radio 4 sketch show, Laura Solon: Talking and Not Talking. Other notable television work includes the recurring roles of Steve Warwick in the BBC comedy Rev, Adam Kenyon in BBC Four's The Thick of It and as a television director in the movie-length final episode of the Ricky Gervais comedy Extras. He has also appeared in Katy Brand's Big Ass Show for ITV2 and Mayo for BBC One.
Willbond's other radio credits include BBC Radio 4 series Deep Trouble, Double Science, Recorded for Training Purposes and the first series of Electric Ink. He also starred in the YouTube romantic comedy Nigel and Victoria.
His 2010 short film Tooty's Wedding, which he co-wrote with Solon, won numerous international comedy awards and was screened as part of the 2012 Sundance Film Festival. Other notable film work includes the movie Starter for 10. In 2007 he had a short appearance in St Trinian's, as a nervous school inspector.
Between 2019 and 2023, Willbond portrayed The Captain in the BBC sitcom Ghosts with the other main Horrible Histories cast.

Personal life

Willbond has two children and is married to Charlotte Gordon. He is a keen cricketer and plays for the Thunderers.

Awards

YearProjectAwardEventNotes
2011Tooty's WeddingBest Comedy ShortRhode Island International Film Festival
2011Tooty's WeddingBest Foreign Short & Best Direction LA Comedy Festival
2011Tooty's WeddingJury Prize Best Short FilmFriars Club Comedy Film Festival
2011Tooty's WeddingBest ComedyAesthetica Short Film Festival
2011Tooty's WeddingAward of MeritAccolade Competition
2011Horrible HistoriesBest ActingKidscreen AwardsEntire cast
2012Horrible HistoriesBest ActingKidscreen AwardsEntire cast

Filmography

YearProjectRoleNotes and references
1999Ben & Arn's Big TopBenEdinburgh Fringe Festival performance
1999The Now ShowBBC Radio 4
2001Le Hip ParadeFrançoisPlay UK television series
2004–07Deep TroubleWriter / performer BBC Radio 4
2005MayoSimon JohnstonBBC One
2005The GigolosBenFilm
2005Imagine Me & YouDavidFilm
2005The [Catherine Tate Show]Gym TrainerBBC Two
2006Starter for 10JulianFilm
2006My HeroDexterBBC One
2006–08Recorded for Training PurposesWriter / performerBBC Radio 4
2007St Trinian'sAlistairFilm
2007, 2008Double ScienceDoctor Colin JacksonBBC Radio 4
2007, 2012The Thick of ItAdam KenyonBBC Two
2008Exit StrategyHusbandShort film
2008Lead BalloonJamieBBC Two
2008Laura, Ben & HimWriter, performer, co-creatorITV 2
2009–13Horrible HistoriesPrincipal sketch performerCBBC
2010–11Rev.Stephen WarwickBBC Two
2011Tooty's WeddingPeterFilm short
2013–16YonderlandVarious
2014Inside No. 9JeremyEpisode: "Sardines"
2015BillVariousFilm
2015Acoustic KittyAgent CooperFilm short
2015Shush!SimonBBC Radio 4
2016Power MonkeysOlegChannel 4. Utilises Russian degree.
2016Bridget Jones's BabyGilesFilm
2017Playing HouseDr. Clive Ericson5 episodes
2017QuacksPatrice Dupont1 episode
2017Danger MouseHam Hands2 episodes
2017Tracey Breaks the NewsEmmanuel Macron, VariousBBC One
2018DamnedMarcus Bowles
2018–2023There She GoesChrisMain role; 2 series and 2023 special
2019Good OmensNigel Tomkins1 episode
2019SequinsAlan BigsbyFilm short
2019–2023GhostsThe CaptainMain role; BBC One
2021Alma's Not NormalPhilSeries 1, episode 3
2022We Are Not AloneDarrenthFilm
2023A Kind of SparkAdam QuinnMain role
2024The WivesFrankie Morgan6 episodes