Alexei Sayle
Biography
Alexei David Sayle is an English actor, author, stand-up comedian, television presenter, and former recording artist. Born on August 7, 1952, in Anfield, Liverpool, England, United Kingdom, he was a leading figure in the British alternative comedy movement during the 1980s. He was voted the eighteenth greatest stand-up comic of all time on Channel Four's one hundred greatest stand-ups in 2007, and in an updated 2010 poll, he placed seventy-second. His humor follows the tradition of Spike Milligan and Monty Python, featuring riffs based on absurd and surreal premises. His act is recognized for its physical comedy, political awareness, and cynicism. He has twelve known acting credits and is also known by the names Alexy Syale and Con.
Career overview
Alexei David Sayle is an English actor, author, stand-up comedian, television presenter, and former recording artist. Born on August 7, 1952, in Anfield, Liverpool, England, United Kingdom, he emerged as a leading figure in the British alternative comedy movement during the 1980s. Known professionally under names including Alexei David Sayle, Alexy Syale, and Con, Sayle has accumulated 128 known credits in acting according to database records.
Sayle's comedic style draws heavily from the traditions of Spike Milligan and Monty Python, utilizing riffs built upon absurd and surreal premises. His performances are characterized by cynicism, political awareness, and physical comedy. Throughout his career, his work in stand-up comedy has received recognition in polls, being voted the eighteenth greatest stand-up comic of all time on a Channel 4 broadcast in 2007, and later placing seventy-second in an updated poll conducted in 2010.
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Frequent co-stars
Career timeline
Full Filmography
141 titles- They Call Us The Wrong Kind of Jew (2026) as Self
- Not Only Fred Dagg But Also John Clarke (2025) as Self
- Bottom: Exposed (2024) as Self
- Legends of Comedy with Lenny Henry (2024) as Self - Guest
- Censoring Palestine (2024) as Self
- The Big Lie II: Starmer and the Genocide (2024) as Narrator (voice)
- The Rise of the Comic Strip (2023) as Self
- imagine... French & Saunders: Pointed, Bitchy, Bitter (2023) as Self
- Oh Jeremy Corbyn - The Big Lie (2023) as Narrator
- The Fringe, Fame and Me (2022) as Self
- Robin Williams: Laugh Until You Cry (2022) as Self
- Mandy (2020) as Darren Dugdale
- How to Build a Girl (2020) as Karl Marx
- Sometimes Always Never (2019) as Bill
- How The Young Ones Changed Comedy (2018)
- Richard Osman's House of Games (2017) as Self - Panellist
- Gloves Off (2017) as Algy
- Red Top (2016) as Colin Goodman
- Alan Davies: As Yet Untitled (2014) as Self
- Rik Mayall: Lord of Misrule (2014) as Self
- For the Love of Cars (2014) as Himself
- 50 Years of BBC Two Comedy (2014) as Self
- 30 Years of Comic Strip (2012)
- Celebrity Antiques Road Trip (2011) as Self - Participant
- The Itch of the Golden Nit (2011) as Planet Jimmy (voice)
- The Story of Music Hall (2011) as Self
- The Michael Ball Show (2010) as Self
- Horrible Histories (2009) as Dr. Ushma
- Q&A (2008) as Self - Panellist
- The Surprise Demise of Francis Cooper's Mother (2008) as Narrator
- My Dad Was a Communist (2008) as Self
- Hitler: The Comedy Years (2007) as D.J. (archive footage) (uncredited)
- Tapping the Wire (2007) as Self
- The Double Life of Saki (2007) as Self
- The Making of 'The Young Ones' (2007) as Self
- The One Show (2006) as Self
- The Thief Lord (2006) as Barbarossa
- Rob Brydon's Annually Retentive (2006)
- When Comedy Changed Forever (2006) as Self
- A Bear's Tail (2005)
- The Roots of Monty Python (2005) as Self
- The Comic Strip - A Retrospective (2005) as Self
- Agatha Christie's Marple (2004) as Dr Maverick
- Blood Matters (2004)
- Remember the Secret Policeman's Ball? (2004) as Self
- The Legend of the Tamworth Two (2004) as Newspaper Editor
- Bottom Mindless Violence (2004) as Billy Balowski / Jerzei Balowski / Brian Damage (archive footage)
- Spine Chillers (2003) as Graham
- Keen Eddie (2003)
- Strike: When Britain Went to War (2003)
- Tipping the Velvet (2002) as Charles Frobisher
- Richard & Judy (2001) as Self
- Arabian Nights (2000) as BacBac
- Don't Walk (2000) as Uncle Henry
- Bremner, Bird and Fortune (1999) as Pope John Paul II
- Swing (1999) as Mighty Mac
- Parkinson (1998) as Self
- Alexei Sayle's Merry-Go-Round (1998)
- What's a Carry On? (1998) as Achmed (archive footage) (uncredited)
- Renford Rejects (1997)
- The History of Tom Jones: A Foundling (1997) as Puppeteer
- Two Minutes (1997) as Bernie
- Hospital! (1997) as X Ray Operator
- Rhinoceros Hunting in Budapest (1997) as Beluga
- Never Mind the Buzzcocks (1996) as Self
- Moonlighters (1996) as Narrator (voice)
- Sorry About Last Night (1995) as Andy Carolides
- Sorry About Last Night (1995) Writer
- Room 101 (1994) as Self
- The All New Alexei Sayle Show (1994)
- Paris (1994) as Alain Degout
- The Unpleasant World of Penn & Teller (1994)
- The Greatest F***King Show on TV (1994) as Self
- Reckless Kelly (1993) as Major Wib
- Selling Hitler (1993) as Konrad 'Conny' Fischer
- Curaçao (1993) as Seemuller
- Rubbish, King of the Jumble (1993) as Rubbish (voice)
- I Was That Monster (1993) as Himself
- Queen of the Wild Frontier (1993) as Inspector
- Carry On Columbus (1992) as Achmed
- Red Nose of Courage (1992) as Dad
- Selling Hitler (1991) as Konrad 'Conny' Fischer
- 'Itch (1991) as Rittblatt
- 'Itch (1991) Writer
- Amnesty International's Big 30 (1991) as Self
- Meeting Venus (1991) as Von Schneider (dubbing - voice only) (uncredited)
- Have I Got News for You (1990) as Self
- Spaghetti Hoops (1990) as Mog
- The Gravy Train (1990) as Vlad Milcic
- Night Voice (1990) as Clarence Flamer
- Les Dogs (1990) as Bride's Father
- Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989) as Sultan
- 4 Play (1989) as Rittblatt
- 4 Play (1989) Writer
- Just Like That! (1989) as Self
- Alexei Sayle's Stuff (1988)
- Didn't You Kill My Brother? (1988) as Carl Moss/Sterling Moss
- Didn't You Kill My Brother? (1988) Writer
- Jake's Journey (1988) as Head torturer
- The Strike (1988) as Paul
- The Love Child (1988) as The Voices
- The Lenny Henry Show (1987)
- Up Line (1987) as Melvin Coombes
- Mr. Corbett's Ghost (1987) as Toll Gate Keeper
- Siesta (1987) as Cabbie
- Casualty (1986) as Anton Malinovsky
- ScreenPlay (1986) as Clarence Flamer
- Lovejoy (1986) as Freddy Reeve
- Whoops Apocalypse (1986) as Alexei Sayle in a Hawaiian Shirt
- Solarbabies (1986) as Malice
- The Bride (1985) as Magar
- The Supergrass (1985) as Motorbike Cop
- Doctor Who: Revelation of the Daleks (1985) as DJ
- The Caucasian Chalk Circle (1985) as Lavrenti
- Ligmalion: Or How to Help Yourself in Self-Help Britain (1985) as John Bull
- Give Us a Break: Hustle Bustle Toil and Muscle (1984) as Frank
- Gorky Park (1983) as Golodkin
- The Alexei Sayle Pirate Video (1983) as Self
- The Alexei Sayle Pirate Video (1983) Writer
- The Comic Strip Presents... (1982) as Carl Moss/Sterling Moss
- The Comic Strip Presents... (1982) as Paul
- The Comic Strip Presents... (1982) as Mog
- The Comic Strip Presents... (1982) as Bride's Father
- The Comic Strip Presents... (1982) Writer
- The Young Ones (1982) as The Balowski Family
- The Young Ones (1982) Writer
- The Young Ones (1982) Additional Writing
- The Young Ones (1982) Creator
- Whoops Apocalypse (1982) as Commisar Solzhenitsyn
- O.T.T. (1982)
- The Secret Policeman's Other Ball (1982) as Self
- The Private Life of the Ford Cortina (1982) as Self - Presenter
- Wolcott (1981) as Speaker in Market
- The Comic Strip (1981)
- The Comic Strip (1981) Writer
- Great Railway Journeys (1980) as Self - Presenter
- Boom Boom... Out Go the Lights (1980)
- Question Time (1979) as Himself - Panellist
- Repeater (1979) as 2nd Detective
- The Secret Policeman's Ball (1976) as Self
- Doctor Who (1963) as D.J.
Frequently Asked Questions
What movies or TV shows is Alexei Sayle best known for?
Alexei Sayle is widely recognized for notable roles and projects including Richard Osman's House of Games (2017), Alan Davies: As Yet Untitled (2014), Celebrity Antiques Road Trip (2011), Horrible Histories (2009).
When and where was Alexei Sayle born?
Alexei Sayle was born on August 7, 1952 in Anfield, Liverpool, England, UK.
How many credits does Alexei Sayle have?
Alexei Sayle has accumulated over 141 film and television credits across a career spanning from 1963 to 2026.
What is Alexei Sayle's background in cinema and television?
Alexei David Sayle is an English actor, author, stand-up comedian, television presenter, and former recording artist. Born on August 7, 1952, in Anfield, Liverpool, England, United Kingdom, he was a leading figure in the British alternative comedy movement during the 1980s. He was voted the eighteenth greatest stand-up...