Guz Khan Explained

Guz Khan
Other Names:Guzzy Bear
Birth Name:Ghulam Dustgir Khan[1]
Native Name Lang:pnb
Birth Date:24 January 1986
Birth Place:Coventry, England
Agent:Curtis Brown https://www.curtisbrown.co.uk/client/guz-khan
Known For:Man Like Mobeen
Years Active:2014–present
Children:4

Ghulam Dustgir Khan (غلام دستگیر خان; born 24 January 1986), popularly known as Guz Khan, is a British comedian and actor. His TV appearances include Man Like Mobeen, Taskmaster (series 12), Our Flag Means Death (series 1) and stand-up performances on Live at the Apollo.

Early life

Khan was born on 24 January 1986 to a Pakistani Punjabi Muslim family of Khans, in Coventry, England. He has two sisters who are ten and eleven years older than him.[2] His father died when he was three.[3]

Khan grew up on a housing estate in Hillfields, Coventry,[4] and attended Stoke Park School. He graduated from Coventry University,[5] and went on to teach Humanities at Grace Academy.[6] In Sindhu Vee's 2020 BBC comedy podcast Things My Mother Never Told Me (... About Lockdown), Khan talks about being raised in a South Asian community and his relationship to his mother.

Career

Breakthrough

Khan uploaded his first video to Facebook in 2014; in June of that year, he first performed on stage, opening for Aamer Rahman at Birmingham Repertory Theatre. His second time on stage was at a comedy evening at the Library of Birmingham BBC Asian Network organised for Comic Relief, with Citizen Khan.[7] Khan performed under the stage name "Guzzy Bear".[7]

In June 2015, whilst performing as his character Mobeen, a Muslim living in Small Heath,[7] Khan made a video called "Pakisaurus", expressing mock outrage at the lead character in the film Jurassic World[8] [9] shouting the line "the Pachys are out of containment" (an abbreviation of Pachycephalosaurus),[8] [10] observing it to be a homophone of Paki, a racial slur for people of South Asian descent.[11] During the video, Khan also discovers Pakisaurus is the name of a real dinosaur from Pakistan. In six days, the video was watched over 340,000 times on YouTube, and it has also received over 700,000 views on Facebook.[11] Khan's hashtag on Twitter, #BoycottJurassicWorld gained attention,[12] [13] [14] After the Birmingham Mail publicised the story, Khan was interviewed by radio stations in the United States and Indonesia.[7]

Stand-up comedy

In December 2015, Khan performed at BBC Asian Network's Big Comedy Night in Birmingham, a special comedy night celebrating 50 years of Asian programmes on the BBC.[15] [16]

He has also performed on the BBC2 stand-up show Live at the Apollo, in an episode aired on 31 December 2017, hosted by the comedian Henning Wehn.[17]

Critics have celebrated Khan for his distinctive on-stage style, described as "his fusion of British-urban-Islamic clothing and personal accessories."[18]

Television

In June 2015, Khan made a short film Roadman Ramadan as part of the British Muslim Comedy series, five short films by Muslim comedians commissioned by the BBC to be released on BBC iPlayer.[19] [20] [21] Khan's sketch was a guide to Ramadan, the Islamic month of fasting during daylight hours, which sees Khan's character Mobeen guide his newly converted friend Trev through his first Ramadan.

In July 2015, Khan gave up his job as a school teacher to pursue a career in comedy after his YouTube clips went viral. In November, he featured in an episode of comedy web series Corner Shop Show. In 2016, he went on to play the rambunctious baggage handler Mo Khan in Borderline.[22]

In December 2017, Khan's four-part BBC comedy series Man Like Mobeen was released on BBC iPlayer.[23] [24] [25] Three more series of the show have been produced, which were released on BBC iPlayer in 2019, 2020 and 2023.[26] [27]

In March 2019, Khan appeared as a guest on Hypothetical.

In 2020, he appeared in Four Weddings And a Funeral,[28] [29] a miniseries created by Mindy Kaling that is a re-imagining of the original film.[30] [31]

In September 2021, Khan appeared on the twelfth series of Taskmaster.

In December 2021, Khan appeared as Bonzo in Beauty and the Beast: A Pantomime for Comic Relief, originally broadcast on BBC Two on Sunday 21 December.[32]

In February 2022, Khan narrated the Peaky Blinders Ultimate Recap on BBC One.[33]

In March 2022, Khan appeared in the HBO Max comedy pirate series Our Flag Means Death, where he played Ivan, a member of Blackbeard's crew. Khan was the only main actor dropped ahead of the second season of the show.[34] Responding to the decision, he tweeted: "This is the industry sometimes. They might be choosing a different direction creatively, maybe it's financial decision, maybe they weren't feeling your boy."

Commercial endorsements

In June 2019, Khan appeared in an advert for Walkers crisps alongside the Spice Girls, playing Dev, the group's biggest fan.[35]

In February 2020, Uber Eats launched a UK-wide brand campaign starring Khan as a charismatic courier spreading positivity.[36]

Film

In February 2017, Khan appeared as Rocky in the romantic comedy film Finding Fatimah.[37]

In 2019, Khan appeared alongside Idris Elba in the Netflix comedy show Turn Up Charlie, which premiered on 15 March 2019.[38]

In April 2022, Khan appeared in the main cast of the film The Bubble, playing actor Howie Frangopolous.

Political views

Khan supported Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn in the 2019 UK General Election, encouraging people to vote Labour.[39] [40] He is a supporter of the Palestinian cause.[41] [42]

Personal life

Khan is a Muslim.[7] He lives with his wife and four children in the West Midlands.[7] Khan is a supporter of Manchester United F.C.[43]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
2017Finding FatimahRocky
2018Walk Like a PantherTerry Khan
2021Army of ThievesRolph
2022The BubbleHoward "Howie" Frangopolous
2024How to Date Billy WalshMr Atkins

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
2016DoctorsGuzzy Bear1 Episode
DropperzBig Gib1 Episode
2016–2017BorderlineMo Khan10 Episodes
ZappedSkylark 7 Episodes
2017LoadedTech Head1 Episode
2017–presentMan Like MobeenMobeenAlso creator
2018BountyWaseemTV movie
2019Four Weddings and a FuneralBasheer7 Episodes
2019Turn Up CharlieDel6 Episodes
CurfewCheese8 Episodes
2021TaskmasterHimself10 Episodes
2022Our Flag Means DeathIvan10 episodes
2023Digman!Zane Troy (voice)
Wonders of the World I Can't SeeHimselfEpisode 3[44]
OutsidersHimselfSeries 3
My Super-Rich HolidayHimselfWith Eddie Kadi[45]
2024The GentlemenChucky1 Episode

Accolades

Notes and References

  1. News: Rodger . James . Man Like Mobeen star Guz Khan 'saves boy's life' after mugging . 17 March 2023 . CoventryLive . 8 October 2018 . en.
  2. Web site: BBC Radio 4 – Comedy of the Week, Things My Mother Never Told Me (... About Lockdown). 27 July 2020. BBC. 27 July 2020 . en-GB.
  3. Web site: 1 February 2020. Guz Khan: The real deal role model. 27 July 2020. Royal Television Society. en.
  4. Web site: 2 January 2020. Guz Khan: 'We wanted to dispel myths around foodbanks'. 27 July 2020. Lobb. Adrian. The Big Issue. en.
  5. News: Q&A with comedian and writer Guz Khan. Lacey. Hester. 27 July 2020. Financial Times. 25 January 2019 .
  6. News: Rodger. James. Coventry teacher turned comedian Guz Khan gets TV pilot and soap cameo. Coventry. Coventry Telegraph. 7 December 2015. 1 April 2016.
  7. News: Laws. Roz. Comedian Guzzy Bear gives up teaching job after Jurassic World stunt went viral. Birmingham Mail. 13 July 2015. 1 April 2016.
  8. News: Cannon. Matt. Jurassic World blasted by Small Heath comedy character after dinosaur abbreviation slip. Birmingham Mail. 18 June 2015. 1 April 2016.
  9. News: Lebeau. Jordan. British comic accuses 'Jurassic World' of racism, wins at word bingo. Boston. Boston Globe. 18 June 2015. 1 April 2016.
  10. News: Lindsay. Duncan. Comedian leads Jurassic World boycott over 'racist' dinosaur name. Metro. 20 June 2015. 1 April 2016.
  11. News: James. Richard. This Comedian Is Calling For People To Boycott 'Jurassic World' Over Its Dinosaur "Racism. BuzzFeed. 19 June 2015. 1 April 2016.
  12. News: Farooq. Aisha.
    1. Pakisaurus trends for Jurassic World boycott
    . Desi Blitz. 22 June 2015. 1 April 2016.
  13. News: Ragan. Nitya. Jurassic World Boycott Plans in Motion As Comedian Discovers Accidental Racism. HuffPost. 17 June 2015. 1 April 2016.
  14. News: Haysom. Sam. British comedian accuses 'Jurassic World' of prehistoric racism in hilarious rant. Mashable. 18 June 2015. 1 April 2016.
  15. News: 21 November 2015 . Special comedy night to feature Tez Ilyas, Guz Khan, Shaista Aziz and Aditi Mittal . Asian Image . 1 April 2016.
  16. Web site: Guz Khan . 1 April 2016 . BBC Asian Network.
  17. Web site: BBC Two – Live at the Apollo, Series 13, episode 4 .
  18. Symons . Alex . 2024-02-14 . Transcultural Comedy in Man Like Mobeen (2017-2023): How the BBC is Merging “Us”/“Them.” . Journal of Popular Film and Television . en . 51 . 4 . 196 . 10.1080/01956051.2023.2277258 . 0195-6051.
  19. News: Jones. Alice. Ramadan films and HaLOL: the rise of British Muslim Comedy. The Independent. 25 June 2015. 1 February 2016.
  20. News: Badat. Hafeeza. British Muslim Comedy Takes Over BBC iPlayer. Asian Image. 19 June 2015. 1 March 2016.
  21. Web site: Guz Khan: Roadman Ramadan. BBC iPlayer. 18 June 2015. 1 April 2016.
  22. Web site: Borderline – C5 Sitcom. British Comedy Guide.
  23. Web site: BBC. Man Like Mobeen. 24 December 2017.
  24. Web site: BBC – Man Like Mobeen coming to BBC Three for brand new series – Media Centre.
  25. Web site: BBC iPlayer – Man Like Mobeen.
  26. Web site: British Comedy Guide:Man Like Mobeen series and episodes list. 27 July 2020. British Comedy Guide. en-GB.
  27. Web site: BBC Three's Man Like Mobeen returns for a third series – Media Centre. 27 July 2020. www.bbc.co.uk.
  28. Web site: 8 February 2019 . Guz Khan: 'Man Like Mobeen' creator, rising comedy star, working class hero . 11 February 2019 . The Big Issue . en.
  29. Web site: 'Four Weddings And A Funeral': Andie MacDowell To Appear On Hulu Series, Nathalie Emmanuel To Star In Recasting. Andreeva. Nellie. 2 November 2018. Deadline. en. 11 February 2019.
  30. Web site: Guz Khan joins Four Weddings : News 2018 : Chortle : The UK Comedy Guide. www.chortle.co.uk. en. 11 February 2019.
  31. Web site: Guz Khan talks Man Like Mobeen and educating through comedy. 2 January 2019. Evening Standard. en. 11 February 2019.
  32. Web site: BBC Two - A Comic Relief Pantomime for Christmas, Beauty and the Beast . 5 February 2023 . BBC . en-GB.
  33. Web site: BBC One - Peaky Blinders, Peaky Blinders Ultimate Recap . 23 February 2022 .
  34. Web site: O'Rourke . Ryan . 6 June 2022 . 'Our Flag Means Death' Season 2: Guz Khan Not Returning . 5 February 2023 . Collider . en.
  35. Web site: Staff Reporter . 2 June 2019 . GUZ-A-GUZ-AH! Comedian Guz Khan joins the Spice Girls in hilarious new Walkers crisps ad . 5 February 2023 . I Am Birmingham . en-US.
  36. Web site: 'Bring It': Uber Eats and Guz Khan serve up some motivation in first ads from Mother . 5 February 2023 . The Drum.
  37. Web site: Finding Fatimah official website . 3 February 2017.
  38. Web site: Mitchell . Robert . 3 January 2019 . First Look: Idris Elba in Netflix Comedy 'Turn Up Charlie' . 11 February 2019 . Variety . en.
  39. Khan . Guz . Guz Khan . GuzKhanOfficial . 1205205073145614337 . 12 December 2019 . For the MANY not the FEW. Labour. @UKLabour @jeremycorbyn https://t.co/JzQjh6Id9f . en . 10 February 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20191216050123/https://twitter.com/GuzKhanOfficial/status/1205205073145614337 . 16 December 2019 . live.
  40. Khan . Guz . Guz Khan . GuzKhanOfficial . 1197628091302064129 . 21 November 2019 . This is a ONCE in a generation chance to dispel the Tories who serve the FEW, and empower those who will serve the MANY... Vote @UKLabour and change the game ✊ https://t.co/ZgXQL1iySQ . en . 10 February 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20191122111038/https://twitter.com/GuzKhanOfficial/status/1197628091302064129 . 22 November 2019 . live.
  41. Web site: Staff Reporter . 10 May 2019 . Soweto Kinch, Salma Yaqoob, Maz Saleem and Lowkey pledge support for pro-Palestine rally . 5 February 2023 . I Am Birmingham . en-US.
  42. Khan . Guz . Guz Khan . GuzKhanOfficial . 1555651579591655425 . 5 August 2022 . I might have got the axe from Our Flag Means Death, but I'll always be flying the flag for you my G https://t.co/M7BGkaK8A5 . en . 10 February 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220806122416/https://twitter.com/GuzKhanOfficial/status/1555651579591655425 . 6 August 2022 . live.
  43. News: FA Cup third-round predictions - Lawro v comedian Guz Khan. BBC Sport . 7 January 2018. 9 March 2021.
  44. Web site: Wonders of the World I Can't See. channel4.com/programmes. 11 July 2023.
  45. Web site: My Super-Rich Holiday. channel4.com/programmes. 29 October 2023.
  46. Web site: Voyles . Blake . September 20, 2023 . 83rd Peabody Award Nominees . September 20, 2023.