Johnny Vegas, born Michael Joseph Pennington, is a well-known comedian and actor in the entertainment world. He’s created a name for himself as a comic thanks to his furious outbursts and strange comedy. His look, which includes a portly stature and husky voice, complements his impeccable comic timing, making him one of the most well-known figures. He was trained in ceramics and attempted to make pottery his main profession before abandoning it to pursue acting. Unlike many other comedians and actors of his generation, he made his television debut as a competitor on the game program “Win, Lose, or Draw.” He established a solid reputation as a comedian throughout the years. However, he did not abandon his passion for ceramics and continued to work in the medium. The Victoria and Albert Museum displayed a selection of his artistic designs. Read the following lines to learn more about his life and career.
Childhood and Adolescence
Michael Joseph Pennington was born at Thatto Health, St Helens, Lancashire, to Laurence and Patricia Pennigton.
He was the couple’s fourth child and the youngest of their four children. He had three siblings: Robert and Mark, two older brothers, and Catharine, an older sister.
He had his official education at West Park School, Alder Hey Road, St Helens, where he was raised as a Roman Catholic. He went on to St Joseph College, a boarding school seminary in Upholland, to further his education.
Though he had meant to study for the priesthood, he came home after four semesters due to homesickness.
Later, he enrolled at Middlesex University to pursue a degree in art and ceramics. He earned a third-class degree in the same after three years.
The career of Johnny Vegas
After completing his education, he attempted but failed to pursue a profession in ceramics. He took up a variety of odd and menial jobs to make ends meet.
He began his career selling boiler insurance in an Argos warehouse and packing Jif bottles in a factory. He later worked as a bartender in Thatto Heath’s Brown Edge pub.
Inadvertently, he developed a sense of humor. In the United Kingdom, he made his debut as a participant on the television show Win, Lose, or Draw. During the show, he adopted the stage moniker Johnny Vegas, which has stuck with him ever since.
In Channel 4’s 100 Greatest Stand Us and BBC Three’s Almost Famous 2, he had a cameo appearance.
He moved to London in the mid-nineties with the idea of pursuing a career as a stand-up comedian. Malcolm Hardee, the godfather of comedy, trained and coached him there.
In 2001, he was the face of the ITV digital launch advertisement campaign. The debut, however, was a disaster since the puppet Monkey, voiced by Ben Miller, received all of the attention.
He made an appearance in Dirk Maggs’ Radio 4 sitcom ‘Night Class,’ which he co-wrote with Tony Burgess and Tony Pitts, in 2002. He played the role of a former Butlin’s redcoat who taught nighttime pottery classes on the show. At the Sony Radio Academy Awards, the show came in second place.
‘The Virgin of Liverpool,’ a feature film, gave him a great break on the big screen while he continued with his television show. He also appeared in other films that year, including ‘Cheeky’ and ‘Blackball.’
‘Sex Lives of the Potato Men,’ ‘Terkel in Trouble,’ and ‘The Libertine’ were among his upcoming films in 2004.
Following ‘Night Class,’ he starred in the BBC3 sitcom ‘Ideal’ in 2005. He played the part of Moz in a total of 53 episodes. Other television shows in which he appeared that year included 18 Stone of Idiot, Bleak House, Dead Man Weds, and Shakespeare-Told.
In 2007, he starred in a television commercial for the tea company PG Tips for the second time. In the same year, he appeared in 24 episodes of the television series Benidorm.’ He was a regular in the first three series but only appeared in the sixth.
In the years 2010 and 2011, he made fewer appearances on television. He appeared in two episodes of ‘Celebrity Juice’ and made a cameo appearance in one episode of ‘Dave’s One Night Stand.’
This comedian had a busy year in 2012, starring in a number of television shows including ‘Rude Tube,’ ‘Moone Boy,’ ‘A League of Their Own,’ and ‘Mr. Stink.’
He appeared in the film ‘The Harry Hill Movie’ in 2013. He has appeared on TV shows such as ‘Have I Got News for You,’ ‘Still Open All Hours,’ and ‘Never Mind the Buzzcocks.’
The entertainment industry’s success had a direct positive impact on his first love, pottery. He began to receive positive feedback for his work, to the point where he was offered a part in ‘Pot Shots,’ a film aimed primarily at an international audience. He was even asked to create a bottle of Old Spice aftershave.
Personal History and Legacy
In August 2002, he married Catherine Donnelly, also known as “Kitty.” The relationship, however, did not continue long, and the two split up in 2004.
Despite reuniting twice in 2005, nothing worked out between them. On March 11, 2008, they were formally divorced.
In Seville, he married Maia Dunphy, a columnist and Irish TV producer, three years later.
He was diagnosed with gout in 2008.
Estimated Net worth
The father of two is estimated to have a net worth of $10 million.
Trivia
Few people realize that this stocky-framed, husky-voiced comic from the TV show “Ideal” had originally planned to become a priest.