Editing Keith Allen (actor) (section)

===Acting career===
[[File:KeithAllen.jpg|thumb|Allen in 2005]]
Allen appeared in a number of films in the series ''[[The Comic Strip|The Comic Strip Presents...]]'' on [[Channel 4]] in the 1980s after becoming one of the breakthrough acts of the [[The Comedy Store, London|Comedy Store]] in 1979. Notable episodes featuring Allen include ''[[The Bullshitters: Roll Out The Gunbarrel|The Bullshitters]]'' (a parody of ''[[The Professionals (TV series)|The Professionals]]''), and ''[[The Yob]]'' (a parody of ''[[The Fly (1986 film)|The Fly]]''), which he also co-wrote. Allen appeared alongside fellow Comic Strip alumni as Pestilence in ''[[The Young Ones (TV series)|The Young Ones]]'' episode "Interesting." Allen has performed both straight and comedy acting. In 1985 The Comic Strip hit the big screen with ''[[The Supergrass]]'' starring Allen, [[Adrian Edmondson]], Peter Richardson, [[Jennifer Saunders]] and [[Robbie Coltrane]], directed by Comic Strip actor Peter Richardson.

In 1986, he appeared in ''[[Comrades (1986 film)|Comrades]]'', a film about the [[Tolpuddle Martyrs]].

During the brief period of [[British Satellite Broadcasting]] as an alternative satellite broadcaster to [[British Sky Broadcasting|Sky]], he had a regular comedy show of his own ''I Love Keith Allen'' on the [[Galaxy (British TV channel)|Galaxy channel]], a mix of stand-up and sketches. He appeared in the final [[Carry On (franchise)|Carry On film]] ''[[Carry On Columbus]]'' (1992) playing Pepi The Poisoner.

Allen made a cameo appearance in the [[black comedy]] ''[[Twin Town]],'' directed by his brother Kevin, and the Channel 4 adaptation of ''[[A Very British Coup (TV series)|A Very British Coup]].'' He played the lodger who dies at the beginning of Danny Boyle's thriller ''[[Shallow Grave (1994 film)|Shallow Grave]]'' (1994). In the same year, he played Jonas Chuzzlewit in a [[BBC]] adaptation of Dickens'  ''[[Martin Chuzzlewit]]''. He was used again by Boyle to play a drug dealer in ''[[Trainspotting (film)|Trainspotting]]'' (1996). Danny Boyle has said that Allen's character from ''Trainspotting'' is the same one that moves into the shared flat in ''Shallow Grave'' – he wears the same clothes. He also appeared disguised as a fictional hip-hop star "Keithski" to present ''[[Top of the Pops]]'' on 2 March 1995.<ref>[http://www.bbc.co.uk/totp2/trivia/presenters/list11.shtml List of Presenters for Top of the Pops]. bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 7 September 2007.</ref>

In 2000, Allen appeared in two [[Harold Pinter]] plays at the [[Almeida Theatre]], playing Lambert in ''[[Celebration (play)|Celebration]]'' and Mr Sands in ''[[The Room (play)|The Room]]''. These were performed again at The [[Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts|Lincoln Center Festival]] in July 2001.<ref>[http://www.haroldpinter.org/directing/directing_theroom.shtml Celebration and The Room, by Harold Pinter, The Almeida, 16 March 2000. The Lincoln Center Festival, New York, July 2001]. haroldpinter.org</ref>

In 2001, he played the character of "problem-solver" Jim Napeworth in an episode of ''[[Murder in Mind (TV series)|Murder in Mind]]'', and in 2004 cameoed in ''[[Black Books]]'' as poker-player Dave 'Mouse Ears' Smith. In 2002 he played the [[London Records]] executive Roger Ames in ''[[24 Hour Party People]]'', a film about [[Factory Records]] and the [[Manchester]] music scene. Allen cameoed in the Channel 4 sitcom ''[[Spaced]]'' in a short homage to the [[Stanley Kubrick]] film, ''[[The Shining (film)|The Shining]]''. He appeared as the villain in the sequel to 2004's ''[[Agent Cody Banks]]'', ''[[Agent Cody Banks 2: Destination London]]'', opposite [[Frankie Muniz]]. He appeared in the hospital drama, ''[[Bodies (2004 TV series)|Bodies]]'', as Mr Tony Whitman, a sarcastic but somehow likeable consultant [[obstetrician]] with an enormous ego. In 2005 he appeared in the [[Endemol]]-produced [[BBC Two]] television programme ''Art School'' alongside [[Ulrika Jonsson]], [[John Humphrys]], and [[Clarissa Dickson Wright]] where he discovered a passion for painting. From 2006 to 2009, Allen appeared in the BBC's ''[[Robin Hood (2006 TV series)|Robin Hood]]'' drama series, as the [[Sheriff of Nottingham]].

Allen has also starred in pantomimes, such as an adaptation of [[Robert Louis Stevenson]]'s ''[[Treasure Island]]'' in 2008, written by [[Ken Ludwig]] and directed by [[Sean Holmes (theatre director)|Sean Holmes]]; he took the role of a gritty [[Long John Silver]] in the [[Theatre Royal Haymarket]].<ref>{{Cite news|last=Vlahos|first=Eros|date=2008-12-18|title=Kids on panto: Treasure Island / Theatre Royal Haymarket, London|language=en-GB|work=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2008/dec/18/panto-treasure-island-keith-allen|access-date=2020-06-12|issn=0261-3077}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2008-11-13|title=Arrgh! What's this? Long John Silver with no stump|url=http://www.standard.co.uk/news/arrgh-whats-this-long-john-silver-with-no-stump-6882576.html|access-date=2020-06-12|website=Evening Standard|language=en}}</ref>

In September 2011, he appeared in the BBC six-part drama series ''[[The Body Farm (TV series)|The Body Farm]]'' as DI Hale. 2012 (2013 in the UK) saw the release of the [[Sara Sugarman]] comedy film ''[[Vinyl (2012 film)|Vinyl]]'' in which Keith played an ageing rock star who finds himself back in the public eye after his band member fools the music industry into giving them a record deal. In 2013, he played Darren the farmer in episode 1.5 of the comedy drama series ''[[Great Night Out]]''.

In April 2013, Allen starred in a revival of [[Richard Bean]]'s black comedy ''Smack Family Robinson'' at The Rose Theatre, [[Kingston upon Thames]].

In January 2021, Allen played serial killer and rapist John Cooper in the ITV 3-part drama, ''[[The Pembrokeshire Murders]]''. In 2023, Allen appeared as Dai Williams in the BBC crime drama ''[[Steeltown Murders]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/drama/steeltown-murders-cast-bbc/|title=Meet the cast of Steeltown Murders|website=Radio Times|last=Craig|first=David|date=15 May 2023|access-date=22 May 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://inews.co.uk/culture/television/steeltown-murders-bbc-one-review-thoughtful-true-crime-drama-2340732|title=Steeltown Murders, BBC One, review: A more thoughtful class of true crime drama|website=iNewspaper|last=Gilbert|first=Gerard|date=15 May 2023|access-date=22 May 2023}}</ref>