Nick Mohammed
Nick Mohammed | |
|---|---|
Mohammed in 2025 | |
| Born | Nicholas George Mohammed October 1980 (age 45) Leeds, England |
| Education | Durham University (BSc) University of Cambridge (incomplete PhD) |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 2006–present |
| Spouse |
Becca Mohammed (m. 2014) |
| Children | 3 |
Nicholas George Mohammed (born 2 October 1980) is a British actor, comedian and writer. He is known for portraying the character Mr. Swallow on stage and television. He is the creator of the Sky One comedy series Intelligence. Mohammed portrayed the character of Nathan Shelley in the Apple TV+ series Ted Lasso, for which he was nominated in the Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series category at the 73rd and 74th Primetime Emmy Awards.
Early life and education
[edit]Nicholas George Mohammed[1] was born 2 October 1980 in Leeds, England.[2] His mother was a Cyprus-born general practitioner and his Trinidad-born father worked in law.[3]
Mohammed was educated at Abbey Grange High School in Leeds. He turned down an offer to study at the University of Cambridge and instead chose to study for a BSc in Geophysics at Durham University,[4] where he was a member of St Aidan's College[5] and played violin in the university orchestra.[6] He auditioned for the Durham Revue twice but failed to get in, and instead frequented the local comedy circuit.[7]
After graduating from Durham in 2003, Mohammed began studying for a PhD in seismology at the Bullard Laboratories and Magdalene College, Cambridge.[6] He did not complete a doctorate, after dropping out to pursue comedy.[8] Whilst in Cambridge, he successfully auditioned for the Cambridge Footlights.[9][10]
Career
[edit]Mohammed featured in the second series of BBC One's Reggie Perrin and was a co-presenter in BBC Three comedy series The King Is Dead alongside Simon Bird and Katy Wix.[11] He made guest appearances in Pete & Dud: The Lost Sketches, Miranda,[11] How Not to Live Your Life and Life's Too Short,[11] and appeared in Series 2 Episode 4 of the BBC Radio 4 musical comedy show Alex Horne Presents The Horne Section.[11]
Following his Radio 4 debut (Quarters), Mohammed had a second series Nick Mohammed in Bits.[12] He was a cast member of BAFTA-nominated CBBC sketch show Sorry, I've Got No Head, and supported Angelos Epithemiou (as one of his radio show characters, Mr Swallow) on his 2010 national tour.[11] He had a supporting role in all three series of the C4 comedy Drifters.[11]
Mohammed is known for his character, Mr Swallow, a megalomaniac magician.[13] He created the character's voice and attitude after his English teacher in secondary school who spoke in the same high-pitched Northern voice Mr Swallow does, and the name coming from the fact she would swallow a lot in between sentences.[14][13][15] He first developed the character while in Cambridge Footlights.[2]
Mohammed developed The Mr Swallow Show for BBC Television and wrote and starred in an original comedy-drama Magic for Channel 4 as part of the Coming Up Scheme. He appeared in CBBC show Hank Zipzer as Mr. Love. He made a guest appearance in the final episode of series 1 and first episode of series 2 of Uncle.[11] In 2015, he joined the cast of ITV comedy The Job Lot. He wrote and starred in two series of 'Detective Sergeant Nick Mohammed', a comedy set in a police station, for BBC Radio 4.[16]
In 2018, he voiced Piglet in the Disney film Christopher Robin. Also in 2018, it was announced that he would collaborate on a new comedy series titled Intelligence with David Schwimmer for Sky One.[17] In 2019, Mohammed appeared in the second series of Stath Lets Flats.[11] From 2020 to 2023, he played Nathan "Nate" Shelley in the Apple TV+ series Ted Lasso, which ran for three seasons on Apple TV+.[11] In 2023, Mohammed starred as a policeman in the film Maggie Moore(s), alongside Jon Hamm and Tina Fey.[18] He was a contestant on the 17th series of the Channel 4 show Taskmaster, which launched in March 2024.[19]
In 2025, he appeared in the fifth season of Apple TV+'s Slow Horses as Mayor Zafar Jaffrey. Also in 2025, he starred in the action comedy film Deep Cover alongside Bryce Dallas Howard and Orlando Bloom.[20] In 2024, Mohammed opened A Christmas Carol (ish) at @sohoplace in London's West End for a Christmas run. The show was a re-telling of Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol with Mr Swallow as the protagonist, also starring Martha Howe-Douglas, David Elms, and Kieran Hodgson. He originally developed the show at Soho Theatre in 2022.[21][22]
In 2025, he toured the UK as Mr Swallow in new live show, Show Pony with dates extended into 2026.[23] He also appeared as a contestant on The Celebrity Traitors.[24] When talking about the show Mohammed said, "This is the first thing I've ever done as myself."[25] He made it to the final as faithful alongside David Olusoga, before losing out to traitor Alan Carr.[26]
Views
[edit]Mohammed has said that he "can count on two hands the amount of times someone has said something explicitly racist [to him]". He has acknowledged that "Often white men stumble upwards into positions of power."[27]
Filmography
[edit]Film
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Asylum Seekers | Adeem Akwal | Short film |
| 2014 | Benny & Jolene | Orlando | |
| 2015 | Baguettes | Man | Short film |
| The Martian | Tim Grimes | ||
| 2016 | Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie | Casper | |
| Bridget Jones’s Baby | Ariyaratina | ||
| The Darkest Universe | Benny | ||
| 2017 | The Sense of an Ending | Postman Danny | |
| Bridget Jones' Baby: Extended End Credits | Ariyaratina | Uncredited; short film; direct-to-video | |
| The Designers: Comic Relief | Short film | ||
| Smear | Dr Wyndham | ||
| 2018 | Christopher Robin | Piglet (voice) | |
| The Nutcracker and the Four Realms | Short Butler | ||
| 2019 | The Kid Who Would Be King | Mr Hyde | |
| 2020 | Roald & Beatrix: The Tail of the Curious Mouse | Mr Entwhistle | On Sky |
| 2022 | Pragma | Professor Francis | [28] |
| 2023 | Maggie Moore(s) | Deputy Reddy[29] | |
| Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget | Dr Fry (voice) | ||
| 2025 | Deep Cover | Hugh | |
| TBA | Control | Filming |
Television
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | No Easy Task with Daniel Thornthwaite | Daniel Thornthwaite | Also writer; television film |
| 2008–2011 | Sorry, I've Got No Head | Various | 17 episodes |
| 2009–2010 | Reggie Perrin | Steve | 9 episodes |
| 2010 | The King Is Dead | Himself | With Simon Bird and Katy Wix |
| The Persuasionists | DVD Shop Assistant | Episode: "The Charity" | |
| Miranda | Pete (Skydive Receptionist) | Episode: "Before I Die" | |
| 2011 | Pixelface | Pharaoh | Episode: "High Spirits" |
| Life's Too Short | Toby | Episode: "#1.5" | |
| 2013–2015 | Drifters | Ash | 7 episodes |
| 2014 | Uncle | Roopesh | 6 episodes |
| 2014–2016 | Hank Zipzer | Mr Love | 16 episodes; main cast (Season 1); recurring cast (Season 2); guest cast (Season 3) |
| 2014–2018 | Cuckoo | Policeman | Episodes: "Neighbourhood Watch" and "Ken's New Friend" |
| 2014 | Morning Has Broken | Mike | Also writer; television film |
| 2015 | Murder in Successville | Dynamo | Episode: "Bunch of Cults" |
| Yonderland | Electrician | Episode: "Panic on the Streets of Yonderland" | |
| 2015–2017 | Uncle | Roopesh | 5 episodes |
| 2015–2016 | Drunk History | William Burke/John William Polidori | 2 episodes |
| 2015 | The Job Lot | Ash | 5 episodes |
| 2016 | Fresh Meat | Nas | 2 episodes |
| Camping | Dr Tolley | Episode: "#1.2"; television miniseries | |
| Sexy Murder | Simon Schinwold | 3 episodes; television miniseries | |
| The Last Dragonslayer | Brian - Dragonslayer | Television film | |
| 2017 | Mr. Swallow's Valentine | Mr Swallow | Also writer; television film |
| 2018 | Collateral | Fuzz Gupta | 2 episodes; television miniseries |
| Urban Myths | Horace Lambardi | Episode: "Agatha Christie" | |
| Oi Leonardo | Disciple | Television miniseries; Episode: "The Last Supper" | |
| Sally4Ever | Mark | Episode: "#1.4" | |
| Comedy Blaps | Benton | Episode: "Furious Andrew" | |
| 2018–2019 | Space Chickens in Space | Finley (voice) | 23 episodes |
| 2019 | Stath Lets Flats | Anthony Stappan | Episodes: "A Battle Of Our Lives" and "Congratulations, Please" |
| 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown | Mr Swallow | Episode: "18#4" | |
| Comedians Giving Lectures | Mr Swallow | Episode: "#1.7" | |
| Harry Hill's Clubnite | Episode: "#1.2" | ||
| 2020–2023 | Intelligence | Joseph Harries | Also writer |
| Ted Lasso | Nathan "Nate" Shelley | Main cast Nominated — Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series, 2021 and 2022[30] | |
| 2020 | Hitmen | The Human Spider | Season #1 Episode #1 |
| 2021 | Inside No. 9 | Gavin | Episode: "Simon Says" |
| 2021, 2023, 2024 | 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown | Mr Swallow | Christmas special 2021, Christmas special 2023, Episode: "26#2" |
| 2022 | Mandy | Future Doctor | Episode: "The Curse of Mandy Carter" |
| 2024 | Renegade Nell | Billy Blind | 8 episodes |
| Taskmaster | Himself | Season 17 contestant | |
| Inside No. 9 | Himself | Episode: "Plodding On" | |
| Alma's Not Normal | Jules Goodwin | Series 2 | |
| 2025 | The Planets and Star Wars at the Proms | Host | A BBC Proms concert[31] |
| Slow Horses | Zafar Jaffrey | Season 5 | |
| The Celebrity Traitors | Himself | Contestant; series 1[24] |
Theatre
[edit]| Year | Title | Character | Venue | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | The Very Best and Very Worst of Mr Swallow | Mr. Swallow | UK tour | Also writer |
| Duke of York's Theatre | ||||
| 2024 | A Christmas Carol-ish | Mr. Swallow | @sohoplace | Also writer |
| 2025 | Inside No. 9 Stage/Fright | Guest star | Wyndham's Theatre | One night only |
| Mr Swallow: Show Pony | Mr. Swallow | UK tour | Also writer |
Awards and nominations
[edit]| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series | Ted Lasso | Nominated | [32][33] |
| 2022 | Nominated | [32] | |||
| 2021 | Hollywood Critics Association | Best Supporting Actor in a Streaming Series, Comedy | Nominated | [32][34] | |
| 2022 | Nominated | [32] | |||
| 2021 | HCA TV Gold Derby Awards | Comedy Supporting Actor | Nominated | [32][34] | |
| International Online Cinema Awards (INOCA) | Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series | Nominated | [32] | ||
| Pena de Prata | Nominated | [32] | |||
| Best Ensemble in a Comedy Series (shared) | Won | [32] | |||
| Online Film & Television Association | Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series | Nominated | [32] | ||
| 2021 | Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series | Nominated | [32] | |
| 2022 | Won | [35] | |||
| 2024 | Nominated | [36] | |||
| 2022 | Royal Television Society Programme Awards | Comedy Performance - Male | Intelligence | Nominated | [32][38] |
Personal life
[edit]Mohammed learned the violin as a child and played in his university orchestra at St Aidan’s College at Durham University.[39] There he met his wife, Becca, whom he married in 2014.[40][41] They have three children.[42][43]
Mohammed moved to Richmond, London in 2014, and lived there for nearly a decade before moving on.[2] His eldest son, Finn, has an eidetic memory, which was showcased when they both appeared on an episode of 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown.[15][44]
Mohammed is allergic to fish and seafood.[45]
References
[edit]- ^ https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/officers/ZVscZRcum2yv8h3igaMBb7Dd8RM/appointments
- ^ a b c "Nick Mohammed Talks Magic, Mr Swallow And Ted Lasso". Beyond The Joke. 22 May 2024. Retrieved 25 June 2025.
- ^ "Nick Mohammed - the greatest showman". inews.co.uk. 26 July 2018. Archived from the original on 4 July 2023. Retrieved 8 February 2020.
- ^ Pape, Liam; Pape, Interview by Liam (29 November 2022). "Ted Lasso's Nick Mohammed: 'I didn't think about comedy seriously until doing a PhD in seismology'". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 29 October 2025.
- ^ "Nick Mohammed: a profile of the up-and-coming comedian (pg.8–9)". Durham First. Autumn–Winter 2011. Archived from the original on 15 March 2016. Retrieved 8 March 2012.
- ^ a b "Send in the clowns". Varsity. 25 February 2010. Archived from the original on 15 June 2018. Retrieved 27 May 2025.
- ^ "Nick Mohammed's heart "lies in Durham"". Palatinate. 6 December 2010. Archived from the original on 3 October 2015. Retrieved 6 March 2012.
- ^ Hogan, Michael (12 August 2025). "Nick Mohammed: 'Edinburgh fringe is flawed, but I adore it'" – via The Observer.
- ^ "Cambridge Footlights Alumni 2000–". Footlights Official Website. Archived from the original on 11 August 2011.
- ^ "Interview with actor and magician Nick Mohammed". The Stage. Retrieved 29 October 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Nick Mohammed - Writer/Performer". unitedagents.co.uk. Archived from the original on 28 October 2022. Retrieved 28 October 2022.
- ^ "BBC Radio 4 Extra - Nick Mohammed in Bits". BBC. Archived from the original on 30 October 2017. Retrieved 16 August 2019.
- ^ a b Pape, Liam; Pape, Interview by Liam (29 November 2022). "Ted Lasso's Nick Mohammed: 'I didn't think about comedy seriously until doing a PhD in seismology'". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 25 June 2025.
- ^ The origin of Mr Swallow! | Nick Mohammed | Dish #Podcast #MrSwallow #Funny. Retrieved 25 June 2025 – via www.youtube.com.
- ^ a b Scougall, Murray (22 February 2023). "INTERVIEW: Nick Mohammed on Ted Lasso and taking Mr Swallow on tour". The Sunday Post. Retrieved 25 June 2025.
- ^ "BBC Radio 4 - Detective Sergeant Nick Mohammed - Episode guide". BBC. Archived from the original on 30 October 2017. Retrieved 16 August 2019.
- ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (18 December 2018). "David Schwimmer, Nick Mohammed Set For Sky One Comedy Series 'Intelligence'". Deadline. Archived from the original on 13 May 2019. Retrieved 13 May 2019.
- ^ "'Ted Lasso' Breakout Nick Mohammed Joins John Slattery's 'Maggie Moore(s)'". Archived from the original on 15 September 2021. Retrieved 15 September 2021.
- ^ "Taskmaster season 17: Release date, cast and latest news". Radio Times. Retrieved 29 March 2024.
- ^ "'Slow Horses' Star Nick Mohammed On Season 5 And His Character's "Make London Londerful Again" Slogan: "I Cringed A Lot Every Time I Said It" | Decider". 8 October 2025. Retrieved 29 October 2025.
- ^ Waywell, Chris. "A Christmas Carol-ish review: hysterical comedy version of A Christmas Carol". Time Out London. Archived from the original on 1 February 2023. Retrieved 20 December 2024.
- ^ Deep Cover, Metronome Film Co., Parkes/MacDonald Image Nation, 12 June 2025, retrieved 29 October 2025
- ^ Guide, British Comedy (22 July 2024). "Nick Mohammed to return as Mr Swallow in 2025 tour Show Pony". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 20 December 2024.
- ^ a b "The Celebrity Traitors - Everything you need to know". BBC Media Centre. 21 August 2025. Retrieved 23 August 2025.
- ^ https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/mediapacks/the-celebrity-traitors-contestants-claudia-winkleman
- ^ "Celebrity Traitors finale: Winners and losers revealed but is it Alan Carr, Cat Burns, David Olusoga, Joe Marler or Nick Mohammed?". BBC News. 6 November 2025. Retrieved 7 November 2025.
- ^ https://inews.co.uk/culture/television/intelligence-nick-mohammed-gchq-sky-david-schwimmer-399685
- ^ "Nick Mohammed | United Agents". www.unitedagents.co.uk. Retrieved 29 October 2025.
- ^ Massoto, Erick (18 April 2023). "Tribeca Festival 2023 Full Feature Film Lineup Includes 'Downtown Owl' and 'Bucky F*cking Dent'". Collider. Archived from the original on 18 April 2023. Retrieved 18 April 2023.
- ^ "Nominations Announced for the 27th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards". Screen Actors Guild Awards. Screen Actors Guild. 4 February 2021. Archived from the original on 4 February 2021. Retrieved 4 February 2021.
- ^ "The Planets and Star Wars at the Proms". bbc.co.uk/programmes. Retrieved 1 September 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Nick Mohammed Awards". IMDB (Index source only). Archived from the original on 28 October 2022. Retrieved 28 October 2022.
- ^ "2021 - 73rd Emmy Awards". emmys.com. Television Academy. 13 July 2021. Archived from the original on 13 July 2021. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
- ^ a b "HCA TV Awards Nominations: 'Ted Lasso' Leads Programs For Inaugural Honors; NBC, HBO & Netflix Lead Nets". Deadline Hollywood. Penske Media Corporation. 9 July 2021. Archived from the original on 8 July 2021. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
- ^ Lewis, Hilary; Coates, Tyler (12 January 2022). "SAG Awards: 'House of Gucci,' 'The Power of the Dog' Lead Film Nominations". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
- ^ "Nominations Announced for the 30th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards®" (Press release). Screen Actors Guild. 10 January 2024. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
- ^ "Nominations Announced for the 30th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards®" (Press release). Screen Actors Guild. 1 April 2024. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
- ^ "RTS Programme Awards 2022". rts.org.uk. 21 October 2021. Archived from the original on 28 October 2022. Retrieved 28 October 2022.
- ^ "Does Nick Mohammed really play violin in Ted Lasso?". Classic FM. Retrieved 26 September 2024.
- ^ "In 'Ted Lasso,' Nick Mohammed Has Come Full Circle". Esquire. 31 May 2023. Retrieved 26 September 2024.
- ^ Mohammed, Nick (19 December 2014). "X". X (formerly Twitter).
- ^ McGuire, Jen (17 September 2021). "Nick Mohammed From Ted Lasso Is A Proud Family Man". Romper. Bustle Digital Group. Archived from the original on 26 September 2021. Retrieved 5 October 2021.
- ^ D. Watkins (29 March 2023). "Nate Is A "Troubled Soul"". Salon Talks. D. Watkins. Archived from the original on 12 April 2023. Retrieved 14 April 2023.
- ^ "8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown: Series 25 (C4: 26), Episode 2". British Comedy Guide. 26 July 2024. Retrieved 18 August 2025.
- ^ Taskmaster (20 August 2025). What Have You Caught? | Full Task | Taskmaster. Retrieved 20 August 2025 – via YouTube.
External links
[edit]- 1980 births
- Living people
- 20th-century English male actors
- 21st-century English male actors
- Alumni of Magdalene College, Cambridge
- Alumni of St Aidan's College, Durham
- English male comedians
- English male film actors
- English male television actors
- English male voice actors
- English sketch comedians
- Male actors from Leeds
- Comedians from Leeds
- English people of Indo-Trinidadian descent
- English people of Cypriot descent
- 21st-century English comedians