Jim Tavaré (born 1963) is a British stand-up comedian, actor, and musician. He is best known for his work on The Sketch Show on ITV, which won a BAFTA award. He played the role of Tom (the owner of the Leaky Cauldron) in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, and has appeared in several music videos, including Roots Manuva's "Too Cold", McFly's "It's All About You" (for BBC Comic Relief), Phoenix Foundation's "Thames Soup", and Letlive's "Banshee".
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Early life
Tavaré was born in Essex, England in 1963. He is a cousin of former international cricketer Chris Tavaré. When he was 7, he and his family moved to Cheshire, where he eventually attended art school in Northwich. After finishing his art studies, he moved to London, where he worked with Corin Redgrave. As a result, he successfully auditioned for and attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, graduating in 1985 with an Acting (RADA Diploma).
Career
Tavaré's first film appearance was as a student in Another Country (1984) with Rupert Everett and Colin Firth. Although uncredited, he was a featured extra appearing in numerous scenes throughout the film. Tavaré was Colin Firth's stand-in for the duration of the film. Charles Spencer, Diana, Princess of Wales's brother, was also an uncredited extra. Tavaré eventually branched out into stand-up comedy with a unique act which featured his double bass, an instrument he had learned to play during his childhood.
In 1995, Tavaré wrote and starred in a series of short silent films for BBC2, titled Jim Tavaré Pictures Presents. On Channel Five, he had a skit series of his own that he co-wrote with Ricky Gervais, called The Jim Tavaré Show. He appeared three times in the Royal Variety Performance, and subsequently worked for Prince Charles at several private engagements, including at a private Christmas party and at a gala held at Highgrove in front of Queen Elizabeth II and 13 other crowned heads of state. He became renowned in the UK as Prince Charles's favourite comedian. Following an appearance at the Montreal Just For Laughs festival, CBS commissioned a special episode "Take My Life Please" based on and written entirely around his comedy act, in the American series Wings
