Rich Fulcher

Rich Fulcher (born 18 November 1968, in Chicago, Illinois, USA) is an American comedian, best known as Bob Fossil.

Early life

Fulcher studied as a lawyer but after graduating had a sudden change of heart when he realised that it was "boring as fuck". Fulcher then took to improvised comedy at the Olympic Improv West in Chicago, where other greats like John Belushi, Bill Murray, John Candy and Joan Rivers started off. After abandoning his legal ambitions he took his stage show Mom I'm Not A Lawyer to numerous venues which received very positive critical acclaim: the angle which made it especially funny was that his parents did not (then or now) know he gave up law. They now believe he is an agent/producer, which is a step closer to the truth. Fulcher's situation was referenced in the second series of Spaced, in an episode where the artist Brian Topp lies to his mother that he is a solicitor.

The Mighty Boosh

Fulcher has played many types of characters but is perhaps best known for playing dull-witted, comic goons. He is probably most famous for his portrayal of Bob Fossil in The Mighty Boosh's various stage, radio and television shows, as well as playing many other characters, including the Ape of Death. He is also the only writer to provide additional material for the TV series outside of the major writers Noel Fielding and Julian Barratt. Fielding and Barratt came across Rich when touring in America and enjoyed his random absurd conversations so much that they wrote a part for him. Fulcher has a variety of running gags on The Mighty Boosh: he often plays very short characters, performing them on his knees, and when he plays various cockney characters he can be heard muttering, "I'm a cockney, I'm a cockney..." His Boosh characters often die horribly, being grated, sanded or otherwise murdered, and as this happens Fulcher will sometimes say, "A little to the left!" It was also in the Mighty Boosh that he met Matt Berry, who played Dixon Bainbridge.

Snuff Box

Rich Fulcher is a star and major writer for the BBC Three sketch show Snuff Box, along with Matt Berry. Berry plays the High Executioner to the King of England and Fulcher is his assistant. He also plays other minor characters in the series.

Filmography

So far, he is much better-known in the UK than in his native USA. In the USA, Fulcher was one of the "undercover" comedians who posed as various absurd talk show guests, in the 2004 Comedy Central series Crossballs. His other American claim to fame is that he is one of the body doubles that appears in Wayne's World 2 when they go to London. In 1998 he starred in and wrote for the sketch show (Un)natural Acts for the Paramount Comedy Channel alongside his future Mighty Boosh co-stars Julian Barratt and Noel Fielding. Fulcher played a baker in AD/BC: A Rock Opera, where he met up with Matt Berry again, and they then starred in their own comedy series, Snuff Box, on BBC Three. In addition to his acting and writing Fulcher is also a singer and dancer, and has employed these talents in various Boosh episodes and stage shows, on Snuff Box and as tech correspondent/stand up comic Dane Rivers on the comedy videocast Goodnight Burbank. He was interviewed on the first episode of the podcast "The John Show". He has also provided the voice over for an MBNA credit card advert. Recently he provided the vocals to the fantastic "Uncle Kevin" by "DeadDogInBlackBag", a new electro outfit, fronted by "Ami Chihuahua" and "Holly-Jane the Pain".

External links

• Rich Fulcher at the Internet Movie Database
• BBC Website Snuff Box Section
• Tiny Acts of Rebellion
• Rich Fulcher Home page
• Rich Fulcher profile on IO West
• The Mighty Boosh Rich Fulcher interview(currently corrupted) Readable archive copy
• Rich Fulcher on Channel 101
• Goodnight Burbank