When Neil Morrissey met Martin Clunes

The two sixty-something stars have been friends since meeting in their 30s to film the legendary series about laddish flatmates Gary and Tony, who spend much of their time drinking beer and pursuing women.

Since first meeting in the early 1990s, they have become one of British TV’s most iconic comedy duos, bringing their unique brand of humour and camaraderie to their light-hearted chronicle of a road trip across France in their latest joint venture, Neil and Martin’s Bon Voyage.

When did they first meet?

The two aspiring young actors met as part of the Men Behaving Badly cast. ITV’s ground-breaking new sitcom, back in 1992, was written by Simon Nye. The laddish comedy focused on two guys doing just what the title suggested – drinking too much and chasing women.

Born in Wimbledon in 1961, Clunes came from a theatrical background, as his father Alec was an actor. After attending independent performing arts school Arts Ed in London, he started his acting career treading the boards at Colchester’s Mercury Theatre. Making his first TV appearance in a BBC play, The White Guard, in 1982, he supplemented his income as a photographic model, also winning roles in television comedies No Place Like Home and All at Number 20.

Morrissey was born in Stafford in 1962 to Irish parents who were psychiatric nurses. Gifted academically, he left school with nine CSEs and completed A-levels at Stoke-on-Trent Sixth Form College. After studying acting at Guildhall School of Music and Drama, he performed street theatre and joined Stoke Repertory Theatre.

He won the role of Seaman Matthew Quintal in the 1984 historical film, The Bounty, starring Mel Gibson and Laurence Olivier, followed by a role in the 1987 television drama, Boon, as biker Rocky.

For both Clunes and Morrissey, Men Behaving Badly was their big break in the world of show business.

How did they win the roles?

When the first script for Men Behaving Badly was written, the two beer-guzzling flatmates were Gary Strang and Dermot Povey. Aspiring comedy actor Harry Enfield was cast as Dermot and he recommended Clunes, 31, to play Gary, as they had worked together in sketch shows in the theatre. Clunes successfully auditioned for the role and the first series began in February 1992.

Enfield left after just one series, but the show was so successful that scriptwriters explained his departure by saying he had gone travelling round the world. This opened the doors for new character Tony Smart, who became Gary’s new flatmate in series two from September 1992 onwards.

Morrissey, 30, came fresh from playing the lead role of Noddy, the owner of a possessed motorbike, in the spoof horror film, I Bought a Vampire Motorcycle; Tony’s character was a complete change of direction.

Clunes and Morrissey hit it off from the start and had a natural camaraderie and comic timing that made the show an even bigger hit. Record stall owner Tony and security equipment salesman Gary quickly become good friends. Enjoying a second childhood, they continually fool about, watch endless hours of television and talk about women for the next six years.

In the same way that Tony and Gary were on-screen buddies, the real-life friendship between Morrissey and Clunes blossomed during the 1990s and continued after Men Behaving Badly ended in December 1998.

Life after Men Behaving Badly

In the ensuing years following the iconic 1990s sitcom, both actors have continued to make their mark in separate projects, including the popular Neil Morrissey TV shows Paradise Heights in 2002, Waterloo Road in 2007, Grantchester in 2016 and The Good Karma Hospital in 2017.

Clunes starred in the long running comedy series, Doc Martin, between 2004 and 2022. It has won the British Comedy Award for Best TV Comedy Drama. He has also presented various travel documentaries including Islands of Australia, Islands of America, Scotland: Escape to the Wilderness and Islands of the Pacific.

Neil Morrissey and Martin Clunes new TV show

The two friends have reunited on screen for the first time in 27 years in Neil and Martin’s Bon Voyage. In an interview with The Guardian earlier this year, Clunes said the idea for their new travelogue was born when he visited Morrissey’s holiday home in France. The premise prompted them to think up things that would be “tele-visually exciting” during their road trip, such as canoeing on the Dordogne River.

Looking back on Men Behaving Badly and how it was “lumped in” with 1990s “lad culture”, the two stars weren’t convinced that Gary and Tony’s behaviour was THAT bad! Clunes said the series just happened to be aired at a time when so-called “lads’ mags” such as Loaded were trending, and bands like Oasis were leading a cultural shift.

Morrissey agreed, saying it was impossible to call Gary and Tony “misogynistic” because they adored women and were also mystified by them. “The girls were very much empowered throughout the whole series,” he explained.

Clunes, now 63, said the comedy in the show revolved around the fact that both Gary and Tony were “total failures”. He says journalists are always asking if he wants to bring Men Behaving Badly back, but thinks this is unlikely.

Morrissey, 62, says the fact no one has come up with a new script is “telling”, plus the concept of flat dwellers is no longer new, and all sorts of people are “behaving badly” these days, so its uniqueness has vanished.

Their new travelogue sees Morrissey take Clunes on a journey through some of the most beautiful regions of southern France, a place he now calls his “second home”. They take in local traditions, food and landscapes, with Morrissey calling it a “golden opportunity to reunite” on screen to “reminisce about their professional and personal relationship.”

The first episode on 25th March received good reviews, with the critics jokingly dubbing it “men behaving pleasantly” and describing how the two stars “display a genuine fondness for one another” in this “charming travel show”.