After graduating from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in 1994, Cambridge law graduate Simon Mangan made the deliberate decision not to pursue lead roles on-screen, instead opting for the less limited opportunities available to him on the stage.
Between 1994 and 2000, he performed in numerous plays throughout the UK and the West End, showcasing his talents in works by renowned playwrights such as Shakespeare, Shaw, Coward, Benn, and Goldsmith.
Mangan's impressive stage career continued with his involvement with world-renowned theatre company Cheek by Jowl, where he embarked on an international tour of Much Ado About Nothing, earning him a nomination for a National Theatre Ian Charleson Award.
He went on to work with director Declan Donnellan at the Royal Shakespeare Company in School for Scandal, and at the Savoy Theatre, London in Hay Fever. In 2008, he played the title role in The Norman Conquests, directed by Matthew Warchus, at The Old Vic Theatre, London, and later at the Circle in the Square on Broadway, earning several Tony Award nominations, including one for himself.
In 2012, Mangan appeared at the Royal Court, London, in a Joe Penhall play, Birthday, directed by Roger Michell, playing a pregnant man. He also starred as Bertie Wooster in Perfect Nonsense at the Duke of York's Theatre alongside Matthew Macfadyen as Jeeves.
Mangan's breakthrough performance came in the form of Adrian Mole in the six-part TV show "Adrian Mole: The Cappuccino Years" (2001). The same year, he appeared in "Sword of Honour" on Channel 4 alongside Daniel Craig. Since then, he has worked extensively in British television as a lead actor in both serious drama and comedy.
His most recent success is the British/American television comedy series "Episodes" created by David Crane and Jeffrey Klarik, starring Mangan alongside Matt Le Blanc and Tamsin Greig. It premiered on Showtime in the United States on January 9, 2011, and on BBC Two in the United Kingdom on January 10, 2011.
Mangan's first film part was as Doctor Crane in Billy Elliot. He went on to appear in many other films, including Chunky Monkey, Birthday Girl, Festival, and Beyond the Pole. His most recent film is as the voice of Postman Pat in "Postman Pat: The Movie", a British 3D computer-animated comedy film.
In addition to his acting career, Mangan is also a well-known voiceover artist, voicing animation, commercials, and documentaries. He has been the host of the Evening Standard British Film Awards for four years (2009-2013) and will host the Olivier Awards in 2014. In April 2014, Mangan will return to host the British Academy Television Craft Awards in London for a third time.
