Stephen Mangan, 56, was born in Enfield to Irish parents. He studied law at Cambridge but took a year out to care for his mother, who died of colon cancer aged 45. Weeks after her death, he successfully auditioned for Rada and went on to become a stage actor. His TV breakthrough came in Adrian Mole: The Cappuccino Years. He has since starred in Green Wing, Episodes and The Split. He co-hosts Landscape and Portrait Artist of the Year on Sky Arts, and a weekly show on Classic FM. He is currently appearing in throuple comedy Unicorn in the West End and is the author of six bestselling children’s books. His seventh is out in May.
Your sister Anita illustrates your books. What’s it like working with a sibling?
Great fun. Essentially we’re trying to make each other laugh, like we have done since childhood. But because I’m her annoying older brother, I deliberately put things in the book that are difficult to draw.
