Miranda Katherine Hart Dyke (born 14 December 1972 in Torquay, England), known professionally as Miranda Hart, is a British actress and comedian.
Hart is best known for creating and starring in her eponymous BBC sitcom Miranda (2009), based on an earlier, semi-autobiographical radio program called Miranda Hart's Joke Shop. The series was a critical and commercial success, even meriting a move from BBC Two to the main BBC One channel between its first and second seasons. Miranda ended after three seasons and a two-part special that wrapped up its remaining story threads.
Towards the middle of her run with Miranda, Hart also began appearing on the BBC series Call the Midwife, which showed off a more dramatic side than she'd been associated with up to that point.
After the conclusion of Miranda, Hart's role in the 2015 Melissa McCarthy vehicle Spy brought her into a wider American consciousness; Miranda also began streaming on Hulu during this time, which brought in newer viewers as well. The original series of Miranda has since been recast for American television as Call Me Kat, starring Mayim Bialik in the Miranda role. Miranda Hart was a consultant and co-creator of the American adaptation.
Outside of acting, Hart has written two memoirs (2012's Is It Just Me? and 2016's Peggy and Me) as well as a children's book, The Girl with the Lost Smile, illustrated by Kate Hindley. In 2017, she made her West End debut in the 2017 production of Annie, portraying Miss Hannigan.
Bibliography:
- Is It Just Me? (2012)
- The Best of Miranda: Favourite Episodes Plus Added Treats - Such Fun! (2014)
- Peggy and Me (2016)
- The Girl with the Lost Smile (with Kate Hindley, 2017)
Selected filmography:
- Smack the Pony (2001) as various characters
- Not Going Out (2006 — 2009) as Acupuncturist & Barbara
- Magicians (2007) as Bank Manager
- Miranda (2009 — 2015) as Miranda
- The Infidel (2010) as Mrs. Keyes
- Call the Midwife (2012 — 2015) as Chummy Browne
- Spy (2015) as Nancy B. Artingstall
- The Nutcracker and the Four Realms (2018) as Dew Drop Ferry
- Emma. (2020) (2020) as Miss Bates
Theatre:
- Annie (2017 West End) as Miss Hannigan
Some tropes associated with the actress include:
- Actor-Shared Background: In her show, the main character (based on Miranda herself), has pretty much the same background as the real Miranda, e.g attending boarding school, having a mother significantly shorter than her.
- Statuesque Stunner: Despite the fact that Miranda has often used her looks and height as comedy, many fans note that she is relatively slim and quite attractive, and she has a great height of 6 ft 1 inch.
