Kayvan Novak is a British actor, voice actor, and comedian known for his roles in popular comedy series such as ‘Fonejacker’ and ‘Facejacker’. He has also lent his voice to animated series like ‘Thunderbirds Are Go’ and ‘Danger Mouse’. Currently, he is captivating audiences as Nandor the Vampire in the hit American mockumentary series ‘What We Do in the Shadows’. In addition to his television work, Novak has made memorable appearances in films like ‘Four Lions’ and ‘Paddington’. With his versatile talent, he has also ventured into video game voice-acting.
Quick Facts
- British Celebrities Born In November Age: 45 Years, 45 Year Old Males
- Born Country: England
- Actors
- Comedians
- Height: 6’1″ (185 cm), 6’1″ Males
- City: London, England
- Notable Alumni: Webber Douglas Academy Of Dramatic Art
- Education: Webber Douglas Academy Of Dramatic Art
Rise to Stardom
Kayvan Novak grew up watching 1980s American television shows such as ‘The A-Team’, ‘Nightrider’ and ‘CHiPs’, and became interested in acting as a child because it provided a means to escape. He loved to make people laugh and primarily came from an improvisational comedy background, even though early on in his television career he was typecast in negative roles playing “Turkish pimp, Middle Eastern terrorist or Asian doctor”. He made guest appearances on television shows like ‘Family Affairs’, ‘Trial & Retribution’, ‘Holby City’, and ‘Spooks’, and made his film debut as arms dealer Arash in the Academy Award-winning George Clooney film, ‘Syriana’, in 2005.
Fonejacker and Facejacker
He often made CDs of prank calls for friends and family, and had once got a call-back from BBC after leaving a message as Kevin Spacey. Along with television writer-director Ed Tracy, he created a prank call show called ‘Fonejacker’ for Channel 4 Comedy Lab in 2005, and was offered a Christmas special and a six-part series that aired in the UK in July 2007. The show ran for another season in 2008 and a third season titled ‘Fonejacker 3D’ was announced, but was later aired as the spin-off show ‘Facejacker’, which featured him in various disguises. ‘Fonejacker’ won the BAFTA award for the ‘Best Comedy Programme’ in 2008, and while a film was announced in 2011, it did not materialize.
Four Lions and What We Do in the Shadows
In 2010, he appeared in the comic role of the dim-witted Waj in the film ‘Four Lions’, which earned him the ‘Best Comedy Performance in a British Film’ honor at the ‘2010 British Comedy Awards’. In 2019, he began appearing in the “most enjoyable” role of the vampire Nandor in the American series ‘What We Do in the Shadows’, for which director Jemaine Clement allowed him immense freedom to improvise and mould the character to his liking.
Career
During his early career, Kayvan Novak worked as a voice-actor in video games such as ‘Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit’, ‘Kameo’, ‘Perfect Dark Zero’, ‘Miami Vice: The Game’ and ‘Haze’. He also (voiced-acted) in the ‘Talented Mouse’ TV movies, the TV series ‘Headcases’, and the movie ‘A Turtle’s Tale: Sammy’s Adventures’. One of his early rare film appearances was in the micro-budget B-movie ‘The Blue Tower’ in 2008. The next year, he appeared as a bomb disposal officer in the comedy series ‘The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret’. He was the main cast of the Channel 4 drama ‘Sirens’ in 2011 and acted in the pilot for the sitcom ‘Bad Sugar’ in 2012. He voiced the Cyberman head ‘Handles’ in the special 2013 Christmas episode of ‘Doctor Who’ titled ‘The Time of the Doctor’. In 2014, he portrayed flamboyant Persian salsa dancer Bejan on the romantic comedy film ‘Cuban Fury’. Since 2015, he has been voicing the character of Brains in ITV’s ‘Thunderbirds Are Go’, as well as recurring casts in ‘Danger Mouse’. He also had recurring roles on the series ‘Asylum’ and ‘SunTrap’, and had short roles in films like ‘Paddington’ and ‘Early Man’ (voice). He recently played Ali Baba in the BBC One miniseries ‘A Christmas Carol’ and had various roles in ‘Men in Black: International’.
Family & Personal Life
Kayvan Novak was born on November 23, 1978, in London, England, to Iranian parents. He has relatives in Tehran, Iran, and goes there every summer if possible. Growing up, Iranian culture was instilled into him by his parents and family, and he became more conscious of his heritage as he grew older. He attended the private Highgate School and the Fine Arts College in Hampstead, before studying at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art. He told ‘The Daily Mail’ that he was a difficult child who did not bring good grades and was expelled from secondary school. He is a fan of Liverpool F.C. He is married to Talitha Stone, who is also an actor known for her role in the British soap-opera ‘Emmerdale’. They often share pictures from their adventurous trips on social media.