About Tony Slattery
Tony Declan James Slattery (9 November 1959 – 14 January 2025) was an English actor and comedian. He appeared on British television regularly from the mid-1980s, including as a regular on the Channel 4 improvisation show Whose Line Is It Anyway?. His serious and comedic film work included roles in The Crying Game, Peter's Friends and How to Get Ahead in Advertising. == Early life and education == Slattery was born, on 9 November 1959, in Stonebridge, London, into a working-class background, the fifth and last child of Catholic Irish immigrants, Michael and Margaret Slattery. In April 2019 Slattery revealed that he had been repeatedly sexually abused by a priest at the age of eight, but had never told his parents; he believed the event contributed to his unstable character later in life. He was educated at Gunnersbury Boys' School in west London and won a scholarship to read Modern and Medieval Languages at Trinity Hall, Cambridge, specialising in French literature and Spanish poetry. Slattery held a black belt in judo and represented England internationally for under-15s. At the University of Cambridge, Slattery discovered a love of the theatre, taking delight in making people laugh. He met Stephen Fry, who invited him to join the Cambridge Footlights. Other members at that time included Hugh Laurie, Emma Thompson, Sandi Toksvig, Jan Ravens and Richard Vranch.
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.