Ali Cook

Ali Cook (also credited as Alistair Cook) is an English actor and comedian from Yorkshire.[1] Cook played Sgt. Paul McMellon in the feature film Kajaki, which won the Producer of The Year Award at the 2015 British Independent Film Awards and was nominated for a British Academy of Film and Television Arts Award in 2015.[2]

For the England international cricket player, see Alastair Cook.

Ali Cook
Ali Cook as Sgt. Paul McMellon in Kajaki
Born
Alistair Cook

Yorkshire, England
Occupation(s)Actor, comedian

He recently wrote and acted in the short film The Cunning Man,[3] winner of the Arri Alexa short film competition which was long listed for a BAFTA and has currently won over 30 awards.[4][5][6]

Early life and career

Cook's career started on the Channel 5 sketch series, The Jerry@Trick show with the alternative comedians Phil Nichol and Boothby Graffoe. Andrew Newman, then the head of comedy at Five, spotted Cook during tapings which lead to him writing and starring in seven of his own comedy and Magic series for Channel 4, Channel 5, and Sky1. His Channel 4 Series Dirty Tricks was nominated for a British Comedy Award and The Golden Rose of Montreux.[7]

Television career

Cook's acted in the Channel five sketch series Jerry@Trick Show before moving on to co-write and star in TV series, including the The Golden Rose of Montreux nominated Monkey Magic (UK TV series), Psychic Secrets Revealed with Derren Brown (both for Channel 5)and the Secret World of Magic for Sky One. Cook was the star of Channel 4's British Comedy Award nominated, late night show Dirty Tricks.[8] Cook starred in the first Penn & Teller: Fool Us (ITV) hosted by Jonathan Ross. In 2011 he performed his Houdini-style water torture cell escape on The Slammer (CBBC).[9] He has also starred in the prestigious France 2 series Le Plus Grand Cabaret du monde produced by Magic. Recent television credits include: Ragdoll for AMC, Mr Selfridge, the role of the villainous Patrick in multiple episodes of Emmerdale in 2016 and the German officer in the BBC's 2018 adaptation of Agatha Cristie's The ABC Murders.[10]

Television
YearTitleProduction CompanyChannel/Network
2002The Jerry@trick ShowRonin EntertainmentsChannel 5
2002Monkey MagicObjective ProductionsChannel 5
2003PsychicObjective ProductionsChannel 5
2003Monkey Magic TwoObjective ProductionsChannel 5
2004Secret World of MagicObjective ProductionsSky One
2005Dirty TricksObjective ProductionsChannel 4
2010Talk of the Terrace-ESPN
2011Penn & Teller: Fool UsSeptember FilmsITV1
2011The Slammer-CBBC
2011Le Plus Grand Cabaret du monde-Magic, France 2
2013Mr Selfridge-ITV1
2016Emmerdale-ITV1 (multiple episodes)
2018The ABC Murders (TV series)-BBC 1
2021Ragdoll-AMC

Film

Cook portrayed Sgt. Paul "Spud" McMellon in 2014's Kajaki. The production won the Producer of The Year Award at the 2015 British Independent Film Awards and was nominated for a British Academy of Film and Television Arts Award in 2015.[11]

Cook stars alongside Katherine Parkinson and Jay Pharoah in 2018's How To Fake A War, directed by Rudolph Herzog and produced by Film and Music Entertainment.

Other recent credits include: Twist for Sky Cinema, The Obscure Life of the Grand Duke of Corsica starring Timothy Spall, Muscle directed by Gerard Johnson, In the Cloud directed by Robert Scott Wildes for Sony Pictures, Once Upon a Time in London directed by Simon Rumley, and British Independent Film Awards nominated thriller Isolani.[12]

In 2011 he appeared in Outside Bet, directed by Sacha Bennett, alongside Bob Hoskins, Phil Davis and Jenny Agutter. He has played the lead role in ten British short film dramas, most notably the psychotic character Greg in Andrew Saunder's and Stephen Frears' Striklem

In 2011, Cook was an executive producer on the feature film Dark Tide, starring Halle Berry.[13]

Feature films
YearTitleProduction CompanyDirector
2005SaharaParamount PicturesBreck Eisner
2012Outside BetGateway FilmsSacha Bennett
2013Get LuckyGateway FilmsSacha Bennett
2014PetermanControl FilmsMark Abraham
2014Lost In KarastanFilm and Music EntertainmentBen Hopkins
2014KajakiPukka FilmsPaul Katis
2015The MessengerGateway FilmsDavid Blair
2016The Call UpStigma FilmsCharles Barker
2016IsolaniLola PicturesPaul Wilson
2017Once Upon a Time in LondonZebra FilmsSimon Rumley
2017In the CloudSony PicturesRobert Scott Wildes
2018How To Fake A WarFilm and Music EntertainmentRudolph Herzog
2018MuscleStigma FilmsGerard Johnson
2021TwistSky Original-
2021The Obscure Life Of The Grand Duke Of CorsicaCamelot Films-
2022Prezidentka, MarleneFilm Productions-

Short films
  • 2019 The Cunning Man, Harvest Films

Theatre

Cook has written and performed three critically acclaimed sell-out Edinburgh solo shows: A Touch of Vegas (2008),[14] Pieces of Strange (2010),[15] and Principles and Deceptions (2011)[16]

Stage
YearTypeShow/Event NameProduction CompanyVenue
2015StageImpossible: London's Magic SpectacularJamie Hendry ProductionsNoël Coward Theatre, London
2011StageOne man show, Principles and Deceptions-Gilded Balloon, Edinburgh
2010StageOne man show, Pieces of Strange-Gilded Balloon, Edinburgh
2008StageOne man show, A Touch of Vegas-Gilded Balloon, Edinburgh

Further reading
  • "Interview: Ali Cook, magician, comedian", The Scotsman, 11 August 2010, retrieved 10 September 2022
  • Arthur, Tim (5 July 2010), "Ali Cook: interview", Time Out, retrieved 3 February 2019
  • Wise, Louis (5 July 2015), "Grand illusions", thetimes.co.uk, retrieved 10 September 2022

Notes
  1. "Magician and actor Ali Cook heads to Sudbury with new show". Retrieved 11 February 2019.
  2. "Toronto: War Story 'Kilo Two Bravo' Set for November U.S. Release". Variety. 9 September 2015. Retrieved 11 February 2019.
  3. "The Cunning Man". Retrieved 22 August 2021.
  4. "ALEXA LF: News & Updates". Retrieved 22 August 2021.
  5. "The Cunning Man". Retrieved 22 August 2021.
  6. "Appearances are deceptive". Metro (newspaper). 29 July 2013. Retrieved 11 February 2019.
  7. "Making the impossible possible". The Philippine Star. Retrieved 11 February 2019.
  8. "Dirty Tricks". IMDb. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
  9. The trick that killed Houdini (Video). BBC. 19 November 2011.
  10. "Episode 3". BBC. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
  11. "Nominations Announced for the EE British Academy Film Awards in 2015". Retrieved 11 February 2019.
  12. "Movies to watch this week at the cinema: Everybody Wants Some!!, Green Room, more". gamesradar.com. Retrieved 10 September 2022.
  13. "First Look at Simon Rumley's Once Upon a Time in London". CraveOnline. 13 April 2017. Retrieved 11 February 2019.
  14. "Ali Cook Review". chortle.co.uk. Retrieved 10 September 2022.
  15. Louisa-Claire Dunnigan,"Ali Cook: Pieces of Strange". broadwaybaby.com. 11 August 2010. Retrieved 10 September 2022.
  16. Emily Priestnall,"Ali Cook - Principles and Deceptions". broadwaybaby.com. 26 August 2011. Retrieved 10 September 2022.
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