Age, Biography, and Wiki
Richard Ayoade was born on May 23, 1977. He is renowned for his roles in comedy and film, including his portrayal of Maurice Moss in "The IT Crowd" and his directorial debut with "Submarine" in 2010. Ayoade studied at the University of Cambridge, where he was the president of the Footlights club, a prestigious theatrical society.
| Occupation | Screenwriter |
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| Date of Birth | 23 May 1977 |
| Age | 48 Years |
| Birth Place | Hammersmith, London, England |
| Horoscope | Gemini |
| Country | England |
Height, Weight & Measurements
While specific details about Richard Ayoade's height and weight are not widely available, he is often noted for his distinctive appearance and tall stature.
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Dating & Relationship Status
Richard Ayoade is married to Lydia Fox, a Canadian actress. The couple has been together for many years and maintains a private life away from the spotlight.
From 1995 to 1998, Ayoade studied law at St Catharine's College, Cambridge, where he won the Martin Steele Prize for play production and was president of the amateur theatrical club Footlights. His Footlights contemporaries included comedians David Mitchell and John Oliver. He and Footlights vice-president Oliver wrote and performed in several productions together, appearing in both Footlights' 1997 and 1998 touring shows: Emotional Baggage (directed by Matthew Holness) and Between a Rock and a Hard Place (directed by Cal McCrystal). Ayoade says that his parents would not approve of studies considered to be of the "Regency era", adding that "a non-vocational degree seemed such an outlandish indulgence". He said that his degree in law was no longer a viable "fallback" for him and that he would need to "go back to square one".
In 2010, Ayoade made his debut directorial feature, Submarine, a coming-of-age comedy-drama he adapted from Joe Dunthorne's 2008 novel of the same name. The film stars newcomers Craig Roberts and Yasmin Paige with Sally Hawkins, Noah Taylor, and Paddy Considine. It follows Welsh teenager Oliver Tate (Roberts) as he becomes infatuated with a classmate (Paige) and the turmoil of his parents' failing relationship. Produced by Warp Films and Film4, it premiered at the 35th Toronto International Film Festival in September 2010, had a general release in the UK in March 2011, and was released in June in the US after being picked up by the Weinstein Company for North America. Arctic Monkeys and The Last Shadow Puppets frontman Alex Turner contributed five original songs to the soundtrack, inspired by Simon & Garfunkel's music in The Graduate (1967). The film was positively received by critics, with The Guardian critic Peter Bradshaw calling Ayoade a "tremendous new voice in British film". Ayoade was nominated for a BAFTA for Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer at the 65th British Academy Film Awards.
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| Husband | Lydia Fox (m. 2007) |
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Net Worth and Salary
Richard Ayoade's net worth is reported to be around $2 million to $4 million as of 2025, depending on the source. His earnings come from his successful career as an actor, comedian, writer, and director, with notable projects like "The IT Crowd" and "Submarine".
Career, Business, and Investments
Richard Ayoade has built a diverse career in entertainment:
- Early Career: He started his career in comedy alongside Matthew Holness, creating characters like Garth Marenghi and Dean Learner, which led to TV shows like "Garth Marenghi's Darkplace" and "Man to Man with Dean Learner".
- The IT Crowd: Ayoade gained widespread recognition for his role as Maurice Moss in the Channel 4 sitcom, earning a BAFTA Award for Best Male Comedy Performance.
- Directorial Work: He directed films like "Submarine" and "The Double," receiving critical acclaim and a BAFTA nomination for his work on "Submarine".
- Literary Contributions: Ayoade has published several books, including "Ayoade on Ayoade: A Cinematic Odyssey" and "The Grip of Film".
Social Network
Richard Ayoade is not particularly active on social media platforms, preferring to focus on his work and personal life.
The family moved to Ipswich when he was young. At the age of 15, he developed an interest in film "beyond Star Wars and Back to the Future" and began exploring the works of directors Woody Allen, Ingmar Bergman, and Federico Fellini. He studied at the independent St Joseph's College in Ipswich, where he recalls being "obsessed" with J. D. Salinger's book The Catcher in the Rye. He was so obsessed with the book that he started to dress like its protagonist, Holden Caulfield.
In September 2023, Ayoade received backlash on social media after endorsing the memoir of television writer and anti-transgender activist Graham Linehan, with whom he had worked on The IT Crowd.
Ayoade participated in the 2012 Sight & Sound directors' poll, where he listed his 10 favourite films: The Apartment, Badlands, Barry Lyndon, Crimes and Misdemeanors, Make Way for Tomorrow, Contempt, Ordet, Persona, Raging Bull, and Tokyo Story.
In 2007, Ayoade married Lydia Fox, a member of the Fox family of actors. They have two children and live in the East Dulwich area of London. Ayoade and his brother-in-law, actor Laurence Fox, engaged in a vocal public feud in 2020, when Fox asked Ayoade to announce his support for him on Twitter after a controversial appearance on Question Time. The episode in question was condemned for allowing Fox on as a guest, in particular for when he told a black woman in the audience that discussing racism was "boring". According to Fox, Ayoade told him that "You have never encountered racism." Fox stated that he had told Ayoade he had, because "he worked in Kenya once" and "racism can be deferential".
Education
Ayoade attended the University of Cambridge, where he was active in the Footlights theatre club, a hub for aspiring comedians and actors.
Ayoade was president of the Footlights club whilst a student at the University of Cambridge. He and Matthew Holness debuted their respective characters Dean Learner and Garth Marenghi at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2000, bringing the characters to television with Garth Marenghi's Darkplace (2004) and Man to Man with Dean Learner (2006). He appeared in the comedy shows The Mighty Boosh (2004–2007) and Nathan Barley (2005). After directing music videos for Kasabian, Arctic Monkeys, Vampire Weekend, and Yeah Yeah Yeahs, he wrote and directed the comedy-drama film Submarine (2010), an adaptation of the 2008 novel by Joe Dunthorne. He co-starred in the American science fiction comedy film The Watch (2012) and his second film, the black comedy The Double (2013), drew inspiration from Fyodor Dostoevsky's novella of the same title.
From 2013 to 2014, Ayoade voiced Templeton, the class nerd, in the CBBC animated series Strange Hill High. He replaced Stephen Fry as presenter in the second series of Channel 4's Gadget Man in September 2013, and also presented a third and fourth season. The series featured Ayoade presenting a variety of innovative products and gadgets. He was also the host of the spin-off series Travel Man, where he spent 48 hours in a different location each episode with a celebrity guest. He was a team captain on the Channel 4 panel show Was It Something I Said?, which began airing October 2013 and co-starred David Mitchell as host and Micky Flanagan as fellow team captain. Also in 2013, Ayoade read Roald Dahl's children book The Twits for Penguin Audio's audiobook collection and Virgin Media launched an advertising campaign starring the Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt featuring the voice of Ayoade. He provided the voice-over for Apple's iPhone 6 UK campaign with Chris O'Dowd in 2014. He also appears on Channel 4's 8 out of 10 Cats Does Countdown, usually at least once per season.
