Jim Tavaré

Jim Tavaré (/ˈtævəreɪ/; born 1963) is an English comedian, actor and musician. He is best known for his work on The Sketch Show on ITV which won a BAFTA award and also played the role of Tom, the owner of the Leaky Cauldron, in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

Life and career

Tavaré was born in Essex, England and moved to Cheshire with his family when he was seven, and he attended art school as a teenager in Northwich.

He then moved to London, where he was taken under the wing of Corin Redgrave who coached him in acting. As a result, he successfully auditioned for and attended RADA.

He branched out into stand-up comedy with a unique act which featured his double bass – an instrument he had learned to play during his childhood. He always donned tails and a white tie outfit – the uniform of the classical musician – when performing his act, though he only played the bass in short bursts for comic effect.

At the beginning of his stand-up career, he toured as an opening act for the Stranglers. He also opened for the Macc Lads.