Rich Fulcher

The Lawyer Who Preferred the Absurd

Rich Fulcher studied law at Loyola University and even worked as a public defender in Chicago. But the criminal code didn't allow for the levels of hysteria he needed to unleash on stage. So he left the courtroom to join the improv scene with companies such as The Second City and iO Chicago during the nineties.

Around that time, he met Matt Berry in London. This connection was key because it shifted his professional center of gravity from the United States to the United Kingdom. Early-2000s British comedy was looking for faces unafraid of physical ridicule or gratuitous verbal abuse.

And the change of continent worked out.

Fulcher didn't look for subtle roles or restrained performances. His style relied on high volume and gestures that bordered on the grotesque. Before reaching mass visibility, he worked on sketch shows that laid the foundations for his loud aesthetic.

The Years of Screaming and Lycra

The premiere of The Mighty Boosh on BBC in 2004 marked the full rollout of his most recognized character (Bob Fossil). In the series, Fulcher played a zoo manager with no knowledge of animals and a strange obsession with dancing. The production allowed much of the dialogue to be improvised, which suited his chaotic working method.

Across the three seasons of the series recorded between 2004 and 2007, he also took on supporting roles such as Eleanor and the Gnome King. Nearly 40% of his appearances required facial prosthetics or heavy makeup. But his ability to shriek without losing comic timing was what truly held the viewer's attention.

There was no Plan B.

In 2006, he reunited with Matt Berry on Snuff Box. This BBC Three cult series explored a far darker and more cynical brand of humor than his earlier work. Fulcher played an executioner's assistant in a storyline where repetition and absurdity were the core of every episode.

From London to the Chocolate Factory

After a decade working in British television, he decided to return to Los Angeles to diversify his career. In 2009, he published the book Tiny Acts of Rebellion, in which he compiled small mischiefs for sabotaging everyday life. The book did well in the English-speaking market and helped him break into the American screenwriting circuit.

His voice became a valuable asset for adult animation. Between 2018 and 2023, he took part in Disenchantment (Matt Groening's series for Netflix), lending his voice to characters such as Turbish. This stage allowed him to work without the physical demands of his years in London while keeping his signature eccentric character style.

In 2023, he played Larry Chucklesworth in the movie Wonka. It was a brief role under the direction of Paul King, where he shared the screen with Timothée Chalamet. The production had a budget of 125 million dollars and marked his return to large-scale commercial cinema after years in independent projects.

Fulcher remains tied to the production company Abso Lutely Productions for various sketch projects. Filming of his appearances in the series The Great during 2023 took place entirely at the Pinewood Studios in London.