Nina Conti

Nina Margarita Conti was born in 1975 in Hampstead, London, to actors Tom Conti and Kara Wilson. She attended King Alfred School and later graduated with a first-class honors degree in philosophy from the University of East Anglia in 1995. Her career in acting began in 1996, and she gained early experience in Ken Campbell’s productions of ‘The Warp’ in 1999 and 2000. Her mentorship under experimental theatre director Ken Campbell proved instrumental, as he devised the ventriloquist play ‘Let Me Out!!!’ for her, which she performed at the 2001 Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Conti was also a member of The Royal Shakespeare Company during their 2000/01 season in Stratford-upon-Avon and London, demonstrating her versatility across various theatrical disciplines.

Conti’s comedic and ventriloquism career saw significant milestones starting in 2002 when she won the BBC New Comedy Awards, placed second in the Hackney Empire New Act of the Year, and third in the ‘Laughing Horse New Act of the Year’ competitions. Her one-woman show, ‘Complete and Utter Conti’, debuted at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2007, earning her the prestigious Barry Award at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival in 2008. She introduced her popular puppet ‘Granny’ at the Melbourne Comedy Festival in 2010. On screen, Conti voiced Latrina in the animated series ‘Bromwell High’ (2005) and collaborated with Christopher Guest on the films ‘For Your Consideration’ (2006) and the HBO mockumentary series ‘Family Tree’ (2013), portraying the character Bea Chadwick and her puppet Monk. Her directorial debut, ‘Nina Conti – A Ventriloquist’s Story: Her Master’s Voice’ (2012), received a BAFTA nomination and a Grierson Award.

Over the years, Conti has become a recognizable face in British comedy, frequently headlining at prominent venues and appearing on popular television programs such as ‘Live at the Apollo’, ‘Russell Howard’s Good News’, and ‘8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown’. She continues to evolve her unique performance style, incorporating audience members with face masks to create spontaneous and interactive comedy. Her work showcases a blend of traditional ventriloquism with insightful improvisation, engaging audiences with characters like the cynical Monkey and the witty Granny. In 2024, her debut feature film ‘Sunlight’, which she wrote and directed and also stars in, completed filming, further solidifying her multifaceted career in entertainment.