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Nigel Planer Now: Age, Net Worth, Wife & Harry Potter Role

Freddie Arthur Davies Bennett • 2026-10-18 • Reviewed by Hanna Berg

If you grew up with 1980s British TV, you remember the world’s most downtrodden hippie: Neil, the vegetarian from The Young Ones. Nigel Planer, the man behind him, is 71 and, according to his United Agents client CV, has spent the years since rebuilding himself as a writer, poet and stage performer; here’s what’s fact, what’s internet fog, and what the money websites get wrong.

Age: 71 (born 22 February 1953) ·
Occupation: Actor, Writer, Poet ·
Famous For: Neil in The Young Ones (Dailyflux biography)

Quick snapshot

1Confirmed facts
2What’s unclear
3Timeline signal
4What’s next
  • More theatre and writing work, if the last decade is any guide (United Agents client CV) (Wikipedia biography)
  • The Harry Potter parody will probably keep following him in search results (Wikipedia biography)
  • New projects are more likely on stage than in blockbuster films (CelebsMoney profile) (Wikipedia biography)

Six headline details, one pattern: the comedy résumé is solid, while the family and money facts shift depending on which profile you read.

Field Detail
Full Name Nigel George Planer (Celebrity Birthdays profile)
Date of Birth 22 February 1953 (Wikipedia biography)
Occupation Actor, Writer, Poet (United Agents client CV)
Notable Role Neil in The Young Ones (Dailyflux biography)
Spouse Roberta Green, as reported (BiographyPOT profile)
Children 1 son, Tom (Wikipedia biography)

What Does Nigel Planer Do Now?

His West End history is the clearest signal. CelebsMoney profile credits him with Evita, Chicago, We Will Rock You, Wicked and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, while CelebritiesMoney profile adds Hairspray to the stage list.

If you’re mapping the same post-Young Ones scene, Ben Elton’s biography shows how differently the writing side of that generation evolved.

The upshot

Nigel Planer is a working actor and writer, not a nostalgia act. The theatre credits prove the range, and the sheer number of productions says the work is still being booked.

The pattern: cult fame gave him a platform, and he spent the next four decades refusing to repeat it.

Was Nigel Planer in Harry Potter?

The short answer is no — at least not in the Warner Bros. films. The long answer involves a parody, a video-game credit and a lot of search-result confusion.

Nigel Planer’s Role in the Harry Potter Video Game

  • Films: Dailyflux biography could not establish any Warner Bros. appearance.
  • Parody: Wikipedia biography identifies him as Dumbledore in Harry Potter and the Secret Chamber Pot of Azerbaijan.
  • Video game: A reported 2001 voice credit remains fan-circulated; it is not part of the verified film record (Dailyflux biography).

The catch: “He was in Harry Potter” is really “He was in a Harry Potter parody and maybe a video game.” Those are different claims.

What Was the Age Difference Between Nigel Planer and His Wife?

There isn’t a reliable number to print. The profiles that mention Planer’s private life do not agree on who his current spouse is, and none gives a verified year-by-year age gap.

The implication: a precise age-gap headline is likely calculated from a marriage that may not be the current one.

How Much Is Nigel Planer Worth?

Celebrity-estimate sites are all over the place, and none cites a filing, contract or pension statement. The figures below are the range you’ll find right now.

The catch

Unless a number comes with a public financial record, it belongs in the rumour column. The big $5 million headline is the least useful figure here.

What this means: net worth is the weakest fact in the entire Nigel Planer story. Treat every exact number as an estimate.

Has Nigel Planer Any Children?

Yes, according to the biographical coverage: Planer has one son, Tom (Wikipedia biography). The mother’s name shifts depending on which profile you read, which is why family details stay vague in this article.

The trade-off: you can confirm the son, but not the full family tree, from the available public records.

Key Dates in Nigel Planer’s Career

Why this matters: the career kept moving after Neil, even if the internet prefers to freeze him in 1984.

Confirmed Facts and Unresolved Details

Confirmed facts

What’s unclear

The pattern: the comedy legacy is easy to verify; the money and marriage details are not.

What the Sources Say

“Planer was a founder member of The London Comedy Store and the Comic Strip group.”

United Agents client CV

“Nigel Planer’s net worth is approximately $5 million.”

Celebrity Birthdays profile

The through-line: Planer is a working creative, not a celebrity whose every number survives scrutiny.

The Takeaway

Nigel Planer is best remembered for a perpetually miserable hippie, but the real story is a career that kept evolving into theatre, writing and voice work. The internet wants him to be a Harry Potter actor with a tidy net worth; the evidence says he’s a Stage and TV veteran with a parody on his résumé and a deeply inconsistent financial record. For fans of British comedy, Nigel Planer’s next move is simple: enjoy The Young Ones reruns, skip the net-worth pages, and check the theatre listings for his next stage role instead.

Frequently asked questions

How old is Nigel Planer?

He was born on 22 February 1953, which makes him 71 in the most recent biographical profiles (Wikipedia biography).

What other TV shows has Nigel Planer been in?

His TV credits include Filthy Rich & Catflap and a long run on the Channel 4 revival of The Magic Roundabout (United Agents client CV).

Is Nigel Planer married?

Profiles differ. BiographyPOT profile identifies Roberta Green as his wife; other summaries have named different spouses.

What is Nigel Planer’s real name?

Nigel George Planer (Celebrity Birthdays profile).

Was Nigel Planer in the Harry Potter films?

He did not appear in the Warner Bros. Harry Potter films. His Potter connection is a parody, and possibly a video-game credit (Dailyflux biography).

The same split runs through Nigel Planer’s FAQ: career facts are easier to verify than family and money details.



Freddie Arthur Davies Bennett

About the author

Freddie Arthur Davies Bennett

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