Frank Skinner
Skinner was born in West Bromwich, England, and grew up in a council house in neighbouring Oldbury. He was the youngest of four children born to former semi-professional footballer John Collins (1918-1989) and his wife Doris (1919-1988). He has two older brothers, Keith and Terrence, and an older sister, Nora. His father, who was born in West Cornforth, County Durham, played for Spennymoor United before the Second World War, and met his mother in a local pub after Spennymoor had played West Bromwich Albion in an FA Cup game in 1937.
Skinner attended Moat Farm Infant School from 1961 to 1964, St. Hubert's Roman Catholic Junior School from 1964 to 1968, and then Oldbury Technical Secondary School from 1968 to 1973. He passed two O-levels in summer 1973 and took A-levels in English Language and Art, along with several O-level resits, at Oldbury Technical School Sixth Form. He subsequently took 4 A-levels (including English Language and Literature) at Warley College of Technology and graduated from Birmingham Polytechnic (now Birmingham City University) in 1981 with a degree in English. This was followed by a Masters degree in English Literature at the University of Warwick in Coventry the following year.[2]
Despite his given first name, his parents called him Graham; all his friends referred to him, and still do, as Chris. Skinner once explained that whenever someone called at his house to ask if "Chris" was there, his mother would say yes, only to then turn around and shout for "Graham". He took on the stage name Frank Skinner when the actors' union Equity told him there was already someone called Chris Collins on their books. He took the name from a member of his late father's dominoes team.
Website:
www.frankskinnerlive.com
Skinner was born in West Bromwich, England, and grew up in a council house in neighbouring Oldbury. He was the youngest of four children born to former semi-professional footballer John Collins (1918-1989) and his wife Doris (1919-1988). He has two older brothers, Keith and Terrence, and an older sister, Nora. His father, who was born in West Cornforth, County Durham, played for Spennymoor United before the Second World War, and met his mother in a local pub after Spennymoor had played West Bromwich Albion in an FA Cup game in 1937.
Skinner attended Moat Farm Infant School from 1961 to 1964, St. Hubert's Roman Catholic Junior School from 1964 to 1968, and then Oldbury Technical Secondary School from 1968 to 1973. He passed two O-levels in summer 1973 and took A-levels in English Language and Art, along with several O-level resits, at Oldbury Technical School Sixth Form. He subsequently took 4 A-levels (including English Language and Literature) at Warley College of Technology and graduated from Birmingham Polytechnic (now Birmingham City University) in 1981 with a degree in English. This was followed by a Masters degree in English Literature at the University of Warwick in Coventry the following year.[2]
Despite his given first name, his parents called him Graham; all his friends referred to him, and still do, as Chris. Skinner once explained that whenever someone called at his house to ask if "Chris" was there, his mother would say yes, only to then turn around and shout for "Graham". He took on the stage name Frank Skinner when the actors' union Equity told him there was already someone called Chris Collins on their books. He took the name from a member of his late father's dominoes team.
