Daniel Rigby (born 6 December 1982)^[1] is an English actor and comedian. He received a BAFTA TV Award for his leading role as Eric Morecambe in the 2011 BBC television film Eric and Ernie.^[2]

He recently appeared in the Disney+ show Renegade Nell in 2024.

Rigby was born in Stockport, Greater Manchester.^{[citation needed]} He attended Cheadle Hulme School^[2] and, after studying performing arts at Stockport College, he enrolled at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.^[3]

Rigby has worked as a stand-up comedian, having appeared at the Latitude Festival, won the 2007 Laughing Horse New Act of the Year, and been a nominee for winner of the 2007 So You Think You're Funny competition. In 2007, he moved to television roles with the BBC period drama Lilies.^[4] In 2011, Rigby won the British Academy Television Award for Best Actor for his performance as the late comedian Eric Morecambe in Eric and Ernie, beating both Matt Smith and Benedict Cumberbatch for their roles as the Doctor and Sherlock Holmes.^[5] From 2011 until 2014 Rigby voiced^[6] Copenhagen in three series of the BBC Radio 4 comedy Warhorses of Letters alongside Stephen Fry. He performed in Tom Basden's Holes at the Arcola Theatre in London from 16 July to 9 August 2014 alongside Mathew Baynton.

In 2015 he narrated the reboot of the BBC children's television series Teletubbies.^[7] In March 2017 he won the best actor award at the 2016 Manchester Theatre Awards for his performance as Alan Turing in Breaking the Code at the Royal Exchange, Manchester.^[8]

In 2019 he voiced the title role in the BBC Radio 4 sitcom ReincarNathan, alongside Diane Morgan and Josh Widdicombe.^[9]

In 2021 Rigby wrote and performed the highly rated audiobook novel Isaac Steele and the Forever Man.^[10]

In 2022 and 2023, Daniel starred as ‘The Maniac’ in Tom Basden’s adaptation of Dario Fo’s ‘Accidental Death of an Anarchist’ with runs in Sheffield and London.