Doc Brown

• Name — Doc Brown • Birth Name — Benjamin Harvey Bailey Smith • Birthplace — London, England • Genre — * Comedy • hip hop • Occupation — * Actor • comedian • rapper • screenwriter • songwriter • producer • voiceover artist • Years Active — 2000–present • Current Member Of — Poisonous Poets • Website — docbrown.co.uk

Doc Brown was born Benjamin Harvey Bailey Smith, son of a Jamaican-born British woman, Yvonne Bailey, and an Englishman, Harvey Smith, who was 30 years his wife's senior. Raised in the Willesden area of north-west London, Smith is the younger brother of novelist and essayist Zadie Smith. They also have a younger brother Luke, who performs as a professional rapper under the name Luc Skyz. Smith attended Hampstead School. He said that he'd acquired the nickname "Doc Brown" at school, after the scientist in the film Back to the Future, because he was "gangly and geeky". When he started doing rap battles as a teenager, it became his hip-hop handle.

Doc Brown began performing as a battle rapper in 2000, appearing at the Dingwalls nightclub in Camden Lock, and later at the "Jump Off" competition in Soho. He released his debut album Citizen Smith Volume 1 in 2004. This was followed by The Document and Citizen Smith: Volume 2: Nothing to Lose, released in 2005 and 2006 respectively, before he went on a hiatus in his solo musical career. He formed the British hip hop group Poisonous Poets alongside rappers Lowkey, Stylah, DJ Snips, Therapist, and Tony D, releasing a mixtape in 2005. In 2015 he released Empty Threats, his first album in a decade, this time solely based on comedy rap, a first in his discography. He returned to his original rapping style on his fifth album, Stemma, released in 2017. During this time he also collaborated with Ricky Gervais on the soundtrack to the 2016 film David Brent: Life on the Road, performing alongside Gervais as David Brent on the tracks "Lonely Cowboy", "Equality Street", "Ain't No Trouble", and on his solo track "Cards We're Dealt.” Since then, Doc Brown has released collaboration material with Andy Burrows, The Jazz Defenders, Verb T, and Romesh Ranganathan.

Smith has been a guest presenter several times on the BBC Radio 5 Live film review show hosted by Simon Mayo and Mark Kermode. He has co-hosted the podcast Shrink The Box with Nemone. In April 2024, he appeared on the football trivia podcast Career We Go, and in October 2024 appeared on the Football Cliches podcast.

Smith's children's picture book, I Am Bear, illustrated by Sav Akyüz, has been described as "a rap-style read-aloud story". It was published by Walker Books in February 2016.

Smith is a supporter of Crystal Palace F.C. He has three daughters.

• Year — Show — Role — Notes • 2007 — Never Mind the Full Stops — Panel member — Game show • 2009 — Miranda — Hotel Receptionist — 1 episode • 2010 — Big Babies — Budge — 13 episodes • Rev — Ikon — 1 episode • The Inbetweeners — Drug dealer — 1 episode • 2011 — Little Howard's Big Question — Plithy Nondeploom — 1 episode • 2012–2015 — 4 O'Clock Club — Nathan Carter — 23 episodes; also creator, writer and songwriter • 2012 — Hunted — Tyrone — 7 episodes • 2013 — Derek — Deon — 1 episode • Imagine — Himself — Credited as Ben Bailey Smith • 2013–2014 — Strange Hill High — Mitchell Tanner — 26 episodes • 2014 — Midsomer Murders — Zach — Credited as Ben Bailey Smith, 1 episode • Law & Order: UK — DS Joe Hawkins — Credited as Ben Bailey Smith, 8 episodes • The Football's On — Himself — Guest panelist • Live at the Apollo — Himself — Performer, Series 10 Episode 2 • Give Out Girls — Andy — 6 episodes • Jack and Dean — Pedestrian — Episode: "Freaky Mouth Pizza" • 2014-2017 — British Academy Children's Awards — Presenter — Four ceremonies • 2015 — Ghost Fighting Corporation — Detective Stoker — Pilot of unreleased series • The John Bishop Show — Himself — Performer, 1 episode • 2015-2016 — Drunk History — Leonard "Nipper" Read / Bruce Ismay — Episode: S01E01 & S02E02 • 2016 — David Brent: Life on the Road — Dom Johnson • Fleabag — Workshop Leader — 1 episode • Taskmaster — Himself — 5 episodes • Brief Encounters — Johnny — 6 episodes • Film 2016 — Host — 1 episode • 2017 — Bounty Hunters — DS Evans — 5 episodes • 2018-2020 — Thunderbirds Are Go — Jensen Hunt (voice) — 1 episode • 101 Dalmatian Street — Sid Squirrel, Spencer Sausage Dog (voice) — Recurring role • 2018 — Doctor Who — Durkas Cicero — Episode: "The Tsuranga Conundrum" • 2019 — Cleaning Up — Blake — 6 episodes • Britannia — Rufus — 3 episodes • Teddles — Blocks — Episode: "Tidy Up Time" • 2020 — Silent Witness — Lt Col Ben Carmichael — 2 episodes S23 Ep9 & 10 "The Greater Good" • The Split — Richie Hansen — 6 episodes • Des — DC Brian Lodge — 3 episodes • 2021 — Cinderella — Town Crier • 2022 — Persuasion — Charles Musgrove • Andor — Lieutenant Supervisor Blevin — 5 episodes • 2023 — The Sixth Commandment — Simon Blake — 4 episodes • Boiling Point — Darren — 1 episode • Significant Other — Damien • 2025 — Richard Osman's House of Games — Himself — 5 episodes • Black Mirror — Gabe — Episode: "Bête Noire" • 2025 — Little Disasters — Nick — Post-production