You probably know him as the guy who spent a decade getting salt thrown in his water or having his car tires "crimped" by an older brother. For most of us, Tom Rosenthal is Jonny Goodman, the perpetually smirking, prank-obsessed younger son in Friday Night Dinner. It’s a role that defined a specific era of British sitcom gold. But if you think that’s the extent of his career, you’re honestly missing out on some of the weirdest and most versatile work in UK comedy.
Rosenthal isn't just a "sitcom actor." He's a stand-up, a writer, a voice for a neurotic fly, and apparently, a man willing to get "banged up" in a fictional prison for our entertainment.
The Pillars: Friday Night Dinner and Plebs
Most searches for Tom Rosenthal movies and tv shows start with the big two. First, there’s Friday Night Dinner. It ran from 2011 to 2020, and it basically trapped Rosenthal in a kitchen with Tamsin Greig, Paul Ritter, and Simon Bird for six seasons. It’s legendary. Rosenthal played Jonny with this specific brand of "annoying little brother" energy that felt painfully real to anyone with siblings.
Then you’ve got Plebs.
While Friday Night Dinner was suburban and domestic, Plebs was... ancient. Rosenthal played Marcus, an ambitious but essentially hopeless "plebeian" in Ancient Rome. Imagine The Inbetweeners but everyone is wearing tunics and trying not to die of the plague. It ran for five seasons and capped off with a feature-length finale, Plebs: Soldiers of Rome, in late 2022.
🔗 Read more: Cast of Troubled Youth Television Show: Where They Are in 2026
Marcus was the perfect foil to the chaos around him. He wanted a career in the scriptorium and a nice girlfriend, but he usually ended up accidentally involved in an orgy or a gladiator fight.
Beyond the Sitcom: The Weird and Wonderful
If you dig a bit deeper into the Tom Rosenthal filmography, things get a lot more interesting. He’s done a fair bit of "serious" acting that people forget about.
- Broadchurch: Yeah, he was in it. He played Gary Thorp in the second season. It’s a tiny role, but it showed he could exist in a world where people aren't constantly making jokes about "lovely bit of squirrel."
- Dad’s Army: The Lost Episodes: In 2019, Gold decided to recreate three "missing" episodes of the classic sitcom using the original scripts. Rosenthal stepped into the boots of Private Pike. It was a massive gamble, but he nailed the "stupid boy" energy of the original character.
- Red Rose: A much more modern, darker turn. He popped up in this BBC/Netflix horror-thriller as Douglas Sensei. It’s a far cry from his usual lighthearted fare.
Then there's the voice work. Have you heard of Lloyd of the Flies? It’s an animated series where he voices Lloyd, a housefly. He’s also the voice of Brandon Berrenger in Thunderbirds Are Go. He has this very specific, upbeat, slightly neurotic vocal quality that works perfectly for animation.
What’s He Doing in 2026?
As of right now, in early 2026, Rosenthal is heavily leaning back into his first love: stand-up comedy. If you're looking for him on screen, you might have to wait for the next big commission, but if you're in the UK, he's literally everywhere on stage.
💡 You might also like: Cast of Buddy 2024: What Most People Get Wrong
His new tour, "Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I Am," is currently zig-zagging across the country. He’s hitting everywhere from the Exeter Phoenix to the Clapham Grand in London. It follows his 2019 show Manhood, which was a brutally honest, deeply personal (and hilarious) look at his own circumcision. That show proved he’s not just a guy who reads lines; he’s a thinker with a very odd, very specific perspective on the world.
The Movie Side of Things
Admittedly, Rosenthal’s movie career is smaller than his TV one, but it’s growing.
He had a small part in Guy Ritchie’s Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre (2023) playing a character named Trent. He also showed up in Bridget Jones’s Baby back in 2016. He seems to be the "go-to" guy for a specific type of awkward, posh, or slightly-stressed-out Englishman in big productions.
A Quick Breakdown of Key Roles:
- Jonny Goodman (Friday Night Dinner): The prankster.
- Marcus Gallo (Plebs): The Roman office worker.
- Private Pike (Dad's Army): The legacy role.
- Lloyd (Lloyd of the Flies): The animated insect.
- Gary Thorp (Broadchurch): The dramatic turn.
Why He’s Actually an Expert in His Craft
People often assume Tom got a leg up because his dad is the legendary sports presenter Jim Rosenthal. While he jokes about being a "child of privilege" in his comedy, he’s actually put in the work. He’s a writer as much as an actor. He co-wrote and starred in Flat TV for BBC Three, which was a surreal, hyper-edited sitcom that honestly felt ahead of its time.
📖 Related: Carrie Bradshaw apt NYC: Why Fans Still Flock to Perry Street
He understands the rhythm of British comedy better than most. He knows when to be the "straight man" (like in Plebs) and when to be the agent of chaos (like in Friday Night Dinner).
How to Catch Up on His Best Work
If you’re just getting into his stuff, don’t just watch the highlights.
Start with Friday Night Dinner on Channel 4 (or Netflix/Hulu depending on where you are). Then, jump into Plebs. If you want to see the "real" Tom, find a recording of Manhood. It’s probably the most vulnerable you’ll ever see a sitcom star.
Right now, the best way to support what he’s doing is to catch his live tour. He’s performing throughout 2026, with dates recently added for September in York and Newcastle.
Next Steps for Fans:
- Check out Lloyd of the Flies on CITV or streaming—it’s surprisingly funny for adults too.
- Track down Flat TV on iPlayer if it’s still kicking around; it’s a masterclass in creative editing.
- Book tickets for the 2026 tour before the London and Bristol dates sell out (they usually do).
Rosenthal is one of those rare performers who has successfully escaped the "one-hit wonder" trap of a massive sitcom. He’s carved out a career that is weird, varied, and consistently funny. Whether he’s playing a Roman, a fly, or himself, he’s always worth the watch.