Let’s be real for a second. If you grew up watching British telly in the mid-2000s, Joannie "Nan" Taylor wasn't just a character. She was a cultural phenomenon. When news broke that Catherine Tate was finally bringing her foul-mouthed, pension-snatching grandmother to the big screen, the first question everyone had wasn't about the plot. We already knew it would involve some sort of chaotic road trip. No, the real curiosity was about the cast of the Nan movie and whether the supporting players could actually survive being in a scene with Tate’s whirlwind energy.
It’s a weird movie. Honestly. Released in 2022 after a string of pandemic-related delays, The Nan Movie (or Catherine Tate's Nan Movie depending on which poster you’re looking at) takes a massive gamble by trying to give a sketch character a tragic backstory. To make that work, you need more than just a rubber mask and some prosthetic liver spots. You need a cast that can handle the tonal whiplash between 1940s wartime drama and modern-day slapstick.
The Woman Behind the Mask: Catherine Tate as Joannie Taylor
It goes without saying, but Catherine Tate is the engine here. She isn't just playing Nan; she’s playing Nan's sister, Nell, too. This isn't the first time Tate has pulled double or triple duty—think back to her various roles in The Catherine Tate Show—but here, the stakes are supposedly higher.
Tate’s performance as Joannie is exactly what you’d expect: loud, abrasive, and deeply offensive to anyone within a five-mile radius. However, the film introduces us to a younger version of the character during the Blitz. This is where the cast of the Nan movie gets interesting because we see a side of the character that isn't just shouting about "the state of it." Tate has always been a master of physical comedy, but she leans heavily into the pathos here, trying to bridge the gap between the cruel old woman we know and the vibrant young girl she used to be. It's a lot. Sometimes it works, sometimes it feels like a fever dream.
Mathew Horne and the Missing Grandson Dynamic
If you were a fan of the original BBC sketches, you probably noticed a gaping hole in the promotional material. Where was Jamie?
Mathew Horne, who played Nan’s long-suffering grandson Jamie for years, is noticeably absent from the main cast of the Nan movie. For many, this was a dealbreaker. The chemistry between Horne and Tate was the backbone of the original sketches. His straight-man routine was the perfect foil for her insanity. Instead, the film pivots. We get a different family dynamic, and while Horne does make a brief appearance, his absence from the central "road trip" plot is felt. It changes the rhythm. Without Jamie there to react with genuine, soul-crushing embarrassment, Nan is just a chaotic force of nature without a grounded anchor.
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Meet the "New" Grandson: Mathew Cullum as Pete
In the absence of Jamie, we get Pete. Played by Mathew Cullum, Pete is the one tasked with driving Nan across the country to visit her dying sister. Cullum has a tough job. He’s essentially stepping into a role that feels like it was written for someone else, yet he manages to carve out a decent niche for himself. He’s more of a "companion" than a victim, which changes the comedy.
Pete isn't Jamie. He doesn't have that decade-long history of being bullied by his grandmother. Instead, he’s just a guy trying to do the right thing while Nan causes havoc at every petrol station and vegan commune they encounter. It's a different vibe, sorta more like a traditional buddy-road-movie than the claustrophobic flat-based comedy of the TV specials.
The Flashback Cast: Katherine Parkinson and the 1940s Drama
The most surprising thing about The Nan Movie is how much time it spends in the past. We aren't just getting 90 minutes of "What a liberty!" We’re getting a legitimate (if slightly heightened) period piece.
Katherine Parkinson, best known for The IT Crowd and Humans, joins the cast of the Nan movie as Nell, Joannie’s sister. Parkinson is brilliant. She always is. She brings a level of sincerity to the role that actually makes you forget you’re watching a movie based on a Saturday night sketch show. The relationship between Joannie and Nell is the emotional core of the film, and Parkinson plays the "sensible sister" with a warmth that makes the eventual fallout between the two feel genuinely sad.
Then there’s Parker Sawyers, who plays Bobby. If you recognize him, it’s probably because he played a young Barack Obama in Southside with You. Here, he’s a US officer stationed in London during the war. His inclusion adds a layer of romantic drama that feels totally alien to the world of Nan, yet somehow, it’s the most competent part of the script.
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The Supporting Weirdos: From Pete Bennett to Jack Doolan
You can’t have a Catherine Tate project without a few "wait, is that who I think it is?" moments.
- Pete Bennett: The Big Brother legend makes an appearance as Bradley. It’s a small role, but for anyone who lived through mid-2000s UK pop culture, it’s a fun Easter egg.
- Jack Doolan: Playing Officer Terrence, Doolan brings some of that classic British sitcom energy to the modern-day segments.
- Niky Wardley: A longtime collaborator of Tate’s, Wardley shows up because, honestly, it wouldn't be a Catherine Tate production without her. She’s the ultimate utility player in British comedy.
Why the Casting Choices Divided Fans
The cast of the Nan movie represents a weird split in the film's identity. On one hand, you have the "Legacy" cast—the people who know Tate’s rhythms and can keep up with the improv. On the other, you have these serious dramatic actors like Katherine Parkinson who are acting their hearts out in a movie where a woman gets stuck in a giant inflatable bubble.
Critics were quick to point out that the film feels like two different movies stitched together. One is a gritty, emotional drama about two sisters separated by war and secrets. The other is a cartoonish comedy about an old lady who hates the youth of today. The cast is caught in the middle. You have actors like Tom Vaughan-Lawlor (who you might know as Ebony Maw from the Marvel movies) playing "Young Mick" with total commitment, while Catherine Tate is running around in a wig that looks like it was found in a skip.
It’s jarring. Honestly, it’s a miracle the actors didn’t get whiplash.
The Director Factor: Josie Rourke’s Influence
It’s worth noting that the film was directed by Josie Rourke. This is the woman who directed Mary Queen of Scots. She’s a heavy hitter in the theatre world. Her involvement is likely why the cast of the Nan movie includes such high-caliber dramatic talent. She wasn't interested in just making a 90-minute sketch; she wanted to make a "film."
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Whether that was the right call is still being debated by fans on Reddit and Mumsnet. Some love the depth. Others just wanted to see Nan shout at a council worker for twenty minutes. The casting reflects this ambition. By hiring actors who can actually handle a script about regret and aging, Rourke elevated the material, even if the "comedy" bits felt a bit tacked on by comparison.
Final Thoughts on the Ensemble
At the end of the day, the cast of the Nan movie is a testament to Catherine Tate’s pull in the industry. You don’t get Katherine Parkinson or Parker Sawyers to sign on for a crude comedy unless there’s something interesting on the page.
The movie might be a bit of a mess, but the performances aren't the problem. Tate is as iconic as ever, and the supporting players do their best to ground a story that constantly threatens to float off into absurdity. It’s a weird, loud, sometimes touching, often confusing piece of British cinema.
How to Approach the Movie Now
If you haven't seen it yet, or if you're planning a rewatch, here’s the best way to handle it:
- Adjust your expectations: This isn't The Catherine Tate Show. It’s a weird hybrid of a war drama and a road trip movie.
- Watch for the chemistry: Pay attention to the scenes between Tate and Parkinson. That’s where the real movie is.
- Ignore the missing pieces: Don't spend the whole time wondering where Jamie is. Treat Pete as his own character, or you’ll just end up frustrated.
- Check the credits: Look for the cameos. There are plenty of faces from the British comedy circuit hiding in the background of the pub and service station scenes.
The legacy of Joannie Taylor is a strange one. She’s a character built on catchphrases who somehow ended up with a feature-length origin story. Whether the movie worked or not, the cast of the Nan movie certainly gave it their all.
To see how Catherine Tate's style has evolved, your next step should be checking out her 2023 sitcom Hard Cell on Netflix. It uses the same multi-character format but leans much harder into the documentary style, offering a slightly more cohesive experience than the chaotic energy of the Nan's big-screen debut.