Danny Wallace

As a novelist, TV writer, producer, and host, Danny Wallace became a popular presence in his native U.K. and beyond. Born in Scotland, Wallace had the opportunity to begin writing reviews for a video game magazine at the age of 13 as part of a school work experience. By 18 he was writing for Comedy Review, and eventually attended the University of Westminster majoring in media studies. In 2001, he began producing the original "The Mighty Boosh" (BBC London Live, 2001) radio series. He moved into television that same year, producing and appearing in "Are You Dave Gorman?" (BBC, 2001), starring his then-flatmate, comedian Dave Gorman, concerning their quest to meet 54 other men named Dave Gorman. Two years later, Wallace would publish the book Join Me about his experiences inadvertently inspiring a "cult" through which thousands of people vow to commit random acts of kindness. He was still entrenched in the world of television, however, writing, producing, and appearing in projects like the documentary series "How to Start Your Own Country" (BBC, 2005). That same year, Wallace published the memoir Yes Man, which would be adapted into a major motion picture starring Jim Carrey in 2008. His 2010 novel Awkward Situations for Men was also adapted for the screen. More books would follow, including 2012's Charlotte Street and 2014's Who is Tom Ditto?, even as Wallace began hosting a weekday breakfast radio show on XFM London in 2011.