For a very tall guy, Tom Davis is intimately familiar with feeling small.
Whether it was struggling at school being dyslexic, feeling like the world had given up on him in his 20s or later recognising signs of anxiety, Tom admits he often felt like the little guy.
But the comedian said it is not necessarily a negative thing.
“You can make it feel when you’re an underdog, it’s almost a bad thing,” he said.
“I think all my failures and all the things I’ve messed up in life have become the things that now make me the comedian or actor that I am.
“The failures have built me.”
Over 10 years ago, the actor and comedian swapped working as a scaffolder for building a career creating award-winning sitcoms and starring in beloved Paul King classics like Paddington 2 and Wonka.
But for the Londoner, nothing hits the sweet spot like stand-up.
And after a six-year break, he is glad to be back on the road with his new stand-up tour Underdog arriving in Aberdeen on May 23.
Wonka set nickname ‘the guy who broke the marshmallow bridge’
Stand-up was what originally began Tom’s career.
Inspired by Scottish comedy legend Billy Connolly, who also came from a similar background, the audiences in Tom’s first shows could usually be counted on one hand.
However, even Tom did not predict how far he would go.
From touring to co-writing his first BAFTA-winning TV comedy, Murder in Successville, to BBC sitcom King Gary and most recently starring in Paul King’s Wonka film, Tom has had many successes.
Of course, that last highlight required a few follow-up questions. Mainly surrounding chocolate and his co-star baddie, Olivia Colman.
While Tom said the pair had fun mucking about on and off the screen, the chocolate was another story.
“Everyone else had endless amounts of chocolate,” said the chocolate lover sadly. “And me and Olivia had none of that.”
One of the few times he was let near some of the sweet treats, Tom decided to road-test the marshmallow bridge made for Timothée Chalamet and it went horribly wrong.
He said: “I tried to cross and fell through it and Olivia was like ‘Tom Davis has broken the marshmallow bridge!’
“For quite a long time after that a lot of people came up and said, ‘You’re the guy that broke the bridge’.”
‘Every night on tour is different’
Despite his many accomplishments, the 45-year-old said there is nothing like returning to stand-up.
“Every night is a bit different,” he said. “There’s not a script I stick to every night.
“It’s been so amazing being back on stage and around people.
“I’ve been blessed to make TV shows and be in films but you never get the response that you do from stand-up.”
The new dad took a long break from comedy after anxiety took a toll on his self-confidence.
As a result, it is a subject he is passionate about and while he admits the conversation – especially amongst men – is not quite there yet, he added: “Hopefully for another generation, we’re pushing that.
“I think there’s still a preconception with some people, there’s a weakness to it.
“We have to be really careful to say this isn’t a sign of weakness. It is a sign of strength.”
Tom Davis bringing ‘joyous’ show to Aberdeen’s Tivoli Theatre
Covering everything from childhood to life on building sites to being a new father, Tom said this new tour was probably the “most earnest version of himself that there is”.
And he admitted he was very excited to be back in Aberdeen.
Despite visiting the city for golf and from his days selling merchandise at festivals, this week Tom is making more time to see the city and hopefully meet new people.
“It’s going to be quite nice in Aberdeen,” Tom added.
“And the Scottish just in general are a lot of fun, aren’t they? I like people who have had a drink, come along and have a good time.
“[This show] is probably the thing I’m proudest of in my career.
“It’s a joyous show and it’s brought a lot of happiness to a lot of people so I’m hoping the people of Aberdeen can come along and get that vibe as well.”
This article was originally published for Tom Davis: Underdog at Aberdeen’s Tivoli Theatre on Thursday, May 23. However, the event has since been rescheduled to Sunday, July 28.
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