Tears of a clown

The 38-year-old funnyman reveals that life is far more serious than fans realise as he prepares to star in innovative new comedy series, Director's Commentary, on ITV1 from Wednesday, which he co-wrote with agent Paul Duddridge.

Behind the laughter of his hit TV shows is a writer sometimes plagued by an aching sadness, which he believes is a comedian's fatal flaw.

''I've always been into the dark side of life - even as a kid. I have down bits where I'm depressed. I go up and down. It's been that way for as long as I remember. It's not manic depression, it's just feeling down. I know plenty of comedians who are like that.''

But he's found that making people laugh eases his pain.

''The feeling I get when I make people laugh I liken to great sex. It makes me feel satisfied. A great feeling,'' he says happily.

And now Brydon has deliberately moved away from the ''darkness'' behind his dysfunctional characters in hit BBC2 TV series Marion And Geoff and Human Remains to write a lighter comedy.

''Director's Commentary is very different to stuff I've done before. It doesn't have that darkness.

''I wanted to write something which would make me laugh, be the kind of show I'd watch at 11 o'clock at night. I didn't try and second guess what the public wanted.''

The seven-episode series is produced by Brydon's production company Jones the Film, which he runs with Jonathan Ross' brother Miles and Paul Duddridge.

Brydon plays the voice of imaginary television director Peter De Lane, whose spoof director's commentary runs over clips from classic television programmes such as Duchess Of Duke Street, Flambards and Bonanza.

The separated dad-of-three drew on his own experience for the character, who has a string of broken marriages behind him.

''I seized on aspects of myself and exaggerated or diminished certain characteristics. De Lane has my own knack of spinning out a yarn.''

He is also a character who suffers the same lows.

''One line Peter says in the series is, 'It was a very happy period of my life punctuated by deep depression'.''

This quietly-spoken Welshman from Port Talbot has had to cope with a rapid rise to fame over the past three years after a long struggle for recognition.

He was voted Best Newcomer and Best Actor at the British Comedy Awards for his performances in Marion And Geoff, which catapulted him into the spotlight in 1998, and for Human Remains. He has also had small roles in films including First Knight, Lock Stock And Two Smoking Barrels and 24 Hour Party People.

But his recent high profile sits uncomfortably with this intensely private man, who rarely accepts invitations to glitzy showbiz parties to mix with fellow celebrities.

However he made an exception for Catherine Zeta Jones, who went to his school in Swansea.

''She was younger than me and I'd see her around school. She was always tap dancing and winning awards,'' he recalls.

''At the Bafta film awards I had a glass of champagne and someone asked if I'd like to be introduced to Catherine so I joined the queue waiting to meet her. I wouldn't normally do it but for the champagne.

''She spoke with a slight American accent. But when I told her we were at school together, she shrieked in the Welshest of Welsh accents, 'Oh my God, I was with Mr Aled the headteacher yesterday'. She still keeps in touch with him. She was lovely, very unspoilt.''

It was at school that his flair for comedy was cultivated. He went on to Cardiff's Welsh College of Music and Drama before working as a reporter with BBC Wales, teaming up with producer Hugo Blick and finally hitting the big-time with Marion And Geoff.

''I've been making people laugh since I was a kid taking off the teachers. They encouraged me to do impressions rather than tell me off. They always said, 'Go for it'.''

Brydon lives in Richmond, London, near his three children, aged nine, seven and four, who live with their mum.

He sees them regularly and stresses it is his children, not work, that drives him.

''When you have children the structure of your ambition changes. I'm not so career focused. My ambition is to make them happy. Work is not the be all and end all.''

He professes to be ''very boring and normal'' in his spare time, enjoying coastal walks, editing videos of his children and watching financial TV programmes.

Brydon has also found love again. For a self-confessed ''short, balding Welshman with bad skin, who likes to see the glass half-full but suspects it's half empty'', he's somewhat pleased with himself.

''I have a new girlfriend and I'm very happy. She's an assistant producer on the South Bank Show. But I don't like talking about her, my kids or my life,'' he adds quickly.

Instead, he is happy to talk about his work.

He is working on a new sitcom, Home, set in an old people's home with fellow funnymen Ronnie Corbett, David Walliams and Matt Lucas. Brydon is also doing a spin-off from Marion And Geoff called The Keith Barrett Show, with cabbie Keith interviewing celebrities including Richard and Judy, on February 14. In the meantime Brydon is still getting used to fans calling out his name in Tesco.

''When I started out I didn't think I'd get one British comedy award, let alone two. My lifestyle's changed and I do nice things, like go to fancy restaurants, and have a bit more money.

''Every day I remind myself how lucky I am to be doing something I enjoy, where I don't have to watch the clock.''

* Director's Commentary is on ITV1 from Wednesday.

Steve Pratt is away