Peter Serafinowicz — things you didn't know about the Million Dollar Secret host

Peter Serafinowicz is hosting Netflix's big new reality series Million Dollar Secret. The reality show competition sees 12 contestants enter a lavish lakeside estate with each person having a mysterious box in their room. Netflix teases: "Eleven of them are empty and one contains $1,000,000, and it's for that guest to keep — as long as they keep their identity hidden. Devilish games will reveal clues about the millionaire's identity, and they must do whatever it takes to keep their Million Dollar Secret."

Serafinowicz has enjoyed what he describes as a "mad career". His movie credits include Guardians of the Galaxy, Star Wars: Episode 1 — The Phantom Menace and Shaun of the Dead. While on TV he's been in everything from Netflix hit The Gentlemen to Dead Hot and I'm Alan Partridge.

But what else is there to know about the hugely talented star who is known for his impressions of famous people including Donald Trump? Let us fill you in...

He was cut from the Star Wars movie Solo

Peter was famously the voice of the villain Darth Maul in Star Wars: Episode 1 — The Phantom Menace. So, when Darth Maul was featured in the 2018 movie Solo, Peter went and performed the lines for the character once more. He told Collider: "I recorded the scene at Pinewood Studios. I was on set and I spoke to [director] Ron Howard for about half an hour about the character and what he’d become which was 29 minutes more than I spoke to George Lucas about the character!" He continued: "So I did it and it was all super secret."

Peter was excited about the prospect of his kids hearing their dad in a Star Wars movie. Only after the movie premiered did Peter get an email saying sorry but they’d changed the voice actor to Sam Witwer, who voiced the character in Star: Wars The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels. "It was a bit disappointing," says Peter, who joked that he boycotted the film.

Peter has a famous wife

Peter is married to Sarah Alexander, who shot to fame in the comedy series Coupling. She also famously starred as Polly Creek opposite Alan Davies in the hit series Jonathan Creek. Sarah and Peter did appear on screen together in a Comic Relief sketch, also featuring Rowan Atkinson, that sent up music talent shows. Plus they also did another Comic Relief sketch for Red Nose Day 2003 which spoofed Blankety Blank. The idea was that there had been a lost 1981 episode hosted by Terry Wogan where everything went wrong. Peter played Terry Wogan, while Sarah played actress Liza Goddard.

His sister co-wrote Amandaland and made him audition

Peter Serafinowicz plays Johannes in the BBC's acclaimed Motherland spin-off Amandaland and his screenwriter sister Helen wrote him into it! He told The Times: "I loved the BBC sitcom Motherland, on which Helly was one of the co-writers, so when she told me they were working on a sequel, Amandaland, I was thrilled for her.

"And then she asked me to audition for it. What an experience it is to work with your sister. I was just so proud. Being on set with her gave me a sense of calm, a feeling of true contentedness, to be here at work on something my sister helped create. As an actor I hate having to memorise scripts — that may partly be the ADHD — but on Amandaland it all just flowed, probably because it was so well written."

Peter grew up in Liverpool

Peter is a Liverpool lad. Reflecting on his childhood, he told YM Liverpool: "I lived in Belle Vale initially and then moved to Gateacre, right opposite Lee Park, nearly Netherley — 'nearly Netherle', that could be an alternative title for the Mad Max movies actually! I spent a lot of time in the area. My mum taught machine knitting at Netherley Comp. She would give us all our dinner and then go and teach the night school students.

"I did judo there as well, which was partially a way for me to be babysat whilst my mum did the class. It was full of kids I didn’t know. I enjoyed parts of my childhood in Liverpool but some parts not at all – there was a lot of getting my head kicked in! Back then, I didn’t really know how to defend myself and that’s a big part of life in Liverpool.”

Peter was a voice on Spittting Image

One of Peter’s first jobs was voicing various political figures on Spitting Image. Among the famous politicians he spoofed on the comedy series were Jacques Chirac, Norman Lamont and Kenneth Clarke.

Instagram: @peterserafinowicz

Twitter/X: @serafinowicz

We work hard to ensure that all information is correct. Facts that change over time, such as age, will be correct, to the best of our knowledge, at the time of the last article update.