Philip Gilbert is a fictional character from the E4

coming-of-age Coming of age is a young person's transition from being a child to being an adult. The specific age at which this transition takes place varies between societies, as does the nature of the change. It can be a simple legal convention or can b ...

British

comedy Comedy is a genre of fiction that consists of discourses or works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. The term ori ...

The Inbetweeners ''The Inbetweeners'' is a British coming-of-age television teen sitcom, which originally aired on E4 from 2008 until 2010 and was created and written by Damon Beesley and Iain Morris. The series follows the misadventures of suburban teenager ...

'', played by

Greg Davies Gregory Daniel Davies ( ; born 14 May 1968) is a Welsh comedian, actor, presenter, and writer. He is best known for his roles as Greg in '' We Are Klang'', Mr Gilbert in ''The Inbetweeners'', Ken Thompson in ''Cuckoo'', the Taskmaster in '' Tas ...

, who made his first appearance during the pilot episode " First Day", broadcast on 1 May 2008. He also appeared in the follow-up films ''

The Inbetweeners Movie ''The Inbetweeners Movie'', known simply as ''The Inbetweeners'' in North America, is a 2011 British coming-of-age teen adventure comedy film based on the E4 sitcom ''The Inbetweeners'', written by series creators Damon Beesley and Iain Morris ...

'' (2011) and ''

The Inbetweeners 2 ''The Inbetweeners 2'', is a 2014 teen coming of age adventure sex comedy film and sequel to ''The Inbetweeners Movie'' (2011), which is based on the E4 sitcom ''The Inbetweeners''. It was written and directed by series creators Damon Beesley ...

'' (2014).

Appearances

In the pilot episode " First Day" Mr Gilbert meets new student

Will McKenzie This is a list of characters from the British sitcom ''The Inbetweeners'', which ran for three series from 2008–2010 on E4. A 2011 film was also released, followed by a sequel in 2014. Cast Main characters Will McKenzie William McKenzie ...

(

Simon Bird Simon Antony Bird (born 19 August 1984) is an English comedian, actor, director and producer. He is best known for playing Will McKenzie in the multi-award-winning E4 comedy series ''The Inbetweeners'' (2008–2010), as well as its two films ...

) and takes an instant dislike to him, forcing Simon Cooper ( Joe Thomas) to show him around the school. In the episode "

Bunk Off ''The Inbetweeners'' is a British Academy of Film and Television Arts, BAFTA Award-winning British sitcom created by Damon Beesley and Iain Morris, set in a fictional secondary school, and broadcast on E4 (TV channel), E4. The series follows ...

" Simon and Will phone the school pretending to be Simon’s mother, however Gilbert is not convinced and phones their parents. Later in the episode when they are back at school, Mr Gilbert confronts the group telling them that since they are in sixth form they have no legal obligation to stay in school, but quickly turns on Will and Simon, explaining that pretending to be their parents is fraud and sending the pair to the headteacher. In the episode "

Girlfriend A girlfriend is a female friend, acquaintance or partner, usually a female companion with whom one is platonically, romantically, or sexually involved. In a romantic context, this normally signifies a committed relationship where the ...

" Mr Gilbert is seen hosting a school blind date charity show. In the episode "

Xmas Party ''The Inbetweeners'' is a BAFTA Award-winning British sitcom created by Damon Beesley and Iain Morris, set in a fictional secondary school, and broadcast on E4. The series follows the lives of four suburban sixth form student friends – pro ...

" Mr Gilbert makes Will the chairman for the Christmas party committee but only because Will was the only person to apply. In 'Fashion Show', Mr Gilbert entrusts Will with collecting money for the charity event the school is hosting. Will originally interprets this as a sign of trust, but is quickly informed that he is being asked to do it as in previous years money had 'gone missing' and because if that were to happen again, Mr Gilbert 'could break' him.

Personality

Mr Gilbert is misanthropic, sarcastic and bitter, using his wit and sardonicism to mock and bully the children that he as head of year should look after. Physically, Mr Gilbert is a looming figure which helps him to intimidate others. Will describes him as a "lunatic giant", "wanker", "pet ape" and "huge massive freak who likes to suck the headmaster's balls". He makes his hatred of his job and his students known. Will attempts to endear himself to Mr Gilbert despite his constant animosity towards him.

Reception

Portrayed by

, Mr Gilbert has been described as one of the funniest characters on the show with him having "some of the funniest moments throughout ''The Inbetweeners''". Before his acting career, Davies "was a real-life teacher for 13 years before becoming a stand-up comedian and actor ..he was perfectly trained for the role of Rudge Park's scariest teacher". "He's kind of the teacher I always fantasised about being because children are absolutely petrified of him."

References

{{The Inbetweeners The Inbetweeners British comedy television characters Fictional schoolteachers Television characters introduced in 2008 Male characters in television British male characters in television