Spudgun

Spudgun.

Spudgun is a recurring character in the British sitcom Bottom.

Summary

He is portrayed by British actor Steven O'Donnell. Obese, unkempt and very boring, Spudgun is one of Eddie's two best friends. He is never seen without his best friend Dave Hedgehog, except for the episode ’Terror’ 

Appearance

Spudgun is overweight, unwashed and dwarfs his best friend Hedgehog. Initially sporting short, greasy, black hair, which by Series 3 has grown out,and a tatty beard; he is always seen wearing a leather bomber jacket with patches sewn onto it with a gaudy cardigan underneath.

Personality & Lifestyle

Spudgun lives on the dole, much like the rest of his circle of friends, and is somewhat of a gormless dimwit. In "Holy" he explains he is from a "big family" and is capable of changing a baby's nappy and comforting it when it cries. It is not clear whether by "big" he is referring to coming from a family large in number or large in weight. He is an awkward conversation starter and likes to talk about menial things like traffic signs and baked beans. At the simplest level he is your average bum and likes nothing more than to have a drink and a laugh with his mates. His weight is a source of ridicule for Richie, who intimidates him somewhat. Like Hedgehog and Eddie, he dislikes Richie on principle and only associates with him because he is Eddie's flatmate. Of all the main and recurring characters, Spudgun is perhaps the biggest Emmerdale fan. He believes that the film, War & Peace is crap.

As well as a regular drinker, Spudgun is possibly a light drug user, evident in "Terror" when he asks Richie for some drugs when Richie and Eddie knock on his door trick or treating. Judging from his dazed expression he is likely high already.

His real name is not known. When Richie first meets Spudgun, he asks him why he is named as such, which he replies "give me a potato and I'll show you." One can only speculate what this act could be. 

In "Parade" he is pointed out in the police identity parade as the offender in a theft, the ironic thing being that the victim is actually his mother who accuses him of nicking her purse. Later on in the episode, Hedgehog refers to Spudgun's mother as Mrs Potato, suggesting that this is Spudgun's real surname.

Quotes

Richie: Why do they call you Spudgun?

Spudgun: Give me a potato and I'll show you.

Trivia

1. Spudgun is the only other Bottom character to receive a mention in any of the five live shows. Richie alludes to Spudgun in the final act of Bottom Live 2001: An Arse Oddity, albeit mockingly, when he commends him for getting "his own sitcom with Lee Evans." Actor Steven O'Donnell appeared with Evans in short-lived comedy So What Now? in 2001.
2. Steven O'Donnell has appeared in numerous productions with Rik and Ade, including several episodes of The Comic Strip Presents and the 1999 film Guest House Paradiso.
3. Steven O'Donnell also appears alongside Rik Mayall in Churchill: The Hollywood Years, although the two never interact on screen.