Russell Brand films: strangest movie roles of disgraced actor accused of abuse - from St. Trinian's to Arthur

Ahead of criminal allegations being published that accused comedian and actor Russell Brand of sexual abuse and rape, Brand said in a video on his now demonetised YouTube channel, that he had been ‘perhaps sometimes too open’ open about his promiscuous lifestyle in the past.

It’s no secret that Brand was a sex addict, it is something he has spoken about many times in the past - and his film characters have often seemed like an exaggerated version of Brand himself, suffering from his same vices.

In light of the recent allegations made against Brand made in a joint investigation by The Times and Channel 4 - which he denies - his films are now being seen in a new, uncomfortable light.

Brand hasn’t had a leading role in a mainstream film since 2016, and he has since pivoted from Hollywood star to online conspiracy theorist and spiritual guru, seeming to actively style himself as a cult leader.

His time as a film star cemented his image as a chaotic, sexually charged personality, even if he was just playing a role. And whilst the characters he played shouldn’t be taken as evidence supporting his alleged behaviour, his film appearances do leave a sour taste knowing the claims that have been made against him.

Which films has Russell Brand been in?

Brand’s first feature film role was a small part in Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon’s comedy Cruise of the Gods - he was fired from the project for his disruptive behaviour.

One of his earlier films, which hasn’t aged well especially in light of the allegations, is St. Trinian's, a 2007 comedy in which he played Flash Harry, a sleazy businessman who pays the students to make vodka. Flash also has a crush on the school’s head girl, Kelly, played by Gemma Arteton. Given that Brand has been accused of grooming a 16 year old girl when he was 31, the performance is one that now makes for uncomfortable viewing. 

In the 2008 comedy Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Brand plays Aldous Snow, the pretentious lead singer for the band Infant Sorrow. His character is a former drug addict and free love type and spends most of the film having sex, talking about sex, and teaching others how to have sex. At one point over dinner Aldous says that his philosophy is to have sex with as many people as possible.

Brand returned in the role of Aldous in the 2010 comedy spinoff Get Him to the Greek. Now depressed with how his life is turning out, Aldous has reverted to using drink, drugs, and sex to bury his emotions, much like Brand himself did before getting sober. Brand plays a similar character in musical comedy Rock of Ages, where he stars as Lonny, an assistant at a Hollywood club.

In Arthur, Brand once again plays an exaggerated version of himself as the eponymous character. Arthur is a drunken playboy who sleeps with prostitutes and lives a life of indulgence, who falls in love with a free spirited woman after his mother has forced him to get engaged to someone else.