Rhys Darby

Rhys Darby

Rhys Darby in 2013
Born Rhys Montague Darby
(1974-03-21) 21 March 1974
New Zealand
Residence Los Angeles, California[1]
Occupation Actor, comedian
Years active 1996–present
Spouse(s) Rosie Carnahan
Children 2
Website www.rhysdarby.com

Rhys Montague Darby (born 21 March 1974)[2][3] is an actor and comedian from New Zealand, known for his energetic physical comedy routines, telling stories accompanied with mime and sound effects[4] of things such as machinery and animals.[5] He was nominated for the Billy T Award in 2001 and 2002.[6] He also won the 2012 Fred (Dagg) award at the New Zealand International Comedy Festival, for Best NZ show.[7]

Darby is best known for playing Murray Hewitt, the band manager of Flight of the Conchords in the television series, a role he originally played in the BBC radio series under the name Brian Nesbit.[8]

Life and career

Darby was brought up in Pakuranga, Auckland and attended Edgewater College. A former soldier (signaller trained in morse code), he left the New Zealand Army in 1994 and began studies at the University of Canterbury.[9] In 1996 he formed a comedy duo, Rhysently Granted, with Grant Lobban.[10]

After winning an open mic contest at Southern Blues Bar in Christchurch they began performing at local venues.[11] Rhysently Granted performed at two international comedy festivals which led to Darby moving back to Auckland to seek more solo stand-up experience.[12] After performing his first solo show at the 2002 Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Darby moved to the UK to pursue his career further.[6]

In 2004 he appeared in the Flight of the Conchords BBC radio series as the band's manager Brian Nesbit alongside comedy stars such as Rob Brydon, Andy Parsons and Jimmy Carr. Darby plays Murray, the band's manager, on Flight of the Conchords TV show. He provided vocals for the track Leggy Blonde on their self-titled first album and also in the second series of the show on the track "Rejected" during the episode "A Good Opportunity" alongside tenor Andrew Drost.

Darby played the role of Norman, the boss of Jim Carrey's character in Yes Man.[13] In July 2008 he appeared in a Nike advertisement featuring Roger Federer; he played an impostor posing as Federer's coach.[14][15]

He appeared on a British children's television program The Slammer during its first season. He is also doing several advertisements for the mobile phone company 2degrees. He appeared on Soccer AM on 18 October 2008 and on Never Mind The Buzzcocks on 23 October. The DVD of his live performance Imagine That! has gone platinum in New Zealand.

Rhys Darby's hair colour is self-described as Electric Copper in the episode of Flight of the Conchords entitled Murray Takes It to the Next Level. He refers to this in his stand-up show It's Rhys Darby Night which he performed at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe from 6–15 August 2009,[16] The Bloomsbury Theatre in London from 27 July–1 August and toured around New Zealand with in October and November that year.

Darby played the role of Angus in the Richard Curtis film The Boat That Rocked[17] released in the UK on 1 April 2009. This film was released in some countries in November 2009 under the name Pirate Radio.[18]

In 2009 while home in New Zealand he began filming T.V. ads for NZ's new mobile network 2degrees and appearing in NZ shows Rocked the Nation 2, Jaquie Brown Diaries and Intrepid Journeys. He has also branched out into producing live comedy with his wife and their company Awesomeness International. At the NZ International Comedy Festival they produced shows for local comedians. Darby became a climate ambassador for Greenpeace in its Sign On climate campaign[19] and published a poem on Youtube in support of the campaign.

In 2009 Darby became a part of the New Zealand TV ONE series Intrepid Journeys, Season 5, touring Rwanda. On 10 August 2010, Entertainment Weekly claimed that Darby was in consideration for a role in the television series The Office after Steve Carell left at the end of the 2011 season, however this did not materialise.[20]

In May 2011, he also filmed a pilot for a Channel 4 sitcom in the UK, The Fun Police.[21] The pilot was broadcast on 16 September. In 2011, Darby and family moved to the USA for Darby to take a role in the CBS sitcom How to be a Gentleman.[22] Darby's second DVD "It's Rhys Darby Night!" was released in NZ on 12 December 2011.[18]

He wrote a self-described "autobiographical space novel" entitled "This Way to Spaceship", which was released on 12 April 2012. On 20 May 2012, Darby was awarded the Fred Award by the New Zealand International Comedy Festival for his show of the same name as his book.[7]

In 2013 he was responsible for flying 'Cornish rappers' hedluv + passman to New Zealand for the New Zealand International Comedy Festival,[23] this was followed by an appearance on Seven Sharp where he introduced 'his rappers'[23] to the New Zealand public.[24]

Darby summited Mt Kilimanjaro in July 2013 as part of a World Vision team of celebrities that included Olympian Mahé Drysdale and musician Boh Runga. On Friday, 8 November 2013, Darby made an appearance and performed some standup comedy in his capacity as second guest on the Late Show with David Letterman. He portrayed Anton in the 2014 release comedy horror film What We Do in the Shadows.[25]

As of July 2014, Darby and his family reside in Los Angeles, California.[1]

Filmography

Film

Year Film Role Notes
2008 Yes Man Norman
2009 The Boat That Rocked Angus Nutsford Renamed Pirate Radio
Diagnosis: Death Specialist
Peacock Season Galtrex Guy
2011 Coming & Going Lee Leonetti
Love Birds Doug
Arthur Christmas Lead Elf (Voice)
2014 What We Do in the Shadows Anton
2016 Hunt for the Wilderpeople Psycho Sam

Television

Years Show Role Notes
2005 Who's Ya Mate? Multiple TV Movie
2007–2009 Flight of the Conchords Murray Hewitt 22 episodes
2009 The Jaquie Brown Diaries Terence Ben'et 1 episode
Comedy Showcase: The Amazing Dermot Dermot Flint
2010 Radiradirah Gavin Hoode, First Officer Rangi 3 episodes
2011 How to Be a Gentleman Mike 9 episodes
Comedy Showcase: The Fun Police Leslie
2012 Jake and the Never Land Pirates Percy
Life Stinks Connor miniseries
Missing Christmas Mayor Dennis Gob TV Movie
2013 How I Met Your Mother Hamish (Desk Clerk) 1 episode
Watsky's Releasing an Album Flynn 3 episodes
The Aquabats! Super Show! The Shark Fighter
Tiny Commando Tony Turk 2 episodes
Jake and the Never Land Pirates Percy the Penguin 2 episodes
Keep Calm and Karey On TV Movie
2014 Legit Trevor 1 episode
Short Poppies Various
Modern Family Fergus Anderson 1 episode
Comedy Bang! Bang! Uncle Deckard 1 episode
Hot in Cleveland Jack 3 episodes
It's A Date Craig 1 episode
2015 Thunderbirds Are Go Langstrom Fischler (voice) 1 episode
Life in Pieces Teddy 2 episodes
2016 The X-Files Guy Mann Episode "Mulder and Scully Meet the Were-Monster"
Voltron: Legendary Defender Coran (voice)

Television appearances as himself

YearTitlesRole
2001–2002 Billy T Award Himself
2005 Mighty Truck of Stuff Himself
2006 The Slammer Himself
2007–2008 Sounds Like a Laugh Himself
2008 Yo Gabba Gabba! Himself
2008 The Comedy Store Live Himself
2009 Rocked the Nation 2: 100 NZ Pop Culture Moments Himself
2009 Spicks and Specks Himself
2009 Thank God You're Here Himself
2009 ROVE Himself
2009 Intrepid Journeys Himself
2009–2012 7 Days Himself
2010 The Qantas TV and Film Awards Host
2011 A Quiet Word With ... Himself
2011 The Rob Brydon Show Himself
2012 Mad Mad World Himself
2012 Sunday Brunch Himself
2012 The Comedy Marathon Spectacular Himself
2012 QI Himself
2013–2015 @midnight Himself
2013 Late Show with David Letterman Himself
2014 No, You Shut Up! Himself
2016 The Café Himself

References

  1. 1 2 Geoff Lloyd (7 July 2014). "Geoff Lloyd - Rhys Derby". absoluteradio.co.uk/onair/geoff/index.html (Podcast). Absolute Radio. Retrieved 12 July 2014.
  2. ↑ McDonald, Greer (7 November 2009). "Rhys Darby not planning to slow down". The Dominion Post. Retrieved 14 June 2012.
  3. ↑ Hunkin, Joanna (10 October 2008). "Roll call: Rhys Darby". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 6 July 2012.
  4. ↑ "Rhys Darby's review". Chortle. Retrieved 25 May 2010.
  5. ↑ Keith Huang (13 August 2007). "Inside With: Rhys Darby". The Apiary. Retrieved 25 May 2010.
  6. 1 2 Rhys Darby profile Archived 6 August 2009 at the Wayback Machine.
  7. 1 2 "Rhys Darby wins top NZ award". Television New Zealand. 21 May 2012. Retrieved 21 May 2012.
  8. ↑ "Radio 2 Comedy". BBC. Retrieved 25 May 2010.
  9. ↑ "Performance in University Comedy Show". Youtube. Retrieved 25 May 2010.
  10. ↑ ""Mrs Whippy" song by Rhysently Granted". Youtube. 2 April 2008. Retrieved 25 May 2010.
  11. ↑ "Rhysently Granted performance in Christchurch bar 1997". Youtube. 10 April 2008. Retrieved 25 May 2010.
  12. ↑ "May 2000 Stand-up Performance". Youtube. 2 September 2008. Retrieved 25 May 2010.
  13. ↑ "Darby joins Jim Carrey movie". Chortle. 24 September 2007. Retrieved 25 May 2010.
  14. ↑ Brown, Rich (2 July 2008). "Roger Federer's coach 'revealed' in Nike advert". London, UK: Telegraph. Retrieved 25 May 2010.
  15. ↑ "Video - watch video clips, live streaming, daily - brightcove.com". Retrieved 14 February 2016.
  16. ↑ "Rhys Darby: It's Rhys Darby Night". Edinburghfestival.list.co.uk. Retrieved 25 May 2010.
  17. ↑ "The Boat That Rocked" complete cast list
  18. 1 2 Rhys Darby at the Internet Movie Database
  19. ↑ "GREENPEACE New Zealand". Sign On. Retrieved 14 February 2016.
  20. ↑ Brian Gallagher (10 August 2010). "The Office Seeking Danny McBride and Rhys Darby?". MovieWeb.com. Retrieved 16 May 2012.
  21. ↑ "Vic Reeves and Rhys Darby to star in health and safety sitcom pilot". The British Comedy Guide. 18 May 2011. Retrieved 29 May 2011.
  22. ↑ "rhysdarby.com". How to Be a Gentleman.
  23. 1 2 "Rhys Darby: Two Cornish rappers and a Casiotone to go". The New Zealand Herald. 15 April 2013.
  24. ↑ "Hedluv + Passman on Seven Sharp NZ". YouTube. 17 April 2013. Retrieved 14 February 2016.
  25. ↑ "What We Do in Shadows stars FOTC's Rhys Darby, Jonathan Brugh, Cori Gonzalez-Macuer, Stu Rutherford, and Jackie Van Beek". Absolute Radio. 7 July 2014. Retrieved 12 July 2014.

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