Rhys Darby
Darby performing in 2013
Born
Rhys Montague Darby

(1974-03-21) 21 March 1974
Auckland, New Zealand
Occupations
Years active1996–present
SpouseRosie Carnahan (m. 2004)
Children2
Websiterhysdarby.com

Rhys Montague Darby (born 21 March 1974)[1][2] is a New Zealand actor and comedian, known for his energetic physical comedy routines, telling stories accompanied with mime and sound effects[3] of things such as machinery and animals.[4] He was nominated for the Billy T Award in 2001 and 2002.[5] He also won the 2012 Fred (Dagg) award at the New Zealand International Comedy Festival, for best NZ show.[6]

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.[7] He has appeared in films such as Yes Man (2008), The Boat That Rocked (2009), Love Birds (2011), What We Do in the Shadows (2014), Trolls (2016), Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017), Guns Akimbo (2019), Relax, I'm from the Future (2022), and Next Goal Wins (2023). Starting March 2022, he starred as Stede Bonnet alongside Taika Waititi in the HBO Max period romantic comedy series Our Flag Means Death.[8]

Early life

Darby was born in Auckland and was brought up in the suburb of Pakuranga. He attended Edgewater College.[9] A former soldier (signaller trained in morse code), he left the New Zealand Army in 1994 and began studies at the University of Canterbury.[10] In 1996 he formed a comedy duo, Rhysently Granted, with Grant Lobban.[11] After winning an open mic contest at Southern Blues Bar in Christchurch, he began performing at local venues.[12]

Career

Rhys Darby at Gramercy, 2007

Rhysently Granted performed at two international comedy festivals which led to Darby moving back to Auckland to seek more solo stand-up experience.[13] After performing his first solo show at the 2002 Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Darby moved to the UK to pursue his career further.[5]

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.[7] Darby's character was renamed to Murray Hewitt, the band's manager, for the 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.[14]

Darby played the role of Norman, the boss of Jim Carrey's character in Yes Man.[15] In July 2008 he appeared in a Nike advertisement featuring Roger Federer; he played an impostor posing as Federer's coach.[16][17]

He appeared on a British children's television programme The Slammer during its first series. He also appeared in several advertisements for New Zealand 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,[18] 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[19] released in the UK on 1 April 2009. This film was released in some countries in November 2009 under the name Pirate Radio.[20]

In 2009, while home in New Zealand, he began filming TV 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[21] and published a poem and video in support of the campaign.[22]

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.[23]

In May 2011, he also filmed a pilot for a Channel 4 sitcom in the UK, The Fun Police.[24] The pilot was broadcast on 16 September. In 2011, Darby and family moved to the US for Darby to take a role in the CBS sitcom How to Be a Gentleman.[25] Darby's second DVD It's Rhys Darby Night! was released in NZ on 12 December 2011.[20]

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.[6]

In 2013, he was responsible for flying 'Cornish rappers' Hedluv + Passman to New Zealand for the New Zealand International Comedy Festival.[26] This was followed by an appearance on Seven Sharp, where he introduced 'his rappers'[26] to the New Zealand public.[27]

Since 2013, Darby has co-hosted the cryptozoology-focused podcast The Cryptid Factor with Dan Schreiber, David Farrier and producer Leon 'Buttons' Kirkbeck.[28]

Darby climbed to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro in July 2013 as part of a World Vision team of celebrities that included Olympian Mahé Drysdale and musician Boh Runga. On 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.[29]

As of July 2014, Darby and his family reside in Los Angeles, California.[30]

In February 2016, he played Guy Mann in the third episode ("Mulder and Scully Meet the Were-Monster") of season 10 of The X-Files. Darby, a long-time fan of the show, was thrilled by his experience on set. He saw this as an opportunity that only comes around every so often and said he'd return to the set the first chance he received.[31]

In 2018, Darby participated in a video together with Prime Minister of New Zealand Jacinda Ardern as part of a tourism campaign for the country in which they discussed why New Zealand was being excluded from world maps so frequently.[32] Darby appeared on the panel show Patriot Brains in 2021.

In 2022, he starred in the HBO Max show Our Flag Means Death as pirate Stede Bonnet. Our Flag Means Death received praise for its LGBT representation,[33] in part due to the romantic relationship between Bonnet and Blackbeard, played by co-star Taika Waititi.[34]

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
2008 Yes Man Norman "Norm" Stokes
2009 The Boat That Rocked Angus Nutsford Titled Pirate Radio in North America
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
Trolls Bibbly Voice
2017 Killing Hasselhoff Fish
Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle Nigel Billingsley
2019 Guns Akimbo Glenjamin
Mosley Deaver Voice
Teen Titans Go! vs. Teen Titans The Master of Games Voice
Jumanji: The Next Level Nigel Billingsley
2020 100% Wolf Foxwell Cripp Voice
2022 Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Movie Hypno-Potamus Voice
Relax, I'm from the Future Casper
2023 Next Goal Wins Rhys Marlin
Uproar Madigan

Television

Years Title Role Notes
2005 Who's Ya Mate? Multiple Television film
2007–2009 Flight of the Conchords Murray Hewitt 22 episodes
2008 Yo Gabba Gabba Himself 1 episode
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
The Skinner Boys: Live at Mingara NSW Professor Tinkerpuff Television stage show
QI Guest panellist Episode: Justice
2013 How I Met Your Mother Hamish 1 episode
Watsky's Releasing an Album Flynn 3 episodes
The Aquabats! Super Show! The Shark Fighter
Tiny Commando Tony Turk Voice, 2 episodes
Keep Calm and Karey On Television film
2014 Legit Trevor 1 episode
Short Poppies Various characters
Modern Family Fergus Anderson 1 episode
Comedy Bang! Bang! Uncle Deckard
Hot in Cleveland Jack 3 episodes
The Millers Martin Episode: "CON-Troversy"
It's a Date Craig 1 episode
2015–2016 Thunderbirds Are Go Langstrom Fischler Voice, 3 episodes[35]
2015 Life in Pieces Teddy 2 episodes
2016 The X-Files Guy Mann Episode: "Mulder and Scully Meet the Were-Monster"
2016–2019 Mike Tyson Mysteries Terry Voice, 2 episodes
2016–2018 Wrecked Steve Regular
Voltron: Legendary Defender Coran Voice, 27 episodes
2017 A Series of Unfortunate Events Charles 2 episodes
Fresh Off the Boat Tony Wonder Episode: "Living While Eddie"
Dr. Ken Charles Evans Episode: "Ken and the CEO"
The Lion Guard Mwenzi Voice, episode: "Ono the Tickbird"
Bajillion Dollar Propertie$ Stevahn Rabren Episode: "Dean's Legacy"
Milo Murphy's Law King Pistashion Voice, episode: "Missing Milo"
We Bare Bears Kyle Voice, episode: "Kyle"
The Jim Jefferies Show Jacko Episode: "America’s Opioid Epidemic"
Welcome to the Wayne Isthotep Voice, episode: "Flutch"
2017–2023 Bob's Burgers Duncan / Quincy Cox Voice, 3 episodes
2018 Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Hypno-Potamus / Mezmer-Ron Voice, recurring role
Skylanders Academy Crash Bandicoot Voice, 2 episodes (Season 3)
The Simpsons Tag Tuckerbag Voice, episode: "Heartbreak Hotel"[36]
The Venture Bros H.E.L.P.eR. Model Two Voice, episode: "The Inamorata Consequence"
2018–2019 Star vs. the Forces of Evil Eddie Voice, 5 episodes
2019–2020 Infinity Train Randall Voice, 4 episodes
2019–2020 Carmen Sandiego Neal the Eel Voice, 2 episodes
2020 Big City Greens Life Guard Voice, episode: "Shark Objects"
Moominvalley Mysterious Fisherman Voice, 3 episodes
The Big Fib C.L.I.V.E. 30 episodes
The Boss Baby: Back in Business Happy Sedengry Voice, 3 episodes
2021 Wellington Paranormal Anton-Park Ranger Episode: "Te Maero"
The Great North Denny the Snowflake Voice, episode: "Game of Snownes"
Sweet Tooth Hazmat #2 Episode: "Big Man"
2022 Pacific Rim: The Black Bunyip Man Voice, episode: "The Never Never"
Home Economics Monroe Davies Episode: "Book Deal, Terms Negotiable"
2022-2023 Our Flag Means Death Stede Bonnet Main Role, 18 episodes
2023 SpongeBob SquarePants Krabby Patty Voice, episode: "My Friend Patty"
Kiff Trollie Voice, 2 episodes
Curses! Stanley Main role

Television appearances as himself

Year Title
2001–2002Billy T Award
2005Mighty Truck of Stuff
2006The Slammer
2007–2008Sounds Like a Laugh
2008Yo Gabba Gabba!
2008The Comedy Store Live
2009Rocked the Nation 2: 100 NZ Pop Culture Moments
2009Spicks and Specks
2009Thank God You're Here
2009ROVE
2009Intrepid Journeys
2009–20127 Days
2010The Qantas TV and Film Awards
2011A Quiet Word With ...
2011The Rob Brydon Show
2012Mad Mad World
2012Sunday Brunch
2012The Comedy Marathon Spectacular
2012QI
2013–2017@midnight
2013Late Show with David Letterman
2014No, You Shut Up!
2016The Café
2016–17Whose Line is it Anyway? Australia
2021The Masked Singer NZ
2021Patriot Brains

Comedy specials

  • Imagine That! (2008)
  • It's Rhys Darby Night! (2011)
  • This Way to Spaceship (2012)
  • I'm a Fighter Jet (2017)
  • Mystic Time Bird (2021)
  • You've Seen My Stand Up, Now See It... Again! (2022)

Video games

Year Title Voice role
2017 Voltron VR Chronicles Coran
2018 Dr. Grordbort's Invaders Gimble
2019 Jumanji: The Video Game Nigel Billingsley
2020 Half-Life: Alyx Russell[37]
2020 Fortnite Chapter 2, Season 3 Battle Pass voiceover

Accolades

Year Award Category Nominee(s) Result Ref.
2022 Peabody Awards Entertainment Our Flag Means Death Nominated [38]

References

  1. ↑ McDonald, Greer (7 November 2009). "Rhys Darby not planning to slow down". The Dominion Post. Archived from the original on 13 January 2016. Retrieved 14 June 2012.
  2. ↑ Hunkin, Joanna (10 October 2008). "Roll call: Rhys Darby". The New Zealand Herald. Archived from the original on 13 January 2016. Retrieved 6 July 2012.
  3. ↑ "Rhys Darby's review". Chortle. Archived from the original on 6 January 2010. Retrieved 25 May 2010.
  4. ↑ Keith Huang (13 August 2007). "Inside With: Rhys Darby". The Apiary. Archived from the original on 5 May 2014. Retrieved 25 May 2010.
  5. 1 2 Rhys Darby profile Archived 6 August 2009 at the Wayback Machine
  6. 1 2 "Rhys Darby wins top NZ award". Television New Zealand. 21 May 2012. Archived from the original on 24 May 2012. Retrieved 21 May 2012.
  7. 1 2 "Radio 2 Comedy". BBC. Archived from the original on 25 January 2021. Retrieved 25 May 2010.
  8. ↑ Pulliam-Moore, Charles (15 April 2022). "How Our Flag Means Death's creator made a period romance disguised as a pirate comedy". The Verge. Archived from the original on 6 June 2023. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
  9. ↑ "Global star recalls roots". Howick and Pakuranga Times. 12 May 2012. Archived from the original on 13 August 2016. Retrieved 3 July 2016.
  10. ↑ "Performance in University Comedy Show". Retrieved 25 May 2010 – via YouTube.
  11. ↑ ""Mrs Whippy" song by Rhysently Granted". 2 April 2008. Retrieved 25 May 2010 – via YouTube.
  12. ↑ "Rhysently Granted performance in Christchurch bar 1997". 10 April 2008. Retrieved 25 May 2010 – via YouTube.
  13. ↑ "May 2000 Stand-up Performance". 2 September 2008. Retrieved 25 May 2010 – via YouTube.
  14. ↑ "Flight of the Conchords – A Good Opportunity". BBC Four. BBC. Archived from the original on 31 December 2019. Retrieved 29 December 2019.
  15. ↑ "Darby joins Jim Carrey movie". Chortle. 24 September 2007. Archived from the original on 31 December 2010. Retrieved 25 May 2010.
  16. ↑ Brown, Rich (2 July 2008). "Roger Federer's coach 'revealed' in Nike advert". The Telegraph. London, UK. Archived from the original on 11 October 2010. Retrieved 25 May 2010.
  17. ↑ "Video – watch video clips, live streaming, daily". Retrieved 14 February 2016.
  18. ↑ "Rhys Darby: It's Rhys Darby Night". Edinburghfestival.list.co.uk. Archived from the original on 27 September 2009. Retrieved 25 May 2010.
  19. ↑ "Pirate Radio (2009)". IMDb. Archived from the original on 1 August 2018. Retrieved 29 June 2018.
  20. 1 2 Rhys Darby at IMDb
  21. ↑ "GREENPEACE New Zealand". Sign On. Archived from the original on 22 December 2010. Retrieved 14 February 2016.
  22. ↑ "Rhys Darby Global Warming Poem". media.greenpeace.org. Archived from the original on 5 July 2022. Retrieved 4 July 2022.
  23. ↑ Brian Gallagher (10 August 2010). "The Office Seeking Danny McBride and Rhys Darby?". MovieWeb.com. Archived from the original on 12 September 2010. Retrieved 16 May 2012.
  24. ↑ "Vic Reeves and Rhys Darby to star in health and safety sitcom pilot". The British Comedy Guide. 18 May 2011. Archived from the original on 22 May 2011. Retrieved 29 May 2011.
  25. ↑ "rhysdarby.com". How to Be a Gentleman. Archived from the original on 2 July 2007. Retrieved 18 July 2007.
  26. 1 2 "Rhys Darby: Two Cornish rappers and a Casiotone to go". The New Zealand Herald. 15 April 2013. Archived from the original on 7 May 2013. Retrieved 17 June 2013.
  27. ↑ "Hedluv + Passman on Seven Sharp NZ". 17 April 2013. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 14 February 2016 – via YouTube.
  28. ↑ "The Cryptid Factor". Archived from the original on 11 November 2020. Retrieved 3 May 2021.
  29. ↑ "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. Archived from the original on 20 February 2015. Retrieved 12 July 2014.
  30. ↑ Geoff Lloyd (7 July 2014). "Geoff Lloyd – Rhys Derby". absoluteradio.co.uk/onair/geoff/index.html (Podcast). Absolute Radio. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 12 July 2014.
  31. ↑ "Rhys Darby on Playing an X-Files Monster and the Future of Flight of the Conchords". Vulture. Archived from the original on 20 April 2016. Retrieved 12 May 2016.
  32. ↑ Ainge Roy, Eleanor (2 May 2018). "Jacinda Ardern asks why New Zealand is left off world maps in new tourism campaign". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 13 February 2023. Retrieved 8 February 2023.
  33. ↑ "Our Flag Means Death Might Just Be the Best Queer Show of the Year". Junkee. 23 March 2022. Archived from the original on 24 March 2022. Retrieved 24 March 2022.
  34. ↑ "Our Flag Means Death: Taika Waititi and Rhys Darby on Their Pirate Love Story's Sincere Finale — Q&A". IndieWire. 24 March 2022. Archived from the original on 24 March 2022. Retrieved 24 March 2022.
  35. ↑ "News – Thunderbirds Are Go". Archived from the original on 28 March 2020. Retrieved 17 September 2016.
  36. ↑ "Simpsons showrunner on Homer's 'cheating' on Marge, RuPaul's guest spot, Apu controversy". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 29 September 2018. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
  37. ↑ O'Connor, James. "Half-Life: Alyx Recasts Alyx, Eli, And Others, And Features Rhys Darby". GameSpot. Archived from the original on 22 November 2019. Retrieved 22 November 2019.
  38. ↑ Voyles, Blake (20 September 2023). "83rd Peabody Award Nominees". Archived from the original on 26 September 2023. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
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