Conchords to guest on 'The Simpsons'
30 Apr 2010
Kiwi comedians and Flight of the Conchords duo Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement are set to guest star in the world’s longest-running sitcom - The Simpsons.
McKenzie and Clement will appear in an episode of The Simpsons that was filmed in January.
The duo rehearsed their lines with Nancy Cartwright, the voice of Bart Simpson, over the phone from Wellington before flying to the US to record the show - which airs later this year.
The popular television series is known for its famous guest star appearances. Stars regularly portray themselves, but it is not known what characters McKenzie and Clement will play.
A long-running entertainment joke holds that "you haven’t really made it in Hollywood till you’ve been on The Simpsons".
Conchords duo join privileged few
Only two other Kiwis have previously made it on to The Simpsons - Lucy Lawless appeared as herself in a Xena costume during the 1999 Halloween special, and Sam Neill voiced the cat burglar ‘Molloy’ in 1994.
An appearance on The Simpsons is a Hollywood honour because the producers are notoriously picky about who goes on the show. British football star David Beckham was turned down by executive producer Al Jean.
"I had to phone David Beckham to tell him sorry. I didn’t think he was a big enough star for an American audience."
The Simpsons is a satirical animated series about a typical working-class American family with two kids. The show, created by American cartoonist and producer Matt Groening, is set in the fictional town of Springfield.
Background: Flight of the Conchords
Flight of the Conchords is a television show created by Wellington comedy duo Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement - who refer to themselves "formerly New Zealand’s fourth most popular guitar-based digi-bongo acapella-rap-funk comedy folk duo".
The show’s concept was picked up and developed by American TV channel HBO. With McKenzie and Clement as the main stars, Flight of the Conchords went on to become a US and international hit.
McKenzie and Clement met at Wellington’s Victoria University and shared a student flat together.
The pair were members of a five-man comedy troupe called 'So You’re A Man', which also featured Kiwi film director Taika Waititi - currently appearing in Hollywood blockbuster Green Lantern.
The duo also performs together as a live comedy act and has a cult following worldwide.
These topics may also be of interest to you
|
