Brian Sergent
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Brian Sergent (born 29 December 1959) is a comedian, writer and actor born and based in Wellington, New Zealand.[1]
Background
[edit]Sergent’s acting career began at age 15 playing Lionel in the soap opera, Close to Home.[2]
In television Sergent is known for playing Eric Grady on Outrageous Fortune, the New Zealand Prime Minister on Flight of the Conchords, and Harold in The Lost Children. One of his most popular characters, cabin steward Gavin Soper, appeared on the Pulp Comedy television series.[2]
Sergent has a strong association with Circa Theatre in Wellington. He performed in The Duchess of Malfi (1982), Travels with My Aunt (1997) and Take a Chance on Me (2001).[3][4]
Sergent’s film credits include Peter Jackson’s Meet the Feebles, Braindead and Lord of the Rings, Absent Without Leave, Via Satellite, the lead role as Marty in The Shirt and Jonah in Eagle vs. Shark.
Radio listeners are quite familiar with Sergent's reading of short stories, novels and radio plays on Radio New Zealand where he is still actively involved.
Sergent has won multiple Chapman Tripp Theatre Awards for acting and writing. In 1992 he won Male Actor of the Year for his performances as Lenny in The Homecoming at the Circa Theatre and Alfredo Traps in A Dangerous Game at the BATS Theatre. In 1994, he won Best Male Actor in a Supporting Role for his performance of Gary Peter Lefkowitz in I Hate Hamlet at the Circa. In 2004, Prior to the opening of his first play, the New Zealand Listener described Sergent as ''New Zealand's greatest comic actor'' He won the award for Outstanding New Playwright of the Year for his play The Love of Humankind.[5] In 2008 Radio New Zealand broadcast for the first of many times, Sergent's first radio play, ''Madness You Can Trust.''
After taking a break from the show for nearly three years, Sergent returned to Outrageous Fortune as Eric in the second to last episode of the fifth season.
Sergent has been a stand-up Comedian and sketch writer since his debut in 1979.
Filmography
[edit]Film
[edit]| It's your child Norman Allenby | 1979 | Psycho Boyfriend | International year of the Child. T.V.NZ. |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Person Next Door | 1981 | Passerby | Gaylene Preston's first film. |
| Carry Me Back | 1982 | Andy | |
| Footrot Flats: The Dog's Tale | 1987 | Spit Murphy (voice) | |
| Meet the Feebles | 1989 | Wynyard the Frog / Trevor the Rat / F.W. Fly / Jim the Frog / Chuck the Frog / The Spider / Vietnamese Gophers (voice) | |
| Braindead | 1992 | Vet | Film called Dead Alive in North America |
| Absent Without Leave | Dick | ||
| Chicken | 1996 | Newsagent | |
| Via Satellite | 1998 | Brian | |
| The Shirt | 2000 | Marty | Short film |
| The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring | 2001 | Ted Sandyman | Extended edition |
| The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King | 2008 | Additional character voices | |
| Eagle vs Shark | 2007 | Jonah | |
| John Quincy Adams | Adams | Short film | |
| Moon over Mercedes | Short film | ||
| The Killers | 2008 | Killer one | Student film |
| Blessed | 2002 | ||
| Tuffy | 2012 | Father | Short film |
| The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug | 2013 | Mirkwood Spider (voice) | |
| Slow West | 2015 | Peyote Joe |
Television
[edit]| Title | Year | Role | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lynn of Tawa | 1980 | University Student / Policeman | Television comedy special | |
| Rock Around the Clock | 1981 | Bodgie | Groper | Six episodes |
| Rock around the Clock | 1982 | Bodgie | Groper | Six episodes/Wrote |
| Lynn of Tawa Show | 1982 | Jock Strapp | First episode | |
| Pioneer Women | 1983 | Eddie | Episode: "Ettie Rout" | |
| Cuckoo Land | 1985 | Utmoor | Episode: "The Neighbour" | |
| Worzel Gummidge Down Under | 1987-1989 | Dagnation Take It / Terence | 2 episodes | |
| Public Eye | 1988-1989 | Various roles | ||
| The Ray Bradbury Theater | 1990-1992 | Larson / Boltz | 2 episodes | |
| Married | 1992 | Roy | Television film | |
| Skitz | 1993 | Various roles | ||
| Lynn of Tawa - In Search of the Great New Zealand Male | 1994 | Himself | Television comedy special | |
| Pulp Comedy | 1995-2003 | Various roles | ||
| Telly Laughs | 1996 | Various roles | ||
| The Semisis | Gary Belton | Episode: "1.1" | ||
| The Person Next Door | Self | Presenter | Mental health awareness film | |
| Mirror, Mirror II | 1998 | Henry | Episode: "Elephant Boy" | |
| The Legend of William Tell | Zark | Episode: "The Spirit of Kale" | ||
| The Adventures of Swiss Family Robinson | Sidney Thomas | 3 episodes | ||
| The Dark Knight | 2000-2001 | Card Gambler #1 / Phillipe de Mere | 2 episodes | |
| Shortland Street | 2001 | Rich Fortune | 1 episode | |
| Atlantis High | 2001-2002 | Mr. Quentin / Q | Recurring role; 10 episodes | |
| Revelations: The Initial Journey | 2002 | Lysias | Episode: "And Judas Had a Brother" | |
| Oscar & Friends | Dog / Opossum | Episode: "Oscar Takes Off" | ||
| The Strip | 2002-2003 | Ian "Dogwood" Douglas | 6 episodes | |
| The Tribe | 2003 | Dad | Episode: "5.33" | |
| The Insiders Guide to Happiness | 2004 | Father of the Bride | Episode: "Is Happiness an Accident?" | |
| From Len Lye to Gollum: New Zealand Animators | Mr. Pencil / Narrator | Television documentary | ||
| Outrageous Fortune | 2005-2010 | Eric Grady | Recurring role; 42 episodes | |
| The Lost Children | 2006 | Harold | Main role; 12 episodes | |
| Flight of the Conchords | 2009 | Brian, Prime Minister of New Zealand | 2 episodes |
Theatre
[edit]| Year 1979 | Title How the Other Half Loves | Role William Featherston | Venue Four Seasons Theatre
First Stand-Up gig Upper Hutt |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | The Lion in Winter | John | Fortune Theatre | |
| 1981 | Gimme Shelter | Chris, Teacher | BATS | |
| 1983 | Crimes of the Heart | Barnette Lloyd | Circa Theatre | |
| The Hangman | Prisoner Hurst | New Depot | ||
| Hot Water | Clive Palmer [8] | Downstage Theatre | ||
| 1984 | Election Revue | Various | Circa Theatre | |
| 1985 | Charley's Aunt | Lord Fancourt Babberley | Downstage | |
| 1986 | Unsuitable For Adults | Nick | Downstage | |
| 1987 | The Happy Witch | Darfus | Circa Theatre | |
| 1988 | Legal Revue | Various | Circa Theatre | |
| 1989 | Ladies' Night | Gavin | James Cabaret | |
| 1990 | Weed | Hugh Riorden | Circa | |
| Elizabeth: Almost by Chance a Woman | Dame Grosslady | BATS Theatre | ||
| 1992 | The Homecoming | Lenny | Circa | Won Chapman Tripp Award for Male Actor of the Year |
| A Dangerous Game | Alfredo Traps | BATS | ||
| 1993 | Arsenic and Old Lace | Dr. Herman Einstein | Downstage | |
| Summer of the Seventeenth Doll | Barney Ibbot | Downstage | ||
| Ladies' Night 2: Raging On | Gavin | Downstage | ||
| 1994 | I Hate Hamlet | Gary Peter Lefkowitz | Circa | Won Chapman Tripp Award for Male Actor in a Supporting Role |
| 1995 | Moonlight | Jake | Circa | |
| 1996 | Market Forces | Nick | Circa | |
| Uncle Vanya | Telegin | Herald Theatre | ||
| 1997 | Travels with My Aunt | Circa | ||
| Lady Windermere's Fan | Circa | |||
| Four Cities | Wojtek Milosz | Circa | ||
| 1998 | The Big Picture | Guy | Circa | |
| Closer | Larry | Circa | ||
| 1999 | This Train I'm On | Billy | Circa | |
| Shear Madness | No 5 Cable St Theatreplace | |||
| 2000 | Speaking in Tongues | Multiple roles | Circa | |
| 2001 | The Country Wife | Sparkish | Circa | |
| Othello | Iago | Court Theatre | ||
| Take a Chance on Me | Eric | Circa | ||
| 2002 | Shake The Bard | Petruchio, Macbeth, various | Tour | |
| 2002 | Meltdown | Jim Harrison | Circa | |
| 2004 | The Love of Humankind | Playwright / Rodney Pump | Circa | Won Chapman Tripp Award for Outstanding New Playwright of the Year |
| 2005 | A Midsummer Night's Dream | Hippolyta | Circa | |
| 2006 | Dinner | Mike | Circa | |
| 2008 | Mr Paradise | Mr Paradise | Salem State Theatre | |
| The Tempest | Prospero | Salem State Theatre | ||
| 2009 | Five short plays of Harold Pinter | Prisoner
Lover Doctor Dispatcher |
Five points theatre
Boston |
|
| 2010 | Boxed in | Frank | Firehouse theatre | Massachussets |
| Heidi | Grandfather | Newburyport theatre | '' '' '''''''''''' '' | |
| 2012 | The Truth Game | Rafe | Circa Theatre | |
| 2012 | Zombie Appocalypse | Stranger | Christmas flood aftermath play, touring | |
| 2014 | Revue | Sir Robert Muldoon | BATS | |
References
[edit]- ^ Smythe, John (2005). Downstage Upfront: A 40th Anniversary Biography of New Zealand's Longest Running Professional Theatre. Victoria University Press. p. 484. ISBN 9780864734891.
- ^ a b "Brian Sergent". NZ On Screen. Retrieved 12 October 2022.
- ^ Circa, 1996-2016 : and a celebration of forty years. Wellington. 2016. ISBN 978-0-9941302-3-5. OCLC 951440720.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^ Circa 1976-1996. John Reid, Ruth Jeffrey, Council of Circa Theatre. Wellington [N.Z.]: The Council of Circa Theatre. 1996. ISBN 0-473-04155-3. OCLC 37434951.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link) - ^ "Messageboard". Archived from the original on 29 July 2005. Retrieved 29 April 2009.
- ^ "Brian Sergent". NZ On Screen. Retrieved 10 October 2022.
- ^ "Theatre Aotearoa". Theatre Aoteatoa. University of Otago. Retrieved 10 October 2022.
- ^ "Brian Sergent, Downstage Theatre production of Hot Water". Downstage Theatre (Wellington): Photographs of productions. 1969-1970, 1976-1999. Downstage Theatre Company Ltd. 1983. Retrieved 10 October 2022.
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