Bret McKenzie
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Bret McKenzie | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | Rhymenoceros, Video Kid |
| Born | June 29, 1976 |
| Origin | Wellington, New Zealand |
| Occupation(s) | Musician/Comedian |
| Instrument(s) | Guitar, Piano, Drums, Vocals, Ukulele, Synthesizer |
| Years active | 1994-Present |
| Label(s) | Sub Pop |
| Associated acts | Flight of the Conchords, The Black Seeds, So You're a Man |
| Notable instrument(s) | |
| Casio DG20 digital guitar (1987) | |
Bret Peter Tarrant McKenzie (born 29 June 1976 in Wellington, New Zealand) is a musician, actor, producer, writer and comedian, best known for being half of the musical comedy duo Flight of the Conchords with Jemaine Clement.
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[edit] Background
McKenzie is a former member of The Black Seeds. He has released an album called Prototype as Video Kid[1] and is a member of the Wellington International Ukulele Orchestra.[2] McKenzie attended Clifton Terrace Model School (model in the sense of a standard school for training teachers; not a school for models), Wellington College and then Victoria University of Wellington where he met Jemaine Clement who was also studying film and theatre. Together they were members of So You're a Man. They later formed Flight of the Conchords.
As The Conchords they have toured internationally and released three CDs: Folk the World Tour in 2002, Grammy Award-winning The Distant Future in 2007, and Grammy nominated Flight of the Conchords in 2008. The Conchords produced a six-part improvisational comedy radio program for the BBC and have appeared on Late Night with Conan O'Brien, The Late Show with David Letterman and The Late Late Show. After a successful appearance in 2005 on HBOs One Night Stand, the Conchords were offered their own 12-part HBO series Flight of the Conchords. Its first season ran from June to September 2007, and its second season premiered on HBO January 18, 2009.
McKenzie has appeared in the first and third films in Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy. His silent role in the first film achieved some internet notoriety as Figwit. His father Peter McKenzie played the role of Elendil in Lord of the Rings.
Along with fellow Conchord Jemaine, McKenzie was featured as one of 2008's "100 Sexiest People" in a special edition of the Australian magazine Who.
[edit] Personal life
He is married to New Zealand publicist Hannah Clarke[3] and currently lives in Los Angeles, New York and Wellington, New Zealand. McKenzie and his wife are expecting a baby.[4]
[edit] Selected filmography
| Year | Title | Character | Format | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring | Elf at Council of Elrond | Feature film | Uncredited |
| 2003 | The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King | Elf Escort (Figwit) | Feature film | |
| 2007-present | Flight of the Conchords | Bret McKenzie | TV series | Also creator, co-writer & executive producer |
| 2008 | The Drinky Crow Show | Rob, the Alien | TV series | Episodes: "Beer Goggles" and "Old Girlfriend" |
| 2009 | Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! | Tim Heidecker | TV series | Episode: "Tennis" |
[edit] References
- ^ "Video Kid". http://www.videokid.tv/.
- ^ "Wellington International Ukulele Orchestra". http://www.ukulele.co.nz.
- ^ "Bride of the Conchord - Bret marries childhood sweetheart". New Zealand. 2009-03-22. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/news/article.cfm?c_id=6&objectid=10562875. Retrieved on 2009-05-21.
- ^ "Conchord has wings clipped". Fairfax New Zealand. 20 March 2009. http://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/2278386/Conchord-has-wings-clipped. Retrieved on 2009-05-17.
[edit] External links
- Bret McKenzie at the Internet Movie Database
- Flight of the Conchords Official Site
- What The Folk! Flight of the Conchords fan site
- BBC Radio 2
- Flight of the Conchords Official MySpace
- Bret McKenzie biography on NZ On Screen
- Dawnskate-88 music video from the Video Kid
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