Imagine for a moment if Ricky Gervais came from New Zealand and didn’t have an over-inflated ego. Okay, the man you’re thinking of is probably very much like like Rhys Darby. Darby has been on the UK stand-up circuit for years and recently moved to acting, playing the hilarious band manager in the HBO comedy FLIGHT OF THE CONCHORDS.

Turns out Hollywood is starting to take notice as he’s snagged a role in YES MAN, the Jim Carrey comedy that’s using Danny Wallace’s book of the same name as source material.

“The director Peyton Reed is a big fan of FLIGHT OF THE CONCHORDS, and loved my work in that. So I got a call from him and he asked me to audition on a tape, which I sent him from the UK,” said Darby.

Speaking about his character Norman and his relationship with Carrey’s Karl, Darby tells Chortle what hijinks he’ll get up to by answering “yes” to everything that’s asked of him.

“Norman is a real nerdy loser boss – similar to my character in Concords but even more nerdy and even less cool.

“Karl’s stuck in a boring job, he’s divorced from his job and all his mates are sick of him because he never goes out. That’s until he gets involved in the Yes Project to say “yes” to everything.

“Karl ignores his boss, thinks he’s an idiot, until he gets involved in this movement. Then he has to accept an invite to his boss’s party where you have to wear a funny hat or funny wig – that’s how nerdy Norman is.”

Here’s a quick taster of Darby pining for a beautiful IT tech support worker on FLIGHT OF THE CONCHORDS.

source - film ick, chortle