Rhys Darby

Rhys Darby first gained attention in the United States as Murray in HBO's ‘Flight of the Conchords’. This was not a new role for him, having first appeared in the same role on the BBC radio show of the same name. An ex-soldier in the New Zealand Army and a veteran of ten years as a stand-up comedian, Darby made his feature film debut in ‘Yes Man’. He then went on to feature as one of the DJ's in Richard Curtis' forthcoming film, ‘The Boat that Rocked’. He has since completed two lead roles in romantic comedies to be released soon, ‘Coming and Going’ opposite Sasha Alexander (NCIS) and ‘Lovebirds’ opposite Golden Globe winner Sally Hawkins.

Rhys has recently starred in a series of Hewlett Packard advertisements opposite luminaries such as Dr Dre and Annie Leibowitz.

Darby is never far from his standup roots. His standup has been described as a sensational blend of sound effects, characterizations and askew observations. His career has taken him from his homeland of New Zealand, to the U.K. and beyond. He has performed his unique brand of humour in places as far flung as Iceland to the Falkland Islands, and in festivals from the Edinburgh Fringe Festival to Montreal’s Just for Laughs. The release of his stand-up DVD, ‘Rhys Darby: Imagine That!’ filmed live in LA last year is one of his proudest achievements. He has toured a new show, It’s Rhys Darby Night to London, Edinburgh and NZ last year. He will bring the same show to Australia in 2010. It features brand new stand-up and appearances from his favourite characters, ranger Bill Napier, whale watcher Ron Taylor and UFOlogist Steve Whittle.

After living in the U.K. and the U.S. for seven years, Darby now spends his time off at home in New Zealand with his wife and two young sons.