Rhys Darby facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Rhys Darby
Rhys Darby at the 68th BFI London Film Festival premiere of That Christmas on 19 October 2024
Born	Rhys Montague Darby (1974-03-21) 21 March 1974 (age 51) Auckland, New Zealand
Occupation	Actor comedian
Years active	1996–present
Spouse(s)	Rosie Carnahan (m. 2004)
Children	2

Rhys Montague Darby (born 21 March 1974) is a funny actor and comedian from New Zealand. He is famous for his energetic physical comedy, where he tells stories using mime and cool sound effects, like machines or animals. He won the Fred Award in 2012 for being the best New Zealand comedian.

Rhys Darby is well-known for playing Murray Hewitt. Murray was the band manager in the TV show Flight of the Conchords. He also played this role in the BBC radio series. Rhys has been in many movies, including Yes Man (2008), What We Do in the Shadows (2014), and Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017). From 2022 to 2023, he starred as Stede Bonnet in the TV series Our Flag Means Death.

Early Life

Rhys Darby was born in Auckland, New Zealand, on 21 March 1974. He grew up in a place called Pakuranga. He went to Edgewater College. Before becoming a comedian, he was a soldier in the New Zealand Army. He left the army in 1994 and started studying at the University of Canterbury.

In 1996, he started a comedy duo called Rhysently Granted with Grant Lobban. They won a comedy contest and began performing in local places.

Comedy and Acting Career

Rhys Darby performing in 2007

After performing at two international comedy festivals, Rhys Darby moved back to Auckland. He wanted to try doing solo stand-up comedy. In 2002, he performed his first solo show at the 2002 Edinburgh Festival Fringe. After that, he moved to the UK to continue his comedy career.

Flight of the Conchords

In 2004, Rhys Darby joined the Flight of the Conchords BBC radio series. He played the band's manager, Brian Nesbit. When the show became a TV series, his character's name changed to Murray Hewitt. This role made him very popular. He also sang on some songs for the band.

Movie Roles

Rhys Darby has acted in many movies. In 2008, he played Norman, the boss of Jim Carrey's character, in the movie Yes Man. He also appeared in The Boat That Rocked (2009), which was called Pirate Radio in some countries.

In 2014, he played Anton in the comedy horror film What We Do in the Shadows. He was also in the popular movies Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017) and Jumanji: The Next Level (2019) as Nigel Billingsley.

Television Roles

Rhys Darby has been in many TV shows. In 2016, he played Guy Mann in an episode of The X-Files. He was a big fan of the show and loved being part of it.

From 2022 to 2023, Rhys starred in the HBO Max series Our Flag Means Death. He played the pirate captain Stede Bonnet. Many people loved the show and his performance. Critics said it was one of his best roles ever. Rhys himself called it "the best thing I’ve ever done."

In November 2023, Rhys Darby hosted the 51st International Emmy Awards. He also presented awards at other big events in early 2024. In June 2024, he appeared in fun videos for the video game Final Fantasy XIV.

Rhys Darby announced in November 2024 that he would return to stand-up comedy. His new show, called The Legend Returns, is planned for 2025.

Personal Life

Rhys Darby is the youngest of five children. He was raised by his single mother and had a close bond with his sister, Linda.

He met his wife, Rosie Carnahan, at her café in Christchurch where he was performing comedy. They got married in 2004 and have two sons. Since 2014, Rhys and his family have lived in Los Angeles, California.

Rhys Darby has shared that he is on the autism spectrum and has ADHD.

Filmography

Movies

Television Shows

Comedy Specials

• Imagine That! (2008)
• It's Rhys Darby Night! (2011)
• This Way to Spaceship (2012)
• I'm a Fighter Jet (2017)
• Mystic Time Bird (2021)

Video Games

Awards and Nominations

Rhys Darby has been recognized for his comedy and acting.