Membership in New Zealand’s fourth most popular novelty folk duo, Flight of the Conchords, is not without its perks. An acclaimed HBO series, a sold-out tour, a Grammy award-winning album and a lucrative endorsement opportunity are just a few of the rewards Jemaine Clement has enjoyed since he and his bandmate, Bret McKenzie, found success in the northern hemisphere.
But Jemaine isn’t one to rest on his laurels. (That’s more Bret’s speed.) He’s got his eyes dead set on movie stardom as well, and he’s ready to make his case to American audiences this week with his role as the gloriously pompous sci-fi author Dr. Ronald Chevalier in Gentlemen Broncos, the latest underdog comedy from Napoleon Dynamite writer-director Jared Hess.
Jemaine sat down with us recently to discuss his fondness for English accents, traumatic experiences as a young Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy fan, the possibility of a Conchords movie, and the state of his relationship with Bret. Behold:
Gentlemen Broncos opens in limited release this Friday, October 30.
