Jono, Ben & Megan - The Podcast - The Legend Returns: We Catch Up With Rhys Darby!

Episode Date: March 26, 2025

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The John O'Benn and Megan podcast thanks to HelloFresh, your home advantage for delicious midweek dinners everyone will love. The legend returns and the legend returns to our studio. Good to see you Rhys. Thank you, thank you. Great to have you back in New Zealand. I love how you've gone for a non-humble name of your show too. Yeah look it wasn't my idea mate, that's obviously the fans who put together and wrote that one down. We had a competition and this was the winning one. I did notice in another interview you were saying that, you know, it's a very New Zealand thing to say legend after a lot of things, right?

Yeah, 100%. Yeah, like, you know, you managed to fix a broken ranch slider or something. You're a legend. Bring some chips to a party. You're a legend. We are very fast and loose with legend, aren't we? Now, you've been touring over in the States.

Yes. How's that gone? Great. So that's why I've had we? Now, you've been touring over in the States. Yes. How's that gone? Great. So that's why I've had to sort of develop my show. And I'm not known as a stand-up over there. So of late, they are starting to realise I do do stand-up. They're kind of finding me. But it's thanks to some of my last acting roles

that my audience have really sort of started attending my live work. And I've been able to develop this new show thanks to that. It's been a while since you've done stand-up. Why? You've had some awesome movies that Christmas. We love that in our house. Why are you going back to stand-up now? The world needs it, unfortunately.

Yeah, the Dabmeister must return. The legend returns. Yeah, because look atmeister must return. The legend returns. Yeah, because look at what's happening on the planet. It's just bloody misery. And when it comes to the artificial intelligence situation, this massive revolution that I talk about and we're all a part of, as a creative, now's the time we have to make some sort of a stand.

And my stand against this stuff is to you know write a creative comedy show about it because we're amongst it uh in the industry i'm involved in with voice work and and and acting to a certain degree you know the ai is coming in and and taking our jobs is hollywood is hollywood concerned about ai? Yeah. 100%. I've got writer friends who, you know, and it's only getting faster and better. AI is now creating AI, you know, to make sure that it's just getting out of control. Yeah.

So I think live comedy will be the last thing to go, but it's the human connection that I'm really interested in because that's why we go to bands. That's why we go to comedy because we want to see us this the human condition uh to be laughed at by us not by robots we're not interested in robots um pretending to be us and us laughing at them so i'm doing that do it the other way around because you started you know with the law sounds like robot voices now you're worried ai is going to do a better robot than you i am it. It's turning its head on me.

So I've got to fight back, guys. You're on its radar. I know. One thing I want to ask you, Rhys, is because just looking at you and when you talk, you just want to smile. Okay? So every time you say something, I just want to smile. Do you have moments in your life where you're actually, you're needing to be serious, you're wanting to get a serious message across,

and someone across the desk is just laughing and smiling, thinking you're doing comedy? Most yeah and i know that it's it's uh the crux of this kind of thing that i'm talking about is quite serious but at the end of the day you know it's we the best part about being human is is that we have a great sense of humor we have a sense of humor and the ai and the robots don't. And they're not going to get there. So, yeah, so it's about sort of celebrating that art form. Good on you. Also, you know, growing up, you know, with your kids growing up,

you know, being around showbiz, I heard a story the other day. One of your son's first memories was Jim Carrey making him laugh. I mean, how's that? Yeah, it blows me away. But, yeah, that's the thing. I did that Yes Man movie, and little Finn would have been in a stroller or something at that point. Even before Jim leant over and pulled a few faces, I had comics in Edinburgh do the same thing to him. And he's grown up with this kind of thing.

And he doesn't judge, you know, that you're a massive celebrity. All humans to him are just funny flesh suits cruising around trying to make cash. Oh, my God. What a brilliant, funny flesh suit. Flesh suit. Trying to make cash. Trying to make some cash.

How old are the kids, and what are they wanting to do with life? So Finn's 19. He's in a rock band. Great. And their music is on Spotify. They're called Great Big Cow. He's doing really well.

He performed here in New Zealand not long ago, right? Yeah, he performed here and he performs a lot in LA. He's very busy and living in New York and Brooklyn. And my other boy is 15 and he's now also taking to music. He's a drummer and he's really good at school. So he's in a really good high school. So he's got four years left in his school Do you know what I love about you is that

Every time you come back or like Whenever anyone talks to you, you haven't done a Madonna So you spend a lot of time In LA and you travel around and everything But you've still got your Kiwi accent Oh yeah Have you ever encountered a role or a job where someone's tried to Beat that out of you?

They hire me because Of who I am and what I can do. And so that takes precedence over an American accent or something. If you want an American, there's plenty there. You know what I mean? There's plenty there. I've got three lines from some of your iconic characters. Now, can you give us a background into the character and how the lines were delivered so we can hear the real, you know.

This is a restarting masterclass right now. So this first one is a classic from the Jumanji movies, the new ones. Big fan. Nigel Billingsley. Yeah, so he is basically the main ranger. He runs Jumanji, drives the Land Rover, and when the gamers land, he gives them the mission. The Rock, Kevin Hart, Jack Black.

Big stars, but Nigel doesn't care. So Nigel would deliver a line like... He's an NPC. I'll recite in verse, return the jewel and lift the curse. If you wish to leave the game, you must save Jumanji and call out its name.

Oh, that's good. Okay, so that's Nigel. That's Nigel's range, yeah? So that's basically... I mean, I've had no time here to look at this, guys. This is right off the cuff. Which is actually perfect for me.

The next one, Murray Hewitt, the famous band manager of Flight of the Conchords. And so you'll notice him, the difference here. Okay, band meeting. Murray, present. Brett, present.

Yep. Jermaine, you're present. I can see you there. All right, and I haven't got time for any of your time wasting today. I've got good news. I've booked us the biggest tour ever. I say us, I mean Reece Darby. It's called The Legend Returns.

That's very good. I'm a little honoured to have witnessed that in real life. There you go. Now, then we go, the third one here on the list is Norm. And he's from Yes Man, which is the big Jim Carrey movie that I did. My first movie ever, working with a massive icon. One of your heroes too, one of your comedy heroes. 100%, yeah.

And luckily, never meet your heroes. Well, I met him and worked with him, was very 100%, yeah, and luckily, never meet your heroes. Well, I met him and worked with him, was very close to him, and he was wonderful. That's awesome. Do you still keep in touch with Jim to this day? No, he's deleted my name. Very close.

You called me Norm. Hey, could that be our nickname? Yes, I like your style, car. Hey, that could be yours, car. I love your character in that movie. He's so good. Just a wide-eyed and just wants everyone to like. He's optimistic. Yeah.

Have you turned down a role and you were like, damn it. I will do anything. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah. No, of course, of course. Oh, you mean a damn it situation, like a darn it? Yeah, where you've looked at the film and gone, geez, that would have been a great one to do.

Oh, yeah, there was one, there was a slight turn down. It's the famous Chris O'Dowd story. We know him, Chris, the Irish actor, very funny. He was in the IT crowd. Yes. And so I got offered the role as Dinna for Schmucks. I think it was. Oh, yeah.

Jermaine was in it. I got a role on that as a blind swordsman or something this is going way back and um i had to turn it down because uh rosie was pregnant with with theo and so there was just a bad timing but it was a hollywood thing and then and then i saw it and you know it was okay it was you know it was a fairly good movie good comedy movies they're not coming out as often as they used to yeah and i wish they put more out but then he went on to get more and more stuff um bridesmaids was a big one for him you always think about oh okay so if that could have that could have been my trajectory yes you know um because he got to use his irish accent that's when he's always the funniest, when he can do an American. But I always think of him as the essence of a really funny comic actor from Ireland.

Oh, very cool. But yeah. Hey, you've done pretty well for yourself. Yeah, the odd bus goes through that you miss, but there's always another one coming along. And if not, just grab one of those electric scooters. Electric returns at Wellington this week we've got Christchurch

and Auckland as well couple of dates as well so good to have you back what's one thing you have to do I saw you had some LMP last night back in New Zealand

is there one thing you need to do always searching me always following me online what's he up to he's having an LMP he's having an LMP oh there he is

wait till I have the pie I haven't had any pie yet I'll just give you a lot of that we'll do a special Oh, there he is. Wait till I have the pie. I haven't had any pie yet. I'll be posting that. We'll do a special news bulletin for that one, Rhys. I'd love to get on the news on the six o'clock, me having a pie. What's it like? I'm still good.

What did you go for? Steak and cheese. What a legend, mate. It's so good to see you again. Thanks for hanging out, Rhys. It's awesome. No worries. Good to be back.