Brian Sergent
Brian Sergent (born 29 December 1959) is an actor born and based in Wellington, New Zealand.[1]
Background
Sergent’s acting career began at age 15 playing Lionel in the soap opera, Close to Home.
Brian is also known for playing Eric on Outrageous Fortune, the New Zealand Prime Minister on Flight of the Conchords (similarly named Bryan), and Harold in The Lost Children. One of his most popular characters, cabin steward Gavin Soper, appeared on the Pulp Comedy television series.
Sergent has a strong association with Circa Theatre in Wellington. He performed as five different characters in Time of My Life, ten roles in Greater Tuna, eleven characters in Travels with My Aunt and several roles in The Duchess of Malfi and Take a Chance on Me.
Sergent’s film credits include Peter Jackson’s Meet the Feebles, Braindead and Lord of the Rings, Absent Without Leave, Via Satellite, the lead role as Marty in The Shirt and Noah in Eagle vs. Shark.
Radio listeners are quite familiar with Sergent's reading of short stories, novels and radio plays on Radio New Zealand where he is still actively involved.
Sergent won The Chapman Tripp theatre award in 2004 for most promising new playwright for his play The Love of Humankind.[2]
He also won the Chapman Tripp theatre award in 1994 for male supporting actor of the year and the Chapman Tripp theatre award in 1992 for male actor of the year.
After taking a break from the show for nearly three years, Sergent returned to Outrageous Fortune as Eric in the second to last episode of the fifth season.
Filmography
Television
- 2009: Flight of The Conchords (Prime Minister Bryan)
- 2005–06, 2009–10: Outrageous Fortune (Eric)
- 2006: The Lost Children (TV) (Harold)
- 2004: The Insiders Guide to Happiness:[3] Is Happiness an Accident? (Father of the Bride)
- 2004: From Len Lye to Gollum (narrator) (winner of 2005 qantas media awards best documentary)
- 2002: The Strip:[4] Opening Night ('Dogwood' Douglas)
- 2002: The Strip:[4] Epiphany ('Dogwood' Douglas)
- 2001–2002: Atlantis High (Quentin / Q; recurring role)
- 2001: Shortland Street (Rich Fortune)
- 2000: Dark Knight (Phillipe de Mere)
- 1998: The Semisis: Episode #1.1 [5] (Mr. Belton)
- 1997: The Legend of William Tell: The Spirit of Kale (Zark)
- 1996: Telly Laughs (Various Characters)
- 1993: Skitzo (Various Characters)
- 1992: The Ray Bradbury Theater: The Long Rain (Boltz)
- 1990: The Ray Bradbury Theater: Mars Is Heaven (Larson)
- 1990: The Armchair Shopper (host)
- 1986: Worzel Gummidge Down Under (Mildew Turnip), 1987 series 2 (Jeremy)
Guest star
- Atlantis High: Mr Quentin/Q
- The Insiders Guide to Happiness: (Is Happiness an Accident?) Father of the Bride
- Dark Knight: (Ultimate Sword) Card Player #1
- Dark Knight: (Kha) Baron Phillipe de Mere
- The Legend of William Tell: (The Spirit of Kale) Zark
Film
- 2015: Slow West (Peyote Joe)
- 2007: Eagle vs Shark (Jonah)
- 2003: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (voices)
- 2002: Blessed [6]
- 2001: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (extended edition) (Ted Sandyman)
- 2000: The Shirt [7] (Marty)
- 1998: Via Satellite [8] (Brian)
- 1996: Chicken [9] (voices) (Orson Welles and James Mason)
- 1992: Heavenly Creatures [10]
- 1992: Braindead (Vet)
- 1992: Absent Without Leave [11] (Dick)
- 1989: Meet the Feebles (voice) (Wynyard the Frog, Trevor the Rat, F. W. Fly, Jim the Frog, Chuck the Frog, The Spider, Vietnamese Gophers)
- 1987: Footrot Flats: The Dog's Tale [12] (voice) (Spit Murphy)
- 1982: Carry Me Back [13] (Andy)
Short films
- 2002: Dying Light
- 1998: The Shirt
- 1992: I'm In Here
Theatre
- 2006: Dinner
- 2005: A Midsummer Night's Dream
- 2004: The Love Of Humankind (outstanding New Zealand playwright of the year)
- 2001: Othello
- 2001: Meltdown
- 2001: Speaking in Tongues
- 2001: Take A Chance On Me
- 2001: The Country Wife
- 1999: Shear Madness
- 1999: This Train I'm On
- 1998: Closer
- 1998: Four Cities
- 1998: The Big Picture
- 1997: Travels with My Aunt
- 1997: Lady Windermere's Fan
- 1996: Uncle Vanya
- 1996: Market Forces
- 1995: Moonlight
- 1994: I Hate Hamlet (Chappman Tripp award supporting actor of the year)
- 1994: Arsenic and Old Lace
- 1993: Ladies Night
- 1993: Summer of the Seventeenth Doll
- 1993: Arsenic and Old Lace
- 1993: A Dangerous Game
- 1992: The Homecoming (Chappman Tripp award actor of the year)
- 1991: Elizabeth
- 1990: Weed
- 1986: Unsuitable for Adults
- 1986: Ladies Night
- 1986: Greater Tuna
- 1985: Charley's Aunt
- 1985: Torch Song Trilogy
- 1984: Full Marx 2
- 1983: Full Marx 1
- 1983: The Hangman
- 1983: Hot Water
- 1983: The Hangman
- 1983: Crimes of the Heart
- 1982: The Duchess of Malfi
- 1980: A Lion in Winter
- 1981: Hidden Agenda
- 1979: Barefoot in the Park
References
- Smythe, John (2005). Downstage Upfront: A 40th Anniversary Biography of New Zealand's Longest Running Professional Theatre. Victoria University Press. p. 484. ISBN 9780864734891.
- "Messageboard". Archived from the original on 29 July 2005. Retrieved 29 April 2009.
- The Insiders Guide to Happiness on IMDb
- The Strip on IMDb
- The Semisis on IMDb
- Blessed on IMDb
- The Shirt on IMDb
- Via Satellite on IMDb
- Chicken on IMDb
- Heavenly Creatures on IMDb
- Absent Without Leave on IMDb
- Footrot Flats: The Dog's Tale on IMDb
- Carry Me Back on IMDb