New Zealand-born comic Jemaine Clement represents one-half of the "digi-folk parody" team Flight of the Conchords, opposite Bret McKenzie. From the early '90s onward, the multi-hyphenate Clement racked up credits as an actor, screenwriter, TV-show creator, and executive producer, with a strong genre emphasis on eccentric comedies. Clement began in 2002 by scripting and acting in the martial arts comedy Tongan Ninja -- the saga of the world's most powerful ninja, who must travel to the Patio of Death, fight an omnipotent enemy, and rescue the love of his life. Though McKenzie did not participate in that project, he and Clement teamed up in 2007 for the quirky HBO series Flight of the Conchords, a comedy woven around the theme of culture clash, following the pair's wacky adventures as a band trying to make it in New York City. Clement then could be seen solo again, with an acting role as Jarrod in Taika Waititi's deadpan absurdist comedy Eagle vs. Shark (2007). In 2009 he played an obnoxious author in the comedy Gentleman Broncos. He lent his vocal talents to the 2010 animated comedy Despicable Me, and worked again with Steve Carell in the American remake of Dinner with Schmucks. He returned to animated films with 2011's Rio and in 2012 he stepped into the third film in the successful Men in Black franchise.
Jemaine Clement
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- Formed a five-man comedy group in the mid-'90s called So You're a Man with future Flight of the Conchords partner Bret McKenzie.
- Between So You're a Man and FOTC, partnered with Taika Cohen as the Humourbeasts.
- Starred in Cohen's 2007 quirky romantic comedy Eagle vs. Shark.
- Appeared in numerous commercials for Outback Steakhouse.
- An appearance on HBO's One Night Stand in 2005 led to the development of the 2007 series Flight of the Conchords.
- For his Men in Black 3 (2012) role as villain Boris the Animal, had to grow a beard and spend four hours in makeup and prosthetics each day.