Brian Sergent (born 29 December 1959) is an actor born and based in Wellington, New Zealand.[1]
Sergent’s acting career began at age 15 playing Lionel in the soap opera, Close to Home.[2]
In television Sergent is known for playing Eric on Outrageous Fortune, the New Zealand Prime Minister on Flight of the Conchords, 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 in The Duchess of Malfi (1982), Travels with My Aunt (1997) and Take a Chance on Me (2001).[3] [4]
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 Jonah 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 has won multiple Chapman Tripp Theatre Awards for acting and writing. In 1992 he won Male Actor of the Year for his performances as Lenny in The Homecoming at the Circa Theatre and Alfredo Traps in A Dangerous Game at the BATS Theatre. In 1994, he won Best Male Actor in a Supporting Role for his performance of Gary Peter Lefkowitz in I Hate Hamlet at the Circa. In 2004, he won the award for Outstanding New Playwright of the Year for his play The Love of Humankind.[5]
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.
| Title | Year | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carry Me Back | 1982 | Andy | |
| 1987 | Spit Murphy (voice) | ||
| Meet the Feebles | 1989 | Wynyard the Frog / Trevor the Rat / F.W. Fly / Jim the Frog / Chuck the Frog / The Spider / Vietnamese Gophers (voice) | |
| Braindead | 1992 | Vet | Film called Dead Alive in North America |
| Absent Without Leave | Dick | ||
| Chicken | 1996 | Newsagent | |
| Via Satellite | 1998 | Brian | |
| The Shirt | 2000 | Marty | Short film |
| 2001 | Ted Sandyman | Extended edition | |
| Blessed | 2002 | ||
| 2003 | Additional character voices | ||
| Eagle vs Shark | 2007 | Jonah | |
| Moon Over Mercedes | 2012 | Old Radical | Short film |
| 2013 | Mirkwood Spider (voice) | ||
| Slow West | 2015 | Peyote Joe | |
| Title | Year | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lynn of Tawa | 1980 | University Student / Policeman | Television comedy special |
| Rock Around the Clock | 1981 | Bodgie | First episode |
| Lynn of Tawa Show | 1982 | Jock Strapp | First episode |
| Pioneer Women | 1983 | Eddie | Episode: "Ettie Rout" |
| Cuckoo Land | 1985 | Utmoor | Episode: "The Neighbour" |
| Worzel Gummidge Down Under | 1987-1989 | Dagnation Take It / Terence | 2 episodes |
| Public Eye | 1988-1989 | Various roles | |
| The Ray Bradbury Theater | 1990-1992 | Larson / Boltz | 2 episodes |
| Married | 1992 | Roy | Television film |
| Skitz | 1993 | Various roles | |
| Lynn of Tawa - In Search of the Great New Zealand Male | 1994 | Himself | Television comedy special |
| Pulp Comedy | 1995-2003 | Various roles | |
| Telly Laughs | 1996 | Various roles | |
| The Semisis | Gary Belton | Episode: "1.1" | |
| Mirror, Mirror II | 1998 | Henry | Episode: "Elephant Boy" |
| The Legend of William Tell | Zark | Episode: "The Spirit of Kale" | |
| The Adventures of Swiss Family Robinson | Sidney Thomas | 3 episodes | |
| The Dark Knight | 2000-2001 | Card Gambler #1 / Phillipe de Mere | 2 episodes |
| Shortland Street | 2001 | Rich Fortune | 1 episode |
| Atlantis High | 2001-2002 | Mr. Quentin / Q | Recurring role; 10 episodes |
| Revelations: The Initial Journey | 2002 | Lysias | Episode: "And Judas Had a Brother" |
| Oscar & Friends | Dog / Opossum | Episode: "Oscar Takes Off" | |
| The Strip | 2002-2003 | Ian "Dogwood" Douglas | 6 episodes |
| The Tribe | 2003 | Dad | Episode: "5.33" |
| The Insiders Guide to Happiness | 2004 | Father of the Bride | Episode: "Is Happiness an Accident?" |
| From Len Lye to Gollum: New Zealand Animators | Mr. Pencil / Narrator | Television documentary | |
| Outrageous Fortune | 2005-2010 | Eric Grady | Recurring role; 42 episodes |
| The Lost Children | 2006 | Harold | Main role; 12 episodes |
| Flight of the Conchords | 2009 | Brian, Prime Minister of New Zealand | 2 episodes |
| Year | Title | Role | Venue | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | The Lion in Winter | John | Fortune Theatre | |
| 1983 | Crimes of the Heart | Barnette Lloyd | Circa Theatre | |
| The Hangman | Prisoner Hurst | New Depot | ||
| Hot Water | Clive Palmer [6] | Downstage Theatre | ||
| 1985 | Charley's Aunt | Lord Fancourt Babberley | Downstage | |
| 1986 | Unsuitable For Adults | Downstage | ||
| 1989 | Ladies' Night | Gavin | James Cabaret | |
| 1990 | Weed | Hugh Riorden | Circa | |
| Dame Grosslady | BATS Theatre | |||
| 1992 | The Homecoming | Lenny | Circa | Won Chapman Tripp Award for Male Actor of the Year |
| A Dangerous Game | Alfredo Traps | BATS | ||
| 1993 | Arsenic and Old Lace | Dr. Herman Einstein | Downstage | |
| Summer of the Seventeenth Doll | Barney Ibbot | Downstage | ||
| Ladies' Night 2: Raging On | Gavin | Downstage | ||
| 1994 | I Hate Hamlet | Gary Peter Lefkowitz | Circa | Won Chapman Tripp Award for Male Actor in a Supporting Role |
| 1995 | Moonlight | Jake | Circa | |
| 1996 | Market Forces | Brian | Circa | |
| Uncle Vanya | Telegin | Herald Theatre | ||
| 1997 | Travels with My Aunt | Circa | ||
| Lady Windermere's Fan | Circa | |||
| Four Cities | Wojtek Milosz | Circa | ||
| 1998 | The Big Picture | Guy | Circa | |
| Closer | Larry | Circa | ||
| 1999 | This Train I'm On | Billy | Circa | |
| Shear Madness | No 5 Cable St Theatreplace | |||
| 2000 | Speaking in Tongues | Multiple roles | Circa | |
| 2001 | The Country Wife | Sparkish | Circa | |
| Othello | Iago | Court Theatre | ||
| Take a Chance on Me | Eric | Circa | ||
| 2002 | Meltdown | Jim Harrison | Circa | |
| 2004 | The Love of Humankind | Playwright / Rodney Pump | Circa | Won Chapman Tripp Award for Outstanding New Playwright of the Year |
| 2005 | A Midsummer Night's Dream | Hippolyta | Circa | |
| 2006 | Dinner | Mike | Circa | |