Obscure Celebrity of the Week: Richard Ayoade

Do you like how that whole "...of the Week" thing is becoming more "...of the biannual"? Yeah, I thought so. You seemed like someone who would like that.

Anyways, this year's Obscure Celebrity Crush of the Week is everyone's favorite British TV actor of Norwegian-Nigerian descent Richard Ayoade! And we thought the only good thing coming out of Britain right now was Susan Boyle. Apparently they have TV channels! A whole four of them! I first learned of M. Ayoade's beautifully obscure celebrity from the TV show "The I.T. Crowd" - produced by the same guy as the British "Office" (though the show has more of the same tone as "Black Books" which shares the director and writer with "The I.T. Crowd." "Black Books" which also features obscure celebrity crush Irish comedian Dylan Moran - longest parenthetical run-on ever!)As geeky dreamhunk Maurice Moss on "The I.T. Crowd," Richard Ayoade manages to make every line he says absolutely hysterical. His delivery is amazing; what can only be described as a slightly annoyed 12-year-old boy mixed with an old British man with pipe and sock garters is a perfect combination for manchild Moss. And, he does all this while rocking a neo-Frederick Douglas hairstyle! This man may be the coming of the messiah.

From my very reliable wiki-research it would appear he got his start working on the show "Garth Marenghi's Darkplace" - which as a huge anglophile-nerdpants I've known about for a while but didn't actually watch until recently. The parody of an '80s Stephen King-style horror/literature show is dead on, complete with eerily realistic intentional bad editing and acting. His character of producer-gone-actor Dean Learner is lifechanging, from his straightforward and somewhat cocky delivery as the producer to his totally uncomfortable and shifty-eyed acting attempts as the actor.

It's no surprise that he's also friends with "The Mighty Boosh" guys (but then again, who isn't?). It would appear that all the actors on cult British TV shows like got a pint together at university and cast each other in hilarious cameos all the time. Like Noel Fielding's kind of amazing portrayal of office goth Richmond on "The I.T. Crowd." But self proclaimed "gothic detective" Noel Fielding will have to wait for another post since he is MAYBE NOT OBSCURE ENOUGH. Richard Ayoade's small roll in "The Mighty Boosh" as an irritated soothsayer named Saboo is what it's about.

Richard? Are you wearing eyeliner? What are you trying to do to me.

In my post-holidays haze/coma I'm thrilled to have a new obscure celebrity to impart to all of you. And a multi-talented one, at that! In addition to acting and acting as producers, he directs music videos (that naturally feature actors from cult British TV shows) and just came out with a concert film of the Arctic Monkeys (who apparently had in England more than just the one big hit they had here). He's in the process of directing his first feature-length film as well. I see nothing but good stuff coming his way.

Rawr.