Jemaine Atea Mahana Clement (born 10 January, 1974) is a New Zealand comedian, actor and multi-instrumentalist, best known as one half of the musical comedy duo Flight of the Conchords along with Bret McKenzie and the voice of Nigel the Cockatoo in the Rio film series.
Early life
Clement was born Jemaine Atea Mahana Clement in Masterton, New Zealand on 10 January, 1974 and was raised by his MÄori mother, in the Wairarapa region. He attended Makoura College in Masterton. After graduation, he moved to New Zealand's capital Wellington, where he studied drama and film at Victoria University of Wellington. There he met Taika Waititi (a.k.a. Taika Cohen) with whom he went on to form So You're a Man and The Humourbeasts. In 2004, the Humourbeasts toured New Zealand in a stage show titled The Untold Tales of Maui, a rework of the traditional Maori legends of MÄui. The duo received New Zealand's highest comedy honour, the Billy T Award.
Career
Music
Clement and Bret McKenzie formed Flight of the Conchords while at Victoria University. They have toured internationally and released four CDs: Folk the World Tour in 2002, The Distant Future EP in 2007, Flight of the Conchords in 2008 and I Told You I Was Freaky in 2009. The Conchords produced a six-part improvisational comedy radio program on BBC Radio 2 and have appeared on Late Night with Conan O'Brien, the Late Show with David Letterman and The Late Late Show. After appearing in 2005 on HBO's One Night Stand, the Conchords were offered their own 12-part HBO series Flight of the Conchords. Its first season ran from June to September 2007, and was renewed for a second season, which aired on HBO in the US from January to March 2009. In December 2009, the Conchords announced the show would not have a third season.
Film and television
Clement has appeared in several feature films. His debut was in the kung fu comedy Tongan Ninja, directed by New Zealander Jason Stutter. He has worked with Stutter on two more movies to date: the low budget ghost comedy Diagnosis Death and the drama Predicament, based on the book by late New Zealand novelist Ronald Hugh Morrieson. Clement also has a role in American comedy Gentlemen Broncos, directed by Napoleon Dynamite's Jared Hess. This role landed him a nomination for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male. Though Gentlemen Broncos was almost universally panned by critics, some singled out Clement's performance for praise. In 2010 he voiced Jerry in Despicable Me and appeared in the film Dinner for Schmucks. In 2011 he voiced Nigel in Rio, and in 2012 he appeared as the primary antagonist Boris the Animal in Men in Black 3. In 2012 Jemaine co-wrote and co-directed a vampire mockumentary titled What We Do in the Shadows with fellow comedian Taika Waititi. It premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on 19 January 2014. He also voiced Nigel in Rio 2.
Clement has starred in television commercials internationally and provided voiceovers for many others in New Zealand. On 5 February 2006, Outback Steakhouse began running a series of television commercials starring Clement during Super Bowl XL in which Clement pretends to be Australian and feigns an Australian accent. One of the long-running gags of Flight of the Conchords is the traditional rivalry between New Zealand and Australia and the differences between their accents. The campaign ended in July 2006.
Clement has been involved in award winning radio work. In 1999, Clement was a Radio Awards Winner as writer for Trashed, for Channel Z, Wellington. In 2000, he was given a Special Radio Awards Commendation for The Sunglass Store.
Besides his television work on Flight of the Conchords, Clement was a writer and cast member of the television shows Skitz and Tellylaughs in New Zealand. Clement, with fellow Conchord member Bret McKenzie, guest starred as a pair of camp counselors in "Elementary School Musical", the season premiere of the 22nd season of The Simpsons, which aired on 26 September 2010.
Clement was featured as one of 2008's "100 Sexiest People" in a special edition of the Australian magazine Who. Fellow Conchord member McKenzie appeared on the same list.
Personal life
In August 2008, Clement married his longtime girlfriend, theatre actress and playwright Miranda Manasiadis. Clement's first child, a son named Sophocles Iraia Clement, was born in October 2008, in New York City.
Filmography
