Accidental Icon: David Bowie Impression Defined Jemaine Clement's 17-Year Legacy

Jemaine Clement, a Grammy Award-winning and Emmy Award-nominated artist, continues to maintain a bustling career as an actor, writer, producer, and director. Rising to international prominence in 2007 with HBO's critically acclaimed series Flight of the Conchords alongside Bret McKenzie, Clement has since lent his distinctive vocal talents to animated blockbusters such as Despicable Me and Disney's Moana, and collaborated with renowned directors like James Cameron on the Avatar franchise. At this year's Annecy International Animation Film Festival, Clement sat down with Collider's Steve Weintraub to discuss his myriad of projects, including his role in New Zealand's pioneering stop-motion animated feature, Kiri and Lou Go Raa!

Kiri and Lou Go Raa! marks the feature-length debut for its beloved preschool characters, Kiri, a feisty dinosaur, and Lou, a gentle yellow creature voiced by Clement. The film, which explores navigating big emotions within a paper-and-clay world, is co-directed by Harry Sinclair, whose band, The Front Lawn, significantly influenced Flight of the Conchords. Clement, a long-time admirer of Sinclair and composer Don McGlashan, joined the project based on his respect for their work, having also been involved in the pilot a decade prior. He believes the film uniquely addresses themes like inclusion, grief, and rejection, making it highly relevant for young children.

Reflecting on his signature deadpan comedic style, Clement admits he is not naturally deadpan but has trained himself to suppress laughter while performing. He recalls an early high school experience where his flat facial expression inadvertently evoked laughter from peers. Clement attributes a pivotal shift in his industry perception to his portrayal of David Bowie in Flight of the Conchords. This role, which was unplanned and only came about after several other actors declined, led to subsequent offers for villainous characters and Bowie-inspired animated roles, including his character in Moana. He notes that the impression defined a significant portion of his career for nearly two decades.

Clement is also working with Duncan Jones, David Bowie's son, on the sci-fi epic Rogue Trooper. Shot in a remarkably short eight days, the motion-capture project was filmed like a stage play, with the entire cast, including Matt Berry and Aneurin Barnard, acting together on set—a stark contrast to the usual separate recording sessions for animated features. Clement, a fan of the 2000 AD comics that inspired the film, found joy in portraying a character he recognized from his youth. He expressed amazement at the visual accomplishments of director Jones on an indie budget, particularly the depiction of the planet Nu-Earth.

Regarding the status of We're Wolves, the highly anticipated spin-off movie from What We Do in the Shadows, Clement confirmed he and Taika Waititi have recently commenced writing. He elaborated on the differing creative processes between the original What We Do in the Shadows film, which featured 100% improvised dialogue to a storyline (made on a budget under $1 million), and the TV series, which is mostly scripted with occasional improv. For We're Wolves, they are debating whether to pursue a fully scripted approach or a largely improvised one. Clement revealed that even the original WWDITS movie had an underlying script, known only to him, Waititi, and some crew, which guided the narrative and ensured key lines were delivered. Due to their busy schedules, Clement anticipates the project might extend into 2027, though Zoom allows for remote collaboration.

Beyond Kiri and Lou Go Raa!, Clement has other stop-motion ventures, including Laika's Wildwood, which he has not yet seen. He has also completed his part in the Minecraft sequel, reprising his role as the same character, albeit in the