Michael Smileyhas been turning heads with roles inBad Sisters, The Lobster, The Other Boleyn Girl,andLuther.But ask the actor — who’s currently starring alongside Elijah Wood (The Lord of the Rings, Everything is Illuminated) in the family adventure filmBookworm— about his early days, and he’ll recall starting out as a stand-up comic and sharing a place with the likes of Simon Pegg and Nick Frost in the 1990s. All three of them were inthe brilliant UK comedy series,Spaced.
“It was a bit like a frat house, I guess,” Smiley recalled. “What was interesting about it was that everybody was exploring their abilities and trying to push their talent. So, short little films were getting made, little bits of animation were getting done, ideas were being bandied about, storytelling was going on in the early hours of the morning, music was being mixed, parties were being thrown.” He added:
“It was all leading up toSpaced.You know, my character was an ex-bike messenger, who was a techno DJ and a house music fanatic. So, you know, we [Michael, Simon, and Nick] were doing those things at the weekends — sitting around like young people do, telling each other’s lives. And through that came storylines and through that I wrote a trilogy of plays during the time we were living together.”
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Smiley went on to say that the trilogy of plays was performed in Edinburgh, Australia, and New Zealand, noting that his time with Pegg and Frost, “was a very creative time… quite hedonistic but very creative as well, and I think those two things go together when you’re younger. It was part of that experiment with what is your potential, you know?”
We do know. Pegg and Frost went on to craft their famous “Three Flavours Cornetto,” the classic film trilogy that isShaun of the Dead(2004),Hot Fuzz(2007), andThe World’s End(2013). Simon Pegg also made a dent playing Scotty in the Kelvin timelineStar Trekfilms.Meanwhile, Nick Frostcan currently be seen in the horror thriller,Black Cab.
From Stand-Up to a Standout Role in Bookworm
InBookworm,directed by Ant Thompson, Smiley plays Arnold, one of the shady antagonists in a film that finds a smart young girl (Nell Fisher) and her fallen magician pops (Wood) embarking on a New Zealand wilderness adventure to find a mysterious black panther. Smiley calls the live-action film heartwarming, noting:
“There’s not many films out there like this unless they’re animated. You know, the ‘loving family vibe’ is normally [seen] in animation. We usually keep it on animal-based or alien-based characters. It’s rare that we’re seeing live-action with real human beings going through these experiences.”
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Bookwormhas been acclaimed since its release.In MovieWeb’s review, we write, “hanks to the taut script by Toby Harvard, which never meanders too far, the film is a joy. With breathtakingly scenic New Zealand on display, and fine performances from the film’s leads,Bookwormis an instant crowd-pleaser, serving up just as much heart as it does adventure and intrigue.“CatchBookwormin theaters. Watch the trailer below.
An estranged magician and his bookish daughter embark on a camping trip in the New Zealand wilderness. Amidst a family crisis, their quest to find the mythical Canterbury Panther becomes a transformative journey, testing their bond and challenging their perceptions of reality and each other.
