Jemaine Clement

Jemaine Atea Mahana Clement (born 10 January 1974) is a New Zealand actor, comedian, musician, and filmmaker. He has released several albums with Bret McKenzie as the musical comedy duo Flight of the Conchords, and created the comedy television series of the same name (2007–2009) for both the BBC and HBO, for which he received six Primetime Emmy nominations.

He has had featured parts in films including Eagle vs Shark (2007), Gentlemen Broncos (2009), Men in Black 3 (2012), People Places Things (2015), The BFG (2016), Avatar: The Way of Water (2022), and A Minecraft Movie (2025). He has also done voice work for Rio (2011) and its 2014 sequel, Moana (2016), The Lego Batman Movie (2017), Thelma the Unicorn (2024), and Wildwood (2026).

In 2014, he made his directorial debut with What We Do in the Shadows, which he also co-wrote, co-directed and co-starred in with Taika Waititi, and later adapted the film into the FX television series What We Do in the Shadows (2019–2024).

Early life

Jemaine Atea Mahana Clement was born on 10 January 1974 in Masterton in Wairarapa, and was raised there in a working-class family by his mother and grandmother Maikara with his two brothers. Clement is of Māori (Ngāti Kahungunu) descent through his mother, and a direct descendant of the rangatira (chief) Iraia Te Ama-o-te-rangi Te Whaiti, who is his great-great-great grandfather.

His Pākehā father, Robert, was employed at the freezing works and struggled with alcoholism, leaving home when Clement was a child. Robert would later become a stained glass artist in Midhirst, Taranaki; Clement would later reconnect with his father as an adult and now enjoys a "strong and loving" relationship with him.

Clement's mother and grandmother were strong influences on him as a child, inspiring his sense of humour. Despite having a strong connection to his Māori ethnicity through visiting relatives regularly on trips to various marae, bans on the Māori language being spoken in schools meant Clement grew up in an almost entirely English-speaking environment.

He has talked of his regrets about this and has emotionally spoken of the physical abuse his grandmother suffered at school for speaking te reo Māori.

He attended Makoura College in Masterton. After finishing school he moved to Wellington, where he studied drama and film at Victoria University of Wellington. There he met Taika Waititi, 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 reworking of the traditional Maori legends of Māui.

The duo received New Zealand's highest comedy honour, the Billy T Award. During his time in university, he also met Bret McKenzie, with whom he performed in Edinburgh, thus forming Flight of the Conchords.

Career

Music

Clement and McKenzie have toured internationally and released four CDs: Folk the World Tour in 2002, The Distant Future EP in 2007 (winner of 2008 Grammy for Best Comedy Album), Flight of the Conchords in 2008 and I Told You I Was Freaky in 2009. In 2005 the Conchords produced Flight of the Conchords, a six-part comedy radio programme on BBC Radio 2.

They 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, which was based on their earlier BBC radio series.

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 films 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, co-directed, and starred in a vampire mockumentary titled What We Do in the Shadows with Taika Waititi.

It premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on 19 January 2014. He also reprised his role as 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 also played the role of a prisoner in a Russian gulag in the 2014 film Muppets Most Wanted, a sequel to The Muppets (2011).

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.

In 2015, Clement voiced a "mind-reading fart" on an episode of the Adult Swim animated series Rick and Morty, where he performed the song "Goodbye Moonmen". Clement also starred in the independent film, People Places Things, which received positive reviews.

In 2016, Clement lent his voice to Tamatoa, a giant coconut crab, in the Disney animated film Moana, both in English, and the Māori dub. He based the character's voice on that of David Bowie.

In 2017, Clement played Oliver Bird in the FX TV series Legion. He also voiced Sauron in The Lego Batman Movie. In 2019, Clement played the role of a musician in the Belgian film Patrick. His character, a touring musician visiting a naturist camp, was one of the few characters in full clothes for the duration of the film. In 2024, he played a supporting role in the Australian television drama series “Plum.”

Personal life

Clement's family did not have a car when he was a boy, and as a result he has never learned to drive. In August 2008, Clement married his longtime girlfriend, theatre actress and playwright Miranda Manasiadis. Their son, Sophocles Iraia, was born in October 2008 in New York City and is named after Manasiadis's Greek great-grandfather Sophocles, and Clement's ancestor Iraia Te Ama-o-te-rangi Te Whaiti. They live in Wellington.

Filmography

• † — Denotes films that have not yet been released

Film

• 2002 — Tongan Ninja — Action Fighter (Marvin) — Also writer
• 2004 — Futile Attraction — Editor
• 2007 — Eagle vs Shark — Jarrod
• 2009 — Gentlemen Broncos — Ronald Chevalier — Nominated — Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male
• 2009 — Diagnosis: Death — Garfield Olyphant
• 2010 — Despicable Me — Jerry the Minion — Voice role
• 2010 — Predicament — Spook
• 2010 — Dinner for Schmucks — Kieran Vollard
• 2011 — Rio — Nigel — Voice role; Nominated — Annie Award for Voice Acting in a Feature Production
• 2012 — Men in Black 3 — Boris the Animal — Nominated — Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Villain
• 2012 — Rhys Darby: This Way to the Spaceship — Spaceship — Recorded voice role
• 2014 — What We Do in the Shadows — Vladislav — Also director, writer and co-producer
• 2014 — Muppets Most Wanted — Prison King — Cameo appearance
• 2014 — Rio 2 — Nigel — Voice role
• 2015 — People Places Things — Will Henry
• 2016 — Ratchet & Clank — Dallas Wannamaker — Voice role
• 2016 — The BFG — The Fleshlumpeater — Voice and motion capture
• 2016 — Moana — Tamatoa — Voice role; also voiced the character in the 2017 Māori dub
• 2017 — The Lego Batman Movie — Sauron — Voice cameo
• 2017 — Humor Me — Nate Kroll
• 2017 — Brad's Status — Billy Wearsiter
• 2018 — An Evening with Beverly Luff Linn — Colin Keith Threadener
• 2018 — The Breaker Upperers — Tinder Date — Cameo appearance
• 2018 — The Festival — Robin
• 2019 — Patrick — Dustin
• 2020 — I Used to Go Here — David Kirkpatrick
• 2022 — Nude Tuesday — Bjorg Rasmussen
• 2022 — Don't Make Me Go — Dale Angelo — Streaming film
• 2022 — DC League of Super-Pets — Aquaman — Voice role
• 2022 — Avatar: The Way of Water — Dr. Ian Garvin
• 2023 — The Moon Is Upside Down — MacIntosh
• 2024 — Thelma the Unicorn — Vic Diamond — Voice role; streaming film
• 2024 — Harold and the Purple Crayon — Gary
• 2024 — Moana 2 — Tamatoa — Voice cameo; Mid-credits scene
• 2025 — A Minecraft Movie — Daryl, Voice of Bruce — Double role as Lead role and Voice role
• 2025 — M3GAN 2.0 — Alton Appleton
• 2025 — Avatar: Fire and Ash — Dr. Ian Garvin
• 2026 — Rogue Trooper — Mr. Brass
• 2026 — Moana — Tamatoa — Voice role; also contributed to the film's soundtrack
• 2026 — I, Object — Pop
• 2026 — Wildwood † — Roger Swindon — Voice role; in production

Television

• 1996 — The Enid Blyton Adventure Series — MIS Guard — Episode: "Circus of Adventures"
• 2002 — The Tribe — VR Cowboy No. 2 — Episode #4.24
• 2007–2009 — Flight of the Conchords — Himself — 22 episodesAlso co-creator, writer and executive producer
• 2008 — The Drinky Crow Show — Alien — Voice role, 2 episodes
• 2009 — Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! — Eric's Tennis Double — Episode: "Tennis"
• 2010 — Radiradirah — Sheep — 3 episodes
• 2010 — The Simpsons — Ethan Ballantyne — Voice role, episode: "Elementary School Musical"
• 2012 — Napoleon Dynamite — Professor Koontz — Voice role, episode: "Scantronica Love"
• 2013 — Out There — Tenebres — Voices role, episode: "Enter Destiny"
• 2013 — #7DaysLater — Ms. Lockett's Father — Voice role, episode: "Portrait"
• 2014 — Short Poppies — —.mw-parser-output .sr-only{border:0;clip:rect(0,0,0,0);clip-path:polygon(0px 0px,0px 0px,0px 0px);height:1px;margin:-1px;overflow:hidden;padding:0;position:absolute;width:1px;white-space:nowrap}N/a — Director
• 2014–2016 — TripTank — Sir Ian / Alistair / Caller / Erebos / Judge Bluetail / Man in Line — Voice role, 7 episodes
• 2015 — Rick and Morty — Fart — Voice role, episode: "Mortynight Run"
• 2016 — Regular Show — Ziggy — Voice role, episode: "California King"
• 2016 — Inside Amy Schumer — DJ — Episode: "Psychopath Test"
• 2016–2018 — Another Period — Father Black Donahue — 4 episodes
• 2016 — Divorce — Julian Renaut — 6 episodes
• 2016–2019 — Milo Murphy's Law — Orton Mahlson / Dr. Zone — Voices role, 5 episodes
• 2017–2019 — Legion — Oliver Bird — 14 episodes
• 2017 — American Dad! — Magunga — Voice role, episode: "Bazooka Steve"
• 2017 — Wrecked — Luther — 3 episodes
• 2017 — Robot Chicken — Narrator — Voice role, episode: "Freshly Baked: The Robot Chicken Santa Claus Pot Cookie Freakout Special: Special Edition"
• 2018–2022 — Wellington Paranormal — Mobot — Voice role, episode: "Mobot"; Also co-creator, director, writer and executive producer
• 2018 — We Bare Bears — Courtney — Voice role, episode: "Rescue Ranger"
• 2018 — Flight of the Conchords: Live in London — Himself — SpecialAlso writer and producer
• 2019–2024 — What We Do in the Shadows — Vladislav — Also co-creator, director, writer and executive producer2 episodes
• 2019–present — Kiri and Lou — Lou — Voice role, main role
• 2019 — Year of the Rabbit — Tall Man — Episode: "Framed Rabbit"
• 2020 — Steven Universe Future — Kerry Moonbeam — Voice role, episode: "Mr. Universe"
• 2020–2022 — Tig n' Seek — This Guy — Main voice role
• 2021 — Big Mouth — Simon Sex — Voice role, episode: "Best Friends Make the Best Lovers"
• 2022–2023 — Human Resources — Simon Sex — Voice role, 2 episodes
• 2023 — Koala Man — Principal Bazwell — Main voice role
• 2024 — Time Bandits — Pure Evil — Also co-writer, executive producer, and director of several episodes
• 2026 — Alice and Steve — Steve

Theater

• 2024 — The Rover (Studio 77) — Himself — Episode: "The Rover"

Discography

• 2002 — Folk the World Tour — Flight of the Conchords
• 2007 — The Distant Future — Flight of the Conchords
• 2008 — Flight of the Conchords — Flight of the Conchords
• 2009 — I Told You I Was Freaky — Flight of the Conchords
• 2011 — "Pretty Bird" — Rio soundtrack
• 2014 — "I Will Survive" — Rio 2 soundtrack
• 2016 — "Shiny" — Moana soundtrack
• 2018 — "Goodbye Moonmen" — Rick and Morty soundtrack
• 2019 — Live in London — Flight of the Conchords
• 2020 — "Mr. Universe" — Steven Universe Future

Radio

• 2005 — Flight of the Conchords — Jemaine — Also writer
• 2016 — The Mysterious Secrets Of Uncle Bertie's Botanarium — Lord Joseph Banks — Podcast

Awards and nominations

• 2010 — The Simpsons: "Elementary School Musical" — Music in a Television Production — Nominated
• Annie Awards — 2011 — Rio — Voice Acting in a Feature Production — Nominated
• 2008 — "Yoko" — Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series — Nominated
• Emmy Awards — 2008 — "Inner City Pressure" — Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics — Nominated
• Emmy Awards — 2008 — "The Most Beautiful Girl (In the Room)" — Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics — Nominated
• Emmy Awards — 2009 — Flight of the Conchords — Outstanding Comedy Series — Nominated
• Emmy Awards — 2009 — Flight of the Conchords — Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series — Nominated
• Emmy Awards — 2009 — "Prime Minister" — Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series — Nominated
• Emmy Awards — 2009 — "Carol Brown" — Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics — Nominated
• Emmy Awards — 2019 — "Father & Son" — Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics — Nominated
• Emmy Awards — 2020 — What We Do in the Shadows — Outstanding Comedy Series — Nominated
• Emmy Awards — 2022 — What We Do in the Shadows — Outstanding Comedy Series — Nominated
• 2007 — The Distant Future — Best Comedy Album — Won
• Grammy Awards — 2008 — Flight of the Conchords — Best Comedy Album — Nominated
• Grammy Awards — 2010 — I Told You I Was Freaky — Best Comedy Album — Nominated
• 2008 — Flight of the Conchords — Album of the Year — Won
• New Zealand Music Awards — 2008 — Flight of the Conchords — Best Group — Won
• New Zealand Music Awards — 2008 — Flight of the Conchords — Breakthrough Artist of the Year — Won
• New Zealand Music Awards — 2008 — Flight of the Conchords — International Achievement — Won
• New Zealand Music Awards — 2013 — "Feel Inside (And Stuff Like That)" — Highest Selling New Zealand Single — Won
• 2019 — Wellington Paranormal — Best Script: Comedy — Nominated
• 2008 — Flight of the Conchords — Funniest Duo — Nominated
• 2007 — Flight of the Conchords — Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy — Nominated
• Satellite Awards — 2009 — Flight of the Conchords — Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy — Nominated
• Satellite Awards — 2009 — Flight of the Conchords — Best Actor – Television Series Musical or Comedy — Nominated
• 2008 — Flight of the Conchords — Outstanding Achievement in Comedy — Nominated
• TCA Awards — 2008 — Flight of the Conchords — Outstanding New Program — Nominated
• 2012 — Men in Black 3 — Choice Movie Villain — Nominated
• 2007 — Flight of the Conchords — Comedy Series — Nominated
• Writers Guild of America Awards — 2007 — Flight of the Conchords — New Series — Nominated
• Writers Guild of America Awards — 2007 — "Sally Returns" — Episodic Comedy — Nominated
• Writers Guild of America Awards — 2019 — What We Do in the Shadows — New Series — Nominated