Shaun Micallef

Shaun Patrick Micallef
Born	18 July 1962 (1962-07-18) (age 47) Adelaide, South Australia
Medium	Television, radio, books
Nationality	Australian
Years active	1987-present
Genres	Sketch comedy, surrealism, dadaism
Influences	The Goons,[1], Peter Sellers, Marx Brothers,[2], SJ Perelman, James Thurber, Spike Milligan,[3] Barry Humphries, Frank Muir,[4] Monty Python[5], Woody Allen
Influenced	Sammy J[6]
Spouse	Leandra (1988-present) 3 children
Notable works and roles	The Micallef P(r)ogram(me) Welcher & Welcher Micallef Tonight Newstopia Thank God You're Here

Shaun Patrick Micallef (born 18 July 1962) is an Australian comedian, actor and writer. After ten years of working in insurance law as a solicitor in Adelaide, Micallef moved to Melbourne to pursue a full-time comedy career in 1993. He first gained recognition as a cast member of the sketch comedy show Full Frontal, which in turn led to a number of television roles including his own sketch show, The Micallef Program, the sitcom Welcher & Welcher and the variety show Micallef Tonight. He also fronted the satirical news comedy series Newstopia on SBS and currently hosts the game show Talkin' 'Bout Your Generation on Channel Ten.

In addition to his television work, Micallef has appeared on stage, most notably in the Australian production of Boeing Boeing, and radio as the co-host of Melbourne station Vega 91.5 FM's morning program. He is also a published author; his book Smithereens was released in 2004.

Personal life

Micallef was born in Adelaide, South Australia and is of Maltese and Irish descent.^[1] As a child, he moved to Sydney and went to Pendle Hill Public School. He became one of the school captains there. His father worked for a company that sold parts for Volvos and his mother was employed at the Bank of Adelaide.^[7] After graduating from Sacred Heart College, at which he was the College Captain, he studied law at the University of Adelaide, where he was frequently involved in comedy revues, often involving Francis Greenslade and Gary McCaffrie, with whom he continues to work.^[8] He was a practicing solicitor for ten years in the field of insurance law before making the decision to move to Melbourne and pursue a full-time career in comedy in 1993.^[7] He currently lives in Williamstown, Victoria with his wife Leandra (whom he married in 1988) and their three sons.^[1][9] He relates the story that while working as a solicitor, he talked so much about making a career change and becoming a comedian that his wife gave him an ultimatum. She circled a date in the near future on a calendar and told Shaun to quit his job and become a comedian by that date, or never talk about it again.

Career

Television and film

In 1994, after early TV appearances on Theatre Sports (1987), The Big Gig (1989) and Jimeoin (1994), Micallef joined the cast of the sketch comedy show Full Frontal, where he became well-known for characters such as Milo Kerrigan, Nobby Doldrums and a send-up of Italian male model Fabio. Micallef recalls that the show was a good introduction to television comedy because, with an ensemble cast, its success did not hinge on his performance and he had more freedom to make and learn from mistakes. However, he was frustrated with the lack of control he had over his work in the series as well as the repetition of characters and gags.^[7]

Micallef's role on Full Frontal led to a 1996 special Shaun Micallef's World Around Him and three seasons of the two-time Logie Award-winning ABC series The Micallef Program (1998-2001), which he co-wrote and produced with long-time writing partner Gary McCaffrie.^[10] Since the series' end he has created and starred in two short-lived television series—the sitcom Welcher & Welcher (2003) and the variety show Micallef Tonight (2003)^[11]—and devised a series of telemovies, BlackJack (2003-present).^[12]

He has also had acting roles on the television series SeaChange (2000) and Through My Eyes (2004), and supporting roles in the films Bad Eggs (2003), The Honourable Wally Norman (2003), The Extra (2005), Aquamarine (2006), and The King (2007). In 2006, Micallef was a recurring guest on the Network Ten improvisational comedy show Thank God You're Here.

In 2007, along with partners McCaffrie and Michael Ward, Micallef developed the satirical comedy program Newstopia, which he hosted. The show began airing 10 October 2007 on SBS, and in August 2008 it was announced that a third series had been commissioned.^[13] It 2009, Micallef joined the Ten Network and is now hosting Talkin' 'bout Your Generation, which has been a hit on Australian television screens.

Other work

In September 2005, Micallef began hosting the breakfast show on Melbourne radio station Vega 91.5 FM, Shaun, Beverley and Denise, with comedian Denise Scott and television presenter Beverley O'Connor. In July 2006, comedian Dave O'Neil took over as host and the show was renamed Dave and Denise with Shaun Micallef. Micallef left the network on 23 November 2007.^[14]

He has also released a book, Smithereens, which was published in 2004 and contains a collection of prose, poetry and plays. Micallef describes it as a collection of "all sorts of bits and pieces I have written".^[3][11]

Mainstream popularity

With Micallef's 2009 move to the Ten Network's Talkin' 'bout Your Generation, a sudden and unprecedented rise in his popularity within the Australian mainstream was observed.^[15] His contract with the program marks his first long-term position in a commercial network and has raised his profile in commercial television. The extent of this has been demonstrated with celebrity appearances on Rove McManus' Rove^[16] and Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?^[17], and on 9am with David & Kim^[18] — all current programmes of the Ten Network.

List of works

Films

• The King (2007) - Colin Bednall
• Aquamarine (2006) - Storm Banks
• The Extra (2005) - Paul Ridley
• Bad Eggs (2003) - Premier Cray
• The Honourable Wally Norman (2003) - Ken Oats
• The 13th House (2003) - Sir
• Silly Billy Don't Touch That! (Unknown)

Television

• Are You Smarter than a Fifth Grader
• Chaser's War on Everything (2009) - Himself (guest in the Rudd song sketch)
• Rove (2009) - Himself (Guest)
• Melbourne International Comedy Festival (2009) - Host
• Talkin' 'bout Your Generation (Mid 2009) - Himself ^[19]
• Good News Week (2009) - Himself (Guest)
• Spicks and Specks (2008) - Himself (Guest)
• Newstopia (2007-present) - Himself
• Dogstar (2007) - Narrator
• Thank God You're Here (2006-present) - Various (Semi-regular guest)
• The Shambles (2006) - (Guest Cameo)
• Through My Eyes (2005) - Jack Winneke
• BlackJack (2003-present) (writer)
• Micallef Tonight (2003) - Himself (also writer)
• Welcher & Welcher (2003) - Quentin Welcher (also writer/producer)
• SeaChange (2000) - Warwick Munro
• The Micallef Program (1998-2001) - Various (also writer/producer)
• Shaun Micallef's World Around Him (1996) - Various (also writer/producer)
• The Glynn Nicholas Show (1996) (writer)
• Full Frontal (1994-1996) - Various (also writer/producer)
• Jimeoin (1994) - Various (also writer)
• The Big Gig (1989) (writer)

Theatre

• Boeing Boeing (2008) - Bernard

Radio shows

• Dave and Denise with Shaun Micallef on Vega 91.5 FM (2005-2007)
• Hamish & Andy on Today FM (guest (2 times))
• Pete and Myf (with Newstopia writer Richard Marsland on Triple M (guest two times)
• Get This appeared on the final show in the first hour

Books

• Smithereens (2004)

Awards

• 2008 Aria Award Best Comedy Release - The Expurgated Micallef Tonight: The Very Best of Shaun Micallef's Short-Lived but Brilliant Tonight ^[20]

References

External links

• Unofficial Shaun Micallef Fansite
• Shaun Micallef at the Internet Movie Database

Biography portal