What we do in the shadows matt berry

Hit vampire mockumentary What We Do in the Shadows recently premiered its fourth season, which was greatly anticipated after the cliffhanger of the season 3 finale. The new season is seeing growth among the characters, and this includes the licentious vampire Laszlo Cravensworth, portrayed by Matt Berry.

A comedic actor and musician, Berry is one of the most recognizable and charismatic personalities in modern television. As well as portraying carefree Laszlo, Berry has had some brilliant and beloved television credits to his name, ranging from a middle-aged eccentric actor to potentially dangerous andriods.

Garth Marenghi's Darkplace

Stream On Peacock

Berry's first main TV role was in a British sitcom called Garth Marenghi's Darkplace. The show was a surreal parody of the cheesy '80s horror show, complete with deliberately terrible practical effects, poor acting, '80s synth music, and commentary from the "actors" behind the scenes.

Berry played actor Todd Rivers, playing the suave yet dim-witted Dr. Lucien Sanchez. Arguably the most likable character of the main cast, Berry's performance as Rivers/Sanchez was a stepping stone to the more renowned outrageous characters he would later play. Without question one of his best scenes is when he sings "One Track Lover". What should be a funny parody is actually a fantastic performance worthy of any 1980s music star.

Archer

Stream On Netflix

Because of his notable voice when acting, Berry has had a number of voice acting roles in his career. One of his best and most notable is voicing Mr. Deadly in the adult animated series Archer.

Mr. Deadly is a sentient android who has the capacity to destroy an entire solar system. Yet Berry's delightfully amusing performance provides a lot of laughs, such as when the android discovers ice cream for the first time, has a disagreement with a butterfly, and somehow seduces Cheryl. Although he is only in one episode, Mr. Deadly's appearance is certainly a memorable one, thanks to Berry's hilarious voice acting, making him one of the best guest stars in Archer yet.

AD/BC: A Rock Opera

Available On YouTube

AD/BC: A Rock Opera is a half-hour TV special that first demonstrates Berry's skills as a singer and songwriter as well as a comedic actor. Parodying Andrew Lloyd Webber's rock opera musical Jesus Christ Superstar, the special is an all-singing musical depicting the Nativity story, told from the Innkeeper's perspective.

Berry not only stars as composer Tim Wynde and the Innkeeper, who is struggling to keep his business afloat, but he also wrote the music and lyrics for the special, (with Richard Ayoade also writing the lyrics). While ultimately a parody, the songs, and performances all around are superb, especially from Berry. In fact, AD/BC proves that Berry has the potential to write a grand rock opera musical.

Moominvalley

Stream On Apple TV

The Moomins started life as a series of books about a family of trolls called Moomins and have had numerous adaptations for the screen. The most recent is the CGI animated series Moominvalley, whose all-star cast includes Taron Egerton, Rosamund Pike, and of course, Matt Berry.

Berry provides the voice of the Moomins' patriarch, Moominpappa. Identified by a top hat, Moominpappa is a storyteller and nostalgic at heart who loves his family and trying out new things. This is one of Berry's sweeter, more wholesome roles and something of a starting point for Laszlo taking on the role of a father figure in What We Do in the Shadows.

The Book Of Boba Fett

Stream on Disney+

The Star Wars franchise is full of droids and Berry provided the voice of the droid 8D8 in The Book of Boba Fett. With the droid first appearing briefly in Return of the Jedi, this series turned 8D8 from a small cameo to a fully realized supporting character.

While not as funny or as sympathetic as Berry's other android character Mr. Deadly, 8D8 easily proves to be one of the best droids in The Book of Boba Fettdue to his intelligence and invaluableness to Boba Fett as a translator and database of knowledge. This is one of Berry's more serious and somewhat sinister characters but his acting talents and distinct voice really work well for this droid.

Year Of The Rabbit

Stream On Amazon Prime

Year of the Rabbit was a British sitcom set in Victorian London, which focused on the city's police department as they solved brutal murders. Berry was the series' eponymous protagonist, Detective Inspector Eli Rabbit.

The jaded alcoholic inspector who needs his chest punched whenever his heart stops is a bit different from the roles Berry is normally associated with. Yet with his blunt honesty and gruff devil-may-care attitude, he is hilarious to watch, especially when working alongside his two younger and more optimistic colleagues. Unfortunately, the series only had one season before its cancellation due to concerns amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Disenchantment

Stream On Netflix

The medieval animated fantasy sitcom Disenchantmentsports a cast of wacky and hilarious characters ranging from pirate elves to bear selkies. Among this cast is Prince Merkimer, an arrogant prince who is betrothed to Princess Bean before he is transformed into a pig.

Although he is openly boorish and misogynistic, Merkimer is an extremely likable character partially thanks to Berry's hilariously charismatic voicework. What's more, being turned into a pig humbles him across the series, going as far as even rescuing Bean from execution at one stage. This character arc combined with Berry's brilliant delivery of some cracking one-liners highlights Merkimer as one of the best supporting characters in Disenchantment.

The IT Crowd

Stream On Netflix

Arguably, Berry's breakout role that cemented his name in television is the lecherous and foolish Douglas Reynholm in The IT Crowd. The series focused on the socially awkward IT department in a large corporation, in which Berry's character takes over as CEO.

Although he didn't appear until season 2, Douglas immediately made a massive impact from his debut, where he gatecrashes his father's funeral and bellows "FATHER!". Berry's performance as Douglas Reynholm practically steals every scene he is in with his booming stage presence and ignorant yet side-splitting lines. In fact, Berry's acting is so brilliant that he once again succeeds in making what should be a detestable character extremely likable. It remains one of his most iconic roles to this day.

What We Do In The Shadows

Stream On Hulu

The characters of What We Do in the Shadows have been well-received since it started, and Berry's Laszlo Cravensworth is no exception. From shouting "Bat!" when he transforms to donning the disguise of "regular human bartender" Jackie Daytona, the licentious carefree vampire is an absolute joy whenever he's on screen.

Laszlo has also shown to have some heartfelt and poignant moments in the show. Along with his undying adoration for his wife Nadja, Laszlo's character arc took a surprising yet positive turn when he chooses to take care of the child that emerged from the corpse of Colin Robinson. This parental side has offered a new side and depth to Laszlo's character, and Berry's performance is one to be greatly commended as a result.

Toast Of London/Tinseltown

Stream On Apple TV

Surreal sitcom Toast of Londonfollows the mishaps and misadventures of eccentric actor, Steven Toast, as he comes face to face with unusual acting roles, tedious voice-over work, notable guest stars, and absurd characters in his professional and personal life. The fourth series was renamed Toast of Tinseltown when the actor moves to Los Angeles for a role in Star Wars.

Not only does Berry brilliantly portray the eponymous actor but he also co-wrote the show, composed and performed the show's theme song, and sings the surreal music numbers as well. Toast of London is a must-watch as it is a true showcase of Berry's many talents.

NEXT: What We Do In The Shadows - Laszlo’s Transformation Over The Seasons (In Pictures)