Hollywood in a spin over Josh Lawson
- Published by David Knox
- on
- Filed under News
Actor Josh Lawson has just hit the big time in the US.
He is the subject of the headline story in The Hollywood Reporter after landing the lead role in a new Fox comedy, Spaced.
Lawson has also landed an exclusive talent deal with Fox after impressing the network’s head of casting, Marcia Shulman. She describes the Aussie as “Matthew Perry meets Robin Williams.”
That’s some call!
Rather than edit for Aussie readers, it’s actually more interesting to hear the US take on Lawson, so here it is in its entirety:
Three months ago, Australian actor Josh Lawson came to Los Angeles to take a shot at a Hollywood career.
Now he has scored a talent deal at Fox as well as his first U.S. role as the lead of the network’s comedy pilot “Spaced.”
Lawson was auditioning for small movie parts when he was spotted by Fox talent scouts who brought him in to meet with the network’s head of casting Marcia Shulman.
Shulman called the meeting “my little ‘American Idol’ moment,” saying she knew right away she had discovered a great new talent.
“He was really genuinely funny and understood comedy in a very classic way,” Shulman said of Lawson, a graduate of Australia’s National Institute of Dramatic Art who lists Groucho Marx and Buster Keaton among his influences. “He is adorable but brilliantly and surprisingly funny. We all have been describing him as Matthew Perry meets Robin Williams.”
Shulman and her team were putting the finishing touches on a talent deal with Lawson when Fox picked up the single-camera comedy pilot “Spaced.”
Based on the British series of the same name, the project, produced by Warner Bros. TV, Wonderland and Granada America, revolves around two strangers who pose as a married couple in order to rent an apartment.
Shulman immediately sent the script to Lawson, who turned out to be a fan of the original series. The actor hit it off with the pilot’s producers and landed the male lead.
Lawson, who honed his comedy skills with a 2004 fellowship that brought him to the U.S. to study at the Groundlings, Improv Olympic, Acme Improv and Second City, has been a rising star in Australia.
During the past year, he starred on the comedy “The Librarians” and two of Australia’s most popular series, drama “Sea Patrol” and improv comedy “Thank God You’re Here,” which has been remade in a number of countries, including the U.S.
Lawson is repped by Management 360 and attorney Karl Austen.
Source: Hollywood Reporter
8 Responses
Awesome! I’ll have to check this show out. Maybe it’ll premiere in September in the US? Or at the latest midseason? This sounds interesting
Great to hear Josh doing well, he has a great talent and very funny.
Dree: The unaired Red Dwarf US pilot is on youtube.
Ive been wanting to see that Red Dwarf episode from the US but cant find it anywhere 🙁
Having seen the thankfully unaired US version of Red Dwarf,I don’t hold out a lot of hope for a good US version of SPACED.
Wow, that’s great! I really loved The Librarians and others things I have seen him in.
I didn’t know Spaced had been cast already. I have just gotten over the shock of finding out it is being redone. They had better treat it well or there will be a whole lot of orgiginal Spaced fans hunting them down.
Holding my breath for the rest of the casting.
Simon Pegg is also not impressed according to his blog. I don’t blame him.
Good on America for realising the great talent he is.
It’s just too bad America thinks they need to remake Spaced – the original British show is one of my faves.
Good for him! Josh was by far the best on Thank God You’re Here.
That a boy Josh!
He has been posting some funny vids on Facebook the last few days.
He’s a top guy!!