Matt Berry never expected to be nominated for an Emmy.
Part of that has to do with the fact that the English actor is best known for his work in the U.K., from “The Mighty Boosh” to “Toast of London.” But beyond the international limitations of this American award, Berry’s surprise over his “What We Do in the Shadows” nomination comes from his approach to comedy.
“We don’t expect it when we do the show,” Berry said of his vampire housemates in the FX original. “The only thing that we try and do is stuff that makes us laugh and that we find funny. Hopefully, that comes across, and at least someone else will find it funny. When you do comedy, that’s what you have to have in sight as opposed to adulation or awards.”
This year marks the third time the FX original has been nominated for Outstanding Comedy Series (the series was previously nominated in 2020 and 2022 for its second and third seasons, respectively). But this is the first time one of the series’ stars has been nominated in the lead actor or actress category.
Set in the same universe as the 2014 mockumentary film of the same name from Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi, “What We Do in the Shadows” chronicles the daily misadventures of a house full of vampires who were supposed to take over the New World but have been distracted for a couple hundred years. The result is a day-in-the-life buddy comedy with considerably more blood. Petty rivalries erupt over cursed hats, and wild creations, like a vampire nightclub or zombies, are the norm.
Berry portrays Laszlo, a 310-year-old member of British nobility who loves sex as much as he loves his harebrained experiments. It’s a silly role in an even sillier world that embraces Berry’s memorable pronunciations as much as it does his ability to throw away the most shocking of lines. Whether he’s talking about fencing in a cursed manor or working on a new song, as an artist Berry approaches all of his art the same way.
“You’ve got to have meant it, and it’s got to come from a non-cynical kind of place,” he said. “By that I mean your intentions aren’t pleasing an audience. Your intentions are pleasing yourself.”
As humbled as Berry was by his nomination and the accolades for his show, the actor also highlighted the show’s nod for Outstanding Production Design for a Narrative Program (Half- Hour). Since Season 1, the decrepit and cobweb-filled mansion of “What We Do in the Shadows” has been as memorable as the vampires who occupy it.
“That, for me, is such a big deal, richly deserved, because it’s such a big part of our show. It’s kind of the identity of the show,” Berry said, joking that he’s spent more time on that set than his home in the U.K. “When we finished, it was like leaving a home that you’ve been in for a long time, and you feel comfortable. It makes a difference — how you stand, how you act, the way that you communicate with each other. I don’t mind saying that I will miss it because I’ve got very happy memories of it.”
Berry, Kayvan Novak, Natasia Demetriou, Harvey Guillén, Mark Proksch and Kristen Schaal said their goodbyes to Staten Island in May after the series wrapped filming on its sixth and final season. Though Berry may miss this house
and show, he guaranteed that the series’ ending is fantastic.
“I haven’t seen it done by anyone before,” he said. “It’s a really smart idea, the idea that they’ve got, which I can’t talk about, I’m told. It’s ended at the perfect time because I don’t want to be in something that overstays its welcome in
any way … It’s ended at a time when everybody was still on top of their game. No one was fed up with it. Everybody was still really into it, and everyone’s going to be left with great memories of the show.”
As for what Berry sees for his future beyond “What We Do in the Shadows,” he simply hopes he can keep creating art. “I just do my certain thing and hope for the best, hope I can keep doing it.”
This story first ran in the Down to the Wire Comedy Series issue of TheWrap’s awards magazine.
Read more from the Down to the Wire Comedy Series issue here.
