LILLEY FILMING ON COAST
Uh-oh. The Gold Coast might be in for a major roasting with this guy spotted in the city
IS the Gold Coast set to get the Chris
Lilley treatment?
The controversial actor and comedian has taken up residence to cast and film a TV series.
The Sydney-born comedian is best known for hit shows Summer Heights High, Angry Boys and Ja’mie: Private School Girl. Lilley was in the crowd at local haunt the Miami Tavern on the Australia Day long weekend. Was he there to relax or use his incisive and, at times, uncomfortably brutal powers of observation on punters to inform some new
Coasty kinds of characters?
Lilley tasted success in the US in 2008 when his mockumentary Summer Heights High screened on HBO after its well-received debut here on the ABC.
Lilley donned blackface to play troubled Tongan teen Jonah
Takalua, whose catchphrase was “Puck you, miss!”, in the follow-up, Jonah From Tonga. It divided opinion, with critics including rapper/ actor/comedian/commentator Briggs, aka A.B. Original, calling out the show as racist. Protests from the Tongan community eventually saw Maori Television drop Jonah. Lilly was at it again in 2011 series Angry Boys, produced with HBO, ABC and BBC.
The five-time Logie winner’s decision to don blackface to portray foulmouthed rapper S. Mouse (who infamously used the “n-word” 15 times in 40 seconds in a rap video) was slammed as Angry Boys copped a serve for mocking Asians, gay people and those with disabilities.
Lilly knows the Coast well – he was a regular at events including the Gold
Coast 600 a few years ago when dating Faders DJ and ex-local student Milly Gategno.
Lilley was in the crowd at local haunt, the Miami Tav