Flaming Galah!

Yesterday I met a real life Australian! Despite all the stereotypes, he was not playing a didgeridoo, did not know the late Steve Irwin, and wasn’t cooking burgers on a barbeque. He was however drinking Fosters and greeted me with “G’day mate!”… apparently.

The Aussie in question was Shane Jacobson - AKA Kenny Smyth. I met him at the cinema, following an exclusive (and free) screening of the movie Kenny, which, unsurprisingly, he was starring in.

The film is a mockumentary/comedy about an Australian toilet plumber. Anything involving Australians and toilet humour was always going to be a winner, and I was not disappointed. The movie, which is extremely low budget, follows Kenny around his work, family and private-life. If you want an in-depth ‘Jonathan Ross-type review’ check out IMDB.

Following the film, Shane Jacobson came into the theatre for a Q&A session. It was rather strange seeing a man we had just watched on screen for almost 2 hours suddenly appear in the flesh.

While I knew the film was a mockumentary and fictitious, I don’t think all my fellow movie-goers did, as they were asking questions relating to the plotline (e.g. “how is your dad now”). Jacobson did appear in-character, as Kenny, so I can see how the lesser-intelligent movie-goers could have got confused somewhere – unless they too were playing along with the act.

Following the Q&A, I met Kenny for autographs, a photo, and to commend him on his film. He is now up there alongside Timmy Mallett, Murray Walker and Jermaine Beckford as “famous people I have met”.

Here’s the man himself, officially endorsing Sparkster.net as the best blog in the world.