‘I just don’t feel funny like that'

Tim Minchin has revealed that he turned down a lucrative TV deal to make a sitcom based on his own life.

The musical comedian says he was offered the chance to play an exaggerated version of himself by an unnamed broadcaster in the US, where he is best known for his guest role in David Duchovny’s  Californication.

But in an interview with Metro, he said he didn’t think it would be  right for him to star in a comedy.

‘I never thought a sitcom was the right idea for me,’ he said, ‘I just don’t feel funny like that. So I kept making sure I wasn’t just doing "funny guys".’

Minchin said that his desire to get away from comedy roles and prove himself as a serious actor was was drew him to Upright, his new show which starts on Sky One tomorrow. In it he plays a disenchanted musician who embarks on a cross-country road trip with a petulant teenager.

He said: ‘I felt with Upright, this will be what shows them that I can actually act and will get me lots of acting work.’

Published: 27 Nov 2019