Shaun ditched the courtroom for comedy, now the TV star's learning to dance

The Advertiser

2 days ago

Shaun Micallef is used to taking his cue off a screen and sitting behind a desk, so how will he go dashing across the dancefloor?
The entertainment identity is among the cast of Dancing with the Stars, which requires a different skillset.
"I won't mince words; I'm excellent, and that's a surprise because I've never danced before," he said.
"No, I don't know how I am."
Read more in The Senior
Mr Micallef, 62, of Melbourne, has been making audiences laugh for decades, appearing in TV shows including Full Frontal, hosted Shaun Micallef's Mad as Hell, plus has been in theatre and films, on radio and has written several books.
He left a career as a solicitor for 10 years to start comedy full-time when he was about 30, having written and performed in sketches while studying law at university.
Mr Micallef has met and worked with comedic childhood idols such as Jerry Lewis plus Monty Python's Michael Palin, Eric Idle and Terry Jones - even performing original sketches with the latter two.
"I haven't been disappointed by any of my heroes, they all seem to be pretty much as I thought they would be," Mr Micallef said.
Among his first gigs was Full Frontal, where he went from writer to cast member, creating and playing characters including Fabio (a send-up of the model) and Milo Kerrigan the boxer.
"[As an extra] I would sometimes be seen in the background of sketches with Eric Bana in them, holding an umbrella, and then I snuck on doing the occasional line," Mr Micallef said.
His favourite project was Shaun Micallef's Mad as Hell for the ABC, sending up news and current affairs and recalls Stephen Hall playing a character inspired by Scott Morrison.
"It was such a spot-on impression that you could have said it was Scott Morrison; it was that accurate, but we didn't just to avoid defamation proceedings," Mr Micallef said.
Today, Mr Micallef is enjoying taking on tasks he hasn't tried before, including Dancing With The Stars.
"I'm used to learning lines or usually using autocue... This doesn't involve any of that. You have to get up and move around on your legs, whereas usually I'm sitting down... I'm learning these things using muscle memory rather than brain memory," he said.
Mr Micallef said the first dance he did was the hardest to learn.
"I'm sure I was more aerobically fit by the second one, and maybe that's what made it a bit easier," he said.
Besides Dancing, Mr Micallef is working on a second season of Shaun Micallef's Eve of Destruction for the ABC, where he chats with famous acquaintances about what's important to them.
He's also working on a second series of Shaun Micallef's Origin Odyssey for the SBS, where he travels with comedians to their ancestral roots.
Dancing With The Stars starts on Sunday, June 15 at 7pm on Channel 7 and 7plus.
Share your thoughts in the comments below, or send a Letter to the Editor by CLICKING HERE.
Shaun Micallef is used to taking his cue off a screen and sitting behind a desk, so how will he go dashing across the dancefloor?
The entertainment identity is among the cast of Dancing with the Stars, which requires a different skillset.
"I won't mince words; I'm excellent, and that's a surprise because I've never danced before," he said.
"No, I don't know how I am."
Read more in The Senior
Mr Micallef, 62, of Melbourne, has been making audiences laugh for decades, appearing in TV shows including Full Frontal, hosted Shaun Micallef's Mad as Hell, plus has been in theatre and films, on radio and has written several books.
He left a career as a solicitor for 10 years to start comedy full-time when he was about 30, having written and performed in sketches while studying law at university.
Mr Micallef has met and worked with comedic childhood idols such as Jerry Lewis plus Monty Python's Michael Palin, Eric Idle and Terry Jones - even performing original sketches with the latter two.
"I haven't been disappointed by any of my heroes, they all seem to be pretty much as I thought they would be," Mr Micallef said.
Among his first gigs was Full Frontal, where he went from writer to cast member, creating and playing characters including Fabio (a send-up of the model) and Milo Kerrigan the boxer.
"[As an extra] I would sometimes be seen in the background of sketches with Eric Bana in them, holding an umbrella, and then I snuck on doing the occasional line," Mr Micallef said.
His favourite project was Shaun Micallef's Mad as Hell for the ABC, sending up news and current affairs and recalls Stephen Hall playing a character inspired by Scott Morrison.
"It was such a spot-on impression that you could have said it was Scott Morrison; it was that accurate, but we didn't just to avoid defamation proceedings," Mr Micallef said.
Today, Mr Micallef is enjoying taking on tasks he hasn't tried before, including Dancing With The Stars.
"I'm used to learning lines or usually using autocue... This doesn't involve any of that. You have to get up and move around on your legs, whereas usually I'm sitting down... I'm learning these things using muscle memory rather than brain memory," he said.
Mr Micallef said the first dance he did was the hardest to learn.
"I'm sure I was more aerobically fit by the second one, and maybe that's what made it a bit easier," he said.
Besides Dancing, Mr Micallef is working on a second season of Shaun Micallef's Eve of Destruction for the ABC, where he chats with famous acquaintances about what's important to them.
He's also working on a second series of Shaun Micallef's Origin Odyssey for the SBS, where he travels with comedians to their ancestral roots.
Dancing With The Stars starts on Sunday, June 15 at 7pm on Channel 7 and 7plus.
Share your thoughts in the comments below, or send a Letter to the Editor by CLICKING HERE.
Shaun Micallef is used to taking his cue off a screen and sitting behind a desk, so how will he go dashing across the dancefloor?
The entertainment identity is among the cast of Dancing with the Stars, which requires a different skillset.
"I won't mince words; I'm excellent, and that's a surprise because I've never danced before," he said.
"No, I don't know how I am."
Read more in The Senior
Mr Micallef, 62, of Melbourne, has been making audiences laugh for decades, appearing in TV shows including Full Frontal, hosted Shaun Micallef's Mad as Hell, plus has been in theatre and films, on radio and has written several books.
He left a career as a solicitor for 10 years to start comedy full-time when he was about 30, having written and performed in sketches while studying law at university.
Mr Micallef has met and worked with comedic childhood idols such as Jerry Lewis plus Monty Python's Michael Palin, Eric Idle and Terry Jones - even performing original sketches with the latter two.
"I haven't been disappointed by any of my heroes, they all seem to be pretty much as I thought they would be," Mr Micallef said.
Among his first gigs was Full Frontal, where he went from writer to cast member, creating and playing characters including Fabio (a send-up of the model) and Milo Kerrigan the boxer.
"[As an extra] I would sometimes be seen in the background of sketches with Eric Bana in them, holding an umbrella, and then I snuck on doing the occasional line," Mr Micallef said.
His favourite project was Shaun Micallef's Mad as Hell for the ABC, sending up news and current affairs and recalls Stephen Hall playing a character inspired by Scott Morrison.
"It was such a spot-on impression that you could have said it was Scott Morrison; it was that accurate, but we didn't just to avoid defamation proceedings," Mr Micallef said.
Today, Mr Micallef is enjoying taking on tasks he hasn't tried before, including Dancing With The Stars.
"I'm used to learning lines or usually using autocue... This doesn't involve any of that. You have to get up and move around on your legs, whereas usually I'm sitting down... I'm learning these things using muscle memory rather than brain memory," he said.
Mr Micallef said the first dance he did was the hardest to learn.
"I'm sure I was more aerobically fit by the second one, and maybe that's what made it a bit easier," he said.
Besides Dancing, Mr Micallef is working on a second season of Shaun Micallef's Eve of Destruction for the ABC, where he chats with famous acquaintances about what's important to them.
He's also working on a second series of Shaun Micallef's Origin Odyssey for the SBS, where he travels with comedians to their ancestral roots.
Dancing With The Stars starts on Sunday, June 15 at 7pm on Channel 7 and 7plus.
Share your thoughts in the comments below, or send a Letter to the Editor by CLICKING HERE.