Latest news with #MattBerry
Daily Record
15 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Viral TikTok song everyone loves and the original singer will surprise you
Take My Hand was first released in 2011 and now it's the biggest song on TikTok at the moment - but who is the surprising person behind the tune? There's no logic really behind what songs make it on TikTok and those that don't. But one sure fire way of making a success of any musical hit these days is for it to go viral on the social media platform, sending profits and worldwide attention through the roof. If you've been on TikTok over the past couple of months, there's one tune you're guaranteed to have heard in one form or another, and its catchy hook and sweet sound ensures it stays in your mind for the rest of the day. Take My Hand is a 60s inspired, dreamy ditty that has been used to back a trend that sees social media users post footage of seemingly everyday life, with the caption 'I almost forgot this was the whole point'. It's an emotional trend, as many of them are, designed to make us see what appears to be the mundane as something much more spectacular. The song has been used of late by every influencer worth their salt - including most of the members o f 'Mom Tok' and even Madonna. But if you've been left scratching your head at where you have heard this epic track before, it's probably fair to say you are a British comedy fan, and it's definitely fair to say you've got good taste. Take My Hand was actually released back in 2011, and was the theme tune to the cult classic comedy Toast of London, written and starring the iconic Matt Berry. Toast of London ran for three seasons from 2013 and produced a number of viral moments which still stand to this day, but we're doubting even Berry thought he had such a modern classic on his hands when he put this song out on his Witchhazel album at the time. Berry is a comedy genius who has been involved in some of the funniest UK and worldwide sitcoms of recent years including The IT Crowd, What We Do in the Shadows and Garth Marenghi's Darkplace, but social media users were still blown away when they discovered it is he who is behind this viral song. Is there no end to his talents? Basically, no. For, as well as lending his velvet voice and hilarious comedy timing to some of the best known shows on TV, he's only a real life rock star too. A multi-instrumentalist, Berry used to perform with his band The Maypoles and has duetted in the past with the likes of Sean Lennon and Emma Noble. He's about to release new album Gather Up and it looks like it's set for success, given his growing fanbase on Spotify with 1.6m listeners every month. In a clip that's been seen more than two million times on TikTok, @ethannneville posted: "When I first heard this song [Take My Hand] I thought it was a phenomenal piece of art. "Then I learn the guy singing it is none other than the comedic genius and talented actor Matt Berry. You're telling me that the same guy who shouts 'New York Citehhh'[in What We Do In The Shadows] is a beautiful singer songwriter." Ethan wasn't the only one shocked at the link, with fans pouring into the comments to share their surprise. One said: "You're telling me Jackie Daytona the human bartender sings this? Another said: "WHAT?? How am I just finding this out, I've loved this song for years," while another replied: "You're telling me the same Matt Berry from the IT crowd? Like… FATHURRRRRRR?". However, there's another sad element to the popularity of the song, as some social media users came upon it after it was used in the end credits of 2025 Netflix documentary American Murder: Gabby Petito. One added: "This is such a beautiful song and I found it through the Gabbby Petito documentary." Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'.
Los Angeles Times
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Matt Berry celebrates birthday, ‘What We Do in the Shadows' on last day of shooting
On the last day of shooting beloved FX comedy, 'What We Do in the Shadows,' star Matt Berry received a surprise celebration for his birthday.
Los Angeles Times
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Saying goodbye to ‘What We Do in the Shadows': an oral history
'What We Do in the Shadows' was an unlikely success story. Rising from the coffin of a hilarious but obscure mockumentary feature about four sort-of loser vampire housemates in suburban New Zealand, the FX sitcom shifted the action to Staten Island and cast its undead ensemble as blithely murderous, petty, pansexual and often dim-witted. The result: critical acclaim and three Emmy nominations for comedy series. Now, having driven a stake through the series' heart, showrunner Paul Simms and the main ensemble — Matt Berry (Laszlo Cravensworth), Natasia Demetriou (Nadja of Antipaxos), Kayvan Novak (Nandor the Relentless), Mark Proksch (Colin Robinson, energy vampire) and Harvey Guillén (Nandor's human familiar, Guillermo) — chatted about the series' sixth and final season and the bloody, wild ride that was. Was it surprising the TV Academy would embrace a series this offbeat? Paul Simms: Going into it, I was, like, this seems really fun but not the kind of show that's ever going to get nominated for anything. The PR people get mad at me when I say that the show is stupid, but it's stupid in the best way. When we first got some Emmy nominations, that was a real surprise. I wouldn't call it stupid. I'd say it celebrates stupidity. Simms: Yes, there! That's what I should have been saying all these years. And the actors fully committed to being really stupid characters. They made incredibly bad decisions all the time, despite having hundreds of years to figure everything out. They're like the rest of us. No matter how much time you have to figure it out, you never really do. Matt Berry: It was a surprise when it cut through, but I always felt like it was a decent show. Natasia Demetriou: There were endless moments during filming where we'd look at each other like, 'I will never again be in a big-box store at 4 a.m. watching a fake Doug Jones puppet be wheeled along in a Barbie car —' Berry: '— a candle attached to its head —' Demetriou: '— and I'm dressed as a mad vampire.' Simms: It felt like what you imagined show business was going to be when you're a little kid, where someone's dressed as a monster and you're about to have a big explosion and someone fly by wires over a house, and you see a little half-Guillermo, half-sheep hybrid creature smoking a cigarette between scenes. Mark Proksch: I think a lot of TV comedy, especially these days, insults the audience by having to overexplain who each character is and why that joke is funny, and 'Shadows' never did that. Harvey Guillén: I think we were recognized for everything except the acting. If I got the nomination, it would make history as … the first queer Latino to be nominated [for] supporting role for comedy. Last year was the first year Matt got nominated, and we were ecstatic. Kayvan Novak: I wasn't ecstatic; I was furious. [Laughs] Had to ruin my f— day. Nominate my fellow actor for a best actor Emmy. I mean, Jesus Christ. Ecstatic! [Laughs] Guillén: We're still surprised if we get [acting] nominations. Novak: We had fun at the Emmys. We sat there saying, 'Please don't win. Please don't win.' [Berry did not win.] So that was a plus. We're all still on an even keel. We've all still won f— all. Will we ever see a 'Shadows' blooper reel? Simms: We really don't have many bloopers because of the way we shot, that fake-documentary style. You can be on camera at any moment, so people would absolutely stay in character through anything that happened. Demetriou: It's because we're such professional and incredible actors. That's my answer for that. Proksch: The only time we would laugh at each other is when the other person would screw up so the scene was already ruined. Demetriou: There was a lot of coughing over people's lines or saying someone's line — Kayvan would often come up with a one-liner he thought was zingy and once he'd done it a couple of times, people would start saying it before he could say it. [Laughs] 'Oh, I've got a really good one!' 'What is it?' And he'd tell us, then Matt would say it. [Suddenly reproachful] There was a lot of that nasty, nasty sort of behavior. Berry: I did that to him quite a few times, and he always took that like a gentleman. Guillén: Kayvan is the funniest person I've ever met and literally the only person who makes me break on set. I'm really a stickler, but he would be [singing in bombastic pop-crooner style] 'The Greatest Actor in the World!' [laughs] — he would sing that, and that alone would make me break. What was your favorite episode? Simms: I loved Jackie Daytona ['On the Run'] and the way we follow one character and it turns into a completely different documentary that's almost like 'Harlan County, USA' or something. Sarah Naftalis wrote one about them going to the casino, going to Atlantic City, that was one of my favorites. Berry: Mine would be a season. I think we reached our zenith in Season 4. When you look back at Season 4, it's like a greatest hits. There's just so many great episodes there. So that would be my choice. Proksch: The dinner party episode with Tash [Demetriou], the last season, we had so much fun doing that one. Matt and I got to work a lot together [largely because of a bizarre plot in which Colin is reborn as a baby vampire and Laszlo raises him]; that was always fun because our characters were so different from each other, yet there was some sort of connection, whether they would admit it or not. Demetriou: I would definitely agree with Matt; I thought Season 4 was so fun. I got to have a nightclub, seeing all the vampires in the nightclub, turning the nightclub into a wedding — that was such a spectacle and so funny and stupid. The short-lived Colin-as-a-teenager was unbelievable. And I loved the singing episode where Colin managed me and Matt, and we were the human music group. Novak: 'The Casino' is my favorite episode. I'd say any scene with Harvey, really. They always surprised me because it was always quite emotional and intense and really rewarding. Harvey's such a great actor, I always felt like, 'Got to be good in this one.' Guillén: We really had a great time when Mark Hamill joined us [in 'On the Run'], and Haley Joel Osment. Haley was really a trouper. Mark Hamill's kids got him into the show, and he tweeted about how loves the show; Kayvan and Mark were really big 'Star Wars' fans. The characters were actual monsters … who were petty and foolish yet somehow relatable. Novak: The fact that this group of degenerates, these bloodsucking, mass-murdering vampires and wannabe vampires, [could be] so lovable is amazing. It transcended all normal rules of engagement. There's no virtue signaling going on. Demetriou: It's rare and refreshing to be able to play a bunch of a— because, let's face it, we are all a—. We're all fools. It was very fun and liberating to play people who know that they're evil, and I think that's endlessly funny, and that violence, timed right, can be hilarious. There was an episode that we did this fake home improvement show, and these two really happy, chipper guys, the Sklar Brothers, are presenting, and they walk through the door like, 'Welcome!' and within seconds, I kill one of them. That made me laugh so much. And … dead. Berry: We didn't apply any caution. I think once you start doing that, you have a lot less colors to play with. And because these were vampires … the comedy could be as free and as filthy as you wanted because these people didn't have to adhere to [morality] because they weren't from the here and now. You cheated death in the finale, with three different endings, including that 'Newhart' reference. Simms: Bob Newhart was my favorite comedian of all time. He said [in Parade magazine] that he and his wife watched 'What We Do in the Shadows.' I was very excited. Guillén: I loved our 'Newhart' ending … in a weird way, [Guillermo and Nandor] ended up together. Novak: I think it satisfied a lot of the 'Nandermo' fans, even though they didn't get to see a full-on sex scene. A lot of the fan art used to be them kissing and fondling each other in Nandor's room. Now it's them kissing and fondling each other whilst fighting crime. They captured a lot of hearts, those two. Demetriou: I was sobbing for most of those [alternate endings] because we filmed that episode last … us singing 'We'll Meet Again' around the piano. Novak: We became a big happy family and that was very wonderful to experience. We laughed a lot, man. A lot. Demetriou: My dad has dementia and he still remembers the show. He wears my Nadja T-shirt all the time and doesn't really know what it is anymore, but to me that's the most special thing in the world, that he absolutely loved it and thought it was hilarious. Guillén: I want to say thank you to the fans for watching all these years and making us feel so loved. Novak: And thank you, FX, for picking up the tab.
Miami Herald
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Miami Herald
‘The whole point.' TikTok trend redefines what rich means with ‘beautiful' videos
There's a new TikTok trend — and it's one that some say might be reshaping how we define 'rich.' Posters are talking about what life is really about with this new trend that has videos garnering millions of views. The trend is simple — post a video of a memory that's cherished, peaceful or easily forgotten about but also important, then write 'almost forgot that this is the whole point' over the video accompanied by Matt Berry's song 'Take my hand.' Poster @Leuccia_ took part in the trend with a video taken in Greece where young children jump in excitement after catching their first fish, the video showed. The two boys hugged before adults came out to take a photo of their big catch, the April 20 video shows. Commenters were in agreement that the video showed 'memories of a lifetime' with one person saying, 'this could be a scene straight up from a movie.' 'Core memory for those kids,' another wrote. 'This is what 'rich' means in my world,' someone said. Another poster took a video and it reminded her to 'slow down.' The video shows a baby's 'finger taps' on her mama's thigh, the April 12 video posted by @ showed. The baby squeezes her mom's thigh as another baby sleeps on the mom's chest, the video showed. The video had commenters sharing the moments their 'dimpled hand' baby created the special connection with them with one person saying, 'The finger taps. My daughter just started doing this.' 'The first my baby climbed on me just to snuggle rewired me,' another wrote. 'My daughter just did this for the first time this morning and I sobbed. She was just drinking her bottle, patting me on the arm like 'good job momma I'm a happy girl,'' another said. TikToker @Daisymacrae_ posted a video that reminded the internet that the 'point of living is to love. Not to suffer,' according to the April 9 video. The video depicts a group sitting on a cliff overlooking a city during sunset, the TikTok captioned, 'What's the point of making a living if you're not going to live?' showed. The video jumps from scenery to scenery, with oceans, trees, cities and even water falls making an appearance. Commenters rushed to let the poster know they were in agreement that 'the point of living is to live not survive,' with one person saying 'need more of this in my life.' 'Life is meant for adventure, for growth, for journeying through the peaks and valleys experiencing all the emotions this experience has to offer,' another said. 'Life when I remember my grades don't define me,' one said. 'This is so beautiful!,' someone wrote. 'I remember one day at uni the sunlight hitting a tree so perfectly with birds in the branches and the quiet breeze. So magical I had to take a minute to process it,' someone said. Another TikToker took to the app to show a grandma experiencing 'bucket list' activities, like playing with bubbles, the May 2 video showed. The grandma, in a pink flowered dress can be seen ecstatic when bubbles appear, to the point where she calls for a pet dog to come see, the video showed. She's mesmerized by the bubbles, clapping and smiling as they continue to blow past her. Commenters said 'you can see her inner child so clearly' with one person writing, 'you can see the moment she became a little girl again.' 'It's her first time living too,' someone said. 'I could almost cry did you see her eyes light up??!!!!' one wrote. 'This is absolutely the ENTIRE point!!!!' another said. Although the videos range from picture perfect views to kids creating memories and everything in between, TikTok is in agreement that this trend shows the 'real definition of rich.'
The Independent
12-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Minecraft Movie fans ‘robbed' after learning who originally played Jack Black role
Minecraft Movie viewers are feeling 'robbed' after discovering the first choice for Jack Black 's role. Video game players are rushing to watch the blockbuster adaptation of hit video game Minecraft, and are loving one reference so much that its spawned a bizarre cinema trend. But the film has received mostly negative reviews, with many criticising Black's lead performance. The Independent 's Clarisse Loughrey said the School of Rock actor gives off the air of 'a desperate clown at an under-attended children's party'. It's now been reported by Puck that Matt Berry, the British star of sitcoms Toast of London and What We Do in the Shadows, was originally set to star as Steve – but had to drop out due to scheduling conflicts caused by the 2023 actors' strike in Hollywood. Berry ended up playing a small role of a villager in a post-credits scene. Fans are now complaining that the film could have been so much better had Berry, who is known for his exaggerated line deliveries, played the lead role – especially if he could have uttered the popular Minecraft phrase 'chicken jockey'. 'I'm definitely not saying 'chicken jockey' in the voice of Matt Berry right now…' one person wrote, with another stating: 'Torn between 'Matt Berry's too good for that' and 'I want to hear him say chicken jockey'.' Others echoed this point, writing on X/Twitter: 'Laughing really hard imagining Matt Berry saying 'chicken jockey' so maybe it would've been a good movie if this happened.' One other person chimed in: 'Hearing 'chicken jockey' come out of matt berry's mouth would've absolutely grilled me HELLO???' Meanwhile, viewers said they were both 'yearning' and 'grieving' what could have been, with one person adding: 'This would've been a completely different movie and probably drastically better.' Black stars in A Minecraft Movie alongside Jason Momoa, Danielle Brooks and Jennifer Coolidge. Footage shared across social media shows food and popcorn being thrown across the audience, along with loud shouting, some swearing, and general raucousness, when Black and Momoa's characters are confronted in a boxing ring by a cuboid Minecraft chicken. 'Chicken jockey,' exclaims Black's character, a reference to the video game that is sending audiences wild. Several videos captured by fans show audiences chanting the line along with Black, before whooping and clapping loudly. In the wake of the furore, Cineworld has announced it is launching 'Chicken Jockey Screenings' in a special one-day event on Sunday (13 April). For the screenings, Cineworld 'encourages fans to dress up, whoop, yelp and clap their way through this block-busting adventure'.
