An Ode to the Excellence of Matthew Berry

Today is an appreciation post for Matthew Berry and his role as Laszlo on "What We Do in the Shadows".

I'm a big fan of this show. I also love the movie. I was on board the moment they decided to do a tv series based on the movie. The good news about the tv series for me was that I had barely heard of the cast. The whole cast is great, I have become a fan of all of them, but I only knew of Mark Prosch, he plays Colin Robinson, and Matthew Berry. Colin Robinson was on "The Office" near the end of its run, and Berry had some big succes in the UK and doing quirky comedy stuff that some of my friends had sent me or told me about. So I knew they would be just fine on this series.

What I didn’t realize how much I would grow to adore Berry as Laszlo. Every move he makes works for me. He is over the top, but also has moments of sweetness. He speaks crazier than anyone else on the show. Laszlo has grown more than any other person on the show. He started out as a charlatan who acted smart. He is now fiercely loyal to Nadja, his wife, he has tendencies of a father and he is the smartest person among his roommates. Two seasons ago Laszlo was the father figure to baby Colin Robinson. There were hilarious moments, as always, but there was some very good and wholesome stuff. Laszlo grew to really cherish baby Colin Robinson. It was the first time that I watched this show and realized that they didn't have to do broad comedy all the time. They could do some serious stuff and, as long as the actors commit, it would work. This past season he helped Guillermo through his transition and it added to his growth and maturity. Sure, Laszlo still loves to have fun and be intimate with multiple people at once, but he does have a softer side and it has been a joy to watch. The way Berry has chosen to speak as Laszlo is wonderful. He will say some wild stuff, then elongate words that don't need to be any longer, and it is so hilarious. The way he has started to say New York City is magical. It is the only way that I will say NYC now. He also goes on crazy hilarious rants about nothing and they always make me laugh. When he argued with the Sklar Brothers, who were playing construction worker guys, was riotous. I don't remember laughing that hard at a tv show in a long, long time. His outfit in that episode was dynamite as well. The way he dresses is another feather in his cap. He wears some flagrant stuff and it all works. When he showed up to Nadja's friends' diner this past season, and had a t-shirt, wild jeans and a bucket hat on, chef's kiss. It was dope. I also love how smart he acts, but also is. This past season, when he was being silent towards everyone, and everyone was worried about him, the way they showed what was going on in his head, that was perfectly portrayed by Berry. When he finally reveals that he was trying to decide how to organize his bookcase, and all the roommates were relieved that he was okay, that was excellent.

Berry is the standout in this wonderfully talented cast. He makes me laugh harder than anyone else and I cannot wait to see where they take his character from here. I know it will be great because Berry will make it great. He is a star. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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