December 2007:
Congratulations!!
***Correction***12-24-07: The Mirror was reporting that Mackenzie had had a second son. However, in a Daily Mail interview, we've learned he and Lindsay are actually celebrating the birth of a daughter (on Christmas Eve!) named Scout Elizabeth. Her older brother, Jude, is 4. Congrats!
Fairy Story
Mackenzie's first book is to be put out by Faber & Faber next fall. The following is details from the publisher's announcement:
Mackenzie Crook, of Pirates of the Caribbean fame brings us this beautifully illustrated book about Asa Brown and his fight to save the illusive and harmless community of Fairies from extinction.
Having discovered a dead fairy in his back garden Asa decides to investigate. Nothing could have prepared him for what was in store... from the ancient farmhouse of the eccentric and VERY old local alchemist Ptolemy Coot and his fascination with eternal life to the secret inner world of the fairies; from the grotesque to the magical...
Crook�s first book for children is a funny, captivating, surreal and gothic adventure combining the elements of all the best fairy stories with a brilliant new voice in modern children�s fiction.
Publication Date: October 2008
Rights: World All Languages
Extent: 150 Pages
Recommended Age: 8-12
Faber and Faber - Childrens
Mackenzie Crook is one of British comedy�s best known faces. His most famous roles have been Gareth Keenan in the BBC hit �The Office�, and Rag[e]tti in the Pirates of the Caribbean trilogyHe has also shared the screen Al Pacino, Heath Ledger, and Johnny Depp In 2004 he appeared opposite Christian Slater in the West End stage producion of One Flew Over The Cuckoo�s Nest, and he is also scriptwriting for his own future project. He lives in North London.
Sounds great!
November 2007:
'Blake's Junction 7'/ 'Ant Muzak' / 'World of Wrestling' DVD
These short comedy films, all directed by Ben Gregor, written by Tim Plester and featuring Mackenzie Crook, will finally be released on DVD in the UK on January 14th. The dvd is now available for pre-order on Amazon.co.uk
Evening Standard Theatre Awards
For his portrayal of Konstantin in Anton Chekhov's The Seagull, Mackenzie has been placed on the just-released long list of nominees for Best Actor in the Evening Standard Theatre Awards. The long lists of nominees were released for the first time at the requests of the judges in light of "a dazzling year."* The short lists will come out next week and the award ceremony will take place on the 27th. The full list of nominees can be found here.
*From this article.
October 2007:
"Office Star Goes from Strength to Strength"
From Wales on Sunday
He hasn't quite mastered a Welsh valleys accent for road movie Abraham's Point but Mackenzie Crook reveals all about life outside of The Office
MACKENZIE Crook is in Cardiff buying cheese.
Actually, he�s here making a film, but when I see him he�s at the deli counter in Howells� food hall; black beanie hat pulled down tight over his ears, his long, scraggy blond locks hiding what little else is visible of his face.
But that still doesn�t stop the excited whispering and surreptitious finger-pointing from the other shoppers nearby because, as Crook himself freely admits, when you�ve got a face like his, blending in isn�t that easy...
Continued at IC Wales
"Mackenzie Plunges Into a High-Octane Role in 'Abraham's Point'"
Article from Hello! Magazine
He won worldwide fame playing weedy jobsworth Gareth in hit comedy The Office, but now it seems actor Mackenzie Crook has the makings of an action man on the set of his new thriller Abraham's Point.
Out on location in the Swansea valley, Mackenzie was doing an excellent job battling the elements in a manner his Territorial Army obsessed character in the BBC show could only have dreamed on.
During one fast-moving chase scene for the Wales-based flick, the Pirates Of The Caribbean star was seen running through a forest at top speed before plunging dramatically into an icy waterfall.
The film, which also features Babel actress Harriet Walter and Joseph Wilson of The Sarah Jane Adventures, follows Mackenzie's character, an antique dealer haunted by his mysterious past, as he journeys back to the remote Welsh village he left 15 years ago. On the way, he faces double-dealing, muggings and theft.
"Is Office Star Time Lord-in-Waiting"
AFTER spending six weeks shooting a new feature film in Wales, Mackenzie Crook will head back to his young family in London today.
But the actor, who shot to fame in award-winning BBC comedy The Office, has enjoyed his time here so much that he�s now after David Tennant�s job.
While Crook admits that he has been considered for some roles in the BBC Wales-produced Doctor Who in the past, nothing came of them due to other commitments.
But, like many other actors, he would quite like Tennant�s job as the Time Lord, especially as many scenes are shot in Wales.
�Maybe I�ll just have to wait for David to abdicate,� he laughs...
Continued at IC Wales
September 2007:
"World Of Wrestling"'s World Premiere
"World of Wrestling", the short film written by Tim Plester and directed by Ben Gregor, will be making it's world premiere this weekend at the Calgary International Film Festival. It will also be screened in October at the Uppsala Short Film Festival.
More info and photos from the film can be found here.
"Office and Pirates Star in Caerwent"
TV and film star Mackenzie Crook stopped off in Caerwent at the weekend as part of a madcap road trip across Wales.
The actor, who shot to fame as annoying supervisor Gareth in The Office, was there yesterday while shooting a low-budget film called Abraham's Point.
The story follows him on a journey from London to West Wales as Comet Snape, a young man struggling to come to terms with a family tragedy...
Full article available on Free Press
"IGN Discovers the City of Ember"
The folks over at IGN have posted a report from their set visit of the film that will be released in October '08. You can see it here.
"Trio join 'Abraham's Point'"
From Variety.com
Talk Back - post a comment
LONDON � Harriet Walker, Joseph Millson and upcoming thesp Mariah Gale have joined the cast of Mackenzie Crook starrer "Abraham's Point."
Walker was last seen in "Atonement," while Millson appeared in "Casino Royale."
"Point," about a Welshman's journey home from London and his spiritual search for redemption, is helmer Wyndnam Price's debut feature film.
Pic begins filming in Cardiff and the Pembrokeshire Coast this week.
The film is a Film Partnership production in association with Spinning Head Films with financing from the Film Agency for Wales, with the support of Arts Council of Wales National Lottery funding and Limelight VCT.
Moviehouse Entertainment is handling worldwide sales.
Paint 4 Poverty
The painting that Mackenzie contributed to Paint 4 Poverty will go up on auction on October 13th. More details about this auction can be found at its official website here.
August 2007:
The City of Ember
According to the Internet Movie Database, Mackenzie will star alongside Bill Murray and Tim Robbins as 'Looper' in The City of Ember, an adaptation of the Jeanne DuPrau novel. An in-depth summary of the book can be found on Wikipedia.
The film is set to be on October 10th 2008.
July 2007:
"Pirates At Worlds End Washes Ashore on Blu Ray in December"
Fans of Disney films and Blu-ray have lots to look forward to this fall, as Disney announced today that it has added "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" to its list of Blu-ray disc releases for this fall...
From Digital Home
"Diana Concert Ends with Elton"
From MTV.co.uk
Comedian Ricky Gervais appeared before the finale playing his Free Love song from The Office. He was joined by Mackenzie Crook- in character as Gareth- on backing vocals.
June 2007:
Mackenzie Directs Music Video for Paw Paw
From NewsShopper.co.uk
Paw paw are James Cabooter, Eve Shuttleworth and Zoe Crook - born and raised in Dartford...
The Wired OK video has been directed by another Dartfordian, Mackenzie Crook (The Office, Pirates of the Caribbean).
The video will be available to view on the band's Myspace page soon: Here.
More Info about the Diana Concert
can be found at the following links:
ConcertForDiana.com - official site*
*How to View the concert in various nations can be found here
Vh1 - Location for a live stream of the concert (July 1st)
"Ricky Gervais and Mackenzie Crook to Perform Duet at Diana Concert
FromAll Headline News
Ricky Gervais and Mackenzie Crook will duet at the Concert for Diana in London this Sunday before introducing Sir Elton John on stage. The pair will recreate a classic singing scene from their hit comedy "The Office" at the event, which is being held on what would have been Diana's 46th birthday to mark the ten year anniversary of her death.
A source said: "Although the show coincides with Diana's birthday, her sons, Princes William and Harry, want it to be a day of remembrance and celebration, not mourning.
"They're both huge fans of 'The Office' and were thrilled when Ricky and Mackenzie agreed to do something."
The duo will perform the song "Free Love On The Freelove Highway," originally performed by their characters David Brent and Gareth Keenan on the show.
The concert at the new Wembley Stadium features an all star line-up including Take That, Lily Allen, Kanye West, Nelly Furtado, Joss Stone, Duran Duran and Kylie Minogue.
William said: "We wanted to have this big concert, full of energy, full of the sort of fun and happiness which I know she would have wanted. And on her birthday as well, it's got to be the best birthday present she ever had."
"Stars Join McCartney for Birthday Bash"
From SFGate.com
The hitmaker invited The Beatles' former producer Sir George Martin, supermodel Kate Moss, actress Natalie Portman, actor Mackenzie Crook, Texas frontwoman Sharleen Spiteri, filmmaker Richard Curtis and Sir Elton John and his spouse David Furnish to the fancy dress party at his north London home...
"Sir Paul McCartney in London"
From Stuff.Co.Nz
The former Beatle performed for just 1000 people, including a host of celebrities and lucky competition winners, at Camden's Electric Ballroom, in what was his most intimate show in years...
Stars in attendance included Kate Moss, former Bond star Pierce Brosnan, McCartney's fashion designer daughter Stella, British actress Emma Thompson and actor Mackenzie Crook - who stars in the rocker's new video.
May 2007:
"New Pirates Smashes World Records"
From The Age
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End sliced through opening week records around the world, pulling in $US404 million ($A494.22 million) over six days, Walt Disney Studios said today.
The third in the "Pirates" series, with Johnny Depp as swaggering Captain Jack Sparrow, busted opening week records in 16 countries from Argentina to Iceland, to Russia, Malaysia and Taiwan, Disney said.
It outpaced the previous world opening record of $US382 million ($A467.31 million) racked up by Spider-Man 3 just four weeks ago - and the newest Pirates has yet to open in the world's two most populous countries, China and India...
"Paul McCartney World Premiere 'Dance Tonight' Music Video"
From Music Video Wire
Paul McCartney's new music video Dance Tonight, from his soon to be released 21st studio recording Memory Almost Full, will be internationally premiered on YouTube on May 23rd.
Mackenzie contributing to Paint4Poverty
He joins over 50 other celebrities contributing artwork to Paint4Poverty. Sponsered by
Prime Arts, all the proceeds from the auctions go towards Robin Hood Ministries. You can also visit Paint4Poverty on Myspace and Facebook for more details. You can view Mackenzie's painting right here.
"Crook steals his way into Third World People"
From Screen Daily
Paris-based Chic Films has added Mackenzie Crook to the cast of its Kristin Scott Thomas romantic comedy Third World People.
Antoine Desrosieres will direct the English-language French, South African and German co-production, about Europeans' views on third-world people...
"Bringing Pirates of the Caribbean 3 to Life"
Excerpt from Movies Online
For such grizzled "Pirates" veterans as Lee Arenberg and Mackenzie Crook, who play the tag-team duo of Pintel and Ragetti, "At World's End" presented another opportunity to expand their characters. "In the first film we were pretty vicious," says Crook. "We shot the servant in the governor's house straight away, really nasty, cutthroat villains. In the second film, we lightened up a bit and became a real double-act. But I think that Gore, Ted and Terry were keen to keep a vicious streak in us, because we're pirates when you come down to it, so we can't always just be goofing around. So I have a good kill count in At World's End. I think I dispatch three or four souls."
"Out of Office Reply"
Mackenzie Crook can't keep still. He has a nervous energy that helped him survive 10 years as a stand-up before landing the role of Gareth in The Office. Now, about to appear in his third Pirates Of The Caribbean film, he tells Hannah Pool about being holed up with Johnny Depp and why he's finally getting serious ...
From The Guardian
Mackenzie to Star in Abraham's Point
Crook is already appearing in the forthcoming second Pirates of the Caribbean sequel alongside Johnny Depp.
Now Abraham's Point will see him go on an journey from London to west Wales in a struggle to overcome a family tragedy which has haunted him since his youth...
From BBC News
April 2007:
"Letter from Paul"
An excerpt from LA Times:
The following letter from Paul McCartney is being released Monday relating to his new album "Memory Almost Full," due June 5 on Hear Music, the first release by the Starbucks and Concord Music Group-owned label...
"The opening track of the album is "Dance Tonight". I recently got myself a mandolin and I was just playing about with it and came up with the basis of this track. A couple of weeks ago we made the video, which was great fun. It’s directed by Michel Gondry ("Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind") and stars Natalie Portman and Mackenzie Crook. I'm not going to give the plot away. You'll have to go and watch it for yourself, but we had a good time doing it."
"FASCINATING FACT 3103"*
FromContact Music
NATALIE PORTMAN and THE OFFICE star MACKENZIE CROOK appear in the video of SIR PAUL MCCARTNEY's latest single from his new album MEMORY ALMOST FULL.
More info about the album itself can be found at The Rock Radio.com
*MCC Editor's note--that last ^ bit of news is ridiculously cool.
"Seagull clips West End Wings for Broadway???"
From Whats On Stage
An update on last week's titbit about a possible West End transfer for the Royal Court's recent sell-out production of Chekhov's The Seagull (See The Goss, 26 Mar 2007). Unfortunately, due to the unavailability of some of the cast, led by Kristin Scott Thomas, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Mackenzie Crook, we're told that there will be no West End transfer. However, there still may be some chance to see it again, if you're willing to stump up for the airfare to New York. Discussions are now under way for a Broadway production in early 2008..
"Royal Court Seagull Flies to West End?"
From What's On Stage
Thanks to its cast led by Kristin Scott Thomas, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Mackenzie Crook, the Royal Court's production of Chekhov's The Seagull was a virtual sell-out even before it opened to rave reviews in January... But if you weren't lucky enough to get tickets in Sloane Square, where The Seagull finished last Saturday (17 March), you may get another chance soon...
"Celebrity Answers with Mackenzie Crook"
From Any Question Answered
Q. Who is Mackenzie Crook?
A. The skinny bloke out of The Office
Q. What's the meaning of life?
A. Peace on Earth, goodwill to all men.
Q. What's your funniest joke?
A. Why don't cannibals eat clowns? Because they taste funny.
Q. What's the best bargain you ever bought?
A. A Gloriosa Rothschildii for £1.99 from Homebase reduced from £25 because it had finished flowering. I've had it for three years now and it's produced loads of flowers. Suckers.
Q. Do you prefer comedy or serious acting?
A. I bloody love acting. It's an incredible feeling to make people laugh but now I've found out I can make people cry. Don't know which I enjoy the most.
Q. What was your worst moment on stage?
A. I "had a fall" during my dramatic exit in "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest", skinned my knees and went on to take my bow with blood seeping through my trousers.
Q. Did you learn anything naughty from Carmen Electra?
A. I cannot tell a lie. I didn't even get to meet her.
Q. You once said you are not fazed by beauty or celebrity but by talent. Who in your opinion is the UK 's most talented young actress?
A. Carey Mulligan. I act alongside her every night in 'The Seagull' and she astounds me.
Q. If reincarnation is real, who or what would you come back as?
A. Me again. I've forgotten loads of stuff.
Q. What do you think Gareth Keenan would say to Ragetti from the Pirates of the Caribbean if they met in a bar in Slough ?
A. What do health and safety have to say about you sword-fighting with only one eye? Surely you have no depth perception?
March 2007:
"Pirates 3 Trailer Coming March 19th!"
From Cinematical
Disney will premiere the Pirates of the Caribbean: At Worlds End trailer during a special nationwide "Pirates Ultimate Fan Event" on Sunday, March 18. In addition to the trailer preview, there will be a screening of Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, as well as Pirate-themed prizes and a bunch of other goodies. The event will be held in each market at a select theater and fans can find out more by logging on to Disney.com/piratesfanevent.
Oh, but that's not all. For those of you who cannot make it out to the event, Disney will premiere the Pirates 3 trailer on ABC the following day, March 19, during the premiere episode of Dancing with the Stars (between 8-10PM). Immediately following the show, you can watch the trailer online at Yahoo.com, Disney.com and a number of other premium online destinations.
Rollin Sydan
Mackenzie is set to voice Rolli in the English version of the animated feature
Rollin Sydan (English title: Quest for a Heart). The film will debut on December 17th in Finland, no word yet on when the English version will be released.
"Modern Toss" DVD
According to its official website, the tv show "Modern Toss" will be available this summer. It's set to be released to coincide with the second series of the show. *Source*
February 2007:
The Gathering on DVD
The Gathering, a 2002 film starring Christina Ricci and Ioan Gruffudd and featuring Mackenzie as one of the many ominous ghosts in the film was recently released on DVD in the US and Canada.
January 2007:
"How Mackenzie Stole the Show"
From ThisIsLondon.co.uk
Poor Kristin Scott Thomas. Before last week's opening of The Seagull at the Royal Court, London was abuzz with anticipation at what she'd make of Chekhov's vain antiheroine, Arkadina.
The next day, she found her limelight comprehensively stolen by the man playing her son, Konstantin.
Mackenzie Crook, the spindly former stand-up comedian who played jobsworth Gareth in The Office and supplies light relief as a buccaneer with a wooden eye in the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, stood revealed as a towering theatrical talent...
"Crook Makes a Seamless Transition to Life on Stage"
From Independent Online
His television career took off after he perfected the role of a nerdy right-hand man to Ricky Gervais' middle management boss in the cult sitcom, The Office.
Now, Mackenzie Crook has won the acclaim of London's theatre critics after transforming himself into a serious stage actor.
His success mirrors the extraordinary careers forged by his other Office co-stars, who have gone on to star in hit shows on both sides of the Atlantic.
Crook, who also impressed in the Hollywood hit movie Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, produced an astonishing performance in Anton Chekhov's classic tragi-comedy, The Seagull, on Thursday night. He left the critics raving about the versatile talents that have seen him rise from television to film and stage.
According to the glowing opening-night reviews, the Kent-born actor plays the suicidal Konstantin, as the "quintessence of a tortured Russian writer".
More Great Seagull Reviews!
From The Telegraph
Mackenzie Crook, best known for his comic roles in The Office and Pirates of the Caribbean, turns out to be the most moving Konstantin since Simon Russell Beale. His painful thinness, feverish energy and those haunted, hollow eyes constantly suggest a man nearing the end of his rope, and his final scene with his beloved Nina, touchingly played by Carey Mulligan is almost unbearably affecting.
From This is London
:
Yet oddly Scott Thomas's limitations serve only to make Crook's Konstantin appear more pathetically isolated and his transition from TV comedian to serious actor more amazing.
What a blaze of desperate intensity he brings to his hopeless wooing of Mulligan's ardent, vulnerable Nina. Eyes fixed in a distant stare, shimmering with passion, the desolate, bearded Konstantin promises early on to kill himself and the threat for once sounds like an assured prophecy.
I have never seen the last Nina-Konstantin encounter better done. Mulligan piles on the pathos as an eerily mature, sexually obsessed Nina.
She speaks the lines from Konstantin's modernist play while he blocks his ears to the sound. This enthralling Seagull becomes, in Rickson's beautiful swan-song production, a drama of destruction.
"First Night: The Seagull, Royal Court Theatre, London"
From Independent Online
In a role that's a far cry from the ghastly Gareth in The Office, Mackenzie Crook gives a touchingly truthful performance as Konstantin - his awkward, lanky body and injured eyes conveying the love-starved neediness of a youth who is mortified to lose both his neglectful mother and his starry-eyed girlfriend to an older, successful writer Trigorin...
"Revenge of the Nerd"
From The Times Online
As the odious Gareth in The Office, Mackenzie Crook turned failure into a triumph. Now, our most famous jobsworth is playing Chekhov
He looks, of course, like a streak of misery, which is precisely why he became Gareth in The Office and is therefore linked in the public�s mind with the ghastliest nerd in the history of TV comedy. As a result of that massive exposure, Crook has had to try and extricate himself from an actor�s second worst nightmare � being recognised.
"'Theatre? I've only just discovered it'"
Entire article from Telegraph.co.uk
Mackenzie Crook, star of The Office and Pirates of the Caribbean, is taking on Chekhov. He talks to Dominic Cavendish.
There's something brilliantly apt about one of the stars of The Office, the series that introduced a new breed of naturalism to the British sitcom, landing his first major stage role in The Seagull, the play that achieved a comparable revolution in the Russian theatre a hundred years earlier.
Just don't expect Mackenzie Crook, appearing as Konstantin in a new version of the play by Christopher Hampton at the Royal Court, London, to get particularly voluble about Chekhov or his contribution to modern drama...
"From Russia, with Love"
The director Ian Rickson has decided that the best way to perform Chekhov's The Seagull at the Royal Court is to give his cast a crash course in the art of being Russian...from The Daily Mail
More Ragetti Action Figures:
-Ragetti has been included in Zizzle's 3rd series of 3 3/4" figures. You can view all of them on Zizzle's official page.
-Zizzle also has a new series entitled "Secrets of the Deep" which includes a set of Pintel & Ragetti in "Look-Alike Jack Gear". Details are up on ToyWiz.Com. They also have a closer look here.
-Finally, according to BigBadToyStore.com, Pintel & Ragetti along with Jack Sparrow and Sao Feng comprise the very first NECA series from Pirates of the Caribbean At Worlds End. You can view the previous NECA Ragetti figure here.
Happy New Year's!
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