Matt Lucas on Rebel Wilson moving out and being the boss - BBC News

Matt Lucas on Rebel Wilson moving out and being the boss

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Matt Lucas with good friend and former housemate Rebel WilsonImage source, Getty Images
Image caption,
Matt Lucas with good friend and former housemate Rebel Wilson

Matt Lucas says he still speaks "all the time" to Rebel Wilson, who recently moved out of the home they shared in Los Angeles.

He says it was Rebel's "decision to become a huge movie star and buy a house".

The pair remains "bosom buddies" though, with Matt still splitting his time between London and California.

"We lived together for three years, had the best time and a great friendship has come out of it," he says.

Image source, Getty Images

Rebel Wilson recently reprised her role as Fat Amy in the Pitch Perfect sequel and featured in the latest Night at the Museum film.

"It means she's no longer sneezing because I think she was a bit allergic to my dogs, but we had fun and we are still bosom buddies."

The pair also achieved that rare status as flat mates; they never got on each other's nerves.

"We've never really fallen out over anything, not even the basics," insists Matt.

Case in point; "we have a dishwasher, she did more loading but I did more unloading".

"I think that we just didn't have that, it was a really interesting thing with Rebel because we met and we'd been cast as brother and sister (in 2011's Bridesmaids) and people either thought we were brother and sister, husband and wife, the same person or all three," Matt says.

"But when we met it was like complete synchronicity, we're both very laid back and we're also quite driven professionally and I see that in her and she sees that in me but we're not competitive because we just enjoy each other's work."

As for Matt's day job, for the past couple of years he has been in charge of the company he set up, John Stanley Productions.

So, what kind of boss is Matt Lucas?

Image caption,
Matt Lucas in character for his BBC series Pompidou; he's developing a film around the show

"I try and be the good cop, always," he says.

"It is a weird situation though, because I think you go from being purely creative to, you might have to hire or fire somebody that you're a friend of."

"I think whatever you do you just have to make sure that you do it in a decent way," Matt says wisely.

His company's latest TV sitcom, Marley's Ghosts, starts on UKTV Gold this week and stars Sarah Alexander.

"I'm quite a silly man and we do generally make comedy although we did just do a really nice quiz series and we are developing a kind of semi-serious documentary series at the moment that I'm involved in."

"I just love it," he says.

"It appeals to my oversized ego to be able to come up with ideas and then collaborate on them with a team of very talented people."

What about making the tea? Something all good bosses should do, surely?

"I don't make the tea for everyone," admits Matt.

"But I do sometimes give the command to somebody to go to Costa and get some drinks," he quickly adds to redeem himself.

"So I don't know if that's the modern day equivalent or not?"

As for getting TV shows made, Matt Lucas says it is still "very difficult" as it's a "very, very competitive environment".

"Things like Little Britain, Come Fly with Me, Shooting Stars, that opens the door frankly," he says, "but you still have to have a good idea".

Image caption,
Matt Lucas as his onesie-wearing baby character George Dawes from Shooting Stars

"As much as my back catalogue helps the profile of the company or helps open doors; that alone does not guarantee commissions."

"And in some cases people may look at the work I've done and decide that they didn't like it and therefore they are not interested," Matt notes.

Matt only has a cameo in Marley's Ghosts and did not create the show, but has got a full schedule coming up.

There's a new comedy he can't say much about yet, aside from the fact it features Matt "playing lots of different characters".

Image caption,
A scene from Pompidou with Alex MacQueen as Hove, butler to Pompidou played by Matt Lucas

"Then I'm working on maybe a Pompidou film I'd like to develop because I think it would be nice to get him up on the big screen."

Plus Matt Lucas still "dreams of writing a stage musical".

Don't we all Matt, don't we all.

"But I tell you, running a production company is a serious business," he says back on message.

"And as bizarre as it sounds for a man who started dressed as a baby playing the drums and yelling, I am the CEO of this company so as much as I'm there writing comedy and off acting in things I'm also often in the office doing office-y things now."

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