Waltzing Matilda: The Song That Shaped a Nation (1995) as Himself - Filmmaker
Short Info
Date Of Birth
July 27, 1953
Spouse
Lulu Pinkus
Fact
He later wagered a trademark battle against the major Internet portel "Yahoo! "in 2000. The case was quickly thrown out because Serious could not prove that he sells products or services under the name "Yahoo" or suffered harm or confusion due to the search engine.
Yahoo Serious (born Greg Pead) is an Australian comedian, actor, writer, director and producer. He is best known for his 1988 film Young Einstein, which was a box office success.
Early Life
Yahoo Serious was born Greg Pead in Sydney, Australia, on July 27, 1952. His parents were Bill and Irene Pead. He has two older sisters, Janice and Kerry. He was educated at Sydney Boys High School and the University of Sydney, where he studied economics.
Career
Yahoo Serious began his career as a stand-up comedian in the early 1980s. He toured Australia and New Zealand with his comedy act, which often included impersonations of famous people. In 1984, he appeared on the Australian TV show The D-Generation.
In 1988, he wrote, directed and starred in the film Young Einstein, which was a box office success. The film tells the story of how Albert Einstein (played by Serious) developed the theory of relativity.
In the early 1990s, Serious wrote, directed and starred in two more films: Mr. Accident (2000) and Reckless Kelly (2003). He has also appeared in a number of other films, including Babe: Pig in the City (1998) and Moulin Rouge! (2001).
In recent years, Serious has focused on producing documentaries. His most recent film is First Daughter (2014), which tells the story of Malia Obama, the daughter of US President Barack Obama.
Net Worth
Yahoo Serious has a net worth of $5 million. He earns a salary of $500,000 per year.
Relationships
Yahoo Serious has been married twice. His first wife was actress Jane Hallam, with whom he has two children: Oscar and Lily. His second wife is actress Melinda Messenger, with whom he has one child: Max.
General Info
Full Name
Yahoo Serious
Date Of Birth
July 27, 1953
Profession
Screenwriter, Comedian, Film producer, Film director, Actor, Composer
Then if your movie clicks with real audiences, you'll be sucked into some sort of Hollywood orbit. It's a devil of a place where the only religion that really counts is box office.
2
Now both my films have been number one at the Australian box office and it took about two years just to get the finance for this film, so if it's hard for me then God help everyone else.
3
If government and media and all of us in the Australian tribe got together, and the rock industry, we'd just be the greatest cultural force the world has ever seen - we're such an amazing race.
4
I kind of worry about that a little bit - we lost our film culture for 30 years because the Americans came in and bought up all the cinema chains and wouldn't show any Australian films.
5
I just wanted to do this all Australian film and we didn't want to give creative control to overseas 'cause whoever comes on my sets, whether you're sweeping the floor or an actor, it doesn't matter who comes up with the ideas, it's a collaboration.
6
You go overseas and people are oppressed and scared and worried but we're not like that... we're more like my films and how people come out at the end of seeing them - they feel good.
7
We live in a time where government is not a leadership thing, it's more a business that's out there and running riot, so I guess the people have to go out there and say stuff.
8
Three years after starting, by physically doing everything from raising the finance to special effects, we'd finally cobbled together our low budget film.
9
While the eyes of the world will be on us let's show everyone that we have a great sense of humour.
10
We've got so many stories to tell, you know, we could take on the world.
11
We cheer everyone who goes off to Hollywood and tells American stories but telling Australian stories is the greatest thing you can do.
12
There are a thousand weird untold stories in the Australian film industry, this has been one of them.
13
The journey of your first movie is not just beyond belief it can be truly beyond satire.
14
The American formula things are out there but they don't have any stories to tell - we have all the stories to tell - but they're all formula.
15
So we have to be careful because if you don't protect your culture you won't have it for very long.
16
My background was art school, documentary director and surfer with a keen interest in thrilling acts of life threatening stupidity.
17
Movies are usually difficult, often insane, constantly challenging and always strangely amusing to make.
18
Making your first feature film is actually impossible.
19
It's because we are so flooded with American culture that we're startled when we see ourselves up there on the screen.
20
It's an infinite creative universe to explore so why chase conservative options?
21
It was always easy for me. I was born very rich and lucky.
22
In a kind of a way there's a bit of that happening now so we have to be careful to preserve our culture.
23
In 1905 Albert discovered Relativity, in 1906 he invented Rock and Roll.
24
I don't know what it means to be out there against the Olympics.
25
Hollywood is horrible... it's beyond satire.
26
Can you imagine what it would be like if all the Aussie film talent was able to make Australian stories?
27
All the jokes in my films, the comedy, they're not me, I just try to hold a big mirror up to us.
28
The obsession required to see a feature through from concept to release is not a rational thing to do with your brief time on this planet. Nor is it something to which an intelligent person should aspire.
29
I support all Australian films.
30
Australians don't have a preconceived notion of what things have to be... we can go on a fantastic journey.
31
Movies are a complicated collision of literature, theatre, music and all the visual arts.
32
Getting your screenplay right is the most important thing you'll ever do on your film.
33
Find your own specific voice in filmmaking and go for it. Either people will get it or they won't and that's what it's all about.
34
A smile is always double-edged in that it can be either happy or aggressive. Animals when they bare their teeth they're attacking. When we bare out teeth we're being warm and smiling. My comedy tends to go to the human side of the smile.
35
The pursuit, I think, is to always do what you want and happiness and success will be a part of that. People often chase money and that's the wrong thing to chase because it will always go away from you and drag happiness with it. But if you allow money and success to be a by-product of what you want to do, then you'll be happy.
36
We often lose our way in the movie industry, in as much as we forget that it's an art form and originality is important. It's important not to just pick up a book and make it into a movie or do do sequel II, III, IV and V. Different is what people respond to. They go, "Oh good! I can go and see something new!" I hate sequels because they are always done for the wrong reason. That is, they're always done for the same reason: money.
37
Each day there are a million choices to be made starting with what you put on your toast. You're born with a name but so what?. You can choose every other aspect of your life, so why not your name?
Facts
#
Fact
1
He later wagered a trademark battle against the major Internet portel "Yahoo! "in 2000. The case was quickly thrown out because Serious could not prove that he sells products or services under the name "Yahoo" or suffered harm or confusion due to the search engine.
2
Some news reports have confused Yahoo Serious, whose real name is Greg Pead, with the antiques dealer in Sydney named Greg Pead who accused the former Royal butler Paul Burrell of having an affair with him in the 1980s. The two are not the same person nor are they related.
3
Made an honorary Doctor of Letters by the University of Newcastle in 1996 for his contribution to cinema arts.
4
In followup to his first movie success, Yahoo was featured on the cover of both TIME and MAD magazines, wrote and starred in his own series of MTV shows in New York and, as a satire on TV reporting, interviewed himself on "60 Minutes."
5
Worked as a tire fitter to pay his way through the National Art School.
6
Attended Cardiff Public High School in New South Wales.
7
Harvard University's Hasty Pudding Club gave him the Celebrated Filmmaker Award for Young Einstein (1988).
