movies

One member of Australia’s most loveable radio pair had a leading film role you never knew about.

Hamish Blake can make any awkward situation funny, and any funny situation hilarious.

The 35-year-old is currently on radio hiatus, and that’s not okay.

The Hamish and Andy hiatus is entering its third consecutive month – partly because the boys are filming for an upcoming TV show, and partly because their radio careers are so bloody successful they can take off as much time as they want.

Christmas holidays from November to March? Yes. Pls.

Listen: Jessie Stephens goes behind-the-scenes to discover how The Hamish and Andy Show is REALLY made. Post continues after audio…

Without their live daily injections of joy and humour in my life, I’ve been doing some digging – DEEP digging – into their extraordinary back-catalogue of radio shows dating back to 2008.

I’m currently in a 2011-shaped hole: listening, watching, re-living everything Hamish and Andy did during that year. A lot of it I remember hearing back then – I’m a fan from way back – but had forgotten about…

Hamish and Andy at Mr. NY State bodybuilding championships in late 2011. Image via hamishandandy.com
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Segments like 'Random John' - a weekly game in which Hamish and Andy place a call to a random number... and hope it's a bloke named John (that's literally the entire segment); the 'Steven Seagal energy drink saga' - a quest to hold Seagal accountable for two slabs of his discontinued 'Lightning Bolt' energy drink which Hamish paid for, but never received; and 'Jazz Chat' - a wafting, unintellectual conversation that transforms into something slightly more highbrow with the addition of some light jazz.

Hamish Blake and Andy Lee in November 2016. via hamishandandy.com

I knew about all of this.

What I DIDN'T know about was the blockbuster (almost) film in which Hamish starred in early 2011.

Maybe I was living under a rock. Or maybe you missed it too. Either way... the film is called Two Little Boys. 

And it might just be the best thing we've ever come across.

A fit-looking Hamish holds his son, Insta-celeb Sonny Blake, in 2016. via Instagram.

It's a comedy, which isn't a huge surprise, given that's where Blake's talent lies.

I can't imagine him being all that convincing in a murder-thriller.

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The film follows best mates Nige (Bret Mckenzie) and Deano (Hamish Blake). After Nige hits a backpackers with his unreliable Ford Laser, Deano is the only person whom he trusts enough to turn to. Deano however, isn't great in a crisis. Hilarity ensues etc.

Hamish - now a sculpted and well-trimmed father of one (soon to be two) - was a very different beast back then...

The REAL reason for Blake's Gold Logie. Image credit Tent Pole Films.

"Alright Ando. First things first. Great to be back for 2011. I'm fat", Blake says on the first radio show of 2011.

He goes on, "I put on weight for my art, Ando... I did it because I'm passionate about the arts, and because I want to do a good job in this film."

Hamish on the set of Two Little Boys with co-star Bret Mckenzie (left) in 2011. Image via Tent Pole Films.
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Co-host Andy Lee, of course, had a bit to say on the matter.

"Just so YOU know, in my reading of the film script there was nothing at all - even in the character synopsis - that specifies you need to put weight on."

The pair crack up.

"What I've done is added the thickness to my body of about four or five tracksuit layers", Hamish says.

We miss this Hamish. Image credit Tent Pole Films.

"My passion is acting, and I had to fat up for it", he says proudly.

"Your passion is hot chips", Andy replies.

Andy was having a crack at Hamish for his extra belly-weight. But we reckon he looks bloody brilliant.

The avenue Andy SHOULD'VE been pursuing was the the one Hamish's his head - his luscious, flowing mullet.

Image via Tent Pole Films.
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After Hamish jokingly defended his new figure - citing a 'dedication to his art form' - a news website completely missed that the entire thing was a joke... and picked up the 'story'.

Hamish Blake's Fat Act Wears Thinthe headline read.

Hamish could barely contain his laughter when Andy brought up the headline on-air: "As do the soles of his shoes, due to increased weight put upon them", he added.

Despite an obviously low budget, and somewhat dodgy Rotten Tomatoes rating, the film is genuinely funny. Blake's natural humour and heartwarming charisma shine through. I found myself giggling along with a man who - despite being slightly less famous - was just as funny then as he is now.

Who knew that six years on we'd be even more in love with him now.

The Hamish and Andy Show podcast threw back to 2011 last week to re-visit Hamish's role in the film, as well as all their other adventures. You can listen and subscribe to the show in iTunes, here.