Fans of Chris Lilley’s hilarious character Mr G are cheering, with the Aussie comedian confirming that he’s reprising the iconic role.
Taking to social media this week, Chris, 50, teased the big reveal over several days, posting the Summer Heights High teacher’s pink yoga ball bouncing through the frame, his work chair, adjusting his tie, as well as the teacher’s legs as he walked, danced, sat and bounced on the ball.
The final two videos then ended with the words: “Mr G is back”, leaving no doubt as to the message.
Not only did Chris portray Mr G, aka Greg Gregson, in the series, but he also played female private-school exchange student Ja’mie King and foul-mouthed Tongan-Australian student Jonah Takalua. Mr G, however, was a standout character. The head of the school’s drama program, he was a true diva who saw himself as a star and would regularly have outbursts and tantrums.
Most famously, Mr G capitalised on the death of a female student for the inspiration for his song ‘Naughty Girl’, with lyrics including: “She’s a naughty girl with a bad habit, bad habit for drugs.”
The song was released as a single in March 2008, peaking at number seven on the ARIA Singles Chart.
The spoof mockumentary series was an instant hit when it premiered on the ABC in 2007, winning the 2008 TV WEEK Logie Award for Most Outstanding Comedy Program and Most Popular Actor for Chris – who also created, wrote and co-produced the show.
In 2021, the series was removed from streaming service Netflix due to “blackface” and “brownface” concerns. Three additional series from the creator – Jonah From Tonga, Angry Boys and We Can Be Heroes – were also removed for the same reason.
The comedian defended his style of comedy during an interview with The Weekend Australian in 2019, saying, “I’m not trying to do the thing that is trendy at the moment… When you meet them [my characters], you think, ‘I know that type of person,’ but then there is a twist, something crazy. In the end, you think, ‘Actually, I kind of relate to this, she did that thing that I do every day.”
Still, fans are thrilled with this latest development, taking to the comments section of Chris’ posts to share their excitement at Mr G’s return.
“Life is worth living again… Mr G is back!” declared one, while another wrote, “My dream is finally coming tru OMG.”
While we’ll have to wait to find out exactly in what capacity Mr G will be returning, the project will mark Chris’ first acting role since 2019’s Netflix mockumentary Lunatics.
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