You have to hand it to Andy Murray. He's nothing if not self-aware. The thing is, he has turned the notion of his alleged wooden personality into a recurring joke to the point of self-parody and beyond. It'd almost be self-aggrandizing if it weren't 1) delivered with a knowing wink and 2) raising funds for noble charities of late. The Spin didn't foresee ever mentioning Andy Murray and Britney Spears in the same sentence, but here you go, a look at the video auditions for roles in Andy Murray: The Movie, with Pharrell Williams and Ms. Spears front and center:
Stand Up to Cancer is the beneficiary of Murray's cheeky marketing effort here. The movie itself will air Friday evening in the UK, after which the Spin will have full details on the full star-studded piece. For now, Terry Wogan, an Irish radio vet and venerable BBC presenter, localizes this particular clip for English viewers, wooden racquet and all, as he also auditions for the Murray role. "It was flat, it was unengaging," says the film-in-waiting's director after Wogan is done. Cue Murray, on a couch beside him, with the deadpan rejoinder: "Well, I agree, yes. It's exactly what we're looking for, isn't it?"
Always and forever.
Update: Part Two of Murray's screen-test clip has emerged, with "filmmaker" Richard Ayoade soaking in all of his fellow Brit's dry humor, and offering his own. Some great zingers appear in this one, and the guest stars include Tim Henman, said to look younger at age 40 now than Murray does at 27; Gordon Ramsay, who provides the video's promised adult language; and Britney Spears, in an extended bit from her Part One appearance. Even more celebrities show themselves. Enjoy? Enjoy.
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