Let’s be real for a second. When you think of the 2010 comedy Dinner for Schmucks, your brain probably goes straight to Steve Carell in a bowl cut or Paul Rudd looking perpetually stressed. It’s a remake of the French classic Le Dîner de Cons, and while the leads are great, there’s one guy who basically walked away with the whole movie in his pocket. I’m talking about Jemaine Clement.
He played Kieran Vollard.
If you haven’t seen it in a while, Vollard is this hyper-sexualized, goat-obsessed, "visionary" performance artist who thinks he’s the center of the universe. Honestly, he’s a caricature of every pretentious artist you’ve ever met at a gallery opening, but dialed up to eleven. While the movie itself got some mixed reviews—people couldn't decide if it was mean-spirited or just silly—everyone seemed to agree that Clement was a revelation.
He didn't just play a character; he created a vibe that was somehow both gross and magnetic.
The Ridiculous World of Kieran Vollard
So, who is this guy? In the movie, Vollard is the romantic rival to Paul Rudd’s character, Tim. Tim’s girlfriend, Julie, is a gallery curator who works with Vollard. This sets up a dynamic where Tim is constantly threatened by this tall, New Zealand-accented force of nature who says things like, "There are only two things in this world: wonderful, visceral, sexy sex; and death. Horrible, boring death."
Classic.
Clement has this way of delivering lines that makes them feel improvised even when they’re scripted. During the production of Jemaine Clement Dinner for Schmucks, he actually had to deal with some pretty awkward preparation. He once told a story about being in an internet cafe in Athens and opening a PDF the studio sent him. It was full of "references" for his character’s art—basically dozens of photos of naked men and, for some reason, Colin Farrell.
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He had to go to a public park in Athens and recreate these poses in his underwear for the production team. Just a normal day at the office, right?
Why his performance worked
Most "douchebag" characters in comedies are just loud. Vollard is different. He’s quiet, intense, and deeply weird. He treats a zebra's vagina like a spiritual portal and dresses up like a satyr to "capture the essence" of Julie’s sadness.
It’s the commitment that sells it.
- The Look: Tight clothes, necklaces that probably cost more than your rent, and a gaze that suggests he’s looking through you at a sandwich he wants to eat later.
- The Voice: That deep, rhythmic New Zealand baritone that makes everything sound like a prophecy.
- The Ego: He isn't trying to be a jerk; he genuinely believes his own hype. That’s what makes it funny.
Stealing the Show from Comedy Heavyweights
Look at the lineup in this movie. You’ve got Steve Carell at the height of his Office fame. You’ve got Zach Galifianakis doing his "mind control" bit as Therman Murch. These are comedy titans. Yet, a lot of critics and fans felt like the movie really found its feet whenever it swung back to Vollard’s ranch.
Some people even called him a "scene-stealer," which is an understatement. In a film that often feels a bit formulaic—the typical Hollywood "remake" energy—Clement brought something genuinely unpredictable.
He wasn't playing the "schmuck" in the traditional sense. He wasn't the idiot being mocked. In many ways, he was the most successful person in the movie, which made his utter absurdity even more infuriating for Rudd's character. It’s a great example of how a supporting role can anchor the weirdness of a story.
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The "Animal Magnetism"
There’s a scene where he’s trying to "help" Julie through a breakup by having her participate in his art. He’s wearing a codpiece and feathers. It’s ridiculous. But because Clement plays it with 100% sincerity, it works.
He isn't winking at the camera. He isn't telling you "Look how funny I am." He is the guy.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Character
A common misconception is that Kieran Vollard was just a ripoff of Russell Brand’s Aldous Snow. I’ve seen that comparison a lot. Sure, they’re both tall, "sexy," eccentric artists from the Commonwealth. But where Aldous Snow is a chaotic rockstar, Vollard is a calculated, pretentious intellectual.
One wants to party; the other wants to lecture you about the "melding of beast and man."
Clement actually said in interviews that he wanted to play a "sexy man artist" because it was so against his own personality. He’s naturally a bit of a wallflower, which is hard to believe when you see him writhing around with body-painted models. He even joked that he felt a few inches taller when he was in character. That’s the power of a good codpiece, I guess.
The Lasting Legacy of the Role
Does Dinner for Schmucks hold up? It’s complicated. The "mocking people for their hobbies" premise feels a little dated now. But Jemaine Clement’s performance has aged like fine wine. It’s the part of the movie people still clip for YouTube or share as memes.
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It’s also the role that really proved he could thrive in big-budget American comedies without losing that weird, dry "Flight of the Conchords" soul that made us love him in the first place.
If you’re looking for a masterclass in how to play a character that is simultaneously the most annoying and most entertaining person in the room, go back and watch the Vollard scenes. Skip the cringe-inducing dinner if you have to, but don't skip the "visceral sex and death" monologues.
Next steps for you:
If you're a fan of this specific brand of Jemaine Clement weirdness, you should check out his work in What We Do in the Shadows (the movie) or his voice work as Tamatoa in Moana. He has a very specific "glam-rock ego" archetype that he has perfected over the years, and it almost always starts with the foundation he laid in Dinner for Schmucks.
You might also want to look up the original French film, Le Dîner de Cons, to see how different the "rival" character was in the source material—it makes you appreciate Clement’s unique spin even more.