The faces are familiar, and if you're a true comedy fan, you'll already know who they are:
It's our Italo-Australian funny man Joe Avati and writer, creator and director of the long-running hit TV series, "Everybody Loves Raymond" Phil Rosenthal, the latter in Sydney as a special guest of the Sydney Film Festival, ahead of the screening of "Exporting Raymond".
Joe Avati is of course renowned as Aussie/Itie comedian and TV presenter, now a virtual household name after successfully touring his award-winning show Il Dago all around Australia since early 2007, as well as hosting SBS TV show “Food Investigators” (Joe is also a food scientist!) and building a very successful 20-year career based on his own over-bearing, very funny Italian relatives – just like Raymond's in his hit-show!
Phil is here for the Australian debut of his feature, “Exporting Raymond”, all about attempting to make a Russian version of "Everybody Loves Raymond", with hilarious results.
Phil asked Joe what would make a funny Australian version of the hit series. Joe says his own nonna would have to be a central character. She "can’t operate technology... dips a piece of bread into the oil after she uses the George Foreman Grill... and every day, she asks me when I’m getting married like a good Italian boy."
Joe has enjoyed huge success in North America, and one of his greatest fans happens to be Ray Romano’s wife - she even owns copies of Joe's DVDs and CDs.
Joe is currently touring Sydney with his Il Dago co-stars George Kapiniaris, Simon Palomares, and Jason Chong in their final season of the award-winning sell-out show Il Dago II: Now With Noodles.
For more info on Il Dago, go here: http://www.joeavati.com/ildago/
For more on Exporting Raymond, go here: http://sff.org.au/films-container/exporting-raymond/
(Photo credit, Phil and Joe: Andrew Siwak)
To see the trailer of this flick, go here:
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