To add depth to his character, I took inspiration from a wide range of characters (including both fictional and real-life). Given his nuanced nature, I felt it was important to extract specific features from each of the references I curated. Below are a collection of the main inspirations as well as my reflections on their individual personalities and how I plan to incorporate them into Mr. Sir.
Bernie Mac:
Bernie Mac (1957-2008) was an American stand-up comedian, actor, and producer. He has this grounded charisma and carries the authority of a Black male family figure, like a dad or an uncle. Many characters that he portrays are family orientated, and that is what he leads with in his comedic style. What I want to incorporate about him into Mr. Sir is his comedic style. He has quite a stern demeanour – expressed in his tone, and firm body language – yet there is a warmth that he exudes. His sudden jerky gestures may surprise you and his no nonsense attitude can, and will, feel intimidating, yet you are constantly reassured that he means no harm at all. A funny quirk of his, that I like, is that he is frequently amused by himself – he’ll chuckle at his own jokes on-stage, mid-set, and it makes his performance feel conversational and personal.
Mr. Nancy – American Gods (2017-2021)
Mr. Nancy, is an adaptation of the deity Anansi the Spider, originating from the Akan people of Ghana, and his fables spread across the diaspora. Mr. Nancy in particular stands out to me because, though he is a legend from myth, he is presented in a very tangible and casual way (as most of the gods in the show are presented; they look like normal persons despite being literal gods). Anansi the Spider is a trickster god, whose stories tell of times where he uses his wit to defeat overpowering enemies. He is also a storyteller, and the keeper of all stories. What I like about Mr. Nancy in particular is how embodies the oral tradition of Black diasporic culture – call-and-response, and embodied narrative (he lives his words; he doesn’t just perform them). when speaks, he drifts between accents – Southern American, West African, etc – to show how his stories live within every diasporic culture regardless of accent, dialect, or language. Since Mr. Sir is THE guide of the parallel, this would be an interesting way to show his ability to communicate with everyone and anyone, not just switching languages, but accents too.
Haku – Spirited Away (2001)
The main attribute about Haku that I found compelling is that, though he is framed as Chihiro’s guide in the spirit world, he isn’t a perfect one. He is elusive, possesses great powers, yet he is bound and his memory is fragmented. The spirit world does not abide by the laws and logic of our world, and that is shown with how some things about the world are not explicitly explained to the audience – they are left a mystery. Furthermore, even great spirits, like Haku, are caught up in its clouds of mystery. This attribute is something I want to consider with Mr. Sir. He is mysterious, just like the Parallel – he doesn’t explain everything to those who seek his help, which leaves you wondering if he doesn’t want to tell you or if he doesn’t even know the answer.
Cheshire Cat – Alice in Wonderland (1951)
The Cheshire Cat is another character that acts as a sort of guide for the main protagonist (Alice), however, he also embodies the nonsensical nature of Wonderland. The main thing that I like about him is that he never gives a straight answer – he speaks in riddles and gives irrelevant responses. “We are all mad here”.
Beggar So – Drunken Master (1978)
The character of Drunken Master refers to a real-life legendary martial artist Beggar So (So Hak-Yee), known for his unique fighting style known as Drunken Boxing (Zui Quan). In the movie he is portrayed by Yuen Sui-Tien, and serves as the strict yet eccentric mentor to the young and mischievous protagonist Wong Fei-hung (played by Jackie Chang). Beggar so subverts the wise-old-mentor trope, by embodying them paradox of the style itself. He looks like a sloppy drunk, but his movements are unpredictable, fluid, and deceptively powerful. The “drunkness” is a disciplined looseness and a way of disguising strength with apparent weakness. In short, the Drunken Master is a symbol of how wisdom can hide beneath disorder and how mastery often appears foolish at first glance to those who don’t understand it. This philosophy that he represents is what I’m trying to consider with Mr. Sir – a wise yet unorthodox mentor that embodies paradox.
Michael Kyle – My Wife And Kids (2001-2005)
Michael Kyle (played by Damon Wayans) is the witty, often sarcastic, patriarch of the Kyle family, who prides himself in being a hands-on and unconventional parent. He blends discipline with humour, by teaching moral lessons to his children (Junior, Claire, and Kady), through exaggerated comedic “life-lessons” rather than punishment or life-lessons. Similar to Bernie Mac’s comedic style, he is a modern Black Sitcom father archetype, yet he differs in his more theatric, and goofy personality. He is a younger, more energetic dad, which is what I what to incorporate into Mr. Sir, to offset his old age. Michael also has many humorous quips and sayings, and is very facetious.