#joel fry

Now that I’ve seen/listened to pretty much all the Joel Fry stuff I can get my hands on, it’s time to do some summations. Normally, I like to do a Top Five or Top Ten when I finish an actor deep dive, but for Joel, even a Top Ten felt tricky. So to indulge myself—and to work in some guaranteed variety—I decided to do multiple Top Fives across different categories.

This week, we’re kicking things off with TV roles (series regulars, not guest starring performances, which will show up in a later category.) While Joel Fry is pretty consistently great, I think his TV work is where the best magic happens!

A couple notes at the outset. First, these are Top Five roles, not TV shows. They’re my favorite TV performances/characters from Joel, regardless of how well I like the show as a whole. Some of the shows on this list are excellent. Others? Less so. But Joel is always terrific! Second, the roles are listed in chronological order, not ranked.

Darren, White Van Man

(GIF by @derekstilinski)

Oh my god, Darren is just spectacularly funny! The line deliveries are impeccable and the physical comedy is a thing of beauty. Darren offers up a fantastic blend of deadpan slacker and absurd sidekick, but even when he’s outrageous, he’s pretty much always internally consistent as a character. I love how observant he is, and that his “laziness” as a sidekick comes down more to his distractability and his refusal to do something without a compelling reason.

Leighton, Trollied

Leighton is such a special character to me—one of my absolute favorite autistic-coded characters! Pretty much everything about him just feels pitch perfect, and Joel Fry’s sincerity in the role is what takes Leighton from fun comic relief to an immensely endearing character that I’d pledge my fealty to any day. He’s consistently hilarious but can also be so moving in more dramatic moments. I’ve seen all kinds of wonderful performances across Joel Fry-days, but I think more than any other, Leighton is the one who makes me grateful that I went on this deep dive of Joel’s work.

Stylax, Plebs

I wasn’t sure what to expect from Plebs, and it’s definitely not my kind of show, but I adore Stylax. For an archetypal Horny Best Friend character, he mostly manages to avoid overt creepiness and is instead an enthusiastic (albeit horny) ray of sunshine. Joel Fry offers up terrific line readings and a bright, breezy energy that make Stylax just so damn endearing!

Frenchie, Our Flag Means Death

This one’s a no-brainer. Frenchie was the character that got me started on Joel Fry-days. So incredible, so uncategorizable! You kind of never know what you’re going to get with Frenchie, because there are so many facets to him, and yet everything he does feels so essentially Frenchie. Joel Fry’s performance makes everything hold together: the goofy bits, the clumsiness, the shrewd intelligence, the superstitions, the observation skills, etc. There is just So Much Character in this character, and I love it!

Daniel, Alice and Steve

(GIF by @derekstilinski)

When I watched Requiem, I invented what I like to call the "Matilda Remember Hal is Black Challenge," and she never wins.

As these two travel to the Welsh countryside to investigate the creepy mystery surrounding a child abduction cold case, it's true that both of them stand out in this small village where everyone knows everyone. But it's also true that Matilda's a petite white woman and Hal's a tall Black man, and that matters. When she urges him to show up unannounced at a funeral or hang around outside the house of the missing girl's mother, Matilda would do well to remember that Hal is pretty much the only Black person in the vicinity.

Frenchie, Our Flag Means Death

Oh my god! Early in Joel Fry-days, I decided that I'd save my Our Flag Means Death rewatch/review for the end (-ish,) after I'd caught up on Joel Fry's work up to this point. For one, I knew it'd be a guaranteed high note, but for another, where do I even start to write this? I signed up with Tumblr *specifically* to talk about season 2 back in the fall of 2023, and since then, I've written about the show more than 100 times, including dozens about Frenchie and over 20 fanfics (mostly about Frenchie!) What can I say about OFMD/Frenchie in a single post?

I'll try my best.

Given all that, it might seem silly to start with a quick overview of the show, but that's what I do in Joel Fry-days reviews, and I do like to stick to my patterns! In 1717, wealthy gentleman Stede Bonnet leaves his wife and children to become a pirate captain. He's had his ship (the Revenge) built to his specifications, he's assembled a crew that he pays a salary, and he’s eager to shift away from the usual “culture of abuse” way of doing things, preferring to “talk it through as a crew.” Although Stede’s approach initially feels suspicious to his crew, they gradually come to like having the opportunity to express their own softer/creative/silly sides. When Edward Teach (a.k.a. Blackbeard) hears about the fancy man from Barbados, he has to see it for himself. Ed and Stede have an instant connection, one that will change both their lives.

That paragraph feels so inadequate to me, because Our Flag Means Death is just so much! It deftly navigates comedy, drama, romance, and action, slipping across big tonal shifts in the course of a single scene and making it look effortless. It features one of my favorite ships of all time! The central romance is deeply founded on a gorgeous friendship, where banter, vulnerability, and play are all important factors in their love. It explores its themes in complex ways, examining intersections between homophobia, toxic masculinity, and colonialism--how these forces box the characters in and how they push against it all to define their own ways to live. Every element of the production, from the writing to the acting to the costumes to the camera work, is masterfully done. You can feel the love that went into every inch of this show.

For a half-hour pirate rom-com that's only 18 episodes long, OFMD also does an excellent job of balancing its large cast, especially in its first season. And where Joel Fry is concerned, that's a very good thing! Because although Frenchie isn't among the most prominent members of the ensemble, he's still frequently showcased in ways that make him hilarious, fascinating, and unique.

One thing that really struck me on my latest rewatch is this: there are no bad Frenchie episodes. Maybe that's true for all the characters, I'm not sure, but I know it's true for him. While there are episodes with more or less Frenchie, every single one gives you something memorable. Take 1x02, which is probably the most Frenchie-lite episode in the series. I doubt he's onscreen for more than a few minutes, and I'm pretty sure he only has one line, yet my brain immediately goes, "Ooh, 1x02! That's the one where Frenchie and Wee John blow stuff up! Gleeful laughing and leaping around and 'I love vacation!'" Frenchie gets, like, 10 seconds of focus in that episode, and he kills it. Joel Fry consistently makes the most of every moment he gets in this role!

Frenchie is a member of Stede's crew, the ship's bard. He's terrified of cats ("'cause they're witches, and they've got knives in their feet,") and he assumes everyone else is too, so he creates multiple cat-themed pirate flags to make the Revenge the scourge of the Caribbean. He accidentally nails his sleeve to the deck, and when he briefly has to fill in as Stede's scribe, he writes with doodles instead of words. (But despite not being "the strongest writer, or reader," he still manages to invent fanfiction!) He's a hell of a con man who uses snobby rich folks' racism to his advantage. He lies either amazingly or terribly, with no in-between. In fact, he does a lot of things with no in-between--as I like to put it, Frenchie has no medium setting. His approach to mental well-being is to "bottle it up" and lock his trauma in a box in his mind, yet he can also be very perceptive and emotionally intelligent.

Many of Joel Fry's characters fall within recognizable "types," even if his performance makes them more interesting than the usual tropes. The comedic best friend/sidekick, the gently-devoted wife guy, and so on. But with Frenchie, part of what's always resonated for me is that I'm not sure if I've ever seen a character like him before. He's such an interesting mix of delightfully random quirks, unexpected talents, and sincere moments of depth, I love it! You can never really predict what you're going to get from Frenchie in any given scene, and yet somehow, everything he says/does makes you think, "Oh my god, that's so Frenchie!"

Much of this uniqueness comes from the character itself, but the secret sauce of Joel Fry's performance really makes it special. I just adore the choices he makes in this role. When Frenchie is nervous vs. chill vs. overconfident vs. smooth. The way Frenchie's reactions to things are often out of step with the other characters'. The 100% commitment to every scene, whether it's ridiculous, heartbreaking, or anywhere in the middle.

And if you know me, you know I'm obsessed with Joel's physicality as an actor. Going into Joel Fry-days, I should've realized that this would be a highlight for me, since a lot of my favorite Frenchie moments come down to the way he uses his body.

(unlabeled GIFs by @telumendils, @foreveramedley, and @laceratedlamiaceae - their original posts are here, here, and here)

Iconic. Amazing. Nobody's doing it like Frenchie, and Joel Fry's performance is a critical part of that. Even though I’ve now seen Joel with much more prominent roles in different projects, this one is still a favorite of mine. Seriously, Frenchie forever, oh my god!

Finally, a quick note. This is my last Joel Fry-days review for now--at least until Joel has new stuff coming out--but I'm not going anywhere! There's still plenty of meta I want to write about his characters/performances, and now that I'm caught up on my reviews, I also want to write some posts that look at multiple projects at once: comparing Joel's many Best Friend roles, the way his characters cry, so much stuff about fidgeting, etc. Plus, I'm dipping my toes into making fan videos!

Giving hugs? 100% yes! Give Leighton a reason to be happy for someone, and he's coming in hot for that hug. Sadly, he's too often thwarted...

...But on rare occasions, he gets a win!

Receiving hugs, on the other hand? Big no. Leighton will allow himself to be subjected to it, but you can feel him counting the seconds 'til it's over.

Animal Circus

Warning: Not a good video to watch if you're afraid of snakes!

And now for something completely different! This isn’t an acting role for Joel Fry. Instead, it’s a different type of art/performing: the band he used to be in.

Based on the videos on their YouTube channel, it looks like Animal Circus was active mostly around 2011-2013. In terms of Joel Fry’s acting, this would’ve been around the time he was on White Van Man, Trollied, and Plebs. On Bandcamp, they were described as a “London-based rock/reggae/ska band.” They released one EP and recorded songs for another, although I’m not sure if the second ever came out. They made a music video for their song “Snakes and Ladders,” which I think was partly shot in the same bar featured in Joel’s short film Slap.

Regardless, given that I’m coming to Animal Circus very late, more than a decade after they disbanded, I mostly know them through the YouTube channel. It features audio recordings from their EPs, the “Snakes and Ladders” music video, and a bunch of videos of acoustic sessions. And, while factoring in my obvious bias, I do enjoy their songs!

Joel Fry has played plenty of musicians before—such as on Svengali, Requiem, and Our Flag Means Death—but it’s neat to see him performing as himself. Not surprisingly, the songs that feature him on lead vocals are my favorites. He’s got a good voice, and I like the emotion in his singing, ranging from heartache to anger to playfulness.

The first Animal Circus song I heard, Joel’s acoustic version of “Perfect Surface,” is my top favorite—it’s on the EP as well, but I like this stripped-down version better. I like the gentle syncopation, the lyrics are neat, and Joel Fry’s singing is lovely. He also sounds excellent on “Top Shelf Buzz,” his parts on “Eat You Alive,” and “Happy Again” (from the EP.)

Narrator, Burglar Bill and Cops and Robbers

I’ve listened to multiple audio dramas featuring Joel Fry, but this is the first time I’ve heard him narrate an actual audiobook—I know he’s done a couple. He does a cute job reading this pair of children’s books by Janet and Allan Ahlberg.

In Burglar Bill, the title character “lives in a tall house by himself full of stolen property.” Everything from his fish’n’chips to his bed is stolen, including the sack he carries around for loot. One night, Burglar Bill steals a big brown box with holes cut in the side and gets more than he bargained for.

This is cute and amusing. Burglar Bill’s thieving is politely referred to as his work, and it does amuse me that he doesn’t steal valuables like money or jewelry. Instead, he just takes whatever ordinary things he wants or needs. Case in point, “‘That’s a nice toothbrush,’ says Burglar Bill. ‘I’ll have that.’ And he puts it into his sack.”

Cops and Robbers, meanwhile, is a rhyming book about a gang of robbers plotting to steal toys on Christmas Eve. (This was published after How the Grinch Stole Christmas—I checked.) The cops, namely one Office Pew, step in to save the day.

There are some amusing bits here. One of the robbers in the gang is the “villainous Grandma Swag,” and this is a cute line: “Like crooked Santas they’ll creep about, / Pinching presents, not giving them out.” Joel Fry gets into the cadence of the rhyme without becoming too sing-songy or losing the flow of the story.