Comedy director Nick Spooner has joined The Sweet Shop for global representation. His credits span such brands as AT&T, Ford, Ikea, Tide and Volkswagen.
Born and raised in Boston, Spooner studied film and animation at Harvard University where his comedic talents led to a seat as president of the school’s world-famous humor publication, the Harvard Lampoon. From there, he did a brief tour of duty at Ogilvy & Mather as a creative before heading to Comedy Central where he wrote, produced, and directed the campaigns that helped define the brand.
A former actor, Spooner has made a name for himself thanks to his ability to create visually remarkable campaigns populated with one-of-a-kind characters that have been born from the best elements of both writing and improvisation. The result is a body of work that has been honored at several award shows including Cannes, The One Show, London International Awards, and the Jay Chiat Awards.
Prior to The Sweet Shop, Spooner was with Hello! and Company.
Rom-Com Mainstay Hugh Grant Shifts To The Dark Side and He’s Never Been Happier
After some difficulties connecting to a Zoom, Hugh Grant eventually opts to just phone instead.
"Sorry about that," he apologizes. "Tech hell." Grant is no lover of technology. Smart phones, for example, he calls the "devil's tinderbox."
"I think they're killing us. I hate them," he says. "I go on long holidays from them, three or four days at at time. Marvelous."
Hell, and our proximity to it, is a not unrelated topic to Grant's new film, "Heretic." In it, two young Mormon missionaries (Chloe East, Sophie Thatcher) come knocking on a door they'll soon regret visiting. They're welcomed in by Mr. Reed (Grant), an initially charming man who tests their faith in theological debate, and then, in much worse things.
After decades in romantic comedies, Grant has spent the last few years playing narcissists, weirdos and murders, often to the greatest acclaim of his career. But in "Heretic," a horror thriller from A24, Grant's turn to the dark side reaches a new extreme. The actor who once charmingly stammered in "Four Weddings and a Funeral" and who danced to the Pointer Sisters in "Love Actually" is now doing heinous things to young people in a basement.
"It was a challenge," Grant says. "I think human beings need challenges. It makes your beer taste better in the evening if you've climbed a mountain. He was just so wonderfully (expletive)-up."
"Heretic," which opens in theaters Friday, is directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, co-writers of "A Quiet Place." In Grant's hands, Mr. Reed is a divinely good baddie — a scholarly creep whose wry monologues pull from a wide range of references, including, fittingly, Radiohead's "Creep."
In an interview, Grant spoke about these and other facets of his character, his journey... Read More