King Herod's Song - 2000 Film | Jesus Christ Superstar

Twenty-first in a series of clips from the 2000 Jesus Christ Superstar film. With Rik Mayall as Herod.

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Lyrics:
Jesus, I am overjoyed
To meet You face to face
You've been getting quite a name
All around the place

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A global phenomenon that has wowed audiences for over 40 years, Jesus Christ Superstar is a timeless work set against the backdrop of an extraordinary and universally-known series of events but seen, unusually, through the eyes of Judas Iscariot.

It was the first musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice to be produced for the professional stage and first came to major theatres when it debuted on Broadway in October 1971 at the Mark Hellinger Theatre in New York.

Less than 12 months after the Broadway show opened, the rock spectacle went to London, exploding onto the West End at the Palace Theatre in August 1972 in a hugely successful production. By 1980, after 3,358 performances, Jesus Christ Superstar had become the longest running musical in West End history at the time and grossed $12.3 million.

In all, Jesus Christ Superstar has grossed over $205 million and has been professionally produced in 42 countries around the world!

[bfdidc]

Have to love Jesus' expression during this. He's being mocked but he's thinking "what an eccentric performance."

[JakubWojciechowski]

I like how Jesus is just sitting there on the floor with expression like "Oh father, how did I ever get in this situation?"

[Brea]

Even though Rik never had the greatest singing voice, he just completely owns it perfectly and just had so much fun with it.

RIP to this icon.

[Niniane]

I love Jesus' acting here, especially the part when Herod screams "Aren't you scared of me, Christ?" and Jesus just sits there, as if saying "No, sorry. You tried, but no. If anything I feel sorry for you". This is where Herod loses his temper and sends him away. He's reduced to powerlessness by a simple look.

[raccabracca]

Though Rik doesn't have much of a voice, he acts the part well. He plays Herod as a petulant man child - which is backed up by the lyrics, to be fair. And I love Jesus's deadpan expression.

[hugmonger]

Just the way he infuses the word "Jews" with so much venom is so damned intense. People here saying he doesn't have much of a voice are insane, every one of his words is so intense and amazing

[CJrennie]

Jesus is legitimately thinking "I didn't come here to get roasted by an overgrown baby" and you can see it on his face

[chloemoriarty]

Jesus is just sat there like what the heck am I watching right now

[RachelLittle]

0:46 he's like for god sake. I'll nail myself to the cross at the rate.

[andrewwhite]

Mayall is the only performer of this that can switch between menace and ridicule with such ease. Everyone else just seems to do it as parody. Mayall was a talent indeed.

[TigerTigerII]

Rik shines in anything he does :)
I'm so used to him singing badly and ironically, it's amazing to hear what he can do when he's actually trying to sing well

[gerdaparkja]

Jesus is just phenomenal in this scene and he doesn’t even have to say a word!

[joelg]

'God, just crucify me now. That would be less painful than sit here and listen to this guy...'-Jesus H. Christ

[NewtNewtNewtNewt]

i remember watching this film in class and this scene was lit af

[boyo]

Imo Rik Mayall was a great Herod. The way that the song goes subtly from nice to super aggressive, and how you can hear him masking his frustration, it works, at least for me

[mortalclown]

Rest in Joy, Mr. Mayall. You were awesome for decades.

[livingthathistory]

The trick to a good Herod is relaxing the audience but also making them take you seriously. He does this brilliantly at “I am Waiting...”

[josephmartin]

Fun fact: Herod's actor in this, Rik Mayall was cast as Peeves the Poltergeist in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's stone but his part ended up being cut

[danbrook]

As someone performing Herod's song, I find that this is surprisingly powerful source material. Rik Mayall infuses such an arrogant, sinister showmanship that is sorely lacking in a lot of productions, and the vaudevillian choreography and music makes for a powerhouse compared to the '73 version's fleeting impact. Mayall is ripping apart the scenery with his bare teeth! Can't wait to infuse some of that Napoleon complex into my performance!

[darrenwells]

There will only be one like Rik Mayall... no one could ever be like him, and OMG is he missed!