Toronto area actor Michael Cera has made a tidy living as an actor for roles best described as awkward or quirky. To that end, it is no surprise that the actor has a starring role in the new Wes Anderson movie The Phoenician Scheme, which has a trailer out ahead of its premiere later this spring.
The narrative centres on Zsa-zsa Korda, played by Benicio del Toro, a wealthy European magnate involved in armaments and aviation. After surviving his sixth plane crash, Korda seeks to reconnect with his estranged daughter, Liesl, played by Mia Threapleton, who has become a nun. Cera portrays Norwegian tutor Bjorn Lund who is hired to teach the sons of Zsa-Zsa Korda, a businessman played by Benicio Del Toro. What begins as a straightforward job soon turns into a globe-trotting adventure alongside Korda and his daughter, Liesl as they navigate various threats to safeguard their estate and business legacy.
Cera, not surprisingly, has long been a fan of Wes Anderson.
“I saw The Royal Tenenbaums in the theatre and watched Rushmore on a loop,” said Cera, for an article in Empire magazine.
Cera was born in Brampton, Ont. His first non-commercial acting role was in the YTV kids show I Was a Sixth Grade Alien!
Cera is best known ’round these parts for his starring role in the Toronto-set romp Scott Pilgrim vs. The World (2010) and as Paulie Bleeker opposite another local acting legend Elliot Page in Juno (2007). These, and Cera’s turn in the cult-favourite TV comedy Arrested Development, solidified Cera’s quirky career.
The Phoenician Scheme is set for release on June 5.
