Comic actor Chris Lilley teases revival of cult character, Mr G

After retreating from the limelight comedian and actor Chris Lilley is reviving his cult character Mr G — the high school drama teacher that famously gave us shockingly funny lines like “she’s a party girl with a bad habit, a bad habit for drugs”.

Chris Lilley as the dramatic Mr G in the hit TV series Summer Heights High.

WARNING: contains humour some may find offensive.

He gave us lines like “she’s a party girl with a bad habit, a bad habit for drugs”; “You have thighs like an elephant and a face like a bloody horse. Who’s going to pay to see you on stage? Who?” and the memorable “slap the butcher”.

Now Chris Lilley’s Mr G is making a comeback.

The Melbourne-born comedian teased his cult character, high school drama teacher Mr G’s return this week on social media after lying low in the age of cancellation.

Four years ago Lilley was all but cancelled for his use of “blackface” with characters like Jonah from Tonga.

Lilley has teased a return of the inappropriate drama teacher, Mr G.

Streaming giant Netflix stripped his archive of work, but Lilley, once hailed as a genius, never backed away from his roles, instead retreating from the limelight.

But Mr G has always craved the spotlight, and after more than 20 years since first appearing on Lilley’s breakout hit show for ABC We Can Be heroes, fans were delighted at news of his impending return.

One was a member of Lilley’s other memorable character, private school girl Ja’mie’s former original girlgang, none other than Emma Hawkins.

The wife of Geelong great Tom Hawkins and mother of three laughed her days of childhood acting are all but over after appearing alongside Ja’mie in We Can Be Heroes and later Summer Heights High.

But Hawkins admits she sometimes muses what Ja’mie would have thought of her school friend Breana becoming a “WAG and influencer”.

Chris Lilley as Ja'mie in Summer Heights High.

Lilley as Ja'mie King in 'We Can Be Heroes'.

The now cult series was filmed at Firbank Grammar girls school in Brighton, airing in 2013 when Hawkins, then Clapham, was in year 11.

She never knew if Lilley was complimenting her for her acting skills.

“So much of it was improv and Chris used to just keep saying ‘just keep being yourself’, I’m not sure if that was a good thing” Hawkins laughed.

Emma Hawkins appeared alongside Ja’mie in We Can Be Heroes and later Summer Heights High and is excited for Mr G’s return. Picture: Supplied

“Had he probably aired that 10 years ago or five years ago it would have been cancelled straight away. But now maybe not.

“John Cleese was cancelled for a bit too back in Covid, it was a time when everyone was on edge. But comedy has always been used as a way to convey societal issues. Chris was a genius. I’m so excited for Mr G to be making a comeback.”