John Oliver spotlighted Simu Liu and John Boyega on Last Week Tonight for their beginnings as stock photo models.
In the last segment of the HBO show, Oliver talked about stock photos, noting that that’s how the Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and Star Wars: The Force Awakens stars got their start.
“Stock photos provide an income stream, not just for photographers, but also for actors starting out,” Oliver said.
Oliver cut to a photo of Boyega in a picture posing as a student. The late-night show host then presented Liu with a series of photos “pointing at a laptop, looking at the camera during a group project and exercising in a totally normal, not at all unhinged way.” Oliver was poking fun at the way Liu was posing while seemingly exercising for the picture.
For the HBO show, Oliver says that they make their own graphics, using their own staff as models for the pictures they use on-screen. However, when they don’t have a person who matches the characteristics they need, they go to stock photos.
Over the years, Oliver and the producers have developed a liking for a particular model named Ilgar Pashayev, who has thousands of photos from the stock photo provider Shutterstock. Although it was hard to find him, Oliver was able to locate Pashayev and brought him into the studio to pose with him for a couple of photos.
Earlier in the show, Oliver talked about the death penalty and highlighted a U.S. congressperson who decided on using nitrogen as the “perfect killing device” after watching a BBC documentary.
That’s when Oliver pointed out other shows people can learn from and jokingly put a theory out there about HGTV’s Property Brothers.
“There are lots of TV programs you can learn from,” Oliver said before listing the shows. “Bill Nye the Science Guy can teach you about science, The Kitchen can teach you about cooking, and Property Brothers can teach you how to renovate a house with your twin brother, who you’ve definitely f***ed.”
Property Brothers is a television that stars twin brothers Drew Scott and Jonathan Scott. Drew Scott is a real estate expert, while Jonathan Scott is a licensed contractor. The show has been airing since 2011 and has had more than 13 seasons in its history.
