Fans of BBC’s Amandaland saw Peter Serafinowicz, the unmistakable voice behind Darth Maul in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, grace the latest episode. However, some viewers might not realise is his ‘secret connection’ to the show’s mastermind. Tonight’s episode saw Peter star in the Motherland spinoff series as Johannes. Earlier this year, Lucy Punch, the actress behind Amanda, raved about him, sharing, “Peter (Serafinowicz) is so funny and great at improvising. He brought a lot of material to the role. Every time he walked on set, he brought this fantastic energy, and everyone was excited to see what he’d do.
Peter starred as Johannes in the latest Amandaland episode
(Image: BBC/Merman/Natalie Seery)
“His character is completely mad, and he’s perfectly cast because it needed someone with his big comedy energy. He has a huge presence, both as a person and as an actor, and that made working with him a lot of fun.” In the much-anticipated episode, audiences watch as Amanda connects with suave property tycoon Johannes over flirty banter at a high-end restaurant. Self-described by Johannes as “quite a simple guy. I’m filthy rich, I never married, I’ve never had kids,” the encounter escalates when they share an intense kiss. In real life, actor Peter is actually the brother of show creator Helen Serafinowicz. Helen has made a name for herself by creating and writing Amandaland, as well as the beloved original, Motherland, reports the Mirror.
The spin-off to Motherland debuted earlier this year
(Image: BBC/Merman/Natalie Seery)
But that’s not where her celebrity connections end – she was once married to IT crowd creator Graham Linehan. The couple got hitched back in 2004 and have a son together. Their marriage ended in 2021. Over on X, previously known as Twitter, fans are raving about Peter’s performance in the BBC sitcom. One fan couldn’t contain their excitement: “Successful comedy spin-offs are few and far between but Amandaland nailed it. Lucy Punch and Phillipa Dunne brilliant. Dame Joanna Lumley reminding us what a fine comic actress she is. And Peter Serafinowicz’s Johannes was genius,” they exclaimed. Another fan found themselves in stitches, tweeting: “#amandaland Laughed and laughed!’You can call me Johannes'”. The new series has been a hit with viewers, especially with Joanna Lumley returning as Amanda’s mother Felicity, much to everyone’s delight. Fans are expressing their joy online, with one sharing, “I’m enjoying Amandaland though! Especially Joanna Lumley,” and another chiming in with, “Love it, and love Joanna Lumley, as always #amandaland.”
