Summary
- Healy, from The 1975, revealed a bizarre anecdote about how he inspired the character of Roddy St. James in Flushed Away.
- Despite initial skepticism, Healy’s Hollywood connections and details make his claim more convincing to fans and concert attendees.
- Healy’s mother, Denise Welch, and her godfather, Ian La Frenais, have ties to the production of Flushed Away, further validating his story.
As the 2006 animated comedy Flushed Away finds a new audience on Netflix in 2024, viewers may be surprised to discover the real-life celebrity who inspired the adorably coddled pet rat, Roddy St. James (voiced by Hugh Jackman). During a recent stage performance in Brisbane, Australia, The 1975 singer Matty Healy stunned fans by relaying an amusing anecdote from when he was 14 which led to him influencing the lovable Flushed Away protagonist.
While taken with a grain of salt by some in attendance, the more Healy details his experience and describes his family industry ties, the more convincing the outlandish claim becomes. Healy’s rousing speech was captured by several concertgoers who posted the footage on social media, including a viral recording by @crmcgovs. As such, it’s worth parsing through Healy’s concert declaration and examining how accurately he inspired the character of Roddy St. James in Flushed Away.
What Is Flushed Away About?
From Aardman Animations and directed by Sam Fell and David Bowers, Flushed Away is a 2006 animated comedy film that follows Roddy St. James, a coddled and sophisticated pet rat who enjoys a life of luxury in Kensington, England. When Roddy is flushed down the toilet by a manipulative sewer rat named Sid (Shane Richie), he is forced to navigate Ratropolis, the city’s dank and seedy underbelly populated by rats, and find his way home. Roddy’s pampered lifestyle abruptly shifts into a harrowing survival tale as he learns to be resilient, courageous, and empathetic.
Along the way, Roddy encounters a bevy of colorful creatures, including the street-smart rat Rita (Kate Winslet), the dictatorial Toad (Ian McKellan), Toad’s French cousin Le Frog (Jean Reno), and Toad’s rat cronies, Spike (Andy Serkis) and Whitey (Bill Nighy). As Roddy and Rita grow closer, Toad sends his goons to obtain a priceless ruby stolen by Rita. Meanwhile, Roddy discovers Toad’s dastardly plot to flood Ratroplois during the halftime of the 2006 World Cup, prompting a suspenseful prevention effort that ends happily ever after for the two cast-away rodents.
How Did Matty Healy Inspire Roddy St. James in Flushed Away?
Given the description of Flushed Away, the last person fans would associate the movie with is Matty Healy. Healy was 17 when Flushed Away was released in 2006, well before his band, The 1975, had gained international stardom. Yet, during a recent stage show in Australia, Healy amused fans with a story that begins with poking fun at himself. During his speech, Healy stated (via CapitalFM):
“There’s a meme that I’m a specific rat, which, is it the kid from
Flushed Away
? This is actually doing me damage. I’m not cashing in on anything there. But we’re all friends, and I’ve seen that meme so many times, and it’s made me laugh. And the reason I’ve not said anything about it is because — I mean, listen, the reason I’m successful is because of this f–king brilliant band right here.”
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Healy discussed his mother’s experience as an actor and his mother’s godfather as a movie producer, adding:
“But as you know my parents are actors. My mother is an actress. She’s a legend! Give it up for mum! Her godfather is a producer, and he produces movies. And I wasn’t actually close with him until I was around about probably about 14 years old or something like that. But anyway,
he was looking for inspiration for a movie he was producing called
Flushed Away
.”
Healy’s Hollywood Pedigree
Healy’s mother, Denise Welch, is an accomplished actor and TV presenter who logged her first acting credit in 1982 via the TV show Barriers. Welch starred in many TV shows, including over 400 episodes of the long-running British soap opera, Coronation Street. Other notable credits for Welch include Waterloo Road, Boy Meets Girl, and most recently, Hollyoaks.
Welch’s godfather, Ian La Frenais, co-wrote the story and screenplay for Flushed Away and won a 2007 Annie Award for his efforts. Therefore, it’s easier to take Healy at his word when he roundly declares to a crowd of onlookers:
“So, it is genuinely based on me. I know that seems ridiculous, but if you do enough internet research, you’ll be able to be find out that that’s true. They did a good job, so maybe I am officially a f–king rat now.”
Le Franais’ post-Flushed Away writing credits include Across the Universe, Sunday for Sammy, The Bank Job, Killing Bono, Spies of Warsaw, Henry IX, My Generation, and more. In 2013, Welch posted a story online featuring images of Healy and La Franais together on vacation, further corroborating Healy’s claim (via Wales Online).
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Although Healy has likely not inspired characters from La Franais’ work since Flushed Away, it’s entertaining to learn that he directly influenced the look of Roddy St. James, a likeness that fans of his band, The 1975, have turned into a viral meme. Healy embraced the joke with self-deprecating charm and turned a long-running gag into a fascinating Hollywood backstory, proving that it’s not always what you know, but you know in the industry. Flushed Away is available to stream on Netflix.
