The Argus can exclusively reveal the man behind the bizarre walrus advert which has taken the internet by storm as 32-year-old Chris Parkinson.

The serial prankster, who posted a notice on Gumtree offering free lodgings in Brighton for anyone willing to dress up as the sea mammal, has sparked Hollywood director Kevin Smith to write a movie script.

Filming is now set to start in Los Angeles in September with actor Michael Parks in the main role.

Mr Parkinson, a Brighton-based performance poet, told The Argus he now wants to be involved in the filming and has asked the Jay and Silent Bob director to get in touch.

He said: “I’ve been doing silly things like this all my life, mostly to amuse myself.

“I’m not sure where the inspiration came from. It just arrived in my head fully formed and I thought to myself ‘that’s a great story’.”

The advert featured a man who had befriended a walrus called Gregory while living on a remote island off Alaska.

Upon leaving he was said to be “heartbroken”.

The Argus: The walrus will be on display at the Turner Contemporary museum in Margate

The advert offered free rent in a Queen’s Park flat for anyone willing to wear a walrus suit for two hours a day.

He said: “I thought it was just a bit of a joke but the next thing I knew it was all over the papers.”

But it’s not the first time the prankster has made the news. Earlier this year, he had Argus readers in stitches when he responded to the council’s plea for people to report potholes and broken lampposts by alerting them to a portal to another dimension.

His witty response even got a mention on TV’s Have I Got News For You.

When he was younger he also made it on to BBC’s Points of View as a spokesman for the fictional St Albans League of Amateur Fortune Tellers.

His complaint, which was duly broadcast on a Sunday afternoon, was directed at the National Lottery’s then resident psychic Mystic Meg for her disappointing conversion rate.

Mr Parkinson, who also works for Brighton Fringe, said he received more than 400 replies to his advert.

“Some people had a bit of a joke while others said ‘I like it all apart from the walrus. Can I just pay cash?’ “I had quite a fewreplies from people who said they were up for it.”

He now wants to get in touch with director Kevin Smith, who he admits to being a big fan of, so he can get involved with the filming.

He said: “I would love to be involved.

“Hopefully he will see this and get in touch.”

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