WHAT'S YOUR NUMBER? Q&A with Anna Faris and Chris Evans
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- Category: Interviews
- Created: Wednesday, 28 September 2011 15:33
- Published: Wednesday, 28 September 2011 15:33
- Written by Lupe Haas
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Anna Faris and Chris Evans shed some skin in the raunchy comedy WHAT'S YOUR NUMBER?, but they didn't mind for the sake of the story, as they tell us in our Q&A with the young stars.
In WHAT'S YOUR NUMBER?, Chris Evans helps Anna's character find the best "ex" of her life after reading a magazine article that warned if you've had over 20 relationships, you probably missed your true love.
After the success of Captain America and the much-buzzed about The Avengers movie, the actor can now be seen in the Anna Faris-produced comedy strumming a guitar and singing, while flexing his comedy chops alongside the very funny Anna Faris. Chris Evans purposely chose the comedy before shooting Captain America and The Avengers films as a way to show diversity to his new status as a superhero crime fighter.
Q. Can you take us back to where this started.
Anna: I was attached to it for quite a while. The writers and other producers came to me and we brought it to New Regency and they were really excited and so that’s sort of how the ball got rolling for me.
Chris: I had a pretty standard audition process. Got the script. Read it. Loved it. I knew the people involved and just went to pursue it. So I went and auditioned and had two or three rounds of reading with people and just got lucky.
Q: We see a lot of both you guys in this movie. Were the nude scenes something you were comfortable with... was it awkward at all?
Anna: I don’t know about you, but I love showing my ass!
Chris: The first time I read it I thought, wow there is a lot of skin, but it’s funny. It didn’t really ever feel gratuitous; it just felt like it was all serving a pretty humorous purpose.
Q: So you read about the strip basketball scene, and you guys were both okay with that?
Anna: It’s one of those things you read and you don’t actually think, Oh I’m gonna’ have to be in my underwear….I thought, oh that’s kind of charming…And then the day comes and you’re wearing the tiniest bit of clothes and your in front of all the people you’ve been working with for the last 3 months. So all your credibility is just down the drain.
Q: Chris, were you looking for this type of role as a different type of role to do?
Chris: I love doing comedies and maybe I just felt like I hadn’t done one in a little while. Any film you do, you can’t help but take a little bit home with you. If you’re playing something heavy and dramatic, you’re going to go home and feel a little exhausted or spent. You do comedies like this you go home, smile and crack a joke. It feels like summer camp. So, I’m always looking to do a movie like this.
Q. Did you guys do a chemistry read?
Chris: I missed the chemistry read. There was a chemistry read and I got sick. I was in Houston working on something else. And I was like, “Well, I missed my shot.” I begged Issacson... "Please fight for me.”
Q: This was the first movie you did with your husband as a married couple. How was that like? Was it a different dynamic?
Anna: Yeah. It was terrifying actually. I think I’m more concerned with his opinion of my acting than anybody else, and he is really particular, so it was really scary. But it was great and I am honored that he was able to do it. You know the character he plays is Disgusting Donald, who’s sort of the instigator for my character’s whole journey... and his fiancée. I did not cast that fiancée, she was way too hot for my liking.
Q: Did you guys practice lines at home together?
Anna: Yeah! We would. Which was just terrifying in general. It’s like your parents or loved ones reading something you’ve written or something. You can’ t help but feel like scrutiny is going to be much more magnified.
Q. You’re great at comedy. Do you think that you can see yourself playing any other role someday?
Anna: Thank you. I used to feel this need to prove to people that I could do something dramatic. But the truth is that I don’t know if I can. No, it would be great…but I do love making comedies. It’s been so fun for me and I hope to continue to.
Q: What’s the most embarrassing thing either one of you has ever done for love?
Chris: I don’t know if I would ever call that “love.”
Anna: I joined a youth group.
Q: Chris, you sing and play guitar in this movie. Was it real and how was that practice experience?
Chris: I do play the guitar and once upon a time I sang. It’s still awkward to do it in front of people, but I wasn’t too scared.
Q: Anna, was the dance in the movie choreographed?
Anna: Nope, not choreographed. Probably should have.
Q: There was just an article about you in the New Yorker. How do you feel about that and were you happy that they showed you in a new kind of light?
Anna: That whole experience was a drain. The journalist interviewed me for about 5 months.
Chris: Jesus.
Anna: Yeah. It was crazy. But I was really happy with it. It was about sort of the bigger picture: Women in comedy, and what an amazing summer. I think its been a real victory for the ladies.
Q: How seriously do women take magazine articles? Because you’re character was really glued to those...
Anna: She sure is. No, you know my mom actually didn’t let me read any women’s magazines growing up.
Chris: Not even like Seventeen or anything like that? My older sister had all that crap.
Anna: No, my mom didn’t even let me see Pretty Woman. She thought that I was gonna be a hooker. So instead, I got cast in Scary Movie.
Q: You guys have seen your fair share of romantic comedy scripts but what was it about this one that really jelled with you?
Anna: It just felt so sharp. I love playing characters that are a bit of a mess. And I think that for the last decade, we’ve seen a lot of women in film that are not that. They are sort of trying to juggle it all in an organized way. So I was really excited to play someone who’s lost, unemployed, drinks a lot, sleeps around. That was exciting to me. Those scripts don’t come around very often.
Chris: For me, a lot of times when you read these scripts you don’t know who is going to be in the film. But I knew it was going to be Anna, so every page I’m picturing Anna doing it and it is a character that’s a mess. Anna is really good at being a mess. She’s like really funny in every scene. I think I laughed out loud at least 6 or 7 times while reading the script. When that happens, it’s a good sign.
Q: Can you talk about shooting in Boston. I know you’re from there.
Chris: I loved it. That’s what you’re gonna get from me. The time of my life. I absolutely loved it. My family was 10 minutes away.
Q: So what did it mean to you to actually be shooting at the Boston Garden.
Chris: Oh, unbelievable. Strangely, I’m running around in my underwear, but quite a day. It was crazy, I don’t even know how else to put it into words. It’s one of those rare things that film affords you.
Q: Anna, producing is a new territory for you in your career, are you thinking about pursuing that even more?
Anna: Well I produced The House Bunny as well. It’s always exciting to be a part of the development and creative process and I hope to continue to do it.
Q. Have either one of you had that moment that your characters had gone through in this movie where you had to find the strength to be yourself?
Chris: I’ve never had to compromise who I am. Meaning shift the way I present the person I am. Maybe there’s something’s you don’t want to do. I got to be honest guys. You guys are great and all ,but this might not be where I want to be on my Saturday. You gotta do things like that. You have to jump through those hoops at times. But I don’t think that’s a compromise of your integrity or anything like that. So, the answers no.
Anna: I don’t know. I mean that’s such a vague question. I think in every career, you sort of are balancing how to negotiate tricky waters. But I think that’s something comedy has been able to give me - that ability to laugh at myself and to take this world not too seriously.
Q. Coming from the Captain America success and looking forward to the upcoming Avengers movie. Do you think this movie will remind people that you don’t only play superheroes?
Chris: Yeah, I don’t know. You know, I'll say I hope so. I think the good thing about film as opposed to something like TV, is you get variety. So, you get to flex a lot of different acting muscles in filmmaking. Yeah, its fun to go play a certain character and put on a blue suit and throw some shields around and its also fun to crack a few jokes and to get naked.
WHAT'S YOUR NUMBER? is in movie theatres September 30.