The anti-Sarah Marshall speaks with Reelz.
The beautiful Mila Kunis has been a TV pin-up girl ever since she first debuted on That '70s Show in 1998 at 15 years-old. Only 14 at the time of audition, the determined Kunis told producers she would be 18 on her birthday. This was technically true, although she neglected to specify she was referring to a birthday four years away.
Along with That '70s Show, Kunis has also found TV success as a voice actress for The Family Guy (as Meg Griffin) and as numerous characters on Robot Chicken.
Thus far, however, the big screen has eluded Ms. Kunis. None of her feature roles have really taken off as planned, although most agree it has really just been a matter of her landing the right part.
Finally, 2008 is looking like Kunis' year. On April 18, the rest of the world will get to see what we here at Reelz have known for a few months now -- Forgetting Sarah Marshall is one hysterically funny comedy. Kunis portrays the ultra cool Rachel Jansen, a post-breakup fantasy girl for the Sarah Marshall-obsessed Peter Bretter (Jason Segel). Kunis is perfect for the part and looks great on screen. After that, she'll be seen later this year as Mona Sax in an adaptation of the popular video game franchise Max Payne. (Check out the Max Payne portion of our interview).
ReelzChannel.com recently spoke with Kunis about her work on Forgetting Sarah Marshall, which is already receiving strong buzz courtesy of scores of advance screenings and Universal's marketing bonanza. Still more than a week away from release, it's hard to imagine the movie not being a hit.
Jeff Otto: While you were shooting this movie, Knocked Up and Superbad came out. Did you have any idea at the time the push Universal was going to be giving this movie with the billboards, the fake web sites and everything else?
Mila Kunis: I don't think you ever really know what's gonna happen. You hope for the best but you prep yourself for the worst. Maybe a month into production Knocked Up came out with their numbers and everybody was so happy and then Superbad came out... These movies are great, great movies, so just to be compared to them is such an honor in itself. Judd [Apatow] has such an amazing eye for comedy.
JO: Have you had the chance to see it with an audience yet?
MK: I did! I snuck into the Kodak theater and saw it. It was great! I hadn't seen it before, so it was a really great way to see it with people laughing and the shocks. I've never had a movie come out that I've actually been proud of. This is the first one and it's an amazing feeling -- to be actually proud of something you've done. Regardless of whether it does well or not, I'm so happy that I did it and I'm so, so proud of the result.
JO: Was it intimidating to keep up with this group and do you have any improv background?
MK: I don't get intimidated necessarily. I never studied improv -- it's not necessarily my forte. It was definitely challenging but it was the best kind of challenging. It was a great exercise. You just have to listen... You constantly have to be on your toes.
JO: There are so many unforgettable lines in this movie you almost have to see it twice to catch them all.
MK: Jason [Segal] and [Bill] Hader -- all of the people on this production were so brilliant with improv that I don't even know myself what technically was in the script to begin with and what was improv. I'd say everything was a bit mushed together... The movie has some pretty great lines. "You sound like you're from London." is probably one of my favorite lines. Or the pearl. "Did you have the necklace?" My boyfriend saw it and [gasped]. (Laughs)
JO: Jason had quite a bit to say about the penis scene.
MK: It always goes back to the penis.
JO: Without revealing too much about the scene, tell me about getting ready for that scene.
MK: The moment that I saw [the penis], luckily I didn't have to have a serious scene behind it... I was able to laugh and giggle and smirk and have a natural reaction... I got off very easy in that case. It was the last thing that we shot. Jason and I could not have been more comfortable...
JO: You have a nude scene of sorts in the movie, but it has been clarified that it is actually a Photoshop.
MK: Oh, the Polaroid? Those are not my boobies!
JO: Did you get to participate in picking out your body double? Do you get any say in that?
MK: (Laughs) I did. This is where it always gets very serious and funny. I did have approval over the boobs. They sent pictures and emails to me of the women -- just boobs and no faces. I get to see their bodies and see what matched my figure the most and what kind of boobs I wanted to have. You go from, like, double D's to A's. It was every kind of boob you can imagine. I sat there with my friends and boyfriend and we looked at them like, "What kind of boobs do you think I should have. Maybe these ones or these ones..." And then I emailed back and said I like this boob and this boob and they ended up going with the boobs that I liked.
JO: Does it worry you at all that people might think that really is you?
MK: I don't really have worries. I would hope people realize it's Photoshop. If they don't, then they don't, but I don't particularly want to ever do nudity. I love my parents and my grandparents and there's no need for me to take years off their lives. It's not to say that I'll never do nudity, but at this point in my life it's not something that I want to do.
You always see boobs in movies, so I kind of appreciate Segal taking one for the team.
JO: That's two Apatow movies with penises in them, so he's kind of changing the world.
MK: Exactly. One penis at a time.