Leslie Mann is Judd Apatow’s wife. She’s a talented actress, the mother of his children, and the one that gave permission to let their kids play her character’s children in “Knocked Up.”
In the movie Leslie and
After Alison gets pregnant from a one night stand, she’s torn between trying to make something work with the father (Seth Rogen) and also scared by what she sees everyday – a relationship that has plenty of problems. While she wants the family, she’s unsure if the relationship can last.
One of the reasons the film works so well is how real the characters are. Both Leslie and
And that’s why Judd Apatow makes such good movies and TV shows.
He finds serious subject matter and infuses it with humor and heart. That’s why “Freaks and Geeks” and “Undeclared” were so great, and it’s also the reason “The 40 Year Old Virgin” and now “Knocked Up” work so well.
The below transcript was from a press conference from last week. As always you can download the audio of this interview here. It’s an MP3 and easily put on a portable player like an iPod or a CD for listening in your car.
“Knocked Up” opens June 1st and you’ll definitely want to check it out.
Question: Leslie, did you have any trepidation about putting your kids in the movie?
Leslie Mann: I did. I didn't want to put them in the movie, but Judd, he thought that it was a good idea.
What did you tell them about the movie?
Leslie Mann: Ah — anything about the movie? Ah you know they just — what did we say to Maude? She was just so good. I'm trying to think of what we said to her. (To
Leslie Mann: That was all her. She's very comfortable, improvising. We had three cameras on her, people standing all around her, and she was so comfortable and really funny — and good. So it worked out. So far.
We know both of you are great improvisers. How challenging was it to try and improvise while at the same time maintaining your characters in this relationship?
Leslie Mann: I kinda did —
Leslie Mann: I did. A little bit.
Leslie Mann: Make light of it — try to get out of it…
Leslie Mann: I just think it was really fun. It was fun to kinda heighten — torque it a little bit and make it even crazier. Like take a normal fight that you have in your marriage and then just make it really big for fun.
Leslie, you kind of have to represent the female dynamics in this male movie…was it hard?
Leslie Mann: You know, one day, at the end of shooting the movie, I was stuck in the hospital room, in the waiting room area, with all of the boys during the birth scene, and I was so disgusted by — all they talk about is like porn sites — it's real — the way they talk in the movie, that's how they talk. And I had to sit there all day with them and (to
Leslie Mann: The site . . . you know what I'm talking about don't you?
Leslie Mann: You know what — there was one that I remember being really shocked by —
Leslie Mann: Not the terms. They were like websites. With dirty…
Leslie Mann: I thought that I had heard
Leslie Mann: I thought that I had been around all these guys. They don't — for some reason, they felt very loose and comfortable with me, or they forgot that I was there and they just talked like they normally talked. And it was really disgusting. I couldn't wait to get out of there. Dirty, dirty boys. They really are.
Can you talk about the dynamic of working with Judd?
Leslie Mann: He's so — to create such a nice working environment, like a very safe working environment for an actor, so you feel like everything you do is okay and good, so you're more willing to try things and explore, and you never feel judged by him, like you're doing something wrong and stupid. That's how he gets great performances out of people, I think.
Leslie Mann: He kind of rewrites it as we're rolling.
Leslie Mann: That's why, yeah.
Leslie, your character goes off on the bouncer. Was that easy to do?
Leslie: (She laughs.) We just thought it would be fun for my character to do, and no, I didn't feel uncomfortable at taking it all the way. It's a dream that people have when they're in that kind of situation where there's some dumb bouncer guy saying you're not good enough. It's a dream to tell that guy to fuck off, and scream at him and call him stupid. Isn't it? Nobody? You feel like that sometimes but you don't do that in polite society. That was a fun thing to do in the movie. It's the only time you can do it, I guess.
Leslie, were you always going to be in this role? How did Judd ask you to do it?
Leslie: He knew he wanted me,
Did you like doing the more romantic and serious parts of the movie?
Leslie: It's sweet and romantic and does that answer your question? Does it seem like they love each other? Or does it seem like we're just mad? (she asks the people in the room)
Leslie: There's a story that Judd tells about before he met you on Anchorman...
Leslie: You can ask Judd, but he actually thought you were a pretty boy, and then he met you and found out ...
Leslie: That you're hilarious.
You did "Long Day's Journey Into Night" with Jessica Lange. What was that experience like?