With Fox Searchlight's very funny Cedar Rapids premiering at this year's Sundance Film Festival (watch the trailer here), I got to sit down with Ed Helms for an extended video interview. As a huge fan of his work, I'll admit that getting to speak to him in a one on one setting was something that I was really looking forward to. Thankfully, he was super nice and willing to talk about anything. During the interview we covered...
- What was it like for him to premiere his movie at Sundance
- Making Cedar Rapids and the awesome jokes that reference HBO's The Wire
- What songs does he like to sing when doing karaoke. Says he would destroy me if we went up against one another. I didn't argue.
- Is he ever going to release an album
- He talked about the "nudity clause" in his contract
- The Mike Tyson tattoo he had to wear in The Hangover 2 and what it was like to walk around Bangkok with it
- His early work which included an episode of Arrested Development
- How he really wants to be in The Muppet movie
- His upcoming movie with Jason Segel called Jeff Who Lives at Home
- His thoughts on the future of The Office. Reveals most of the cast has one year left on their contracts
- And so much more
While I've done a lot of interviews recently, this was one easily of my favorites and I can't recommend it enough. Hit the jump to check it out. I've time indexed it so you can watch the parts that interest you.
Finally, I laughed a ton while watching Cedar Rapids. The main reason is the chemistry between Helms, John C. Reilly, Anne Heche, and Isiah Whitlock Jr. Each one had a moment to shine and Whitlock Jr. got two of the biggest laughs at the premiere. However, John C. Reilly also has a few awesome lines.
While most movies that premiere at Sundance take a long time to reach theaters, you won't have to wait for this one as Fox Searchlight releases it February 11. I strongly recommend checking it out. And with thatâ¦here's my interview with Ed Helms. If you'd rather listen to our conversation, click here for the audio file.
Ed Helms
- What the Sundance premiere screening was like
- 1:15 - Discusses the rehearsal process of Cedar Rapids and the chemistry on set
- 2:35 - How and when the Wire references made it into the film
- 4:50 - Talks about the "nudity clause" in his contract
- 7:15 - Helms will destroy you in karaoke, but there are no plans for an album
- 9:05 - Touches on The Hangover Part II but avoids spoilers
- 9:40 - The Mike Tyson makeup was like a "constant sunburn," but fun to wear in the real world
- 11:35 - Talks about breaking out and a busy schedule over the past two years
- 14:00 - Recalls his small role on Arrested Development
- 15:20 - He would love to be in The Muppet Movie, and does a puppet show once a month
- 16:10 - Talks Jeff Who Lives at Home with Jason Segel
- 17:00 - What The Office will do when Steve Carell leaves the show
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