Get Smart press conference
<< Click Here to go back to articleTo Anne Hathaway: Anne, how did you kick butt in heels, and was it fun or annoying being the only girl?
Anne Hathaway: Annoying, no. No, no, no, I could never be annoyed with all these fine fellas up here. Especially you [Arkin]. It was such a delight. I feel like I was so indulged on the set every day by these guys being the only girl. It was fun. Some days I felt like they were trying to be very polite around me and keep the conversation to a more prim environment, and so I would just tell the dirtiest joke I could think of just to put everybody at ease. As for the high heels, I had excellent training in “The Devil Wears Prada” for how to run around wearing them, so when it came time to just add some high kicks and jumps, it wasn't that bad. Having a stunt double who did it much better than me helped though.
To Steve Carell: Can you talk about the challenges of dancing with the large lady?
Steve Carell: I think the challenge was hers. She's actually a fantastic dancer and I am not, so I think the inherent challenge there was to try to make me look good. And if I may comment about the high heels for Anne, there were several scenes in the movie where we are running toward Disney Hall at full tilt. I was running as fast as I possibly could run. Anne Hathaway was wearing four, five, six inch heels and she was kicking my ass. I have no idea how that is physically possible.
Did you look at the TV show or stay away?
SC: I steered away from it because I didn't want to do an impression of Don Adams. I figured there was no way to improve upon what he had done and I thought the more I watched of him, the more I would be inclined to be an impersonation because he was so good and so definitive in the role. So no, I sort of backed off of that.
ALAN ARKIN: In making it my own, I made the choice 30 years ago, not watching the show. It was easy.
AH: And I actually grew up watching the show on “Nick at Nite” and loved it, so it was really fun to revisit it. I wanted to revisit it because I was one of the last people cast, so I unfortunately missed the whole collaboration "This is the movie we're making" part of the process. I wanted to make sure that I understood what tone we were trying to achieve and I really think that in the final product, we've managed to kind of have that silly, sweet yet sophisticated feel that the original series had.
To director Peter Segal: Were there blends or bumps blending action and comedy?
Peter Segal: Not at all. Once Steve signed onto this project, everything sort of fell into place. Everybody wanted to come and play and because of the tone that we set out to make, which Steve and I referred to as a comedic “Bourne Supremacy,” we went after the people who would make those kind of movies. I've worked with Dean Semler several times. Deb Scott the costume designer won her Oscar for “Titanic.” Because we knew the show had an iconic look, the fashion back then was so sharp and the '60s permeates a lot of fashion throughout the decades, unlike let's say the '70s. So we went after as primo a cast behind the scenes as we had in front of the cameras, because we knew what kind of tone we were trying to set.
To Anne Hathaway: How do you select your roles? Is there pressure to live up to iconic roles like The Devil Wears Prada?
AH: I think Meryl [Streep] had the iconic role. I think I was just the one who was kind of keeping the story moving and trying to keep the audience entertained while she was off screen. I'm 25 years old and I've had tremendous luck in my life in terms of movies that I've made for artistic reasons that have gone on to become commercial successes. It's kind of dumb luck. You never know what's going to hit. Some movies that you think will have mass appeal flop. Other movies you think will be in a niche. You think it's going to be limited, make its money back and it goes on and way outgrosses any of your other films. The process is you just try to pick the best you can from what's available and you try to work with people that inspire you. That's just about it.
How much did Steve and Alan stick to script?
SC: Our writer's here on the end, and I can say that I improvised everything. It was I think a mix. We stuck to the script but there were options and there were chances to play and see what other - - and in collaboration with Pete and the writers and the cast. We would come up with alternatives because you never know in the final outcome what will or won't work. So we tried to give ourselves some options on various takes.
AA: Me, I like to improvise. It's my training, it's my love, but on this script, I can honestly say I think I improvised one word.
AH: Do you remember the word?
AA: Yeah, “nuclear” [correcting the mispronunciations of a dimwitted US President played by James Caan, who appeared twice on the original show as “Rupert the Rathskeller”]. That was my one contribution. I was not only bowled over by what [writers] Tom Astle and Matt Ember did, but the development from draft to draft I found really amazing. These guys put in a 40-hour week. Matt told me they go to work at nine and they stop at five. I couldn't believe that. I never knew a writer that did that, except to take a drink once in a while, but these guys don’t seem to do that.
To Steve Carrell: How much of “Second City” do you keep with you, and what were you doing just before Jon Stewart?
Just before Jon Stewart I was unemployed. The employed part, I was on a failed TV series called “Over the Top” [1997] in which I played an outrageous Greek chef [named Yorga Galfanikos] in a hotel. One of the reviews referred to me as the Heinrich Himmler of comedy and said that [series star] Tim Curry was Hitler and every Hitler needs his henchman.
AA: But you don't pay any attention to reviews.
SC: You know who pointed this review out to me was Stephen Colbert. Much to his delight and it was years later when we were working on “The Daily Show.” He said, "Did you ever see this?" And he brought it up online. It was the funniest review because the reviewer went on to say, "I have experienced pain in my life. I have witnessed the agony of childbirth." It went on and on and then likened the premiere episode of “Over the Top” to all of those experiences. So that's what I was doing before “The Daily Show.” “Second City,” I carry that experience with me always. Alan Arkin is a huge idol for me. As one of the originators, the genesis of “Second City,” he's legendary obviously. The best thing for me about “Second City” was having that freedom to fail night after night. To be able to try things and experiment and attempt without being too precious about it and knowing that if it didn't work, you could always try something different the next day. That's a very freeing kind of thing to have.
AA: I have exactly the same as what Steve said. It was the only place, there is no place anymore you're allowed to fail. Failure is now a moral issue. Somehow it's worked its way into that insane place in history but when we were there, the audience came expecting to see 40%, 50% of what they were watching not work. They didn't care. They knew that was part of the process. It was like having 20 years of experience every year. It was amazing and I don't like clubs particularly, organizations but every time there's a meeting between two people, I think that's true of everybody who's ever been to “Second City,” we're all iconoclasts for 40 years, but you see another person from the group and it's a brotherhood. It's an amazing brotherhood. It's an extraordinary place.
To Steve Carrell: You play such deadpan characters, what does it take to make you break up?
SC: Oh, it takes editing to cut out all the times I'm laughing hysterically. That's the long and short of it. Well, more importantly than that, I try specifically not to laugh when someone else is doing their thing because if you laugh and ruin someone else's take, if somebody's doing something inspired or incredibly funny, it's a gift. To take that away by laughing and ruining it, I think that's a cardinal sin in my mind. But there are some times you just can't help yourself. There's a scene in the movie when Alan is trying to pronounce a name at the cone of silence sequence. The scene probably took five times longer than it should've because I couldn't control myself. So I took that gift from Alan. That just killed me.
AH: That was really fun because I break up all the time with Steve and most of my scenes were with Steve, so when he finally broke, it was such sweet vindication for me.
AA: I'm actually laughing in the movie. There's a shot of me where I'm laughing at you in the movie. I was humiliated beyond my wildest hopes.
SC: You were laughing after ‘sucker punch to the gonads.’
AA: I remember, it was at the table. You can see me going.
To Peter Segal: Is this like “The Naked Gun” and what are the challenges of this type of comedy? [Segal’s first film as a director was Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult]
PS: Well, I think “Naked Gun” is the hardest kind of movie to do by far. What the Zucker Brothers created with “Airplane,” it's a real ballet of comedy. It looks easy but it's absolutely the hardest to do. Four jokes per page, so the scripts for those movies, that particular script was I think 135 pages but the movie was fairly short because like with “Second City,” you just don't know what's going to work. So we test a lot. With this movie, because I had done that film and because Steve had also worked with David Zucker on a television project, we both said, "We can't go back there again." Because Naked Gun was inspired by Get Smart, so it would just be recycling upon itself. We tried to bring our own sensibilities to this and give it a different tone. What I learned from David Zucker on that is make your bad guys bad, take your plot seriously even in a comedy. We bumped that up a notch even more on this and talking to Mel Brooks about it, that's exactly what he tried to do back in 1965. He said, "Let's take 007 and just stretch it one inch further into comedy but give it all those stakes." If you look back at the series almost half a century ago, it was a fairly expensive show for its time. Single camera, they went on locations, there was a little bit of action. Compared to the other kinds of comedies that were on the air at that time, it was very unique and different so we just tried to take that and broaden it on the big screen.
To Steve Carrell: How much physical preparation did you do?
SC: Well, I worked out and made my body a physical specimen to be admired and fine tempered steel is what most people - - I tried not to get killed was my MO in this. The most dangerous stunt, I probably don't know really which the most dangerous one was.
When you were strapped to the train?
SC: Perhaps. There's a scene in which we're riding a banner behind a moving SUV. So we were on a platform. We weren't hooked in to anything and just being pulled down train tracks riding on top of this platform. That probably, the only reason I think it was dangerous was because everyone said, "Okay, are you ready to go? Good, okay, let's go. Let's do it." Then we just did it. But the safety crews, everybody was great. I never felt that anything was in jeopardy and the stunt people did the really heavy lifting and did a great job.
AH: Yeah, being pulled by the train was definitely our Titanic moment, if I jump, you jump. I did feel so safe all the time that the danger really never entered my mind. When I would describe to my mother what I was doing, she would have the heart attack for me. Being dropped 50 feet, being strapped to a cable having nothing but sidewalk - - well, I guess in the shot they did have a pad. But it was on a street in Montreal so you weren't in a closed set so you felt a little bit more exposed, but I just remember giggling. You would just kind of laugh and I had to put my head down because I was laughing so hard, it was just such a rush, it was just lovely, lovely. It was so exhilarating. So yeah, we just felt so safe the whole time that it just felt like being at the best amusement park ever.
To Anne Hathaway: Who's a sexier costar, Steve Carell or Kate Hudson [co-star of her upcoming movie Bride Wars]?
AH: Alan Arkin.
AA: What was the question?
How is Bride Wars going?
AH: Oh, great. We have two days left. We were filming outside in New York the other day. I don’t usually have to deal with a lot of paparazzi attention but Kate does. There were, I kid you not, 50 paparazzi on the street and we had to call off the shot because they wouldn't get out of the way and so we had to find a different location. But, it was so funny to go from this very, very male universe to go to estrogenland on Bride Wars. Some days I feel sorry for the director because he is literally the only guy for miles. But it's fun, it's a totally different kind of comedy and to go from playing Agent 99 who is a very, very intimidating, powerful woman, and then my character in Bride Wars is kind of, I think she's a lot more of a little girl. She's a girly girl. She likes being pretty. She gets her hair done, she gets her nails done, totally different from me. It's nice to just be able to go to all these different worlds and work with great people.
To Anne Hathaway: Are you a fanatical “Office” fan? What was it like to make out with Steve?
AH: Well.
SC: I'm interested in this.
AH: You were there, you know. To say that I am a fan of “The Office” is really putting it mildly. When Steve and I don't see each other for a few weeks, my first question is of course, "What's coming up?" I agree the season finale was awesome. I'm a true “Office” fan. I'm rooting for Jim and Pam. Phyllis is my favorite character. Actually, it's changed now but my alias used to be Phyllis Vance. I just love the show so much. I love humor that kind of makes you feel uncomfortable and that show is so brilliant at it. It's so different than the British one and it’s found its kind of own American voice and I really relate to it. Anyway, all the reasons that everybody loves “The Office,” I love “The Office.” Actually, when I went to audition for this movie, I didn’t think in a million years I was going to get the part. I really just wanted to meet Steve. And I did and it went well. Making out with him is like the yummiest lollipop …
SC [grimacing]: You are so full of it.
AH [giggling]: …dipped in sunshine …
SC: Stop it.
AH: …and wrapped around in with a masculine wrapper. That's the only way I can think to describe it.
But you were sick on the day?
AH: Okay, so you've got to hear this. So that day, that was the day of the train tracks. Somehow there was a health scare last year. A certain contact solution, I won't say the name of it, but it was the one that I used, gave you conjunctivitis. And I had a sinus infection at the same time so I had to go up to Steve, my eye is red, puffy and dripping green. I am just snotty and I'm just like, "Come here." And the worst thing was we didn't know that I had conjunctivitis at the time, so I had to call our producer Alex Gartner that night and say, "Yeah, you might want to call Steve and let him know I had pinkeye and my tears kind of got in my mouth so he might want to worry about that." So it was very glamorous and I'd do it again in a heartbeat.
Did you get pinkeye, Steve?
SC: No, I didn't.
To Peter Segal: What about updating the gadgets that were such a popular part of the original show?
PS: Well, we had to put the shoe phone in. And that was tricky, because how do you make something like that that's so iconic and was really the ancestor of today's cell phone relevant in a movie like this. The cone of silence we had to put in. Ironically, one of our visual effects supervisors said that his uncle is friends with, and I can't say his name, but someone who is very high up in the CIA. They said that the cone of silence actually existed and they used it in the American embassy in Moscow. These were plastic cones, one cone that went over the people and they played music inside so that the conversation couldn't possibly be picked up by bugs. As usual, they said, it didn't work. So we had to try to figure out a way to put those in and if you've already seen [the movie], you know how we did it and it was kind of tricky but we did a lot of research and Matt and Tom were fantastic. Matt is so annoyingly detailed in his research. He always is on the internet looking up things that exist, so almost everything in the movie is based on some kind of reality. So we came up with a few of our own gadgets to go along with some of the iconic ones.
To Peter Segal: There’s a credit at the end of the film for Buck Henry and Mel Brooks, who created the original series, as “creative consultants.” What did they actually do for the movie?
LS: We talked to Mel and Buck and also [executive producer/writer] Leonard Stern several times to get their ideas and opinions. Mel was busy doing Young Frankenstein on Broadway. Buck has been battling some illness and Leonard is still fantastically vital and going strong and came to the set several times. [He has a cameo in the film as a Cesna pilot] It was very nerve wracking to be working with these legends because we all have such, well all except apparently one person [looks at Arkin], such fondness for the original series.
AA: I would have had a fondness for it. If I had seen it, I would have liked it.
PS: There was no Tivo back then. And I have to say, Mel and Buck recently saw it within the last two weeks. When Mel called me and he was going on and on and raving about it, I said, "Mel, you have no idea how much I've looked forward to and dreaded this phone call for the past two years." But you can't do something like this without consulting who we refer to as the three kings.
To Terence Stamp: Terence, you did a wonderful job in this. Could you talk a little bit about the fun that you had and what attracted you to the role?
TS: I’m always rather flattered when I get approached about doing funny stuff. I guess it’s just unusual for somebody [does some mock preening] as devastatingly good looking and possessing wisdom and sexy that I guess people think I can do comedy so I’m always very flattered. I didn’t know about Get Smart [the original tv show]. I didn’t see it. So when I went in to meet the production team and Pete (Segal), it was just kind of like a chat. You know what I mean? I hadn’t really seen the script. I didn’t know anything about it. And then when [the film] got serious, I did a bit of research into it and I just thought [archvillain Sigfried] was one of those characters that I could do something with. You know, somebody who is rather pretentious and looks down his nose at absolutely everybody. I thought I could get fun out of that. And in truth it was just such a great troupe really. It was such a great team of people. So I did have a lot of fun doing it even though I have to make a fool of myself which I don’t like. [laughs]
Fans boys still remember you as supervillain General Zod from Superman the Movie. How big of a deal is that for you still?
TS: There are certain films that change your life. I hadn’t worked for about 10 years when I got the Superman offer and I was very nervous because it was apparent that they just wanted like an ugly and I had the feeling that they were going to just like me ugly and dress me ugly and give me ugly stuff to say. And I had a friend at the time, he was a Baron, a Dutch Baron, Frederick von Pallandt and he was a very wise guy. He was a bit older than me. And I said, “I’m having doubts about this.” And he said, “You shouldn’t really have doubts about it because for loads of kids, Superman movies will be the first movie they ever go to see. And by the time they grow up, there’ll be more people who want to be like Zod than Superman. So you really shouldn’t worry about it. You should just be as ugly and as horrible as you can be.” And it kind of came to pass, you know.
I’m just thinking of a funny example. We didn’t have a bathroom when I was a boy so I became a clean freak very early and if I can get into a steam bath, I do, and especially after a jet flight. So I was taken to a steam bath in New York and I walked in and I undressed. And it was just all guys, you know. And I said to somebody, “Where are the loin clothes?” They said, “Oh, they’re at the front.” So I walked to the front. Very little loin cloth, like a little towel. And I’m not…a lot of guys in the steam bath, they go there to be nude, you know. [laughter] I’m walking back towards the steam and I see in front of me three enormous guys, two of which are black, and they’re just kind of staring at me and I revert to my East End spiv [tough guy] mode. So I just walked straight towards them and as I got close, one of the black guys said, “Are you that Zod guy?” And I said, [snarls] “Smile when you say that!” [laughter] And there were these three big grins. So whenever I see big, fierce guys staring at me, I know they recognize the General.
I heard a story about you in Montreal in the middle of the night. What was that about?
TS: Exactly. I was billeted in a hotel. I live in hotels so I’m very class seasoned about hotels. When I walked in, I just didn’t like it. So I left the hotel. It was about midnight. There wasn’t a sparrow on the street and the guy who’d helped me with my luggage was gone so I just had this great big suitcase. There wasn’t anything. And then suddenly a big, black SUV comes barreling down the road and sort of screeches to a halt and a guy looks out the window at me and he said, “You’re General Zod” and I said, “I am.” [laughter] He said, “What are you doing here?” I said, “I’m looking for a taxi.” “Where do you want to go?” I said, “I want to go to the Vogue Hotel.” “Get in! Get in!” He gets out. He puts my suitcase up. We drive. He says, “Can I have a photo with you?” I said, “Anything.” [laughter]
To Masi Oka: This is the first major movie you’ve done since your “Heroes” break. What sort of offers were you getting and why choose this one?
Masi Oka: I was in a very fortunate position to have a couple of offers but this was just a great film. I personally never saw the original series but it had great talent attached already. Steve Carell was one of my big idols growing up and Alan Arkin. Having grown up in the Second City family, these guys were the people I worshiped and I knew I really wanted to work with them. For me, it was a pretty easy choice. If I could only do one, this was the one I really wanted to do and I was just very fortunate that the producers gave us an opportunity to work.
You could only do one on your hiatus, your break?
MO: Yeah, because of scheduling conflicts, nothing just seemed to work out and “Heroes” was running long as well so even doing Get Smart was a big scheduling nightmare and thanks to our producers and the producer of Get Smart, we were able to work it out.
You have changed the image of the Japanese actor because usually, the image is stoic?. Do you think you’ve accomplished this because you are funny?
MO: I don’t know. Everyone who knows me in real life, I’m not that funny in real life [laughter] so I’m glad I could act that way on screen and show otherwise. It’s not intentional but I’ve grown up loving comedy and all these comedic greats. In America especially, they don’t have as many Asian-American roles and I think comedy is a great equalizer. With comedy there is a built-in comedic distance where you laugh with the characters, laugh with the situations versus when it’s a drama, it’s kind of hard because you are asking someone to empathize with you immediately. When the audience sees someone who doesn’t look like them immediately, it’s hard for them to delve into that person. So, for us, it’s kind of easy to delve into the comedy side because there’s not as much quote, unquote prejudice and there is that built-in comedic distance that we’re allowed to utilize. If we can change images, that’s fantastic, but that’s not particularly my intention. I’m just blessed to be working and have fun and I love comedy so I guess yay!! [laughter]
To Masi Oka and Nate Torrence: There are plans to spin off your characters into several projects. Can you talk about that?
MO: Well, Nate and I finished shooting a full-length DVD feature. It’s parallel content and for those of you who know the Tom Stoppard reference if Get Smart the film is “Hamlet,” we did the equivalent of what would be Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead. Parallel content, same timeline coming out July 1st.
Nate Torrence: It’s a fun little movie and kind of cool. It’s basically focusing on what we’re doing when Max and 99 take off on their mission. We have our own mission. It’s unique as far as it being an industry first where you’re going to have all these characters going on in the box office and ten days later, you get to staple on and watch these different characters work in their own little settings. We have our own office and where we go to make all of our inventions and things like that so it’s kind of cool. I’m really excited. I think it has a good future.
Was it scheduled the same time while Get Smart was filming?
NT: It was scheduled. It almost was and then we ended up about a month or so later but we took a lot of the sets, we took a lot of the same sets and worked on those.
MO: Originally, it was supposed to be all improvised. While we were shooting like behind-the-scenes they were going to shoot DVD footage of us goofing off and really do a ‘meanwhile, back in the green room is da, da, da.’ But it’s a really smart business plan and an industry first.
What was the budget on this?
NT: One billion dollars [laughter]. It was amazing.
Who else is in it?
MO: Patrick Warburton’s in it. Terry Crews is in it. There are a lot more cameos from the original film that we’re not allowed to talk about, that are top secret. Terrence Stamp is complaining but you never know. He might be in the film.
Masi, your participation on “Heroes” requires you to maintain a certain amount of secrecy. Can you contrast what that’s like compared with being on a project like this?
MO: The challenges, of course, are you read a script and you really want to share with everyone because it’s such an exciting project and story that you want to tell the world but, at the same time, I don’t think they really want to know. You tell the fans, “Well, I could tell you everything but it’s just gonna ruin it.” With these movie things, I don’t remember what we shot because it was like a year and a half ago. Fortunately, my memory is already gone so when they ask me what it was about, it’s like “Uh, I don’t remember” so naturally, my memory fades but ..oh I don’t know. I forgot the question already. It’s my short term memory. I don’t know. But, this was a great project and we had lots of great fun times. [Referring to co-star Ken Davitian’s infamous nude wrestling scene in Borat] We only wish that Ken’s balls made an appearance in our film as well. It is public domain so we could use it, right?
Ken Davitian: You mean the film we were in or the film me and him [Terrence] weren’t in? [laughter]
MO: Do we need permission to use your testicles?
KD: Oh no. You need money. [laughter]
Masi, what was it like to go back to “Heroes”?
MO: It’s been great. It’s fantastic to see all the crew. It’s going back to a family, to have that great repertory of people who are on the same wavelength. Because the Writer’s strike hit a lot of the crew members hard and they had nothing really to gain from a strike, it was just great to see all of them back working and it was great to retain everybody too because we thought we would lose a lot of people. That’s been the great thing; to see all my crew members, my castmates, all my brothers and sisters. It’s great to be back and work as a family again.
Is there going to be an actor’s strike or not?
MO: Oh, Jesus! Wow. I’m just hoping Terrence can introduce me to his agent in London. I’ll have to work overseas for a while.
Masi, is there any type of role that you would like to play that you’ve never gotten to? Like an evil villain?
MO: Humm, evil villain. There are definitely a couple of things and we’re, fortunately in a kind of development stage with them. I can’t really talk about it right now. Sorry.
To Masi: Did you get any tips from Zod?
TS: He’s too young.
MO: No! I remember…
NT: Kneel before him right now! He’s stuck in the glass [laughter]. I’m just trying to keep it steady right now. I’ve got Zod right beside me! He walks on water.
MO: And wears latex.
TS: Zod off! [big laughter].
You guys have lots of cool gadgets in the feature film. Is there any cool gadgetry in the DVD?
MO: Oh yeah.
NT: A huge chunk of it is us coming up with new gadgets.
MO: We have an OCT. We have a …
NT: Optical Camouflage Technology.
MO: Oh, the whole idea is to use the secret codes! Lloyd, Lloyd, Lloyd.
NT: Oh yeah.
MO: We have OCT, ASNF, right. AFD.
NT: Anti-Follicular Device.
MO: You did it again!
NT: I’ve got to. It’s just there. We’re givin’ um letters…
MO: There will be a lot of gadgets.
NT: Very gadget-heavy, gadget-friendly flick.
MO: We’re gadget people.
What was it like working with Steve Carell on this?
MO: Amazing. As I said, he’s one of the main reasons to work on this film. Most comedic stars, when they are in a film, they want all the laughs and it should be about them but Steve is one of the most generous people I’ve ever worked with. He’s all about the funny but also making everyone else funny as well and that’s something I really admired and I learned so much from him especially in the way he improvs and the way he works with everyone. I think that’s a testimony to not only Steve’s talent but his character as an actor. I hope everyone gets an opportunity to work with a great comedic star like him because not all comedic stars are that generous.
NT: And just a good leader. Sometimes you get on projects and your leads just want to go back to their trailer and that’s okay but I felt like Steve, specifically for me, every time we were working together, he really wanted everyone involved and he would talk so much about the troupe aspect of it and that’s exactly how you felt with him, like he was always trying to make everyone comfortable. That’s an amazing thing to feel in this business where you have a guy, he’s the lead and I’m totally hanging out with him and everyone was like that. Dwayne [Johnson] was like that. It was cool.
MO: Yeah, everybody was.
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