We Are Movie Geeks

Okay, a great movie here for Vince. It’s the first time I think that you’re playing in or starring in a remake of a Canadian movie, and telling the exact same story. So, I wondering what your take was on the character, and did you watch Starbuck or intentionally avoid Starbuck?

VINCE VAUGHN: Yeah, I saw Starbuck. What was interesting to me was the director, Ken Scott, wrote the movie, and also directed it. And he’s a very passionate director and storyteller, and I think he was passionate about that script and telling that story, and then he was very passionate about telling that story to this audience here. And that’s my big question when I first heard about it because if it was a different director or just a concept that they were trying to roll off of, I would have been less interested. But in meeting Ken and just the place that he works from, I feel very grateful that I met a director like that who is such a great storyteller. So, I think when you see the film you really see a lot of Ken’s DNA in the movie. One of the things that I really love in the film is that nowadays a lot of times you’ll have something be just a comedy or just a drama, or just sentimental, and this under one umbrella is really unpredictable. From one scene to the next you don’t know if you’re going to laugh or be tense. It was a compliment to Ken and that’s what I was most excited about being part of.

I was wondering if there’s something in the movie that you personally relate to either with your or a different character in the movie?

COBIE SMULDERS: Ladies first?

Yes, please.

COBIE SMULDERS: Okay. I was pregnant in this film, and I’ve been pregnant in my life. So that was a big one going through that again. The fake belly was a lot easier to have, but yeah just dealing with the similar emotions that come with that was a very relatable thing for me.

CHRIS PRATT: I really like my mom in real life. This character has a difficult relationship with his mom. So that was something dissimilar. My mom is really cool. I don’t know. Oh, also I’m a new father. So I know what it’s like to have–I don’t know what it’s like to have a whole troop of rug rats running around, but I know what it’s like to have one kid and I know what it’s like to miss a little sleep and feel like you’re … You know, I know what it’s like to be a dad. So, there’s a little bit of that but yeah.

VINCE VAUGHN: Yeah, I mean I think as an actor the best thing you have is your imagination. You’re not going to have all the experiences, but you draw on the tings that you know. So I think you definitely kind of use the things that you’re familiar with to your advantage.

The movie shows your first reaction when you find out that your girlfriend is pregnant. So since you’re a father, too, what was your own reaction when you find out that your wife pregnant the first time, and how was it the second time?

VINCE VAUGHN: I was thrilled. I had made a conscious effort. I got married a little later in life. Hence, we were excited to try right away and thankfully, my wife was able to get pregnant right away. Then the second one we were trying on this movie actually. So there was a day it was around Christmas that my wife came to me with a Christmas ornament with the families, and there was an extra like person in a Santa hat and a Christmas ornament, and that’s how I found out, which was great. So I was really excited both times, thrilled to have impregnated my wife at this point. It’s more about me being proud of the fact of my own ability. I was very happy. I think what’s great about the character of David is his capacity to love. I feel like it’s impossible for him to resist kind of trying to reach out and have a connection. So I think that’s nice.

CHRIS PRATT: In the film we see you transition into this guardian angel who then starts to become like a cheerleader for your children. I wanted you to kind of elaborate on how parents do that, how your character did that especially the type of character you had. You were struggling to even get yourself together. So now all of a sudden you are doing it for your kids.

VINCE VAUGHN: I think what happens is he’s sort of presented with this circumstance, and he kind of approaches it wanting to sort of be all things, and then is sort of presented with the actual reality of that. My job was made so easy with both Cobie and Chris because a lot of my character is taking information about how they see me, or the character I should say, and kind of these points of view. There is I think a nice relationship between the characters in the film, but there are also real points of view about the character. So I felt like it was easy coming to work with both of these guys having them really say things, and you’re really just reacting to that.

Going back to what you had mentioned, that in the movie, you don’t know whether you’re going to laugh or you’re going to be touched. There’s a little bit of comedy. Three’s a little bit of drama.

VINCE VAUGHN: When I say, “touched” I mean emotionally not that someone in the movie will come up and begin to touch you.

Thank you for that clarification.

VINCE VAUGHN: Just to be clear because sometimes things get lost. I didn’t always know [Oh, okay.] if I was going to be touched or not.

Do you see yourself delving in more to a dramatic role maybe in the future because it kind of touched a little bit. Do you feel like maybe that’s something that you want to do?

VINCE VAUGHN: I think for all actors, it’s fun to do different things. I don’t know how you guys felt, but didn’t you guys kind of enjoy that each day kind of required something a little bit different?

COBIE SMULDERS: Yeah, I think that especially with our relationship it was either we were like screaming at each other [Yeah.], or we were very much in love. [Yeah.] So we got to play a lot of different degrees of things, yeah.

You end up having a huge family. Are you guys from big families, small families? How would that feel if your family grew a thousand times over?

CHRIS PRATT: I’m from a good size family. I’m the youngest of three, and I’ve got a lot of close cousins, and family something has always been very important to me. I don’t know if it grew like that. We would probably just take them all in. No, my dad would probably just put them all to work is what would happen.

COBIE SMULDERS: My parents divorced when I was young, but my father remarried, and so from my family I have two sisters and a brother. Then I have two step-step sisters and two step-brothers. I have a bit of a Brady Bunch thing going on. So, yeah, it’s huge. It’s a pretty big family.

VINCE VAUGHN: That’s a big family.

COBIE SMULDERS: Yeah.

VINCE VAUGHN: I have two older sisters and we’re very close. Yeah, we’re all very close. I think if you can survive the trying to kill each other and come on the other side of that, as you get older, at least in our case they’re probably my best friends now.

Vince, I was wondering… so much of your career has been known for being the fast talking guy that gets away with things, and you start that way in this movie. But over the last few years transitioning from things like Wedding Crashers into Couples Retreat, or a movie like this where you’re taking on family responsibilities; I’m just wondering if you care to comment about that process of making that kind of arc or transition in your career. And do you think that you would do another more wild and crazy kind of thing again, or do you think that’s in the past then?

VINCE VAUGHN: No, I’ll definitely do something more crazy, but I think part of it is your age, and different roles present themselves to you. Change is what you play I think at 23 to some degree than what you play at 43. So for me it’s more about tone. I think I started off doing more dramatic and character stuff, and had a lot of fun. Then we are doing early to the party with some of the old school and those movies, which is great. Then, now for me this movie particularly has been really great because like I said I think it is move dramatic, but I think it also is very funny and also a lot of different things. I think of the scene with the daughter where you are wondering what decision to make, or the boy in the wheelchair. It’s just the circumstances are, but I think the journey for Chris’ character you really get a good feel of the back story of how he’s been perceived by his family. He’s a very loveable guy but he’s kind of overwhelmed with these kids, and his life and for Cobie you see such a strong character is really embarking on a big decision with someone who’s not fully there. So, I like that in this movie you kind of have all of those different things. But I would definitely do another kind of more outlaw or comedy again depending on what that story was.

Vince, kind of going along with that, do you feel like your own arc of maturity has paralleled the characters that you have played? What can you say about where you are now? Do you provide any kind of like a role model or mentor kind of thing to younger actors or just younger people in your life?

VINCE VAUGHN: I don’t know about that.  I don’t know. I feel like, you know, I guess that different things come to you, and at different times in your life you’re drawn to different types of material. For myself, I feel like this director, this material came at me at a time when I was really wanting to do something different, and kind of return to stuff that I had done younger. So I was grateful I would say for the opportunity where this movie was concerned, and to get a chance to work with these guys was really fun.  I think we came to work everyday really everyone believing in the material, which was great. And then in the future I’ve never been one to kind of plan stuff maybe to a fault, but you just have to sort of see what comes your way and what your interested in at that time.

Vince, a lot of the most affecting scenes in the film come from you working with the character that you mentioned in the wheelchair, and I would imagine having that kind of scene partner is very different from having an adult professional actor. Talk about whether it was with that actor in general how you prepared for playing those scenes.

VINCE VAUGHN: Well, what’s incredible is that the gentleman who played that part is a professional actor. I think he does a tremendous job in the film of really portraying someone who is physically facing the challenges that that character is, but that was an actor that’s tremendous playing that part. But you’re always fortunate I think as an actor even listening, and having great actors to work off of is so helpful. Like I said, with both of these guys and with a lot of the kids in the movie, sometimes being the lead in the film your job is to sort be present in those scenes, and react truthfully to what they bring. So sometimes when I’m getting moved or feeling things, it’s really being open to what the other actors are bringing to the table.

We see how just the very thought of being a parent changes him on the inside, and I’m curious for you guys as parents. Did you feel that sort of dramatic like shift internally? Once you became parents did you feel like I’m just a different person now because things have clicked into a different place?

COBIE SMULDERS: Yeah, I mean you become responsible for a human being, and I think a lot of people talk about like I’ve never felt love like this before. And you hear all these things before you have a child, and they’re all kind of true. And, yeah, I think it’s just dealing with the overwhelming responsibility of like I’m the protector of this child that affected me the most.

CHRIS PRATT: Oh, yeah, you can’t help but change when you have a kid, and for me it was just a sense of I didn’t feel like anything was missing in my life and it wasn’t. It all came at just the right time, and now if I am absent from my son I do feel like something is missing.  But before that I was very fulfilled and I was having a lot of fun, and I was sowing wild oats and doing the kind of things that you should do when you don’t have kids. Now, I’m just doing less of that, but I earned it, you know. Like I feel like just spending quiet evenings with my wife and son and sitting in bed in the morning and watching him marvel over the curtains opening or whatever little thing, that all it feels really good. And so, I’ve changed because like I’m impressed. What’s funny is the way I’ve changed is I’ve got a whole new window through which to see the world, and everything is exciting for me again. Things that I took granted are exciting for me again, the way something feels or smells or tastes or how drawers open.  I’m like, “Look at that, kid. That is actually really cool.” It’s like just a wall with a knob and then you pull it, and there’s a bunch of shit in there. What is that about?  I wouldn’t take a minute to appreciate a draw before my son.

VINCE VAUGHN: I think it’s true. I think you definitely get a whole world opened up to yourself with kids, and I think as a parent you try to enjoy them, and be happy and have fun. And, also try to figure out what’s the best way to be a parent to them and set them up to be happy in life and pursue those things.  So, I think a lot of it for me goes to my relationship. I’m very fortunate with my wife, and we were just talking when we were sitting down, and you realize how much the relationship when kids are young can suffer. And it’s important to make sure that you are able to spend some time with each other. I think as a father, the best thing you can do for the kid is to love the mom. Even as a parent I believe that loving the mother is the most important thing. And even parents who maybe aren’t together I think that’s important for them as well to respect each other and to be kind to each other. Because I think it does so much in who they would pick to be around, or how they feel about themselves. So I think sometimes how we communicate is important just an example. That’s probably why my wife knows not to shut the fuck up whenever I hit her. [laughs]

Chris, you recently back into the States. I’m curious how the acclimation has been because it seems like you’ve jumped right back into things, and also we’re seeing you play more diverse roles. Is there anything you’re kind of chomping at the bit to play?

CHRIS PRATT: Oh, well, to address the first question yeah the transition back has been really nice, and kind of what Vince was saying about making sure that you spend enough time nurturing your relationship I spent three days in New York with my wife, just the two of us, which was really, really great. I mean we just had an amazing time, and made up for lost time. I wouldn’t be surprised if nine months from now Jack has a brother or sister maybe. No, but we had a good time and it was great, and like what Vince said it’s really important to nurture that. So that really helped with the transition. I think coming back from London to L.A. is a lot easier than going from L.A. to London in terms of the time change, because it just gives you a few extra mornings to sleep in and then you’re back on time.

Oh, and one thing, you know, it’s weird as actors because I mean we’re fortunate in the group of people who have to spend time away from their families. There are men and women serving overseas who certainly have it a lot harder than we do, and there are jobs that take people away from the families and that’s a reality with some jobs that you have. And one thing that’s really difficult I find is the transition because not only do you have to learn how to transition to living on your own again, there’s a transition that happens learning how to live with somebody again. You know, I’ll be home and I’ll be like on my computer, and I’ll think, “Oh, should I be in the other room where she is because is that what’s supposed to happen when you live together? Or is it okay for me to be here like checking my e-mail in this room. Like you just don’t know.

So there’s a little bit of a transition period that happens going away from your loved ones, and coming back in. But the transition period has been great, and I went back to work on Parks and Rec, which is an awesome family that I really love to work with and so that’s really nice. Then, the second question was are there … I just want roles, and you said roles that I was chomping at the bit to play. I don’t know. Yeah, all of them. I just want juicy ones that all taste good and I’ll chomp away, but there are good roles, and I want to work with great filmmakers. I want to work with great actors. I’ve learned a lot from working Vince on this movie. A friend of mine once told me that it’s really important to always pick somebody just to watch because you’re going to learn something.

And I learned so much from watching Vince not only just in terms of acting and being professional and being sharp on set, but also how to treat your fans when they approach you and stuff. I mean this guy anywhere he goes he gets recognized, which is something that I don’t necessarily have that I’ll get recognized from time to time. But really Vince can’t go anywhere without being confronted by people who just really love him. That sounds like it would be really great, but I think after a while that can be overwhelming, and I never once saw him treat somebody poorly. He treated his people really well. We were in Madison Square Garden with thousands of people, and they all knew who he was, and that’s where he took like, he gave every single one of those people a little moment, a little piece of himself. I think that’s something I’d aspire to do. I just want to work with people who are going to keep teaching me kind of like this one.

Cobie, this is the last season for [How I Met Your] Mother. Can you talk a little bit about what it’s like on the set knowing that this is coming to an end?  But during the time that you’ve been on the series, you’ve also managed to do several movies, including this one. So, do you know what you’re going to be doing next? Are you going to focus on film or are you interested in doing another series?

COBIE SMULDERS: The first part yeah it’s very emotional. Everyone is soaking it in. I’m really grateful to have been employed for the last nine years, and they’re very accommodating. They allowed me to go and shoot this movie on a hiatus week, and during I think I missed a few days of production to fly to New York, and work with this guy. So, they have been just amazing, but in terms of the future to sort of piggyback on what these guys have been saying, I mean as actors you’re sort of open to new experiences, and I’d like to just try new projects. In terms of film or TV, it’s hard to say. I think it just depends on the project.

My question is for Cobie and Chris. You guys have actually done a lot of similar projects in the past. You’re both on hit comedies right now. You’re both part of the Marvel Universe. I was just kind of curious if you guys bonded over that, or did you share any fun stories?

COBIE SMULDERS: No.

CHRIS PRATT: I tried to. I tried to, but she’s ice cold.

COBIE SMULDERS: Yeah, no.

CHRIS PRATT: It’s funny. It is true. I feel like we’re seeing a lot of each other.

COBIE SMULDERS: Yeah, but only like with this kind of stuff. I mean, I came in for like a second. The new Lego movie is coming out, and Chris is in it and he’s so funny and amazing. I just saw the new trailer, which looks so funny. I know, I have a few words, but he was in the room, and we just keep seeing each other at fun things.

CHRIS PRATT: Yeah, it’s crazy.

COBIE SMULDERS: He’s a good dude. I do like him a lot. I was acting before.

CHRIS PRATT: I feel the same. It is, it’s crazy. We see each other so much, and I have a crush on her husband, Taran, a pretty hard crush on him. He’s amazing. So I’ve been really …

COBIE SMULDERS: And I on your wife actually.

CHRIS PRATT: And we’re going to you know what?

COBIE SMULDERS: Dinner dates.

CHRIS PRATT: Okay, yeah.

COBIE SMULDERS: I know why I’m so close to the microphone.

CHRIS PRATT: Yeah, I have to be close. Yeah, I think it is strange. We’ve been intersecting a lot, but I think that happens a lot. It’s really weird, and you guys probably feel this way, too.  I think it’s for everybody who’s doing this. It’s a bit of a circus, isn’t it? I mean like all of a sudden you show up and you’re all in town together. And then you depart and you might never see each other again. It’s a weird thing, but I feel that with both these guys I had a good time, and I hope to pull into town and do my tricks and my faces with them again.

Hi, this is for Cobie. Emma’s character in that she definitely challenges David when she says she’s right. She’s like totally willing to be independent and like take responsibility for this child. What draws you to play like these strong like bad ass funny women?

COBIE SMULDERS: Because they’re the most fun to play. I mean yeah I mean it’s also Emma’s a very conflicted character as well because she’s in love with this man, and she just wishes that it wasn’t so challenging at times. And I think that especially at the beginning when you’re single and you’re just in a relationship with each other, it’s one thing. But then if you bring a kid into the mix it brings up a whole other list of responsibilities. And so, it’s fun playing against that. I don’t know why I get cast as the women a lot, but they are. They’re kind of the most fun to play, you know, and it’s also nice to portray strong women in media and to have young girls grow up watching them.

Hi, my question is for Chris. In the scene that you share with Vince when you’re outside and your children keep coming into the sandbox, how many takes was it where the little girl was smacking you in the face? Was it one or more?

CHRIS PRATT: It was more than one. I feel like we did that, I think we did that a few times. I remember Ken [PH] Supp kept backing it up to like before she slapped me, and it was really cold out. I was like, “I think we got it. I think we got it.” It was hard. That little girl is a star. Those kids are all amazing, but that little girl in particular is such a special kid. I mean she was just so confident. I remember one time saying to her, “How do you feel?  Do you want to run lines?” And she said, “I’m good.” I can just see her.

COBIE SMULDERS: How old was she?

CHRIS PRATT: I think she’s like old. I think she’s six or seven. Maybe six, but all those kids were just really fantastic, and I think we had to — I mean I think I broke a couple of times because she was just great. She was great. Those kids were just terrific. They were great kids.

This movie gives a lot because of having so many children involved. It is like expectations and about the opportunity that every time you have a kid that presents also the scariness of that. Three days you’ve all been parents. How did your expectations maybe when you were younger or when you yourself were children about what being a parent would like changed by having somebody and seeing how that plays out, and what were some of those expectations?

COBIE SMULDERS: Well, I think one of the things that I have fought for a long time is I feel that what you grow up with or how you grew up is what you think is right. And I think for a long time I was trying to recreate that, but it’s just not going to exist in my life for my child because like we have a very different lifestyle. So, I sort of combated that for awhile, and it was kind of learning just to be able to go with it, and do the best for your child in each moment instead of trying to make it something else because I grew up in Canada. It’s pretty awesome up there, guys. So it’s just very different.

Some great moments in this movie in this movie about reflecting on your own family, reflecting on your own parents. When you were making this movie, was your own personal reflection a big part of it to help you tap into that? For each, for all of you talk about the personal tapping into your family that you had while making this movie? 

CHRIS PRATT: Oh, my dad is a big man, and I remember as a kid always wondering why the hell does he tie his robe above his belly. Like what is the deal with tying it up here on top of his belly when most people would tie it like at their waistline? And I realized after being big in this movie and wearing a robe that was probably designed for like Cobie or something that that’s just where the tie is. And when you have a big belly you have to tie it above there.  So I saw myself in my dressing room wearing that robe with the tie tied where it falls naturally on top of my belly. I thought to myself, “Oh, my God, I just became my dad.”

VINCE VAUGHN: You know, for me I think you as an actor you bring — some of your own experiences can make things easier. You build off of it, but your imagination is always the best thing you have as far as creating things I think specifically for what that character is going through. But you’re definitely drawing obviously things that you can connect to, and then you kind of mold the change that you’re making into it sort of right for the character. What I love about the film is that to me the movie a lot of it is about learning to accept who you are. You have the pressures to be a bunch of different things, and we don’t all have all skills at all sides of stuff. But getting to be okay with yourself, forgive yourself, you know, love yourself, and bringing that to the table for relationships whether it’s with someone that you’re in love with, a romantic relationship or a family, parents, kids.

There’s a lot of that in the movie, and I feel like as we all watch the film, and to the point earlier about hopes and fears. I think what’s great about the film is as a parent it does kind of deal with your biggest fears or hopes for kids. But I think as a young person they connect to the movie because it’s what is in front of everybody everyday is, “Gosh, I’d love to be doing this or I want my life to go this way, but how do I did I find myself in this? How do I get out of this? How do I change where I’m at?”  You know, I think that that’s something for all of us as we go through life. As you get older hopefully you get a little better at getting past the moments that aren’t your best, or getting out of situations that aren’t your favorite and trying to increase the things that you are enjoying.

Well, we can see that this movie is really multi-dimensional, multi-layered. There are so many things that you can pull out of it. Your son [in the film] Vigo in the film really called you out when he distinguished …  He was saying that there was a difference between real families [Right.] and the Starbuck situation. He made you find the definition, and he wanted you to pull it out. I wanted you to kind of tap into that because a lot of people deal with that. And especially when you look at the domino effect because that’s what you guys have to deal with the domino effect of this whole sperm donor situation if we actually really had to approach it, you know. 

VINCE VAUGHN:  I think to your point to me one of the things that’s so loving and warm in the film was that you have a bunch of people looking for a connection who are looking to be a part of something. And there’s something really wonderful in the way that the film and the very kind of non-fluffy way takes that journey. And I’ve received some really nice notes from people already even some people in the industry who have been adopted or had other experiences, and really spoke and moved me in a way that the movie spoke to them. And so, to me when I watched the film I find the kids in the movie to be really positive and loving and all this, you know, life and joy inside of them. And there’s something that feels really wonderful about that connection that they find and that they experience. So I think that that side of things and however you go through it in life is what we all … It’s nice to feel loved and also I think that’s forgotten a lot is it’s nice to have someone to love. That’s a great side of it as well.

 A DreamWorks Pictures and Reliance Entertainment presentation, the film is written for the screen and directed by Ken Scott, based on “Starbuck,” the original screenplay written by Ken Scott and Martin Petit, and also stars Chris Pratt and Cobie Smulders. “Delivery Man” is produced by André Rouleau and executive produced by Ray Angelic, Scott Mednick and Mark Sourian.

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DELIVERY MAN releases in theaters on November 22nd