Jason Segel

Interview By: Rocco Passafuime
RoccoPassafuime@TheCinemaSource.com

Jason Segel was already in a string of early roles in films such as Can't Hardly Wait, Dead Man On Campus, and SLC Punk! before becoming the latest unknown comedic talent to emerge from the circle of successful producer/director Judd Apatow. He's worked with Apatow from his now cult hit short-lived TV series Freaks And Geeks and Undeclared, to the films Knocked Up and Forgetting Sarah Marshall, while starring as Marshall Eriksen in the hit CBS sitcom How I Met Your Mother.

Segel now appears in his biggest film role yet, co-starring with Paul Rudd as eccentric new best friend Sydney Fife in the comedy I Love You, Man. When the 29 year-old actor spoke with us, he first said he was excited to share the screen with Rudd in the film.

'It was like how do we do it. Paul's been in plenty of movies for four years,' Jason says.

He claims Rudd's only condition for being in the movie was being allowed to project his real vomit in one comical scene in the film. Segel adds that Paul's victim in this display was Swingers and Iron Man director Jon Favreau.

'Now, let's consider the logistics of this,' Jason notes, 'Jon Favreau is agreeing to come to this part and have Paul Rudd have actual projectile vomit on him. And also, the logistics of shooting, the amount you have to eat for proper coverage, so it wouldn't be so properly projectile. Jon Favreau was like cast at this point and it really would have been easy to cast the role. This is what we expect from you.'

Jason claims another amusing aspect to having Paul Rudd in the movie was the fact that his character, groom-to-be Peter Klaven, fences.

JS 'That was so funny,' Segel believes, 'You know what's appropriate about fencing, that for your character, it's an individual sport. He didn't even have a chance to have teammates.'

Segel says he not only enjoyed working with Rudd on-screen, but he believes the film's concept of a two men involved in a 'bromance', or 'brotherly romance' is a revolutionary concept for the 21st century red-blooded American man.

'We're like epsilon males,' Jason claims, 'It's like Brave New World. How many times do you hear Aldous Huxley''

Jason even adds that he and Paul went on an actual series of 'man dates' together to prepare for their roles.

'Paul and I actually went to the theater a few weeks ago,' he claims, 'We saw the opening of the Will Ferrell show [You're Welcome America: A Final Night With George W. Bush] and we arrived together and we went to a party together.'

We asked Segel to clarify talk from co-star Rudd that it's not unmanly for two men to share a bottle of wine together.

'That's a massive generalization,' Jason replies, 'Yeah, Paul and I shared a bottle of wine. I can totally see [co-star] Andy [Samberg] drinking Budweisers. It had wine in it.'

One of the highlights of the film is a fight scene between Jason and Lou Ferrigno. He shared with us the delight of working with The Incredible Hulk TV icon.

'Wrestling Lou Ferrigno was really incredible and incredibly intimidating,' he recalls, 'One of my favorite things was that we wrestled each other on the boardwalk in public and Paul came and rescued me. And somebody ended up catching it on a camera phone. And they posted it on YouTube, 'Jason Segel Fights Lou Ferrigno. Is This Real'' Like there's some scenario in life where Jason Segel fights Lou Ferrigno. Like I would pick a fight with Lou Ferrigno, first of all, and then Paul Rudd happens to rescue me with a camera crew of 150 people.'

'It was incredible getting to meet Lou Ferrigno,' Segel continues, 'I grew up a huge Hulk fan, everyone my age, John was, too. I was holding the nose, holding the nose! But he's just the nicest guy. He's huge. He's like 6'7'. I think. He's really muscular, but really tall. I was really nervous to meet him because as a kid, I loved the show, and he particularly is iconic.'

Segel also adds what was particularly intriguing about Ferrigno was his willingness to poke fun at himself in the film.

'You know, what's also great about him was that he was game,' Jason reveals, 'He got the joke, he thought it was funny, and he wanted to improv with us. Also, to be an iconic figure like that and be willing to make fun of your own image, not that we're trying to make fun of Lou Ferrigno, but especially playing himself in a movie and it wasn't his house. The fact he found all that stuff funny is huge and it speaks to him as a man.'

Finally, Jason says he's very excited to see the final cut, particularly because he's intrigued to know what scenes actually said the movie as so much improvisation was involved in the film's comedic scenes.

'I find it really exciting when you go see the movie to see what made it,' Segel believes, 'Paul and I both, you think something is really, really funny on set and you're improving. That's how Paul and I would legitimately feel. It was exciting to see what was actually good and what actually worked. We did it in so many scenes, hoping that John, who I trust implicitly and Bill Curr, the editor, would find the right tone because that could have been an insane person, the amount of things that were like that.'

'But it was funny to watch the movie and see things that I didn't remember saying,: he adds, 'We're in the man games, I'm like, 'You want a beer'' 'I'll snake a beer,' 'I'll snake a brow,' and 'I'll snake a brame,' If you try to script that, it won't be as funny because you're trying to make that word funny. Paul's just trying to think of a new one on the spot and that's what made it so incredibly awkward.'