IN the upcoming comedy Horrible Bosses 2, Nick (Jason Bateman), Dale (Charlie Day) and Kurt (Jason Sudeikis) decide to launch their own business, only to discover that a slick investor, Brett Hanson (Christoph Waltz), decides to pull the rug out from under them.
Outplayed and desperate, and with no legal recourse, the three would-be entrepreneurs hatch a misguided plan to kidnap the investor’s adult son Rex (Chris Pine) and ransom him to regain control of their company.
The follow-up to the 2011 hit comedy Horrible Bosses reunites Bateman, Day and Sudeikis as everyone’s favourite working stiffs. Jennifer Aniston, Jamie Foxx and Kevin Spacey also reprise their starring roles, while Pine and Waltz star as new adversaries standing between the guys and their dreams of success.
Pine shares more in the interview:
What was your reaction when you were first approached for the role of Rex in Horrible
Bosses 2?
I was doing Into The Woods in London and I got this great script from my agent who thought I’d really like it. Then I got a call or email from Sean (director Sean Anders). He said that he’d seen me in a play and that he’d written this part for me. I read it and loved it. I always wanted to work with these guys. The character was really funny and got even more fun when Sean and I started talking about Rex and figuring out what propelled him. He’s not only a homicidal maniac, but also this lonely kid that wanted some friends. That made the character even more ridiculous.
Was it easy or challenging for you to join a cast with improvisational comedians like Jason Bateman, Charlie Day and Jason Sudeikis and just hit the ground running?
It seemed pretty easy, but I certainly hadn’t done it much before and that nagged at me. Also I was going to be working with guys that do it all day long. But the great thing about comedy is that it’s usually ensemble driven. These guys come from the ensemble world, whether it’s Charlie with It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia, or Jason with Saturday Night Live. They know that it’s a team sport and it only helps to make someone feel like part of the team.
They very easily could have kind of run the show, but I never once felt like I was the guest. I was part of the troop. In the scenes that we had together, we had to make it work and sometimes we’d find a fun riff and someone would pitch something to me or I’d improvise. Our process was whatever worked best, so it was a lot of fun.
Did you feel a sense of camaraderie and chemistry between the four of you that carried over from real life?
There is a lot of chemistry that you can’t fake. They’re nice guys, so I get along with them and hang out with them. Charlie came to the party I had the other night and I see Jason Bateman every once in a while. I know Jason Sudeikis through Olivia Wilde, with whom I did a film. It’s an easy rapport and that hopefully translates to the screen.
What was it like to work with Christophe Waltz as Rex’s father, Bert? Was he intimidating?
Totally intimidating because of his incredible pedigree. But that only really worked for me because I had written that Rex’s initial trauma was that he has a father that treats him like crap and that’s the reason why he becomes this homicidal maniac.
I just played into my perceived dynamic of being the lesser actor and it all worked out. (Laughs)
Tell us about the scene of your character, Rex, with the maid. It’s hilarious but also makes you cringe. What was that like for you to play?
I remember being in London. I have a lot of time off in between scenes I had to shoot for Into The Woods, and that was the scene that I would always come back to. I just wrote all these notes down about different things I wanted to play with.
We tried a bunch of different things and as uncomfortable as it was to do, Lidia Porto, who plays Lupe, really deserves the credit. She was just wonderful and kept pushing me to be harder and harder on her. It ended up being great fun.
Tell us how Sean Anders is as a director and the kind of environment he creates on set?
Comedy, especially, is a team sport. Comedy really brings out the collaborative nature of films. You need a director who’s going to be the decision maker, the one who gives the final word. But, also, especially with a group like these guys, whose collective comedy experience is pretty formidable, he gives them room to figure things out, voice their opinions, change things where needed, cut, stitch or improvise. What makes Sean Anders great is that he gives the actors wide berth, but is ultimately a decisive filmmaker.
How did making Horrible Bosses 2 compare to the big action movies you’ve made like Star Trek?
It was great fun because there wasn’t as much pressure on me to perform. Not that I’m the star of Star Trek, but this part was very free and easy. I wasn’t in the whole thing, but I had a really nice part. I was able to explore and have a bit more fun and risk failure a bit more, which is nice.
Did you have a favourite scene or moment during production that you particularly relished doing?
I really like the stuff from the car, just because the car is so funny and small. You have these three big people and I’m squeezing Charlie out of his favourite seat and eating Doritos and there’s something Three Stooges about it.
You’ve said that (his co-star) Charlie (Day) was the one that made you break the most, and I asked him and he said it was you who made him break.
Anyone can make Charlie break. He could be looking at the grip or the gaffer and he’ll laugh. I wish that I would take that as a compliment, but Charlie will laugh or break at anything. They call it “corpsing” when you forget a line and Charlie’s an awful corpser. He just giggles. It doesn’t matter if it’s on screen or not.
What did you think of the film?
I really enjoyed it. You don’t want to break down comedy too much. It happens to be a super funny, well-constructed and well-written film. The bits are great. The actors are top notch and the chemistry is really good. There are so many parts that I love that I couldn’t name them all.
Would you like to do more comedies in the future?
I really enjoy it so if I get more opportunities, I’m definitely doing more. It’s just too much fun.
Warner Bros. Pictures
Horrible Bosses 2 opens in cinemas nationwide tomorrow