STACK Mar #137

36 / 99

Simon Pegg’s latest mission takes him into unfamiliar territory,
as the leading man in British rom-com Man Up.
A dored for his roles in comedies like
Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz and
Paul, as well as the cheeky
irreverence he brings to big budget
blockbusters like the Mission: Impossible and
Star Trek franchises, Simon Pegg is happy
working in any genre, and notes that size
doesn’t matter.
“I do try and mix it up for variety,” he
says. “I’m just about to start work on Star
Trek 3 and just finished Mission: Impossible
– Rogue Nation, and I absolutely love doing
both of those because it’s so much fun to be
a part of something so huge. At the same
time it’s nice to do small stuff as well.”
One particular genre he’s yet to conquer
is the romantic comedy… until now. In Man
Up, Pegg plays a divorcee named Jack,
who is duped into believing that insecure
thirtysomething Nancy (Lake Bell) is his blind
date. The pair ultimately click in this mistaken
identity farce with a distinctive British flavour.
Having received the script from longtime
friend and Shaun of the Dead producer Nira
Park, Pegg says that the film’s classic English
setting was a big incentive, despite him being
a romantic comedy rookie.
“It was filming in London, so immediately
my interest was piqued because it meant I
could stay home. And then I read [the script]
very, very quickly – which is always a good
indicator – and I really liked it. And I trusted
Nira’s judgement in terms of her thinking I
could play the role of Jack [because] it wasn’t
something I had done before.”
Pegg does admit an appreciation for rom-
coms, in particular Woody Allen’s early work
like Annie Hall and Manhattan, as well as
When Harry Met Sally.
“I think it’s a really, really compelling
genre, although it’s often misinterpreted as
a distinctly female one,” he notes. “In actual
effect, it [should be] about both sides of
the coin and should really appeal across the
board.”
After a British actress couldn’t be found
to play the role of Nancy, Pegg and Park
travelled to LA to audition Lake Bell, who at
the time was generating considerable buzz
following her 2013 directorial debut and
breakout role In a World…
“I read with her and we were really
impressed with her comic timing and her
accent,” Pegg recalls. “Lake has this aptitude
for voices; she’s very good.”
Following extensive work with veteran
dialect coach Jill McCullough, Bell could
pass for British and remained in character
to perfect the accent and hone her ability
to improvise. Indeed, the verbal repartee
between the characters proved crucial in
establishing a believable rapport.
“The foundation for that rhythm was
very much in the script,” Pegg explains.
“[Screenwriter] Tess Morris wanted Nancy
and Jack to spar verbally. And that’s where a
lot of their chemistry starts to ignite because
they’re bouncing off each other like crazy.”
To perfect the pair’s spontaneous, show-
stopping dance-off to Duran Duran’s The
Reflex, Pegg turned to Shaun of the Dead’s
zombie choreographer, Litza Bixler.
“We went to a dance studio in London and
came up with this routine and then tried to
unlearn it so it would seem… half scrappy
and half-coordinated: because there’s a little
bit of magic realism there. And we had this
idea that every child of the ‘80s has some
sort of genetically implanted dance routine in
them from the school disco.”
But if Pegg had it his way, the song
of choice would be Michael
Jackson’s Wanna Be Startin’
Somethin’.
“[It’s] the first track on
Thriller. And you can’t not
get up to that track. It’s a
cracker.”
I think [romantic comedy] is a really,
really compelling genre, although it's often
misinterpreted as a distinctly female one
• Man Up
is out on
March 10
Kate Winslet
- Holy Smoke
and The
Dressmaker
An honorary
Aussie with
two out of
two.
Robert Kazinsky
- Pacific Rim
Sounding more like Kiwi-
South African.
Liev Schreiber
- Mental
Being married to Naomi
Watts helps.
Quentin
Tarantino
- Django Unchained
No, Quentin. Just no.
visit DVD&BD FEATURE
36 MARCH 2016
DVD
&
BD
American Lake Bell may have spoken perfect English in Man Up, but
let’s hear her talk like an Aussie! The Australian accent can be tough
to master even if you’re Meryl Streep, who sounded more like Kath
and Kim than Lindy Chamberlain in Evil Angels. Many have tried, with
varying degrees of success…
SAY
WHAT?