STACK #137 Mar 2016

DVD & BD FEATURE

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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 [romantic comedy] is a really, really compelling genre, although it's often misinterpreted as a distinctly female one

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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

“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

SAY WHAT?

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…

Kate Winslet - Holy Smoke and The Dressmaker

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.

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.”

• Man Up is out on March 10

An honorary Aussie with two out of two.

MARCH 2016

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