Contact CU Independent News Staff Writer Kalley Velarde at kalley.velarde@colorado.edu
The CUI recently sat down with Adam Devine while he was on campus promoting his upcoming film, Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates. Devine chose to come to the University of Colorado campus to promote the film because before deciding to attend college in Los Angeles, he was planning to become a Buff. While talking to the CUI, Devine provided some insight into working with Anna Kendrick, what he enjoyed most about filming and how he related to his character, Mike.
CUI: What was it like working with the other actors on set? Since you’ve worked with Anna Kendrick before on Pitch Perfect, was it a different setting or feeling?
Adam Devine: It was totally a different setting because we shot in Hawaii, which was just absurd; it was so much fun. Especially in comedy, you want to have great chemistry with your cast. Zac [Efron] and I were playing brothers, so if it doesn’t seem like we know each other and have like a real connection, it’s gonna be like, not good. Bullshit! I smell it! So like, they brought us there a couple weeks early just to get to know each other better, and we really hit it off. He’s genuinely the sweetest guy — to the point it’s like, chill out with your sweetness, man, you can’t have those abs and those eyes and also be a sweetheart, okay. Save something for the rest of us.
I got food poisoning one day. And he called me about the scene the next morning, and I’m like, “Dude, I don’t know, I’m like pukin’ all over, I think I have food poisoning. I’m not feelin’ good.” And he’s like, “I got you, bro! I’m bring saltines and Pepto-Bismol right now!”
And when I’m sick I don’t like people to be around me, I’m like, just stay away. I’ll do it myself, like I’m fine, go away. And he’s like, “I’m there! I’m sleepin’ on the couch!” And I’m like, “Don’t sleep on the couch!
CUI: What was your favorite part about filming?
Devine: What was cool about this movie is that we did so much improv. We filmed like six movies, and we just kept going and going. It was really refreshing. It was so much fun. We were really given freedom to just do any idea that came to our head. We had a ton of time to work through stuff. So when I actually saw the movie, there were certain things that came out of my mouth that I have no recollection of saying ever before. People were like “Push pop bro!” And I’m like, “I don’t know what that means.” Then they would say “From the movie!” And I’m like, “Oh yeah, I kind of remember saying that. I have no idea.”
CUI: Were you able to resonate with your character Mike?
Devine: Sure, totally. A lot of times you read stuff and you’re like, “I guess I can play this part, it’s not a perfect fit, but I could do it.” But Mike was such a perfect fit for a blend of the insanity that I do kind of on Workaholics, and how crazy Adam DeMamp can get, and then the sweetness of my character Andy on Modern Family. Mike has that, too — he really spins out of control and goes kind of crazy, then has a few moments where he’s vulnerable and sort of real. So it was kind of cool that I got to do a little bit of everything that I love doing in that role. It was really fun for me to play him.
CUI: Compared to Workaholics, Modern Family and Pitch Perfect, how does this comedy differ?
Devine: It’s like a hard R-rated comedy, so obviously it’s different than Pitch Perfect and Modern Family. It’s pretty similar to Workaholics, but tonally, it’s a little different because Workaholics, we’re so intimidated by girls — we’re six seasons deep and we’ve never had a girlfriend, ya know? So in this, we’re a little bit better with talking to the opposite sex, and there’s a little more sweetness to our characters than in Workaholics. Workaholics we go a little harder for the jokes. In Mike and Dave, especially Dave’s character, they’re a lot sweeter.
CUI: What else do you like about the movie?
Devine: It’s a four-handed comedy. It’s not like a dude-bro comedy, and it’s not a girl chick-flick; it’s like, a group of guys and girls can go see it together and everyone would have a good time and relate to somebody in the movie to some extent.
Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates hits theaters this summer on July 8.
