Nick Frost speaking at the 2013 San Diego Comic Con International, for “The World’s End”, at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, California. (Photo Courtesy of Gage Skidmore/Wikimedia Commons)
The British comedic actor Nick Frost discusses his new movie, as well as commonalities he has with his characters.
The movie “Unfinished Business,” starring Vince Vaughn, Tom Wilkinson and Dave Franco, is a story about a business owner and his two colleagues who travel to Europe in order to close one of the most important deals of their lives. What first begins as a normal trip takes a turn in every direction other than what was planned.
The character Bill Whilmsley is played by Nick Frost, from Sean of the Dead. Speaking with Frost, he explains how the comedic styles between England and the US differ.
“Generally, even though a script is always going to be important for a movie, I think over with you guys you are always kind of keen to improvising a bit more and finding things in the script that perhaps weren’t there before,” Frost said. “I think as an actor, for me personally anyway, you have to come on set knowing your lines and knowing at one point that [the] script’s going to go away and you get to free will it slightly.”
Frost plays a character who is depicted as the underdog, always trying to do the right thing, but not always receiving the credit he should for his good deeds.
“Big Bill Whilmsley, he’s just a bloody good egg,” Frost said. “I think he works for a man who is really horrible, and that man is James Marsden. [He’s] a man in real life isn’t really horrible, he’s actually really beautiful. I think he just decides that he’s had enough and he wants to make sure that the good guy comes out on top for once. He makes a stand and I like that about him and the character. He’s jovial and a little bit sad and single, and a little bit lonely, but he picks himself up and I love that, you know?”
Relating to his character, Frost said he respects the character he plays, admiring him for his strength, always doing the right thing in a tough situation.
“I think Bill is kind of every man really, I can relate to his bareness,” Frost said. “I think the fact that he just decides that he wants to do the right thing and that’s not always necessarily the easiest choice to make and I’m glad he makes it in the film.”
Adelin Bayless, a junior majoring in linguistics, said he was unsure if she would be interested in seeing a movie like “Unfinished Business.” Having a particular taste in comedies, she said what’s “funny” to her isn’t always realized.
“I think these movies can be cheesy,” Bayless said. “I like just the right amount of slapstick comedy and witty humor. I would pick something like the show ‘Friends’ where there is a little bit of word humor.”
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Annie Mehl at anme0753@colorado.edu.
