Interview: Ashton Kutcher And Rob Corddry Talk What Happens In Vegas

The girls may go nuts over Ashton Kutcher, but the thinking ladies go for Rob Corddry, so both contingents would have been pleased with the joint interview the two did. The shows up for a roundtable today, promoting iWhat Happens in Vegas, a screwball comedy of sorts. Kutcher, of course, plays the leading man and Corddry, his goofball attorney.

With Cameron Diaz waylaid by the personal issues, it was up to Kutcher and Corddry to entertain a roomful of journalists with their fair selves. Happily the pair makes an ace comedic team and should consider taking it pro (and I want full credit for this suggestion should anything come to fruition, thank you very much). In the interview Kutcher and Corddry talk about the film, their weddings, and the worst thing they ever did in Las Vegas.

Do you think that opposites attract?

Ashton: I don’t think opposites attract. I think that like attracts like. I think in order to create an affinity with something you have to be like it.

What was it like working with Cameron Diaz?

A: Horrible. To show up at work and have to look at a good-looking woman who’s funny and happy to be alive and joyous and nice to people is a nightmare. We had to deal with it every single day. I don’t think there’s anybody like her. I think she’s the only true comedic leading lady in our business right now that’s really honed that craft. And she’s worked with Jim Carrey; she’s worked with Adam Sandler, Mike Meyers. She’s worked with every great comedic actor I can think of. So she’s got a one up on all of them.

Rob: I can’t answer that question because I’m not allowed within 50 feet of Cameron Diaz.

What was your preparation process for the drunken spiral scene in Vegas?

A: We got drunk and spiraled. I had my entire early 20’s to really prepare for that scene. I have a lot of life experience to draw on for that kind of wild night.

Was it all plotted out or did you have some suggestions for what you could be doing during the montage?

A: The first act of the script and the first act of the movie as it turned out are really close to one another. Most of it was actually directly scripted as in this takes place and then this takes place and then this takes place, etc. I’d say the moments in between are kind of organic or original but really, from the rolling of the dice to the talking on the dance floor to the dialogue that it was to the falling off the bar to the making out in bed and the waking up. The only part cut out was a three way with the maid. That got cut out of the film.

R: It was written like that but I have to give credit to the editor on that scene, too. In this kind of movie I’ve never seen editing like that. It’s really innovative and cool to watch and you’re shot like a rocket into that movie.

A: When you watch it you start to feel like you’re drunk in that moment!

When you had that crazy car chase across town in the film and Cameron hits you with the car did anyone actually get hurt? It looked like you might’ve.

A: There were no permanent injuries. What I was shocked about is that Cameron is the fastest woman on planet Earth. I trained for 2 months before this movie because I didn’t want my leading lady to be in better shape than I was and she still was. She’s like Superwoman. All of the fighting stuff: she’s so strong and gung ho to go for it I really could’ve been injured but every time I was about to fall and hurt myself Cameron would save me.

You character actually hates marriage in the film, so how about you?

A: Is that a loaded question?

Are you married?

A: Uh, yeah. I never thought in my life that I would get married. I watched my parents go through a divorce and I thought that it wasn’t something people were supposed to do. Why would a put a legal document on top of a really great relationship? I don’t do legal documents with my friends. I don’t go out and say, “Hey let’s go the courthouse, Rob, because now that we’re friends we need to verify our friendship.”

R: I would sign that in front of a notary.

A: “Now we need to verify and get a license to watch the game together from here on out.” I never really understood the whole idea of marriage until I met my wife and knew that that was the person I was going to be with for the rest of my life. I took the time to understand what it was about and what it meant. I love it. I might be like the most happiliest married guy. Is that even a word? I just made up a new word. I’m the happliest married man on the planet.

R: I’m the second happliest.

Awwww.

A: We’re a couple of monogamous sons of gun.

R: We’re really happily.

Were there any facets of this character you could identify with in his various stages of development throughout the movie?

Yeah. For one, I’m a really competitive person and I think that’s the core of the movie. I understand my character’s desire to not want to be under the thumb of somebody else. His recklessness I can relate to.

How competitive do you get?

I hate losing anything, ever. I hate losing anything, ever.

When you lose how does that manifest itself in your personality?

A: Challenge me to something. I get really upset, not upset with somebody else, but I get upset with myself and then I become obsessively geared towards never letting that happen again.

Have either of you guys ever won big in Vegas?

R: I won 400 dollars on a horse once! It was my first time. I put like 20 bucks on a long shot and won 400.

What’s the worst thing you guys have ever done in Vegas?

R: I killed someone. It’s a long story.

A: Gambling is probably the worst thing I’ve ever done in Vegas. I’ve had really, really wild nights in Vegas. I ended up onstage once with this band the Digital Underground doing the humpty dance. I was next to Ron Jeremy in front of a sea of porn stars. Wild night! They had this thing called the Digital Video Software Dealership Awards and they do it at the exact same time as the ABN. I was there for the Digital Video Software Dealership Awards getting an award and it turned into a wild night, but I didn’t get married!

There’s a crazy wedding in this movie, what were you real weddings like?

A: Mine was very private. We had to set up my whole wedding under the cloak of darkness because I didn’t want a lot of photographers there.

R: Same thing here. I’m sick of photographers and the helicopters, too. We had jets circling. No, we had a small marriage in New York City and my hangover the next day felt like cancer.

Despite the privacy, was big or small?

A: It was about 45 people. We told everyone that it was a housewarming party. So literally some people, my mom included, didn’t even know they were coming to the wedding. I called my mom and I was like, “It’s a really special housewarming. A really, really special housewarming.” I was on jury duty the week of my wedding and my mom showed up and walked in when Demi was trying on her dress. My mom was like, “We don’t wear dresses like that for housewarmings where I come from!” Demi almost didn’t marry me. She was so upset with me but I thought that I’d gotten the message across. Apparently not.

Were there any secrets you guys left in Vegas?

A: No…no. Secrets we left in Vegas? I had a steam shower that fit 9 people!

R: And how many people did it end up fitting?

A: One.

R: I went nuts in that mall! I went to a bookstore!

What do you think the secret to a happy marriage is?

A: My friend just wrote a book called “The Spiritual Rules of Engagement” that’s coming our really soon that lays out the secrets, as far I’m concerned, to a happy marriage. I think that core of it is about working on it. I think guys grow up and from a young age are taught that the goal, the apex of a relationship, is sex. Guys are like, “Someday I’m going to have sex!” and I think women from a young age are socially conditioned to say, “Someday I’m going to get married.” And it’s all about the wedding and the gown and I think they’re socially conditioned to find those two goals. I think neither sex is socially conditioned to have the desire to be married. To get married, to have sex, and everybody’s missing what happens after that. The goal of being married is a lot of work. If you got a huge job and you showed up and you didn’t work, you’d get fired pretty quickly. And I think people think that once they get married the work is done but really you just got the job.

Who’s the author?

A: Yehuda Berg.

With your new, show every time a celebrity news item breaks everybody questions it.

A: That’s why I did the show.

Is that the fun of doing it? The reactions from the media?

A: My whole desire to do the show was I felt that a lot of the tabloid shows and magazines were just making stuff up for their own commercial gain. They’d put headlines that had question marks behind them because they didn’t know whether or not if was true. I felt that that sort of false journalism that is predicated on questions as opposed to answers is nothing more than a soap opera that’s being played out by the magazines for commercial success and commercial gain. I figured that I couldn’t beat it because they call themselves “press” and stand behind the amendment of freedom of the press and say that they’re actually doing proper journalism. So I figured if you couldn’t beat them, throw a wrench in their works. So the show is designed to create questions as to the validity of a story because a lot of the stuff isn’t true. And it’s succeeded at doing that.

What’s your favorite press prank that you’ve pulled off?

A: I don’t like doing it. I don’t have a favorite. I feel like I’m doing it more to prove a point.

This movie really reminded me of one of those 1940’s romantic comedies. Do you have a favorite?

A: I like them a lot so it’s hard to pick a favorite. This reminds me of the most of Bringing Up Baby: that kind of battle between two people that are really only battling to be together.

Can you talk a little about shooting in Vegas? It says in the press material that you really couldn’t shut down the city.

A: Well we drew some crowds. Like in front of the Bellagio there was a pretty big crowd. There was a guy with a parrot on his shoulder that hung out. I don’t know where I’m going with that but he was there.

R: I think that a guy with a parrot on his shoulder is on like every other block in Vegas. And like, the guy with the white Boa Constrictor.

A: But why a parrot?

R: Wasn’t he charging people to take a picture with the parrot?

Rob, your character refers to Laken’s character as “Stripper”. A more charming pet name I cannot think of. Do you think the your character thinks of it as a compliment and also, what was it like working with Laken?

R: No and good. He definitely doesn’t think it’s a compliment. Laken is a pleasure wrapped up in a joy sealed with good times.

Ashton, your character is a carpenter and he finally finishes a piece of furniture at the end of the film. Can you build anything?

A: My dad was a carpenter and my step dad was carpenter. I started working construction when I was 12. My step dad and I built a house that my mom and sister still live in. I had a construction company with my dad where we built houses. So I’ve built stuff.

Do you build anything at home?

A: No I bring in professionals for that!