Mila Kunis Recalls Time She 'Got in Trouble' While Filming Forgetting Sarah Marshall Over Alcohol

Mila Kunis has had quite the career with films spanning across all genres. One of her most memorable was her supporting role as Jason Segel’s love interest in the comedy hit Forgetting Sarah Marshall. The film is hysterical and it was considered a breakthrough performance for Kunis, who later starred in a slew of successful comedy films. The film famously shot at a hotel resort in Hawaii, and apparently the Bad Moms actress got up to a lot of high jinks while at the resort. Recently she disclosed that a particular incident got her in a lot of trouble on set.

In a recent interview with Vanity Fair, the actress broke down some of her iconic roles, including the part she played in Forgetting Sarah Marshall. She had a blast filming the movie with its iconic ensemble cast, however, she once did something that put her in Jeopardy of being kicked off of the resort they were filming at. Kunis revealed:

I got in trouble. We showed up to the resort. We were on an island that also had a military base on it.....I was of age. I was 22 at the time. And I remember grabbing myself a drink and there was a kid there that had his whole camo on, and he couldn’t get a drink. He was like 20 I think. I was like ‘Oh my god you are fighting for our country and you can’t get a drink! I'll get you a damn drink!' And I went and got the kid drinks. And I got into so much trouble from that hotel. They went and talked to Shawna, who was our producer at the time and they’re like ‘Your actress! That’s not okay! She can not be buying drinks to underage people!’ And I was like ‘He’s clearly in the military! Give the kid a beer!’ Like who cares!' I didn't get kicked out thank god and I didn’t get fired, but I never did that again at that hotel.

Thank goodness the hotel didn’t kick Kunis out. We would’ve been robbed of a great performance in one of the best romantic comedies of all time. She clearly had a good reason for making the decision she did, and wanted to support the serviceman in the small way she could. Unfortunately, the hotel did not see it the same way Kunis did, and it put her in jeopardy of potentially being fired from production. Good thing it didn’t, and we now just have a funny story to look back on. 

Forgetting Sarah Marshall was released in 2008, and is a memorable favorite for many fans and critics who love the film. It is about Peter (Jason Segel) who is recently dumped by his girlfriend, Sarah Marshall (Kristen Bell), while Peter is naked. The moment is humiliating, and he decides to take a solo trip to Hawaii to clear his head. On the trip, he unfortunately runs into his ex-girlfriend who is vacationing with her new boyfriend (Russell Brand). The film famously pushed boundaries with the MPAA and launched the careers of actors like Bill Hader, Jonah Hill, and of course, Mila Kunis. 

I’m glad Kunis has fond memories of working on the comedy classic, even if some of those memories got her in trouble. While she continued to make comedies like Ted and Friends with Benefits, her new project takes a dramatic turn. Kunis stars alongside Connie Britton in Luckiest Girl Alive. The Black Swan actress plays Ani, who faces a traumatic incident that unravels her life. While tonally this film is certainly darker than Forgetting Sarah Marshall, I hope Kunis had just as much fun working on this project, and I can’t wait to check it out. 

Forgetting Sarah Marshall isn’t currently streaming but is available to rent on demand for fans who want to revisit the film. You can also catch Mila Kunis yet again giving a stellar performance in Luckiest Girl Alive, streaming for Netflix subscribers on October 7th. For more information regarding other films coming out this fall, check out our 2022 movie release schedule. 

Caroline Young
Writer

Writer, podcaster, CinemaBlend contributor, film and television nerd, enthusiastic person. Hoping to bring undying passion for storytelling to CinemaBlend.