Kristen Bell graces the pages of LA Direct magazine's April 2008 issue.These are the things she has got to tell us about her latest venture Forgetting Sarah Marshall.
What was working with the Apatow crew like?
It was kind of surreal when I was cast. It’s rare that you can set up your idols —who you want to work with — and then actually get the chance to.
They seem to be a close-knit group. Were you nervous being the newcomer?
You know what, I was, but I also felt a very warm welcome.
We know you from your more dramatic roles. Were you comfortable stepping into this kind of comedy?
Initially when they cast me, I thought, oh no, they made a huge mistake! It was intimidating because a lot of the auditions were improv and I didn’t know if I was any good at it. Then I started to view it more as freedom with the role rather than, uh oh, I wonder if I can be funny.
Who made you laugh the most on set?
It changed day to day. Jason [Segel] is really good on set with writing or improv. Jonah Hill can make anyone laugh, Paul Rudd can charm anyone and Russell Brand just has a vocabulary like I’ve never heard before. I’m pretty sure he makes up most of his words.
Jason Segel bares all in several scenes. Was he just showing off?
He said he had a [real-life] naked break-up. She sort of sprung it on him and he had just gotten out of the shower. He let his towel drop just like in the scene.
Was it the first time you were with a naked guy in front of a camera?
(Pause) Certainly was. Luckily, Jason’s a lot taller than me. The wardrobe designer made shirts with the statue of David, so that day we all wore our junk on our shirt. They all said funny things on the back like “Keep it Up, Jason.”
Did it ever get too raunchy for you on set?
There were funny sex scenes, so I had to wear pasties a lot of the time, but everyone was really comfortable. It was never, oh Kristen, we’re having a sex scene, could you just show us your boobs?
As much as the next guy, absolutely. Sometimes that’s my go-to. I used to watch America’s Funniest Home Videos. I TiVo it.
How was it being an actress playing an actress?
Oh my gosh, so much fun! I was able to tap into every insecurity and every stereotype I may or may not have deep inside my heart. I tried to make Sarah Marshall 25% bitch, 25% ditz and 50% real.
Does your Sarah Marshall character depict anyone specific in Hollywood?
(Laughs) I think it’s a conglomerate of all the stereotypes of actresses. I’ve dug deep, definitely, into my own insecurities, and there’s a lot of vanity in acting. It’s confusing. You’re selling yourself and there’s a lot of rejection. It’s a mindf***, basically.
Before, you played brainy and cute; here you play sexy. Was that a challenge?
The sexy part, for sure, because that’s not how I view myself and it’s not how I think I carry myself. I think I can do cute and I can do tomboy, but doing sexy was very new for me, so we’ll see if I pull it off.
Do you fear being cast as the “hot chick” now?
I’m not Carmen Electra. I would never try to be.
Do you think this role goes above just being the hot girl in the bikini?
Yeah, and I think that’s due to Jason’s writing. Sarah Marshall is the bad guy, I guess, but sort of an atypical one where you actually have some sympathy for her when you realize why she [dumped him]. Early on he’s wearing sweatpants and all he’s eating is Froot Loops and he hasn’t left the apartment in a week. Sure, that’s adorable to see in a romantic comedy, but if you think about it as a woman — do you want a partner that is sustaining himself solely on sugared cereals and watching television all day?
Well, what type of guy do you look for?
I think kindness is really important. I think it’s a big turn-off for most girls if you’re rude to the waiter — something my mom taught me when I was growing up. If you’re rude to the waiter, I just shut off.
Is it hard to date in Hollywood?
You got to have standards of being a human being. Too often in Hollywood that’s ignored because people are given so much. It’s hard not to get deluded as an actor. Everybody’s nice to you. Everybody kisses your ass because they need you to stay happy in order to complete the film.
Have the paparazzi become a burden in your life?
Oh, goodness, yes. That’s such a strange, strange business. They park outside my house a couple days a week. But, let me stress — it’s not something I believe in asking sympathy for, because it’s definitely what you sign up for.
Your friend and costar Hayden Panettiere is mobbed by the press. Does she give you tips?
I first experienced it with Hayden. I would just walk behind her or open the door for her and nobody would care that I was walking with her. One time I was driving [the two of us with the paparazzi tailing] and I was like, maybe if I take a really quick turn here… it makes you feel like you’re playing Mario Kart.
Now that you’re part of that world, how do you view tabloids and shows like TMZ?
I didn’t even know about TMZ until three months ago! I made a New Year’s resolution two years ago not to buy weeklies anymore. That’s not to say I don’t read them at the nail salon. I think we’ve all gotten so interested in, you know, what’s in Jessica Simpson’s Ralphs shopping bag. It’s like, of course she eats Cheetos. Everybody eats Cheetos.
