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Interviews From the Premiere of "Shallow Hal"

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Additional Interviews

• Gwyneth Paltrow (Rosemary)
• Jack Black (Hal)
• Tony Robbins
• Joe Viterelli (Steve Shanahan)
• Brooke Burns (Katrina)
• Sascha Knopf (Tanya)

• Photographs from the Premiere
 
 Related Resources

• Gwyneth Paltrow Movie and Fan Sites
• Romantic Movie Reviews
• Top Picks - Recently Released Romantic Movie Soundtracks
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• Official "Shallow Hal" Website

Bobby and Peter Farrelly co-wrote, produced and directed this interesting romantic comedy. Well-known for their envelope-pushing style, the Farrellys wanted "Shallow Hal" to have more heart, more soul, and characters audiences will root for. "Shallow Hal" has all the visual and verbal humor Farrelly fans have come to expect, as well as an unconventional love story.

"There are a lot of laughs in this movie, but it's not just about the laughs," explains Peter Farrelly. "It's really about the story, about a guy who finds his soul and realizes what's truly important."

PETER FARRELLY (Writer/Director)

What is your biggest pet peeve?
I know this is silly, it's shallow, it's bad, I wish I wasn't this way - but if I meet a girl with no teeth, I just don't want to date her. It's creepy of me, I wish I was a bigger person, but that's my real turn-off.

Where did the idea for this film come from?
My friend Sean Moynihan came up with it. He's legally blind, he's got macular degeneration which he's had since he was age 13, and he's gradually lost his sight. It was his idea. I think the world he sees - he doesn't have the outer thing and so we sat down with him and wrote it, and it was fun.

How did you pick your cast?
My brother ran into Gwyneth Paltrow a couple of years ago at a play she was in up in Williamstown, Massachusetts. They had a couple of beers and he called me the next morning and said, "Gwyneth is in our next movie." I said, "What?" He said, "I told her she's in it." I said, "Oh, that's nice (laughing)." There was this ("Shallow Hal") and we wrote it with her in mind. She is phenomenal.

Why do you cast non-actors in some of the crucial roles in your films?
Acting is easy (laughing). Mainly because, a lot of them - we have a lot of roles - and they're like our friends and they want to be in movies, so we put them in.

More Interviews with the Cast of "Shallow Hal" - > Page 4



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