Jason Segel Despicable Me Press Conference
Would you talk about the music in this movie that was done by Pharrell?Jason Segel: "The thing about this movie in general is that everything has been done to perfection, to some extent. With the exception of me, they hired the best actors that they could possibly imagine, the best comedians. The music is perfect and the story is so beautifully written. You watch this and you kind of expect a kids' movie. It's about villains fighting, but there's such an underlying sense of heart to this movie. I cried at the end. I'm not a real cryer, but at the end of the movie, Gru - Steve Carell, who did his part to perfection - reads a story to these kids, and part of the theme is that even the coldest heart can be melted by love. That really got me. The movie is perfect."
In the film, you and Steve play nemeses. In real life, who is your celebrity nemesis?
Jason Segel: "I think it's probably Ryan Reynolds, in that we have very similar comedic tastes and all that, and our bodies are so [similar] that it's basically a rivalry over who can be in better shape. At this point, I think I'm winning."
What's your best advice for writing comedy?
Jason Segel: "To write a drama. I'm not joking. That was the first advice I got from Judd Apatow, and I think it's why his movies are so brilliant. He told me when I was writing Forgetting Sarah Marshall, 'I want the first draft you give me to be a drama. We'll make it funny. It's going to be funny because we're funny, and we're going to add jokes, and the people you cast will be funny. The reason people will see it - and see it again and again or connect to it - is because there's an underlying drama.' So that's the best advice I can give when you're trying to write a comedy: first write a drama, and then make it funny."
So how do you write a drama?
Jason Segel: "You go from real experience. Almost everything I've written is somehow tied to something I've gone through. You try to hit a universal theme; Sarah Marshall's about how complicated break-ups are, which everyone has gone through. The next thing I'm writing is about engagement and love, and everyone has gone through that. Hitting a universal theme - this movie does it perfectly. The idea of somehow opening yourself up to something in your life is universal, and that's what everyone relates to."
Growing up, did you have a favorite animated film?
Jason Segel: "That's a good question. I was really drawn to the early Disney villains, and funny enough, this movie is about villainy. They managed to be really terrifying without scaring kids. If you think about Ursula from The Little Mermaid, that's a terrifying character! The Cinderella witch - they're all witches, for the most part in the Disney [universe]. But they're really terrifying, terrible and intense for the heroes, but somehow your eye was always drawn to them."
Does your height ever hinder you in getting roles?
Jason Segel: "Not now. It hindered me when I was a kid. I remember when I was 18, I was allegedly really close to playing Dustin Hoffman's son. I knew I wasn't going to get that part. I'm like eight inches taller than Dustin Hoffman! I might be a foot taller than Dustin Hoffman. It just wasn't going to happen. So it hindered me then, when I was playing a boy. Now that I'm playing a man, it's a bit easier. Girls have heels. Dustin Hoffman in heels isn't a good look."
What from this film has informed your work on The Muppets and how's it coming along? How terrifying is it to have to live up to Jim Henson's legacy?
Jason Segel: "Well that part is very intimidating. What I do think is if I approach it with a real sense of respect… I'm very earnest about the way I approach it. There's no sense of irony with me, going into The Muppets. I don't think it's funny that I'm doing The Muppets. I truly love them. But what I learned from this film is the idea of a family being able to bond over seeing something together, and walking out with everyone in a great mood. It's a very special thing; for a family to walk out of a film satisfied and happy, and then go have lunch or dinner together feeling happy and talking and laughing - it's a very rare thing. Family dynamics aren't easy, so the notion of anything drawing them together, especially a movie like Despicable Me, I think is a very special thing."
When you go back to work on How I Met Your Mother, what's in store for Marshall and Lily?
Jason Segel: "I don't know the storylines. Allegedly, from what I've heard, I'm going to get even funnier. Which seems impossible. But that's the plan. I think there might be a kid in our future, if I had to guess - but I'm truly guessing - but I always pictured myself and Marshall a bit like the Abominable Snowman from the Bugs Bunny cartoons: 'I'll hug him and squeeze him and kiss him all over.' I picture me holding a baby upside down by the leg, shaking it."
Are the producers amused by your idea for a post-apocalyptic finale?
Jason Segel: [Laughing] "I just think, if the narration takes place in the future there should be a reveal where they open the window and it's horrible out there. I just think that's a hilarious idea. But no, they're not amused by anything I do. A lot of these ideas come from the fact that I'm a bizarre human being."
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Despicable Me hits theaters on July 9, 2010 and is rated PG for rude humor and mild action.
