Sequels are always a gamble, but Burns enjoyed playing Cheryl so much that deciding to sign up for "Miss Congeniality 2" was a no-brainer. “Well, I love ‘Cheryl’ and I honestly missed her. I really did. I thought about her from time to time. I really missed her. She’s so earnest and positive, and just to kind of inhabit someone that positive, it makes me a little more positive as a person.”
Do Heather Burns and Her “Miss Congeniality” Character Share Any Qualities?: “Some, yes. I think sometimes I can be a little slightly ditzy, not to that extent though. And I try to be as good a person as she is. I don’t succeed as much as she does, but I try. I’m a little timid sometimes so I can understand that side of her.”
Reuniting With Sandra Bullock: “It’s wonderful. This is my third film with her and I’d just do anything for her. She’s just a dream boss, you know? And a friend. She’s un-intimidating and giving and has integrity. It’s nice to work with someone like that, and it’s nice to know that people that good and with the amount of integrity that she has, has the success that she does. It doesn’t always happen that way. It’s nice to see the good guy win.”
What Audiences Can Expect from “Miss Congeniality 2:” “It’s a very good sequel. It’s not trying to out spectacle itself. The characters that we love, most of them are back. And it’s about them. And it’s about friendship and it’s very character driven. And also, this film could stand on its own. The first time I saw it I just felt, “Forget the first one.” If you saw it this, you’d really enjoy it. It wouldn’t need the first one.”
The Importance of Making a Female Buddy Comedy: “…We don’t have many of those and there’s so much pressure to always have the love interest, and that’s not reality. And I think that a lot of people are going to relate to what her character goes through in this film. And friendship is so important to women that I think it’s beautiful to show a film where it works out. There’s “Thelma and Louise,” which is a beautiful film, but it doesn’t work out as well (laughing). But this one is nice.”
Working With William Shatner: “Well you know, I was basically tied up for five weeks with him. He was the funniest thing on the set. He’s just always joking, always making puns. He’d have us rolling.”
Her Role in “Bewitched” with Will Ferrell and Nicole Kidman: “I play Nicole Kidman’s confidante, kind of friend in the film. We kind of make a little trouble together.”
Why “Bewitched?” “It’s very creative. Nora [Ephron] wrote an amazing script. I mean when I first thought about it, when I first went to meet with Nora I thought, “A ‘Bewitched’ remake? They’re doing so many of these.” Then I read it and was just blown away how creative it is and how she kind of shows Hollywood and the workings of Hollywood.”
ADDITIONAL INTERVIEWS FROM THE “MISS CONGENIALITY 2” PREMIERE:
Sandra Bullock / Diedrich Bader / Abraham Benrubi / John Pasquin & Marc Lawrence
Premiere Guests – Shohreh Aghdashloo / James Denton / Kim Raver
