On the set of a closed down mall, redressed with completely fake storefronts save for a few licensed department stores, Rogen improvised with his costars in that traditional Seth Rogen style of humor.
Interview with Seth Rogen
What's it like being the lead day after day?
"It's really fun. Everyone in this movie is kind of, I mean, not everyone but Jesse [Plemons] and Michael Pena, they're kind of mostly based in dramatic movies. It's a lot of fun to see them kind of do comedy. To me, I get no bigger kick than watching Michael Pena watch playback of himself because he is so in shock at what he's doing that it makes me f**king laugh my ass off. But it's a lot of fun. They're all just great actors. They all couldn't be better. It's really awesome. Good cast."
Do mall security people high five you or give you tips?
"Yeah, I talk to some mall security guards. There's actually one guy who works here. He's been the mall security guard here for 30 years or something like that. He read the script and he said it actually somewhat accurately represents a lot of the people that he's known. He said there's two types: the guys who don't give a sh*t and then the guys who give way too much of a sh*t. I definitely fall into the latter category in this one."
What was the thought behind shaving and cutting your hair?
"We just thought it's a mall security guard who really fancies himself a protector of justice and has a secret dream to be a cop, so we kind of thought that the more official clean cut look would make more sense for the character. Just kind of almost a military kind of look because he was very disciplined and regimented and ritualistic with everything he does, so we thought this just kinda fit the character."
Was part of the attraction breaking out of the mold?
"I have to say when I signed on to do this movie, it was around a year and a half ago maybe. I'd met Jody and seen Foot Fist Way and it was literally, he said, 'Hey, I might do a movie about a mall security guard.' I said, 'I'm in.' I didn't even know what the character was at the time and I was pleasantly, you know, I loved it when I read it. And I thought, 'Thank god that I committed to a good movie.' It was more just working with Jody that drew me to it and I really like it. I think it is a great character and really ultimately different than anything I've done, but Jody was the draw in the first place, just working with him."
*******
More coverage of this set visit and Observe and Report as we near the film's April 2009 release.
