You created and will be writing and producing a TV series for Fran Drescher. Is that going to take you in a direction where you’ll have more control?
Yeah. I like doing that because it was an idea I had. I’m not acting in it but I like to have a bit of say in it. It’s cool because you get to be behind the scenes. But even then, I don’t have a lot of control. I mean, I have somewhat but you’ve got to answer to people. The only way to have real control is to get one hit and then hopefully from there people will listen to you.
I was happy to see you got to reunite with Kal Penn (“Malibu’s Most Wanted”) for this but I wish we got to see more of him in the movie. You two play well off of each other so it’s a bummer you don’t interact that much.
He had a lot of great scenes. He got cut, too. Kal’s got some amazing scenes on the floor. He’s hilarious. Kal just got “Superman.” He deserves it.
What is it about Kal that separates him from other comic actors?
He’s really good with characters. He can do characters that are very real and grounded in reality. He also is Indian and he’s got a different [look]. He doesn’t really care – he never is in on the joke. He just does what he does. He never breaks. He’s not like doing something he thinks is funny. He plays everything for seriousness, which makes it funny.
Do you have any plans to work together again?
I want to. One of the greatest things about Kal is on this movie… God, there’s so many behind the scenes things on this movie that I want to make into a documentary. I would make Kal talk like an Indian – and Kal hates it. He goes into the casting office and they’re like, “Yeah, Kal, can you Punjabi it up a little bit?” And he’s like “What?!” He went to UCLA. He’s like a really talented actor and they just want to stereotype him like a New York cab driver. So like we would make him do the voice and he would hate it. We’d say, “Come on, this is the last movie where you have to do this accent!” He’s like, “No, I’m not going to do it.” But he’s so funny. To me, he does so many accents so well, that that’s just another one that I like and I just though it was right for this character.
This is a pretty physically intense part. How’d you prepare?
I did a lot of things. They had me in dance classes and boxing classes. They put in all this stuff and I just kind of had to immerse myself in it.
Do you consider yourself a good dancer?
(Laughing) I have my own rhythms but I’m not like Alvin Ailey or anything.
Was it harder to pick up the dance moves or take part in the boxing classes?
Boxing was harder because that’s violence and I’m a lover.
You’re a lover not a fighter?
Yeah.
You work with a baby and a dog and of course the old saying is to never work with kids and animals. You did both. Which was harder to deal with?
Harder to deal with was probably… They’re both hard because the dog, when he licks you he’s really cute but when he jumps on you he has claws and he scratches you. The baby, he’s really cool in the scene but all of a sudden he’ll start crying and ruin the take. Either way you’re kind of screwed.
Which one ruined more takes?
Probably me. Yeah, it was all me.
Did you have to do anything special off-camera to bond with the dog?
They used to put peanut butter on my face so the dog would like me. So there’s certain scenes where the dog’s licking me and it’s because he has peanut butter. We had to do that with my female co-stars…
You’re not a dad but you play one in the movie. Did this prepare you? Do you want to have kids at this point?
Umm, after doing this movie I’d like to have kids in about 40 years. Ha-ha-ha.
This is a super effects heavy film. Did that affect your ability to improv?
Yeah. You don’t really get a chance to do a ton of improvisation because you have to be so prepared to match the effects, you know what I mean?
How much of your part was in the script and how much did you end up being allowed to improvise?
I improv’d a lot. I did a lot that wasn’t in the script. I mean, I didn’t get to improv that much because the effects were so hard. Maybe the little scene on the porch I improv’d. There were other scenes that got cut that I improv’d. Most of the stuff was where you just had to be true to the effect.
Do you ever worry that the characters get lost in the effects in a film like this?
Yes, definitely.
How do you keep that from happening?
Pray to God and hold on tight and just keep saying, “Please don’t cut this. Please don’t cut this.”
Is that really what it comes down to?
Yeah. I mean, I’m just a cog in the wheel. I mean, I can tell my opinions and stuff, but at the end of the day I can only hope to God that stuff goes in. But it’s hard, you know, because the effects are so big in these movies.
Jamie Kennedy on Becoming the Guy in the Mask and "Son of the Mask's" DVD
