"I haven’t directed this many stars in one picture," said Marshall, the director of Pretty Woman, Runaway Bride, and Princess Diaries. "You know what it’s like? It’s like when you’re in high school and suddenly you’re with all those popular kids in school. They’re all with you and they all know you. It’s a very exciting thing. It didn’t happen for me in high school. Bradley Cooper is here. Here comes Jennifer Garner, Jessica Alba. I know them all personally!..."
Marshall packed Valentine's Day with so many stars it would have been impossible to shoehorn in even one more. And almost all of them showed up for the press day for the Warner Bros Pictures romantic comedy. Cooper, Alba, Garner, Shirley MacLaine, Julia Roberts, Jessica Biel, Jamie Foxx, Hector Elizondo, Ashton Kutcher, George Lopez, and Topher Grace all took their seats for what was a fun, though not very informative, press conference.
Valentine's Day Press Conference
This film is a love letter to Los Angeles. What do you love about LA?Ashton Kutcher: "I love the weather."
Jennifer Garner: "Farmer’s Market."
Jessica Biel: "Real Foods Daily."
Topher Grace: "The 405."
What were the challenges of working with this big cast?
Garry Marshall: "Well, the key is you hire everybody whose name starts with 'J' to begin with. Jessica, Jamie, Jennifer, Julia... It all works out of that. You can say any name, just starts with a J. It is good for me that I knew many of these people, and to work with them recalls a shorthand because this was a tough schedule. The logistics alone [were difficult], so to work with them all was a pleasure because there was not much fighting. See how calm they are? Nobody’s pushing each other. It’s a nice group. Sometimes they push. 'I don’t want to sit in this seat.'"
What was your worst Valentine's Day experience?
Julia Roberts: "Yeah, you’re going to get a lot of takers on that one."
How about your best?
Julia Roberts: "Well, that’s fair. Jamie, tell us something. Dazzle us with a story of love."
Jamie Foxx: "Well, love in L.A. for me, when I first got here, when I didn’t have the name tag, it was a little interesting to even try to date in L.A. But it was great. I think when I met this girl on Monday, it was incredible. We went to a party, kicked it, went back to my crib, made love and then after that it was like we cuddled and talked. This was on a Monday. This is on a Monday, we cuddled, talked, then I woke up that morning and I smelled something. It was breakfast. She was cooking breakfast. I was like, 'Wow, she’s great.' Hung out, then she left."
"That was Monday. That was back no cell phones at that time. It was landlines so I didn’t call Tuesday and then Wednesday I didn’t call. Then Thursday I was like, 'Man, what happened?' Then Thursday I was at the club and I saw her with another guy and she spoke to me. 'Hey Jaime, how are you?' 'Hey… girl.' She was like, 'This is Michael. I told him all about you.' And I said, 'Okay, cool.' And she said, 'Oh, and by the way, he has a Range Rover like yours only it’s this year’s.' So that was my early experience in love in L.A."
Any ideas for a healthy Valentine’s?
Ashton Kutcher: "I think watching this movie is a healthy Valentine. We had a green set so there was a lot of dedication [to] using solar panels and clean energy and recycling. Due to the fact that the movie was shot in L.A. actually made that an easier thing to make happen. In some ways it worked out and in some ways it didn’t, but I think that every opportunity we have in our industry to make what we’re doing something more [of an] environmentally conscious effort is a good thing. So this movie was, I think, mostly a green movie. So coming and supporting a movie that was made that way I think can contribute to that."
Jennifer Garner: "You get popcorn - without butter."
Ashton, are you romantic in real life, like your character?
Ashton Kutcher: "Well, I had the good fortune of playing a florist in this movie, and one of my best friends is a florist. So I got to work with him and what I really learned about that was these guys are sort of like the real Cupids, passing these messages of love on from one person to the next person. It’s almost like if you can find something like that that can really translate what it is that you’re trying to say, it’s a big deal. So that was my experience on this movie."
"As far as being a romantic, I don't know. I love life and I love people and I love sharing. So I think, yes, I am, I would say."
Topher Grace: "There wasn’t a Valentine’s Day that went by on That ‘70s Show where I didn’t get a card or something."
Ashton Kutcher: "I did all kinds of nice sh-t."
Topher Grace: "It was very, very romantic."
How do you find time for romance with kids at home and how will you celebrate Valentine’s Day this year?
Julia Roberts: "My kids go to bed at 7:30."
Jessica Alba: "Mine goes to bed at 7, but I’m usually too tired, unfortunately."
Jennifer Garner: "You change the definition of romance. I mean, romance is romance, but in addition, romance can just be breakfast over the tops of heads. Just getting through the day, you’ve just got to create that being romantic."
And Valentine's Day plans?
Jennifer Garner: "I think most of us will be promoting a movie. That’ll be romantic."
Jessica Alba: "We’re pretty spontaneous, like she said. We try to squeeze in a smooch here and there, a little card, just a note to say I love you."
Julia Roberts: "For Valentine’s Day, we’re just going to be making out - the full 24 hours."
