Paul Rudd Calls ‘Anchorman’ Improvisation ‘Thrilling,’ Especially 1 Scene They Couldn’t Get Through Without Laughing
The movie Anchorman came out in 2004, starring Will Ferrell, Steve Carell, and Paul Rudd. Originally going to be about a news crew stranded after a plane crash, the film critiques 1970s journalism. The plot has plenty of comedy, and many lines involve improvisation.
Since improvised lines can be unexpected, it is easy for other actors to break character. As a result, Rudd can remember many hilarious moments he had while filming. He once recalled one scene where he and his co-stars struggled to get through it.
The filmmakers had a hard time getting ‘Anchorman’ greenlit
Anchorman was a successful movie, and many fans still enjoy it today. While the film is now a classic, it almost did not happen. According to IMDb, Ferrell and Adam McKay wrote the script but struggled to get the studio to greenlight it.
The reason was that DreamWorks did not believe the movie would be a hit among audiences. At first, the idea of a story centering around news anchors seemed risky. McKay had to pitch the film to the studio about 20 times before he succeeded.
Anchorman got to see the light of day as a result of the filmmaker’s persistence. The popularity led to a sequel, and the second movie followed in the previous one’s footsteps. Paramount produced the sequel, but the studio rejected the pitch at first.
Money might have been one of the reasons. McKay explained the executives turned him down despite budget cuts. Paramount eventually agreed after the three main stars chose to reduce their salaries. Anchorman 2 came out in 2013 after spending years in pre-production.
The ‘Anchorman’ scene that Paul Rudd couldn’t get through
Once filming for Anchorman began, the actors quickly had fun with improvisation. They would do dozens of takes for various reaction lines and had a lot of extra footage. According to GQ, the stars struggled to complete one of their scenes.
“So, we would always do what was in the script, but then, we’d start kind of messing around. It was a whole new way of working on a big-budget movie, and it was thrilling,” Rudd explains. “There’s always a pressure not to laugh.”
If someone giggles during a take, the director can’t use it. Rudd then gives an example of a scene where the characters sit at a table eating lunch, with Carell’s Brick eating a used coffee filter and cigarette butts.
“I think this scene we laughed the hardest. It was the first time I think even the crew was getting a little annoyed ’cause we just couldn’t get through it,” Rudd says.
The cast laughed whenever Carell took a bite out of his food. It looked “repulsive,” so they found it funny. Eventually, they got through the scene.
‘Anchorman’ led to a large following and a sequel
Anchorman raked in $90 million at the box office, and the movie garnered millions of fans. Even a bunch of celebrities could not get enough of the comedy. They wanted to have a cameo in the sequel, and some of them did appear in it.
Kanye West and Kirsten Dunst were a couple of the celebrities who got to be a part of Anchorman 2. Given the relatively positive reception to the sequel, fans have wondered if they will ever see a third installment.
McKay and a few castmates are open to the idea, but Anchorman 3 is unlikely to happen. After all, follow-ups to comedy movies can be tricky to make. Nevertheless, there is still a slight possibility. Meanwhile, fans continue to watch the two films and make many references online.
