Interview - Superbad

By Clint Morris
Interview with Michael Cera, Jonah Hill and ‘McLovin’!
Stars of Superbad.

Read The Review of SUPERBAD Here.

Michel Cera, Jonah Hill & 'McLovin' are now Superbad Superstars

Meeting up to talk about their new film Superbad, stars Michael Cera, Christopher Mintz-Plasse and Jonah Hill, seem just as surprised by the teen comedies success as the rest of the world are – but they put it down to one thing, people have come to know filmmaker (who actually only produces this one, not that you’d know it from the advertising material) Judd Apatow as a man they can trust. 

And once again, he delivers in spades with this continuously rip-snorting homage to the John Hughes films of the Reagan-era. Clint Morris has a blab with three genuinely funny guys.

Clint : We actually met at Comic Con, Jonah.

Jonah : Oh Yeah! How ya doing man!?

Clint : Good, man. Yeah I think we chatted about Accepted – the ‘Shit Sandwich’ movie?

Jonah : Yeah!
Michael : Shit Sandwhich? [Laughs]

Clint : It was a promotional thing where they had a guy dress up as a shit sandwich walking the streets.

Jonah : It was so much better this year, Comic Con – we were there for a few days with Superbad as opposed to the 5 hours or so we were there with Accepted. It was so not the place for that movie..

Clint : I don’t think so either.

Jonah : Nerds didn’t like it. Fans didn’t like it.

Clint : So all you guys were at Comic Con this year?

Jonah : It was so fun, man.
Christopher : It was awesome.
Jonah : I love Comic Con.
Michael : It was exactly what I wanted it to be.

Clint : I was hoping you’d all tell me it was a real ‘non-event’ this year so I don’t feel like I missed out on anything. I couldn’t go because my baby was due the same week so it was a choice between a guy in a Batman suit or the birth of my child.

Jonah : Oh Wow! Congrats!
Michael : Guy in Batman outfit!
Jonah : Or a Baby in a Batman outfit?
Michael : Or a baby in a birthday suit?

Clint : So in other words, it was better spruiking Superbad than Accepted?

Jonah : Yeah, definitely. I mean I do more in this movie and I think it’s more my style of what I think is funny I think. Not putting down Accepted, this is just more my sense of humour.

Clint : Look, Superbad is continuously funny whereas Accepted was a joke now-and-then…

Jonah : Yeah it was more like trying to fit in a one liner every now and then we ADR’d like a thousand great jokes.

Clint : I remember at the time you were telling me you wouldn’t be doing anything without Justin Long from here on out, but here you are doing Superbad and he just did Die Hard.

Jonah : Yeah, I love Justin. Its so sweet what’s happened with him. I think he could be like Tom Hanks – or someone like that – because he’s not doing movies that like we’re doing now; and he’s just so likeable.

Clint : I think people were worried that he might have spoilt the new Die Hard though because everyone hates it when they stick a whiny kid with the hero, ya know?

Jonah : I think he made the movie. I really do.
Christopher : He was awesome.
Michael : He made that whole movie.

Clint : How did you guys get involved in Superbad?

Michael : I just auditioned.
Christopher : Yeah, it was an open audition. Just auditioned.
Jonah : Several times.
Christopher : I went down with my friends and auditioned and got the part.

Clint : And you hadn’t acted before, is that right?

Christopher : Yeah, never on film. I’ve acted in school stuff, but never in a movie.

Clint : So you would’ve been pretty stoked to get it?

Christopher : Oh Yeah.

Clint : Was it a different world for you doing a film?

Christopher : Really different…

Clint : What about now? Has life changed for you? Everyone would know you as ‘McLovin’ right?

Christopher : Yeah. Everywhere I go people recognize me. Its weird.
Michael : There are T-Shirts with his face on it.

Clint : Do you think the success of Knocked Up has helped Superbad?

Michael : For sure.
Jonah : You can tell. There were posters done that said ‘from the guy that brought you 40-Year-Old Virgin and Talladega Nights’ and from the second Knocked Up came out they took Talladega off the poster and replaced it with Knocked Up.  They changed all the posters and all the TV ads.

Clint : I gotta say, I feel sorry for Greg Mottola. He directed this thing but everyone just thinks of it as a Judd Apatow film.

Jonah : Yeah, but I think it’s now allowed Greg to do whatever he wants to do now. He’s such a great director…

Clint : I just got the sides for his new movie Adventureland. Sounds funny!

Jonah : Oh yeah, it’s very funny.
Michael : That’s a real place! That’s where he worked when he was growing up.
Jonah : He’s so fuckin talent that guy, man.
Michael : Have you seen Daytrippers?

Clint : No, never saw it.

Michael : That’s his first movie. Wrote and directed it. Parker Posey.
Jonah : It’s a great movie. You should have a look at it.

Clint : Are you guys doing Adventureland with him?

Jonah : No, Jesse Eisenberg is going to do it – from the Squid and the Whale. He’s awesome.
Michael : They’re doing it this fall.

Clint : How was it working with Greg on this? What kind of director is he?

Christopher : Nicest guy I’ve ever met.
Michael : He’s such a great director. I really wanted to tell him several times ‘I think you’re a really good director’. He’s really great. You never feel like he’s giving you a note just to make you feel arbitrary, he’ll hold back but let you know something when he feels he has to – and it’s something that helps.
Jonah : He’s very casual – he’s not like ‘do it like this!’, he’s more ‘Wanna try it like that?’
Michael : He’s great to work with. The movie came out well too. All the funk elements came out well too.
Jonah : All the stuff that looks cool – film wise – is all him. Really cool guy.

Clint : I’ve lost the passion for films a bit – if only because there’s been so much shit but with “Knocked Up” and “Superbad”, I’ve got a renewed faith.

Christopher : Thankyou. Nice.
Jonah : You’ve got to see Walk Hard when it comes out next. It looks hilarious. That’s [Judd’s] next.
Michael : Be Kind, Rewind I can’t wait to see.
Jonah : Yeah, Be Kind, Rewind.
Christopher : It looks awesome.
Michael : There’s a couple of good ones coming…. Darjeeng Limited I can’t wait for.

Clint : What do you think about Owen Wilson? Isn’t it crushin’?

Michael : Yeah.
Christopher : It’s depressing.
Jonah : I think it was just a choice [he made].
Michael : Hopefully he’ll be OK.
Christopher : He’s got like two movies coming out now, right?

Clint : What else have you done the last year or so?

Michael : I did a movie called Juno in February, it comes out in December.
Jonah: I’ve just been writing.

Clint : Oh, you’re a writer?

Jonah : Yeah, I’m writing two movies that Judd’s producing.
Michael : I made an internet show I shot and edited – its called Clark and Michael.

Clint : Why do you think Superbad has been so successful?

Jonah : I think people trust Judd’s style. I think it also helped that they got it our early and started showing it to people. We were proud of it, so we wanted people to see it, but it also helped spread the word. Usually, if the movie is shit, you don’t want people to see it at all – especially not early. A funny movie never generally does bad if it’s generally funny – people mightn’t discover it at first, but they’ll find it eventually. Kinda like Office Space.

Clint : There’s something about Superbad that reminds me of Sixteen Candles – just the party stuff, the humour…

Michael : Really?

Clint : Yeah, I’d love to hear John Hughes’s feedback on “Superbad”.

Jonah : That would be awesome – I wonder if he saw it?... Apparently Sean Penn loved it!
Michael : What?
Jonah : Yeah. Someone else… um, Jamie Foxx. Loved it.

Clint : Are you worried about typecasting Christopher?

Christopher : No, I just got cast in another big funny movie so I’m not worried about it. Its Little Big Men, with Paul Rudd and Seann William Scott. Its from David Wain , who directed Wet Hot American Summer.

Clint : So, big role?

Christopher : Yeah, third. Third billing.

Clint : Was acting always your passion?

Christopher : Yeah it was always my passion and now that I’m actually doing it I’m going to keep doing it.

Clint : What were you doing before?

Christopher : Just going to school. Worked at Home Goods.
Jonah : Are the guys from Home Goods psyched for you? They must be freakin’ out!
Michael : What’s Home Goods, is that where you worked?
Christopher : Yeah, department store.

SUPERBAD is in cinemas now.