Will Ferrell’s latest film “Casa de mi Padre” is set to hit theaters March 16
Will Ferrell’s latest comedy was filmed in the style of a Spanish soap opera. Ferrell plays the son of a ranch owner who has to keep the family ranch alive (Photo courtesy of lionsgatepublicity.com )
By Jason Hortsch Staff Writer hortsch12@up.edu
With his new film "Casa de mi Padre" coming to theaters March 16, Will Ferrell sat down for a conference call with The Beacon's Jason Hortsch and other student reporters to share his thoughts on the upcoming movie.
Filmed in the style of "telenovelas" (Spanish soap operas), the film stars Ferrell as Almando Alvarez, the son of a struggling ranch owner. Alvarez must help his father save the ranch while simultaneously dealing with the consequences of his brother's illegitimate business dealings.
Here are selections from the Q&A:
Since the film is entirely in Spanish, did you get to improvise much?
It was a little difficult. The main challenge for me, since I'm not fluent in Spanish, was to make sure the joke of this movie is not that I spoke Spanish poorly. Of course, memorizing in a foreign language is a whole new challenge, too. I had to rely on little physical moments to generate humor.
Is it harder to come across as funny in a different language?
The whole "telenovela" genre is so over the top, it was fairly easy to mimic and put myself in that kind of zone. The more dramatic and serious I could be, I figured that would probably play funny.
Are you a frequent viewer of "telenovelas"?
I wouldn't say I'm a huge fan. I only watch them every weekday from 11 a.m to 4 p.m., so I'm not a crazy person about it.
Why did you decide to do this movie?
I think the question ‘Why did you choose this role?' is asked of actors a lot – well, ‘Because I had to make my car payment.' If you have the flexibility it's nice to be able to pick roles.
What was it like working with Hispanic movie stars?
I'm happy to say it was relatively easy. Diego Luna and Gael (García Bernal) both have a great sense of humor. They saw it as an opportunity to be funny in a way they've never been offered. As long as you commit to the character and think things are real, it works.
What was it like to work with Nick Offerman (known for portraying Ron Swanson on "Parks and Recreation")?
I've known Nick for a long time and was a huge fan. He had probably a harder job than I did to not only memorize in Spanish, but in bad Spanish. He was great playing that cocky DA agent, which is what we wanted the Americans to represent.
Will there be other viral commercials in addition to the one for Scorpion Beer?
I don't know if we have more waiting to be unfurled or not. I didn't even know about the Scorpion Beer one.
What was your favorite scene to shoot?
One of the scenes that makes me laugh so hard is when we go to the Pond of the Seven Tears, and we're on that ridiculous set that looks terrible. Genesis' (Rodriguez) line is something like "This is the most beautiful place I've ever seen." And it's just a little pond. Probably that, and any time you can talk to a gigantic white panther, that's always a plus.
Do you see this as an experience you would want to repeat?
It would be hysterical to me if this movie became a cult hit and we could make a sequel. That would be really fun. There are a billion Chinese though, so maybe I have to do something Chinese. That would be the next market to conquer.
How do you think the hardcore Will Ferrell fans will react to this film?
I think it'll be a pleasant surprise, because you literally don't know where the movie is going at any moment. And you really have to pay attention because it's subtitled, so you're forced to lock into the story. I'm proud of it in the sense that it's the same absurdist quality like we did with "Anchorman." It has a similar feel, where we threw all the rules out the window. I think people will be satisfied.
