Having made a name for herself as Jackie Burkhart on That '70s Show, Mila Kunis can afford to be picky about projects. However, when she got a chance to show a different side of herself as Racheal in the Judd Apatow produced, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Kunis was more than happy to join this comedy fraternity.
Mila Kunis: No, it's like not coming to work at all. I'm a little hungry, but other than that... it's awesome. It's probably the best gig you can ask for. Its been so loose and there's been no book to go by. Half the time, I really don't know what we're doing or what we're shooting. I don't have a clue. Half this stuff is for DVD, half the stuff is for movies, honestly, I don't know. I just go along with the flow because everybody here has been working together for such a long time. They all kind of get each other and they know what they're doing, I just kind of trust them. I just go with it.
Does it mess with your process at all?
Mila Kunis: Well, when Bobby and I talk about our process... no, it doesn't mess with my process. It's a romantic comedy. It's a really great group of people and they have done this a million times. It's really fun. It's great.
Do you feel like you're being brought into the family?
Mila Kunis: Yeah, it's bizarre. It's like being in junior high and not quite being the cool kid yet. You're about to get to high school and the cool kids are like, "Come on in!" I'm like, "Okay." That's kind of what it is. They've all been working with Judd, since like 10 years ago, you know? I don't have an ounce of complaints.
Did you know Jason (Segel, the film's star, Peter Bretter) before doing this movie?
Mila Kunis: Maybe we ran into each other before? But no. I know I met with Judd and Shauna (Robertson; producer) on 4 other projects before. I know that I really wanted to work with them and I was hoping that they wanted to work with me, and then this came along and I was like, "Hell yeah." Jason is rad. I don't know why I'm doing this movie. (Laughs) I'm just going with it.
This is the team to be with right now.
Mila Kunis: Is it ever?!? It's crazy. I know. You kind of just appreciate the people around you and learn. It's been rad.
Since most of your scenes are with Jason and he wrote the script for this film, does he mind when you change things up?
Mila Kunis: We don't even go by the dialogue. Haven't you been watching?!? I think they're like, "No, go off the script." You kinda gotta stick to the lines in the scene. All of them, Judd and Jason, all of them go on these tantrums and rants and Kris (Roeters) and I kind of just sit there and we're like... because it's not where we come from. Neither one of us is that great at improv. We're good at standing on our toes and being there, but we're not like that particular skill. You just go with it, you put your 5 cents in when you can. We roll out in every single take. They're just like, "You guys, go!"
Is it a challenge not to laugh when doing this kind of movie?
Mila Kunis: It's a challenge that I've failed at many times. I like to laugh and apparently I find everything funny. I'm just gonna go with my character laughs at it. Russell Brand (he plays Aldous Snow) is hysterical. If he has a chance to say anything... he is brilliant in this. I've never seen anything he's done. He's a comedian from London. I thought, "Oh, he's probably funny." He's so sharp and so brilliant. Amazing. He's so fun to watch. Everything that comes out of his mouth is smart. Smart is funny. People sometimes think just jokes are funny, but stuff out of Russell's mouth is just so brilliant.
Have you worked with any of the cameo actors?
Mila Kunis: I don't get any cameos! Nothing. I'm stuck with Jason. I accidentally walked onto the set when (William) Baldwin was here. I was like, "What are you doing here?" "I'm in the movie!" I was like, "Okay." Oh no, I lied, I did get a cameo. Bill Hader. I did get him. He plays Jason's brother, I think. This script has gone through so many revisions, I don't know what character is who anymore. I think that he is his brother, yes. He is great in it. Really, really, funny. That's one of the cameo's that I've gotten. Or, supporting role, whatever you want to call it.
It's gotta be good after all those years on That '70s Show to be doing a big, feature film? It's gotta be good for the career?
Mila Kunis: Maybe... it's so hard. You could do a huge movie and it will do nothing for your career. You could do the smallest independent movie and all of the sudden you skyrocket. To go by the fact that this is not an independent movie, you just never know. I will say that I never worked on a production like this. Where I've actually had food, (Laughs) and a trailer, and all the amenities that you would expect from this industry. It's a blessing. It is, it's great. Do I think it's going to help any part of my career? I don't f*cking care. It makes no difference to me. Because I was on That '70s Show for so long, I don't need to work for the sake of working. I really appreciate my private life. I don't know if fame is something that particularly people understand when they want it. Then when you have it you really don't want it so much.
I just hope this movie's good. That's really the only thing that I pray for. That it's good and that people enjoy it and laugh.
That's a good luxury to have...
Mila Kunis: It's an amazing luxury to have. I'm really lucky to have that in my life. It's insane that at 23 I'm like I don't have to work. So I don't have to do American Psycho 2 which I did when I was 16!
Did you have to audition for this?
Mila Kunis: This was a bit of a different process... how did this come about? About 7 or 8 months ago I was doing another movie and I got a call for a table read. I was like, "What is it for?" And they're like, "Judd is involved, this, this and that." I was like, "Yeah, of course." I flew down and I did the table read for this 9 months ago, maybe?!? It was a very different script. They called me 4 or 5 months later and were like, "Can you come to the office?" I was like, "Yeah." It was like a table read to see what they were going to do with the movie. If it was going to be made? If it was not? It was such early stages. Then I came in, we met, we hung out and then they offered me the part and I was like, "Yeah, of course."
At that point, after so many transitions it's a completely different movie.
Can you think of one particular improve that was the funniest?
Mila Kunis: Yes, I can tell you exactly. Jack McBrayer, he plays Kenneth on 30 Rock. He might be the funniest comedian I have ever seen in my life. I'm a huge fan of 30 Rock, and he plays one of the young married couples. He and his wife started humping each other and he goes, "What's gotten into you?" And she goes, "Nothing yet." That's when I lost my mind for about a good 10 minutes.
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