Tim Johnson
When “Horrible Bosses” director Seth Gordon signed on, he couldn’t have imagined winning the casting lottery. Oh, but he did.
In “Horrible Bosses,” three friends (Jason Sudeikis, Jason Bateman and Charlie Day) find themselves stuck in jobs with bosses (Jennifer Aniston, Colin Farrell and Kevin Spacey) who are tormenting their lives. Unable to quit, they devise a plan to ‘off’ their employers with the help of a crudely named ex-con Motherf***** Jones (played by Jamie Foxx). The friends’ foolproof plan turns out to be minus the ‘proof.
Director Seth Gordon says the mammoth casting caught him unexpected. “It just got a snowball effect. More and more folks wanted to be involved and they were all great for the parts and I think unexpected in many cases. I think that that’s really going to be exciting to have most of our folks trying their hand at a slightly different thing.”
When Moviehole joined the cast on set on location in Los Angeles at an all-American bar and restaurant, Jason Bateman was yet to film much of his interaction with his character’s twisted boss played by Kevin Spacey, though he had little doubt of Spacey’s ability to create an intimidating psychopath. “He is very intense about what he does and it’s certainly perfect for this character, so I’m obviously looking forward to working with him, he’s one of the best we’ve got.”
Bateman’s co-star Charlie Day jumped in with; “His character does get pretty evil. And he tortures you!”
However, Day struggles to relate to his character’s predicament. “Well I’ve never been sexually harassed by a gorgeous dentist, so I can’t really draw from experience. I just haven’t met the right boss.”
Playing the third spoke in the friend’s wheel, Jason Sudeikis jokes “You haven’t met the right dentist!”
Day continued to explain his character’s trouble with his overtly sexual boss, and his own feelings on the situation. “She really gets to the point of blackmail. I’m a married man in real life and if she was asking me to sleep with her, I wouldn’t sleep with her. It doesn’t seem like such an outrageous thing.”
Sudeikis asks him if he would consider inviting her into the marriage though. “Well, yeah I would bring it up with my wife (though) she hasn’t done that since “Friends.”
Jason Sudeikis plays opposite Colin Farrell, who he says really embraced the craziness of his character Pellit. “He’s exercising a lot of demons from his past I imagine, I would guess. His character certainly has a love of cocaine and he knows his way around that stuff. I would say he was definitely in to it, and yet also very good at then going back into his lovely Irish accent.”
And for Gordon, he says directing this all-star ensemble cast for him, was in many ways different than that of a traditional film and cast. “You don’t have to put all your eggs in one basket, so it’s much more about who’s the guy we’re rooting for and what’s the (most fun) for that person to have.”
For Nick, Kurt and Dale, the only thing that would make the daily grind more tolerable would be to grind their intolerable bosses into dust. Quitting is not an option, so, with the benefit of a few-too-many drinks and some dubious advice from a hustling ex-con, the three friends devise a convoluted and seemingly foolproof plan to rid themselves of their respective employers…permanently. There’s only one problem: even the best laid plans are only as foolproof as the brains behind them
“Horrible Bosses” – coming soon.
– Tim Johnson
