Doug - the guys who gets left behind - talks avoiding that second hangover!
After being the main maguffin in 2009's
The Hangover, Justin Bartha gets to chill at a resort in the sequel while his hapless friends deal with dismemberment, monkeys and lost kids in the frankly terrifying city of Bangkok. Here's what he had to say about returning to the character.
Q: How does it feel to play a character that’s not lost?
JB: It feels good not to be lost. I feel lost in my real life, but on screen, it feels nice not to be lost.
Q: In this film you're more part of the plot. What was different for you this time?
JB: I didn’t have to wear red makeup and wear a robe the whole time, as much as I like wearing a robe. I got to hang out by a pool and be on the phone a lot for most of the shoot.
Q: What was it like filming the scene in Alan’s room?
JB: Alan has a lot of hobbies. He enjoys collecting toys, specific toys. The scene where we go to Alan's bedroom was a lot of fun, because it was the first time that all the four guys were back together again, along with Jeffrey Tambor, and it was great. It was really a fun, exciting scene to shoot.
Q: Was it easier this time around, because you all knew each other?
JB: Everyone kind of knew who their characters were, and most people were more comfortable exploring in their characters. And, obviously, everyone's friends, and we're looking forward to working together again.
Q: How was the resort in Thailand?
JB: I spent a lot of time at the resorts. Todd Phillips is very protective of me. He likes to keep me out of harm's way and pamper me, so I have a very good boss. It was this beautiful resort, and that's where the base camp of the wedding is and always checking in with the guys, trying to see exactly what's happening and what's going on in Bangkok.
Q: And one of the action scenes that you were involved in was the boat landing. How did you feel filming that scene?
JB: That was a tough scene. It's very hard to control a speedboat coming up from the water onto land. It took a few tries to get the boat exactly where it had to be. They had to redo it a few times to get it perfect.
Q: What's your favorite scene in the film?
JB:That's tough. I remember that during the first film people would ask me that and every scene has its own little fun thing. I do love Alan's bedroom scene, I thought that was a lot of fun. I love when they find Mr. Chow in the hotel room, and he's about to say, “What happened last night?” and then something happens to him.
Q: You get to spend a lot of time with the women in this film, how was the energy different?
JB: The energy was a little different, hanging out with the ladies and my pregnant wife. Not a bad change of pace to hang out by the pool with the beautiful ladies, But, yes, it was a bit of a change of pace from hanging out with the guys.
The Hangover Part II is out on DVD and blu-ray now.