Reynolds: Comedy is all about execution

MANILA, Philippines - The Change-Up is the spin on the body-switching comedy starring Jason Bateman as an uptight family man and Ryan Reynolds as his raucous bachelor best friend. After a night of drinking in which they each admit that they kind of envy the other’s life, the two friends switch bodies, and of course all kinds of madness ensues from there. Leslie Mann, who was also on the set the day we visited, plays Bateman’s wife, while Olivia Wilde also steps in as a comely co-worker he could never make a move on regularly, but when trapped in the body of his best friend. The Change-Up hits theaters on Sept. 28.

Below, Ryan talks about the movie:

What did you think of the script when you first read it?

“I was laughing all the way through it. The second I put it down, I e-mailed the head of the studio and introduced myself.”

What appealed to you about the movie?

“I liked that I could play the character making all the noise and being an idiot, instead of being the smart guy that is sort of reacting to the idiot. I actually get to play both roles in this film, which is an actor’s dream.”

Would your parenting style be closer to Dave’s or to Mitch’s then?

“It’s a good combination of each. I guess I just kind of figure it out as I go along.”

What were the babies like to work with?

“Yes, we got lucky with them. There is no way to know how they were going to react when they were around a big crew. Obviously, you wouldn’t be able to negotiate much with them if they didn’t want to work. We were lucky that they did want to work most days. Their parents were very cooperative and tolerant with some of the things we wanted them to do.”

We tend to think the grass is always greener on the other side, but this film proves that it’s not always true.

“Yes, and hopefully you don’t need to switch into someone else’s body to realize how good you’ve got it. One of the things that makes this movie so relatable is that everybody sort of fantasizes about the grass being greener on the other side and changing into someone else, which is something you obviously can’t do. The Change-Up takes you there and spits you out the other side without any damage.”

What was it like to work with each other?

“We knew each other a little bit, enough to really want to work together. I think we had good rhythm and it made for a lot of fun on the set. The truth is that when you work with someone in a movie you learn a great deal.”

Was it difficult to keep a straight face at times during the shoot then?

“I would just drive my fingernail into my hand. So, I had to make sure I started the scene with my hands in my pockets. Other times, it was just great to let it go. Laughter is too rare these days.”

Did you get to improvise?

“And the writers encouraged us because they were involved in the rehearsal process. They were there with their laptops as we would start to make up different stuff and say, ‘Yeah, it’s better for you to say it like that!’ In the end, you forget what was yours and what was originally in the script.”

But as you both play Mitch and Dave, whom do you think you are closer to?

“And I am maybe a little bit more like an idiot than people may think. There are probably equal parts from both of us in each character.”

Do you ever fantasize about living someone else’s life?

“Don’t forget that we get to pretend being other people by definition as actors.”

What makes good comedy?

“For me it’s all about the execution.”

(The Change-Up is released and distributed by United International Pictures through Solar Entertainment. Corp.)