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Renee Zellweger on Leatherheads
By Fred Topel | Images property of Universal Pictures
Leatherheads is a football comedy but Renee Zellweger didn't get to play. She plays a reporter looking for the scoop on the new star athlete. Even between takes, director George Clooney forbade her from tossing the pigskin around.
Renee Zellweger Talks Leatherheads
"Oh, I got in trouble," she exclaimed. "At one point we were throwing the ball outside. I guess it was the first big practice day where the crowd shows up to see them practice for the first time. I had my stupid little heels on and my hat, and George came out and said, "P'ut that thing down! Marcia, Marcia, Marcia! What am I going to do with you when you, miss?'"
The local extras in North Carolina got a kick out of Zellweger too. She used the communal port-a-johns instead of going to her own diva trailer. "When you gotta go, you gotta go. We had a great time down there. It's sort of like a pre-requisite in that region of the country that you are polite. So everybody that we experienced, they were so generous. In the towns that we ended up in, seriously polite. People are just generous and fun, and warm welcomes everywhere we went. They were truly generous, hospitable hosts. I had a great time. A great five months, wherever it was that we were running around in that region, wherever we ended up. The food was good, too. Oh, man! And as far as the porta-can is concerned, it's always surprised me that people are surprised when somebody is just kind of normal."
The film employs the style of 1930s screwball comedies with quick, witty verbal banter. Zellweger has done her share of modern day comedies, and periods dramas, so she had to blend the two.
Leatherheads
Leatherheads
Leatherheads
"I don't know if I look at it as being more difficult than any other genre. I found comedy that's written into the script that you need to get out of the way of rather then interpret or sort of bring to life. I've found that a new and different kind of challenge, when I worked with, say, the Farrelly Brothers, for example. And when we did Down with Love, where you kind of just had to understand the dialogue in such a way that you didn't screw it up in the delivery rather than interpret it and bring it to life. I just think it's about being truthful, right? So I don't think about it. I think if you think about it, it's not funny."
Zellweger gets physical when necessary too, riding motorcycles for Leatherheads. "We had motorcycle practice in the parking lot at the football stadiums. That was a lot of fun. I loved it! Are you kidding? The props guy might not be okay, but I was great."
Leatherheads opens to theaters April 4th.
For the trailer, stills and more movie info, go to the Leatherheads Movie Page.
Fred Topel
Sources: Images property of Universal Pictures
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